Patrick Harding was born in Leash, simply exterior of Dublin, Eire, however now travels the world utilizing his abilities as a efficiency coach, physiotherapist, and psychological improvement coach as a way to get one of the best out of his shoppers, such because the Williams’ Method 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 grew to become 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 changing 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 degree 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 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 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 form 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 power to power.
There’s a whole lot of information that goes into racing, how essential is physique composition?
The way in which the laws 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 under 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 automobile. 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 might say, on common, between a kilogram and a kilogram and a half. You then’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 major shift in weight. With any individual like Alex, who’s fairly lean, there’s not a whole lot of reserve there when it comes to vitality, in order that’s why vitamin, for us, particularly via these sizzling weekends is so essential, in addition to hydration, combining each of these collectively. It’s actually one thing that we’ve to be aware of.
Let’s begin with hydration, how do you strategy this?
We are going to calculate the quantity of water that Alex is allowed, within the automobile, based mostly on the general weight of the motive force and the automobile. Temperature situations are essential as a result of what you don’t need to do is begin including tons of fluid, including weight to the automobile, 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 preserve it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we make certain 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 the entire 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 basic well being. So we complement with a multivitamin together with vitamin D, vitamin B advanced, vitamin C and zinc. We’ll make certain he’s acquired 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 food plan. We use probiotics, at instances, to assist help intestine well being. There are all the time choices, when it comes to 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 basically key for us in that interval. If he isn’t getting sufficient from meals then we will 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 rather a lot 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 perspective, dietary supplements are a key a part of our efficiency regime. Naturally, we want to get all of what we want from good wholesome meals, and that’s what we purpose for, however we’re additionally very acutely aware that there are prime quality dietary supplements on the market that we will add to the schedule as a way to assist buffer these areas the place we would not be hitting what we have to on sure events.
How does Alex strategy vitamin usually?
He makes actually good decisions in terms 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). We’ve got an unimaginable nutritionist who helps us from a distance with the plans. However the actuality for any individual 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 acquired simulator work, his physique is making an attempt to recuperate, and I might say he’s near an vitality deficit more often than not simply because it’s troublesome for him to eat the quantity 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 vitality and restoration perspective. About 99% of the time he makes good decisions. 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 very good supply of protein might 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 via his power and conditioning?
The neck is clearly a key part of the game, and we spend a whole lot of time neck loading. His neck max’s are 78 kilograms plus, in facet flexion (facet bending) and extension, so he’s extremely robust. Exterior of that, two or three cardio based mostly periods per week are actually essential 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 automobile. We do Zone 1 work (55 – 65% HR max) both on a motorcycle or working. 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 charge 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 acquired a very 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 brief, 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 completely different vitality techniques and his heartrate might 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 periods tells me extra about the place he’s at from an total, and basic readiness perspective.
Singapore is developing in September, so we’ve acquired periods booked the place we are going to get right into a humidity chamber as a way 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 essentially the most is that these are athletes that should exist on the broadest spectrums of bodily health. In a bizarre manner, they’re similar to boxers, when it comes to needing a very good cardio base, actually good anaerobic base, and power and energy are key for achievement. Nevertheless it’s additionally technical and tactical and I believe what makes F1 slightly bit completely different is the environmental situations.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. In the event you take Hungary, the observe temperature was 140°F/ 60°C plus. And never solely are they within the automobile for an hour and a half, driving at 190 mph/ 320 kph, enduring as much as 6G corners, however in addition they should react with precision. Then, they’re always speaking with the engineers with data on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable selections will be made on the pit and within the manufacturing unit as a way to decide the success of the race. So, it’s the cognitive degree, to have the ability to carry out at that prime execution charge 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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