Patrick Harding was born in Leash, simply exterior of Dublin, Eire, however now travels the world utilizing his expertise as a efficiency coach, physiotherapist, and psychological improvement coach with a purpose to get one of the best out of his shoppers, such because the Williams’ Method One famous person, 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 nicely, 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 degree of element that I may get into; analyzing the gaps and placing plans in place bodily and nutritionally, and from a behavioral standpoint, 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 Energy and Conditioning Grasp’s diploma, linked me to motorsport. I began working in Method 2 for a 12 months (with racer, Tadasuke Makino, who moved on to Tremendous Method), and that was additionally when Alex was there. We sort 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 wanted from one another. Now we’re in our seventh season collectively. The connection has grown from energy to energy.
There’s lots of knowledge that goes into racing, how vital is physique composition?
The way in which the rules work, it’s really a weight-making sport. (The minimal weight is 80 kilograms together with helmet, race go well with, and sneakers). Something above that, and also you’re penalizing your self, proper? (If a driver is beneath 80 kilograms absolutely kitted, then the load distinction is corrected with a ballast). So, from our standpoint, on the load administration aspect, (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 would possibly a driver lose in that point?
I might say, on common, between a kilogram and a kilogram and a half. Then you definately’ll get particular races, like Singapore, or like Quatar final 12 months, the place it may be something as much as two and half, or three kilograms. So, it’s a big shift in weight. With someone like Alex, who’s fairly lean, there’s not lots of reserve there by way of power, in order that’s why vitamin, for us, particularly by these scorching weekends is so vital, in addition to hydration, combining each of these collectively. It’s definitely one thing that now we have to be aware of.
Let’s begin with hydration, how do you strategy this?
We’ll calculate the quantity of water that Alex is allowed, within the automotive, based mostly on the general weight of the driving force and the automotive. Temperature situations 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. Usually, we allot for 200 milliliters. Then, in a very scorching race we’ll do 750. We may do 1,000 mils. We’ll hold it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we make 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 now we have performed all the work beforehand.
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When it comes to that prep work, what well being dietary supplements are usually good for racers?
When you concentrate on the quantity of journey that Alex does, and his power expenditure, we complement for normal well being. So we complement with a multivitamin together with vitamin D, vitamin B advanced, vitamin C and zinc. We’ll make sure that he’s obtained a robust, wholesome immune system but in addition that he’s getting a praise of nutritional vitamins that he wouldn’t at all times get in his food regimen. We use probiotics, at occasions, to assist help intestine well being. There are at all times choices, by way of the final well being aspect.
Within the pre-season, we spend a while making an attempt to place some muscle-mass on Alex. So, good high quality protein is actually key for us in that interval. If he’s not getting sufficient from meals then we are able to complement with powders and protein-based snacks.
How does Alex’s vitamin differ in a race weekend in comparison with the pre-season?
Throughout a race weekend, we focus so much on vitamin however for a driver like Alex, who’s so focussed on the race, typically meals slips down the listing of priorities (for him). In these circumstances, we’ll complement with some carb and protein restoration shakes. From our standpoint, dietary supplements are a key a part of our efficiency regime. Naturally, we wish to get all of what we want from good wholesome meals, and that’s what we intention for, however we’re additionally very aware that there are prime quality dietary supplements on the market that we are able to add to the schedule with a purpose to assist buffer these areas the place we’d not be hitting what we have to on sure events.
How does Alex strategy vitamin usually?
He makes actually good decisions in the case of meals and he likes his meals, and he likes good meals. He’ll say he’s prepare dinner however he’s completely not (laughs). Now we have an unbelievable nutritionist who helps us from a distance with the plans. However the actuality for someone like Alex is that he has an enormous power 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 obtained simulator work, his physique is making an attempt to get well, and I might say he’s near an power deficit more often than not simply because it’s tough for him to eat 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 want these energy on board from an power and restoration standpoint. About 99% of the time he makes good decisions. He likes candy potato mash, stuff that’s simple to digest, some greens or a pleasant leafy salad with these good antioxidants in there. A superb supply of protein will likely 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 his energy and conditioning?
The neck is clearly a key part of the game, and we spend lots of time neck loading. His neck max’s are 78 kilograms plus, in aspect flexion (aspect bending) and extension, so he’s extremely robust. Exterior of that, two or three cardio based mostly periods 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 fee 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 obtained a extremely robust cardio base there.
Exterior of that, the periods Alex completely hates are the anaerobic periods. He’s beginning to construct his tolerances with some lactic periods (like quick, heavy bursts on a motorcycle). They’re horrible. There’s no cause to say that they aren’t. However there are intervals throughout a race when he’s tapping into totally different power methods and his heartrate will likely be at 170, 180 bpm, defending positions, overtaking vehicles, so he wants to have the ability to exist in that zone as nicely. How he executes these cardio and anaerobic periods tells me extra about the place he’s at from an general, and normal readiness standpoint.
Singapore is developing in September, so we’ve obtained periods booked the place we are going to get right into a humidity chamber with a purpose to recreate these situations 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 probably the most is that these are athletes that need to exist on the broadest spectrums of bodily health. In a bizarre manner, 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. But it surely’s additionally technical and tactical and I feel what makes F1 a bit of bit totally different is the environmental situations.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. When 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 need to react with precision. Then, they’re consistently speaking with the engineers with info on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable choices will be made on the pit and within the manufacturing unit with a purpose to decide the success of the race. So, it’s the cognitive degree, to have the ability to carry out at that prime execution fee whereas nonetheless withstanding these environmental situations 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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