Patrick Harding was born in Leash, simply outdoors of Dublin, Eire, however now travels the world utilizing his abilities as a efficiency coach, physiotherapist, and psychological improvement coach with a view to get one of the best out of his purchasers, such because the Williams’ System One celebrity, Alex Albon. M&F caught up with Harding between races to learn how his profession route led him to working with racers, and the way his partnership with the person who turned the primary ever Thai driver to make an F1 podium end when he positioned third, is getting stronger on a regular basis.
How did you end up turning into a efficiency coach for Alex Albon?
I’d been in skilled sports activities for about 14 or 15 years. I had been working in Olympic sports activities, and at Arsenal Soccer Membership as properly, and moved from squad-based sports activities to working one-to-one with an Irish golfer and an Irish boxer. Working with people, I began to essentially benefit from the stage of element that I may get into; analyzing the gaps and placing plans in place bodily and nutritionally, and from a behavioral perspective, in order that we may bench mark what one of the best on the planet have been doing, and work in the direction of that.
A contact I knew, from my days of gaining a Power and Conditioning Grasp’s diploma, linked me to motorsport. I began working in System 2 for a yr (with racer, Tadasuke Makino, who moved on to Tremendous System), and that was additionally when Alex was there. We type of knew one another from the season and we sat and had a dialog about how we preferred to work and what our personalities have been, and what we felt like we would have liked from one another. Now we’re in our seventh season collectively. The connection has grown from energy to energy.
There’s loads of knowledge that goes into racing, how vital is physique composition?
The best way the rules work, it’s really a weight-making sport. (The minimal weight is 80 kilograms together with helmet, race swimsuit, and sneakers). Something above that, and also you’re penalizing your self, proper? (If a driver is beneath 80 kilograms absolutely kitted, then the burden distinction is corrected with a ballast). So, from our perspective, on the burden administration facet, (Alex) is about 78 kilograms, with package. Alex is 6’ 1”, he’s in all probability one of many tallest drivers on the grid. This has it’s challenges each positionally, and ergonomically within the automotive. He’s tremendous lean, tremendous athletic, in order that makes it simpler.
F1 races can final 80 minutes and upwards. How a lot weight may a driver lose in that point?
I’d say, on common, between a kilogram and a kilogram and a half. You then’ll get particular races, like Singapore, or like Quatar final yr, the place it may be something as much as two and half, or three kilograms. So, it’s a major shift in weight. With any person like Alex, who’s fairly lean, there’s not loads of reserve there by way of vitality, in order that’s why diet, for us, particularly by means of these sizzling weekends is so vital, in addition to hydration, combining each of these collectively. It’s actually one thing that we’ve to be conscious of.
Let’s begin with hydration, how do you method this?
We’ll calculate the quantity of water that Alex is allowed, within the automotive, primarily based on the general weight of the motive force and the automotive. Temperature circumstances are vital as a result of what you don’t need to do is begin including tons of fluid, including weight to the automotive, after which that fluid doesn’t get used and also you’re simply carrying round further ballast. Sometimes, we allot for 200 milliliters. Then, in a very sizzling race we’ll do 750. We may do 1,000 mils. We’ll maintain it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we be sure that he’s nutritionally fueled earlier than the race, and that he has entry to fluid on board. We aren’t making an attempt to chase hydration throughout a race, as a result of that’s a harmful state of affairs to be in. We guarantee that we’ve finished all the work beforehand.
By way of that prep work, what well being dietary supplements are sometimes good for racers?
When you consider the quantity of journey that Alex does, and his vitality expenditure, we complement for common well being. So we complement with a multivitamin together with vitamin D, vitamin B complicated, vitamin C and zinc. We’ll be sure that he’s received a robust, wholesome immune system but in addition that he’s getting a praise of nutritional vitamins that he wouldn’t all the time get in his weight loss program. We use probiotics, at occasions, to assist help intestine well being. There are all the time choices, by way of the final well being facet.
Within the pre-season, we spend a while making an attempt to place some muscle-mass on Alex. So, good high quality protein is de facto key for us in that interval. If he’s not getting sufficient from meals then we will complement with powders and protein-based snacks.
How does Alex’s diet differ in a race weekend in comparison with the pre-season?
