the 101 things about life: it never goes the way you wanted it. amen.

well. what to say? i really wished things arent the way it is now. but well. too late for regrets. will just have to take it as lesson learnt, and move on. no?

in any case, i got this very interesting article from hotstuffs Singapore about professional driving, labeled " GET PSYCHED! ". and since cars and driving are just about the few things i care about for the moment, here goes:

Broadly speaking, any kind of mental training which aims to increase a driver's effectiveness at the wheel of a racing car must start with the assumption that victory is a consequence of the work done. with this attitude, victory ceases to be the main objective and is replaced by the quest for perfection in the various factors which contribute to victory. these include fitness training, setting up the car, managing a set of tyres properly, knowledge of the race tracks and the list goes on. [really gotta learn this one, lol ]

in the end of it, the driver takes on the track during the time qualifying, he would not have uppermost in his mind the idea of clocking the shortest time. he would instead try to produce a perfect lap, overcoming the diffculties of the track, optimizing his own performance and concentrating on all those details which make a decisive difference. Ultimately, victory is the consequence of the work done in different areas. [ here's something i could use in my id and wmmt..lol.. ]

a driver should not give in to pressure of qualifying, winning, even sponsors who expect a result. for a driver, getting into a car must be like going to the office for a top manager; it's his job [ shades of takumi here.. ]

in order to be accustomed to remaining unemotional in the cockpit [ here's a pointer, i really need to learn this as well. i get too nervous easily. zzz ] , there are drivers who put on their overalls and helmet when doing fitness training [ too bad, i don have the same gear as they do or i could say that i'm tempted to try... lol. ] however, one thing to note about the helmets and overalls; are that they have to be those normally used while racing. training with overalls and helmets is also a way of focusing on the excerises and their relevance to the race.

while running, associate the loss of grip on the soles of your shoes with that of the car's tyres. alternatively, your tiredness is to the tiredness you feel when you finish the grand prix. while you're doing weights, associate your breathing racing on a F1 circuit. inhale when accelerating, exhale when braking. breathe in while relaxing the muscles and breathe out while contracting them.

breathing is the secret of success in motor racing. breathing steadily and not in gulps is an indication of calm and self - control. when a driver is controlling his breathing, he controls himself and is keeping his emotions in check and maintaining clarity. not to mention that breathing steadily also keeps the pulse rate down. drivers have been measured at 190 beats per minutes just before the light turns green at the start.

this is not the result of physical exertion, but of emotion. the mastery of breathing techniques can reduce the pulse rate at the start to between 75 and 80 beats per minute. reactions are controlled by the mind, and the specialists who work with drivers are trying to achieve a perfect balance.

on the other hand, the secret appears to lie in making the drivers take stock of themselves by looking back into their past and examining the problems which hinder their performance. ( and even among F1 supermen there are few who cannot point to some problems from their adolescence. ) there are pyschoanalytical sessions, which initially aim to find the balance in the man and later tackle the problems related to being an F1 driver.

it is common for novices to fall into the trap of burdening themselves with the pressures of the team and to make mistakes because they are looking for success at any costs. Eventually, they end up overdoing it. besides being able to weigh up the words of his manager and interpret them correctly, a driver must also be extremely cautious of safeguarding his peace of mind.


End. wow. really have to get this book. Princples of race driving by Ayrton Senna. word.