A fat mail man can carry the mail of course, but why be satisfied stopping there Racers?

Question from a Racer to my email. I got this one 4 times last week in varying forms. I figured that was a sign.

 

Hey Russ,

I know plenty of Fat guys who win races.  Sprint especially.  I don’t know what the big deal is about being in shape for racing?

You all might think that I get frustrated or mad or offended when people ask questions like this. They’d be wrong. I get excited. First, it opens up the discussion about physical and mental fitness and what it does for Racers. Second, these discussions make me better in the area of presenting good content to you. If all I ever did was sit at my keyboard or show up to the gym and said the same thing over and over with no one challenging me, we’d really have a situation where nothing gets accomplished.   Like I said, I learn more from you than you ever will from me.

So let’s get to it and list the "Racers Dozen" plus advantages just off  the top of my head for being fit on that track. I am talking, dirt, oval, sprint, road, whatever.

  1. Injury prevention
  2. Better heat resistance stamina than most of your worse conditioned opponents
  3. More energy to practice your craft more rather than sit around
  4. Less concern about fitness (what I call workout induced confidence) during the race
  5. Less soreness in the day or days after a race
  6. Better control of the vehicle through better strength of race necessary muscle groups.
  7. More mobility with in the drivers seat due to being within a a recommended weight
  8. Calmness of mind through better breath control and breath stamina
  9. More flexibility within the driver’s seat
  10. More positive attitude due to better body image
  11. Physical, mental advantage over competitors who likely are not as well-trained
  12. Core strength to better prevent injuries to the back which are common for racers

Yeah he was a great one. But I doubt he'd dispute that he could have been better playing at a better weight.

The Greatness of Babe Ruth is undeniable. Today, I doubt he'd be able to compete as effectively with the modern athlete eating and drinking like he did. Being fit for Racing has become necessary at all levels.

Can I dispute the fact that out of shape racers win races?  No. Still the reality is that there are too many elite racers at all levels who are dedicating themselves whole heartedly to fitness. Guys like Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, the Dollanskys, Dale Earnhardt was an early trend setter in improving performance through working out specifically for racing.  Remember all you Racers out there: the goal is to be the best you can be so you can achieve the highest possible heights on the track.  We never want to look back with regret that we could have been better.  That’s a waste.  In the next article we are going to examine the ways Racers are gaining real advantages over their competitors on that track.

 

 

Filed under: Racing News • Workout Tips

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