Throughout a race weekend, we focus lots on diet however for a driver like Alex, who’s so focussed on the race, generally meals slips down the checklist of priorities (for him). In these circumstances, we’ll complement with some carb and protein restoration shakes. From our perspective, dietary supplements are a key a part of our efficiency regime. Naturally, we want to get all of what we’d like from good wholesome meals, and that’s what we goal for, however we’re additionally very aware that there are prime quality dietary supplements on the market that we will add to the schedule with a view to assist buffer these areas the place we would not be hitting what we have to on sure events.
How does Alex method diet usually?
He makes actually good selections in terms of meals and he likes his meals, and he likes good meals. He’ll say he’s an excellent cook dinner however he’s completely not (laughs). We’ve an unbelievable nutritionist who helps us from a distance with the plans. However the actuality for any person like Alex is that he has an enormous vitality demand throughout a race weekend. And even usually throughout these weeks in between races as a result of we’re coaching, and he’s touring, then he’s received simulator work, his physique is making an attempt to get better, and I’d say he’s near an vitality deficit more often than not simply because it’s tough for him to devour the amount of meals that he wants.
So, on race weekend, if I see him dipping into the dessert part right here and there, I’ve completely no points with that. Generally we’d like these energy on board from an vitality and restoration perspective. About 99% of the time he makes good selections. He likes candy potato mash, stuff that’s straightforward to digest, some greens or a pleasant leafy salad with these good antioxidants in there. A superb supply of protein will probably be one thing like hen, turkey, or some lean fish.
You talked about that Alex is lean and muscular. Are you able to discuss us by means of his energy and conditioning?
The neck is clearly a key part of the game, and we spend loads of time neck loading. His neck max’s are 78 kilograms plus, in facet flexion (facet bending) and extension, so he’s extremely sturdy. Outdoors of that, two or three cardio primarily based classes per week are actually vital for Alex, and any driver, as a result of drivers endure 120, 130 bpm for something as much as 5 or 6 hours on a weekend within the automotive. We do Zone 1 work (55 – 65% HR max) both on a motorcycle or operating. Then we’ll intersperse that with some excessive heartrate HIIT work, bursts of something from 30 seconds as much as 2-minutes, and get his coronary heart price proper up there. Maximizing the stroke quantity with very nice oxygenated blood. If we buffer that oxidative capability and we max that, then I do know we’ve received a extremely sturdy cardio base there.
Outdoors of that, the classes Alex completely hates are the anaerobic classes. He’s beginning to construct his tolerances with some lactic classes (like brief, heavy bursts on a motorcycle). They’re horrible. There’s no motive to say that they aren’t. However there are durations throughout a race when he’s tapping into totally different vitality methods and his heartrate will probably be at 170, 180 bpm, defending positions, overtaking automobiles, so he wants to have the ability to exist in that zone as properly. How he executes these cardio and anaerobic classes tells me extra about the place he’s at from an total, and common readiness perspective.
Singapore is arising in September, so we’ve received classes booked the place we’ll get right into a humidity chamber with a view to recreate these circumstances and can begin to acclimatize Alex’s physique earlier than we even depart the UK. That’s the extent of prep that we have to do to.
Having labored in F1 for a number of years, what impresses you most about Alex and different F1 drivers?
What impresses me essentially the most is that these are athletes that must exist on the broadest spectrums of bodily health. In a bizarre approach, they’re similar to boxers, by way of needing a extremely good cardio base, actually good anaerobic base, and energy and energy are key for fulfillment. Nevertheless it’s additionally technical and tactical and I believe what makes F1 a little bit bit totally different is the environmental circumstances.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. In case you take Hungary, the observe temperature was 140°F/ 60°C plus. And never solely are they within the automotive for an hour and a half, driving at 190 mph/ 320 kph, enduring as much as 6G corners, however additionally they must react with precision. Then, they’re continuously speaking with the engineers with info on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable selections could be made on the pit and within the manufacturing facility with a view to decide the success of the race. So, it’s the cognitive stage, to have the ability to carry out at that top execution price whereas nonetheless withstanding these environmental circumstances and bodily load. It’s actually, actually spectacular.
Patrick will help Alex when the F1 season continues with Spherical 15 within the Netherlands on August 23-25.
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