Track Fitness
Knee down, all day, everyday!
Bobby Enright has over 15 years experience as a fitness coach. Since 2016 he has owned and run Peak Performance Academy in Killarney. He creates and coaches bespoke fitness programs both in house and online via Zoom sessions.
While many of us come to trackdays with the very best of equipment, be it a new road bike or a well prepped track machine and with all the kit that we need on hand, there is sometimes one element that isn’t as well set up as we’d like. The rider.
It’s safe to say that prepping ourselves is just as important as getting our bikes ready. To this end there are a few things that we can do to allow us to explore our potential just that little bit more.
One of the things that is more obvious is managing our nutrition.
There’s plenty to choose from any hotel breakfast buffet that will reward us with so much energy and, by association, more enjoyment of our time on track. After all who wants to be tired while riding on some of the best circuits in the world!
Start with easy to digest foods such as low fat or natural yogurt add fruit for unrefined sugar. Toasted wholegrain bread with eggs as well as oats all provide carbohydrates that are easy for the body to convert to energy that aids our performance on our bikes rather than leaving us feeling sluggish. At this point it’s time to start hydrating with plenty of water. On a warm, busy track day consuming up to seven litres of water should be the challenge.
Once at the circuit snack on foods such as bananas, muffins and similar provide a constant supply of carbs which provide the energy necessary to keep enjoying the day. Keep hydrating, Aquarius water has the added advantage of feeding us more of those energy supplying carbs.
Bobbys R6, all prepped and ready to go
In addition to nutrition there’s also the advantages of having a basic level of strength. The stronger we are the easier it is to control the bike. To this end it’s always good to take to some sort of physical exercise even as little as a month out from the first event of the year. Building aerobic fitness also allows us to perform on the bike and enjoy more sessions on track.
Building strength has the obvious advantages of letting us get the most from our bikes. Rapid acceleration as well as hard braking take their toll on the rider as do holding the bike in the corners. Having a level of strength that’s even a little bit higher than usual will make all of this just that bit easier. It’ll also allow you, the rider, to have a much more enjoyable track experience.
In terms of equipment needed to achieve this we don’t always need to go to the gym. Working at home on a weight regime can be done with something as simple as a couple of kettlebells. The ideal course of action is to engage with a trainer at a local gym. Be careful to qualify them first though!
Continue to eat well after your day on track is done. Eating chicken, fish, or protein rich vegetarian food restores energy and is easy for the body to process. This, in return, results in a better nights sleep. Where alcohol is concerned overdoing it results in poor quality sleep, tiredness and muscular fatigue. One to two units is usually good.
