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 so as to get the very best out of his shoppers, such because the Williams’ System One famous person, Alex Albon. M&F caught up with Harding between races to learn the way 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 effectively, 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 might get into; analyzing the gaps and placing plans in place bodily and nutritionally, and from a behavioral viewpoint, in order that we might bench mark what the very best on this 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, related me to motorsport. I began working in System 2 for a 12 months (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 wanted from one another. Now we’re in our seventh season collectively. The connection has grown from energy to energy.
There’s loads of information that goes into racing, how vital is physique composition?
The best way the laws work, it’s truly 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 totally kitted, then the load distinction is corrected with a ballast). So, from our viewpoint, on the load administration aspect, (Alex) is about 78 kilograms, with package. Alex is 6’ 1”, he’s most likely 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 definitely’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 someone like Alex, who’s fairly lean, there’s not loads of reserve there by way of vitality, in order that’s why vitamin, for us, particularly by means of these sizzling weekends is so vital, in addition to hydration, combining each of these collectively. It’s definitely one thing that we’ve to be conscious 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 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 wish 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 additional ballast. Usually, we allot for 200 milliliters. Then, in a very sizzling race we’ll do 750. We might do 1,000 mils. We’ll hold it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we be 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 situation to be in. We guarantee that we’ve performed all the work beforehand.
When it comes to 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 certain he’s received a powerful, wholesome immune system but additionally that he’s getting a praise of nutritional vitamins that he wouldn’t at all times get in his weight loss plan. We use probiotics, at occasions, to assist assist intestine well being. There are at all times choices, by way of the overall 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 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 vitamin differ in a race weekend in comparison with the pre-season?
Throughout a race weekend, we focus loads on vitamin however for a driver like Alex, who’s so focussed on the race, typically meals slips down the record of priorities (for him). In these circumstances, we’ll complement with some carb and protein restoration shakes. From our viewpoint, 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 will add to the schedule so as to assist buffer these areas the place we’d not be hitting what we have to on sure events.
How does Alex strategy vitamin typically?
He makes actually good selections in relation to meals and he likes his meals, and he likes good meals. He’ll say he’s a very good 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 vitality demand throughout a race weekend. And even typically 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 recuperate, and I might say he’s near an vitality 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. Typically we want these energy on board from an vitality and restoration viewpoint. 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. An excellent 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 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 motorbike 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 received 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 motorbike). 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 will probably be at 170, 180 bpm, defending positions, overtaking automobiles, so he wants to have the ability to exist in that zone as effectively. How he executes these cardio and anaerobic periods tells me extra about the place he’s at from an total, and common readiness viewpoint.
Singapore is arising in September, so we’ve received periods booked the place we are going to get right into a humidity chamber so as to recreate these situations and can begin to acclimatize Alex’s physique earlier than we even go away 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 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 achievement. Nevertheless it’s additionally technical and tactical and I believe what makes F1 somewhat bit completely different is the environmental situations.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. For those who 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 in addition they should react with precision. Then, they’re continually speaking with the engineers with info on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable selections will be made on the pit and within the manufacturing unit so as 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 assist Alex when the F1 season continues with Spherical 15 within the Netherlands on August 23-25.
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