Since early August, David Bensadoun trains three times a week under the watchful eyes of his personal trainer. (Photo-ALDO Racing)
Mental Fitness Through Tough Physical Training is One of the Keys for a Top-Ranked Dakar Rally Finish for ALDO Racing
Montreal, Quebec - ALDO Rally Raid Team driver David Bensadoun and co-pilot Patrick Beaulé have raised the bar for the upcoming 2015 Dakar: their goal is to win the privateer class in the toughest off-road race in the world. With the acquisition of a new rally truck last March, the ALDO technical team has been hard at work to get the Toyota Tacoma Overdrive ready for the Dakar Rally, scheduled to start January 4, 2015. The two Canadian teammates also know that besides having their Toyota truck ready for the long haul along with a strong support team, they must be in top physical and mental shape to face such a demanding event.
Participants at the Dakar follow the same healthy nutrition plans and similar physical training programs as Formula One and IndyCar drivers. If speed is the key in open-wheel racing and G forces are way off the charts, the Dakar is an endurance event stretching over 13 rally days on roads that are a far cry from the smooth F-1 track surfaces. Bensadoun and Beaulé must endure temperatures that reach around 35 degrees Centigrade (over 1000 Fahrenheit) in the cab, and near 400 if the air conditioner fails in the truck. They must always be mentally alert in order to dodge road traps that can lead to mechanical failures which they will have to repair on site, as it can be a lengthy waiting period for the assistance truck to arrive.
Unlike professional drivers sponsored by car manufacturers, who can devote all their time getting ready for the Dakar, the two Canadians must take care of business at home on a daily basis: David oversees the ALDO Shoes business, and Patrick, as Team Director, runs the day-to-day affairs of the ALDO Racing Team.
Physical Fitness Workouts
To increase their mental alertness, the two follow stringent physical cardio workouts. These help them to keep their mental focus at a high level during prolonged periods of stressful physical activity.
Since early August, David has been training three times a week, while Patrick has been going through boot camp training twice a week since September with emphasis on cardiovascular training. Mental coaching through a Yoga class is also included in his program.
"High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is what I focus on", says David Bensadoun. "It's a series of strength exercises done at high heart rate. It really helps to build strength and stamina, but the main benefit is that it speeds up recovery. For example, the time it takes to go from high heart rate situations, like digging in the sand to get the truck out of a hole, back to normal while driving a few minutes later."
The length of special stages during the 13 days of competition at the Dakar is very taxing physically and mentally. Reading the Route Book notes to driver David Bensadoun by navigator Patrick Beaulé must be clear and precise despite the fact that doing so on a very bumpy road is quite stressing. A wrong direction can sometimes leads to a series of mishaps down the road.
"If I give David a wrong direction, we can easily end up in a ditch or damage the ALDO Toyota truck," says Beaulé. "If we break an undercarriage component, we must change it right there and then. In the meantime, 40 slower vehicles could have easily moved ahead of us. Back on track, our spirits could be kind of low. We eat their dust and can't see a thing. We are now at risk. Risks we must take trying to avoid newly created bumps that could lead to overheated suspensions. Also of note is the fact that David must force his way back ahead of these slower vehicles, taking more risks that could lead to some mechanical failure we will have to fix. All these probable situations occurred because we had a breakdown in communication. This has happened in the past and we want to avoid a repeat."
To minimize mental stress and fatigue at the Dakar, David and Patrick are hard at work getting physically fit. Despite all their efforts, anything can happen over the 13 days of competition.
The 2015 Dakar Rally is scheduled to start January 4, 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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