OTOF

get a kick out of the irony...and some good training tips for our racer types.

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Copyright 2001 EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS
Sunday Express


July 15, 2001

SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 58

LENGTH: 1028 words

HEADLINE: ENJOY; GIRL POWER AT 180MPH

BYLINE: By Jane Clinton

BODY:
TODAY'S British Grand Prix is certain to be a glitzy, star-studded affair as the likes of David Coulthard and Jenson Button hit the track at more than 180mph, their dedicated and beautiful followers on hand for champagne-spraying and air-kissing.

So when I was invited along for a day's training with a top woman driver at Brands Hatch, I was thrilled. Yes, I've heard that this is a gruelling sport, that these drivers have to be in peak physical condition - but how glamorous!

Forget the G-force, the muscle tension and elevated heart rates and the fact that the layers of protective clothing and the heat cause drivers to lose as much as 5lb in sweat in every race. Think of the speed, the danger, the sheer sexiness of this world of burning rubber and purring model-types.

My driver and coach was Amanda Stretton, Channel 4 motorsport presenter and the face of Fosters, sponsors of the Global Grand Prix.

Motor racing may still be a maledominated sport but things are changing fast. Amanda competes regularly and women's races are increasingly popular. Women are desperate to follow in the tracks of Formula 1's few female drivers - Maria-Teresa de Filippis in the Fifties, Lella Lombardi, F1's most successful driver with 12 Grand Prix titles, in the Seventies, Desire Wilson in the Eighties and, most recently, Giovanna Amati.

AS WE limbered up with arm stretches and shoulder and back movements, I couldn't help noticing the circuit worker and bikers casting bemused glances.

Thankfully the car was a blaze of silver sophistication - an Audi TT Roadster.

Amanda began the laborious process of strapping me in - four heavy-duty seat belts pulled so tight I started to wonder just what I was letting myself in for. She revved up the engine revealing that she hadn't driven this car before, and I realised it was too late to escape. "We'll take the first circuit fairly slowly, really go for it on the second and ease down in the third, " she hollered.

I tried to chat nonchalantly but could not disguise my panic as we took Amanda's "favourite" corner, the Paddock. Think of the sensation as a small child when your dad took a sharp dip a little too fast and you get the picture. Every corner left me in a cold sweat as I pictured us hurtling at top speed through the air.

Only when our three laps were up and I was safely back on two feet did I realise how thrilling it had been. I wanted more.

I was keen to discover just how drivers maintain such high levels of concentration and skill. Amanda's diet and exercise regime are specifically designed for driving.

"I have a protein-based diet and only eat carbs earlier in the day as eaten late they turn to sugar and then fat. l drink a lot of water to compete effectively."

Drivers drink until their urine is clear up to about an hour before the race, then 45 minutes in they start to take liquids again.

"It is imperative that drivers keep hydrated to avoid getting fuzzy, you have to be at your absolute optimum. You are concentrating so hard you cannot afford dulled senses from dehydration."

The physical and mental strain on drivers also calls for a gruelling exercise regime. "F1 drivers are some of the fittest all-round athletes out there, " explains Amanda.

"They are running at 100 per cent for an hour and a bit. So they have to have an overall fitness level that will help them cope with the physical and mental demands of the race."

Amanda's trainer Henry Furniss is keen to emphasise the need to work-out all muscles and cannot stress enough the importance of strong neck muscles. "When you work your body you feel a little pain if that muscle has not worked before. But people stop once their neck starts to hurt as they don't like pain there. There are lots of people with very weak necks."

These training and dietary tips are relevant to those of us who don't regularly go for the burn in a Ferrari. Drinking eight glasses of water a day will combat fatigue and bloating for everyone, staving off afternoon energy slumps.

Developing all your muscles also makes sense for any fitness regime.

Try using a Swiss Ball (a kind of spacehopper which can be used for many exercises - for example balancing which works the stomach) so that as well as the major muscles you are also training the interconnecting muscles, advises Henry. Alongside the physical workout, drivers must exercise their minds for nerves of steel and concentration. "You are using your brain and have to get your braking point absolutely right every time, " says Amanda. "You are concentrating incredibly hard."

BEFORE a race drivers shut off from everything around them and concentrate totally on what lies ahead.

"From the moment the helmet goes on they won't speak, " says Amanda. "You see, hear and smell everything around you - even the tiniest variation in the tarmac."

Amanda builds her mental agility by boxing. The thinking involved, as well as the fact that boxing relies on reflex, is perfectly suited to driving training. Running and swimming are Amanda's staples for physical stamina. But even with this level of preparation things can go wrong.

Amanda has had two bad crashes, one of which left her out of action for a year with a shattered arm and sight problems.

"Once more round the track?" she asks, cheerfully. I find myself adjusting my helmet for another go at the Paddock.

How to get on track for maximum performance Develop all muscles for good posture and balance.

The neck is commonly neglected but crucial to Formula 1 drivers. Traditional sit-ups (as opposed to those using an abdominal cradle, found in most gyms) are good for this.

To build lean muscle do high repetition (three sets of 20) weights once a week. On other days run, swim or do a spinning class for stamina. You need to be pushing yourself so that you are very tired, insists driver trainer Henry Furniss.

Boxing is good for mental agility as it relies on reflex and concentration.

Avoid overloading the body with carbohydrate from white flours, breads and pastas. Eat more protein. Green vegetables and sweetcorn contain some carbohydrate.

LOAD-DATE: July 15, 2001

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Rave'nGTi

then every 2 minutes after that lol

how do they drink that much and not have to go??

Lone Starr (Ivan)

Perspirashun.

cubstter

Foley catheters.....