Here's
another fascinating insight into the life of a racing driver with Alice
Powell as she goes through her fitness training and explains the
importance of being physically and mentally fit in her profession.
Hi Powell Post readers! It has been the usual month or so… this
means busy! I have been driver coaching, training, doing some PR, attending
meetings... oh and racing of course!
Last time out I was at the classic Zolder circuit in
beautiful Belgium. Unfortunately my car gremlins - which started at Brands Indy
- had not been rectified which meant that I had to borrow another car for the
Belgium round of the F3 Cup. Nether the less, I looked forward to the weekend.
We managed to finish 4th in the first race and 1st in the
second which we were very happy about considering the problems we had with the
gearbox/gear cable in all sessions!
I often get asked the following question - which is mainly
by my friends who don’t really understand about racing - “Why on earth do you
need to do all this fitness training? Surely you just jump in and drive?” At
this point, I just have to laugh to stop myself from exploding!
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
So I thought for this month’s volume of Powell Post I would
talk about my fitness training. I have been lucky enough to be on Lotus F1’s
Human Performance Programme for over 3 years now. It is also lucky that I only
live 15-20 minutes away from their base.
I try and train 6
days a week which includes a variety of exercises. It’s important for racing drivers to have
good stamina as well as strength so I don’t only do weights, but also plenty of
cardio work too.
You need a strong body overall to drive racing cars. A
strong neck is important to allow you to cope with the G forces of cornering,
braking and acceleration. You also need quite strong shoulders, arms and wrists
to actually turn the car into, through and out of the corners and also to control
the cars movements. Alongside both of those, a strong back is also vital not
only to aid turning the car, but to also brake hard and accelerate. Some people
don’t think you need strong legs but you really do! How do you think you are
going to brake hard if you haven’t? The pedals in a race car aren’t like those
in a road car. They are much stiffer and require good leg muscles to apply
them.
Having a strong core helps with your balance in the car
and also helps with everything above… so basically keeping it all together.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
As well as all of this, cardio vascular work is just as
important. We operate in cramped and constricted conditions, strapped in around the crotch and chest, amid sweltering temperatures (when it does get warm here in the UK) and deafening engine noise. The hottest conditions I have ever raced/driven in were in India when the air temperature was 41 degrees C - which meant that the cockpit temperature was over 50 degrees C. Out heart rates can get very high (over 160BPM), not only from the temperatures but through the effort of driving (strength and concentration) and also the adrenaline that also puts our heart rate up as well.
Alongside all that body training, I also train my brain to react and focus. You have to drive your pants off in the car, 110%, but you also need a good memory, awareness and also to communicate to the mechanics and engineers with what the car is doing (however, F3 Cup doesn't have team to car radios but I did last year in GP3). To help my brain and mind with this, I use what you call a Batak reaction machine. This helps with your hand-eye coordination as well. The aim of the batak machine is to hit as many randomly lit lights as possible in 60 seconds. My highest score - which is done in the dark - is 136. We also use the same exercise but for 300 seconds (5 minutes)... that is very hard! You really have to focus and be accurate, even when your body and mind is tiring. My highest in 300 seconds is 605 hits.
For my cardio training I do a variety of sports. I love to go cycling, especially in this lovely weather we are having here in the UK! I also enjoy playing hockey. I play left midfield and that gives me plenty of running to do and gets my heart pumping! I swim when I can and also go out running but I don't run too often as I get shin splints quite easily (running on a hockey pitch is less impact as its on AstroTurf). The batak is also a form of cardio work too. At a time, I would cycle for more than 50 minutes but I average 90 minutes at 3-4 days a week. They have very good bikes in the gym at Lotus, so if it is not ideal weather I cycle indoors. I usually play hockey 2-3 days a week with a training session lasting 60 minutes and a match lasting 60-70 minutes. My heart rate, mainly in the hockey matches, can reach up to 200BPM. Hockey is used as part of my interval training as well, varying my heart rate from 130BPM right up to and sometimes above 200BPM.
Depending on my schedules (i.e. only one hockey session or meetings etc.), I may go out for a 10km run, spend an hour on the cross trainer or a 60 minute swim once a week.
Around all of this I would normally do weight training 4-5 days a week, exercising different parts of my body each day, for example: shoulders and triceps one day, biceps and legs the other etc. I train my neck using a special machine they have at Lotus. The trainers there, Daryl and Dave, give me various exercises working all parts of my body and neck. Combining all of the cardio work and weights (on average), it would be 3-4 hours of physical activity per training day. Of course, if it is a race week/weekend I reduce the amount of weights and usually have less time to exercise anyway as I am travelling or driving a race car!
Of course all of this can vary depending on how I feel too! I sometimes go on much longer cycles like, for example, the other week where I went and cycles for two hours. However on other days I may only do weights as I could have aching legs. It all varies, and on top of training I also watch what I eat. This sadly means I very rarely eat chocolate, fizzy sweets and any other unhealthy foods. However, I am allowed a treat once in a while and a bag of pic 'n' mix is always a favourite. ;)
I hope this has given you an insight into my training and more likely many other racing drivers work outs too! Next time out in the F3 Cup for me is Brands Hatch on the GP circuit on the 27th/28th of July. I may see some of you there?
All the best and till next time...!
Alice xx
Alongside all that body training, I also train my brain to react and focus. You have to drive your pants off in the car, 110%, but you also need a good memory, awareness and also to communicate to the mechanics and engineers with what the car is doing (however, F3 Cup doesn't have team to car radios but I did last year in GP3). To help my brain and mind with this, I use what you call a Batak reaction machine. This helps with your hand-eye coordination as well. The aim of the batak machine is to hit as many randomly lit lights as possible in 60 seconds. My highest score - which is done in the dark - is 136. We also use the same exercise but for 300 seconds (5 minutes)... that is very hard! You really have to focus and be accurate, even when your body and mind is tiring. My highest in 300 seconds is 605 hits.
For my cardio training I do a variety of sports. I love to go cycling, especially in this lovely weather we are having here in the UK! I also enjoy playing hockey. I play left midfield and that gives me plenty of running to do and gets my heart pumping! I swim when I can and also go out running but I don't run too often as I get shin splints quite easily (running on a hockey pitch is less impact as its on AstroTurf). The batak is also a form of cardio work too. At a time, I would cycle for more than 50 minutes but I average 90 minutes at 3-4 days a week. They have very good bikes in the gym at Lotus, so if it is not ideal weather I cycle indoors. I usually play hockey 2-3 days a week with a training session lasting 60 minutes and a match lasting 60-70 minutes. My heart rate, mainly in the hockey matches, can reach up to 200BPM. Hockey is used as part of my interval training as well, varying my heart rate from 130BPM right up to and sometimes above 200BPM.
Depending on my schedules (i.e. only one hockey session or meetings etc.), I may go out for a 10km run, spend an hour on the cross trainer or a 60 minute swim once a week.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
Of course all of this can vary depending on how I feel too! I sometimes go on much longer cycles like, for example, the other week where I went and cycles for two hours. However on other days I may only do weights as I could have aching legs. It all varies, and on top of training I also watch what I eat. This sadly means I very rarely eat chocolate, fizzy sweets and any other unhealthy foods. However, I am allowed a treat once in a while and a bag of pic 'n' mix is always a favourite. ;)
I hope this has given you an insight into my training and more likely many other racing drivers work outs too! Next time out in the F3 Cup for me is Brands Hatch on the GP circuit on the 27th/28th of July. I may see some of you there?
All the best and till next time...!
Alice xx
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