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 growth coach in an effort to get the perfect out of his shoppers, such because the Williams’ Method One celebrity, 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 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 actually 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 perfect on this planet had 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 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 appreciated to work and what our personalities had 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 a whole lot of knowledge that goes into racing, how essential 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 go well with, and footwear). Something above that, and also you’re penalizing your self, proper? (If a driver is under 80 kilograms totally kitted, then the load distinction is corrected with a ballast). So, from our viewpoint, on the load administration facet, (Alex) is about 78 kilograms, with equipment. 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 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 anyone like Alex, who’s fairly lean, there’s not a whole lot of reserve there by way of power, 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 now have 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 driving 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 might do 1,000 mils. We’ll hold it actually easy; it’s water and electrolytes, so we ensure that he’s nutritionally fueled earlier than the race, and that he has entry to fluid on board. We aren’t attempting to chase hydration throughout a race, as a result of that’s a harmful situation to be in. We ensure that we now have achieved the entire work beforehand.
By way of 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 common well being. So we complement with a multivitamin together with vitamin D, vitamin B advanced, vitamin C and zinc. We’ll ensure that he’s obtained a robust, 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 program. We use probiotics, at instances, to assist assist intestine well being. There are at all times choices, by way of the final well being facet.
Within the pre-season, we spend a while attempting to place some muscle-mass on Alex. So, good high quality protein is basically 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 lots 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 purpose for, however we’re additionally very aware that there are prime quality dietary supplements on the market that we will add to the schedule in an effort 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 on the subject of meals and he likes his meals, and he likes good meals. He’ll say he’s a great prepare dinner however he’s completely not (laughs). We have now an unimaginable nutritionist who helps us from a distance with the plans. However the actuality for anyone like Alex is that he has an enormous power 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 obtained simulator work, his physique is attempting to get well, and I might say he’s near an power deficit more often than not simply because it’s troublesome for him to devour 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 power 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. 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 speak us via his energy and conditioning?
The neck is clearly a key element 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 sturdy. 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 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 obtained a very sturdy 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 purpose to say that they aren’t. However there are intervals throughout a race when he’s tapping into totally different power programs and his heartrate will likely be at 170, 180 bpm, defending positions, overtaking automobiles, 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 common readiness viewpoint.
Singapore is arising in September, so we’ve obtained periods booked the place we’ll get right into a humidity chamber in an effort 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 very 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 situations.
We talked about Singapore; we talked about Qatar. If you happen to 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 additionally they should react with precision. Then, they’re consistently speaking with the engineers with data on tires, technique, in order that knowledgeable choices may be made on the pit and within the manufacturing unit in an effort to decide the success of the race. So, it’s the cognitive degree, to have the ability to carry out at that prime execution price 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.
Observe Patrick Harding on Instagram!
