Exercising body and mind
CHALLENGING: NAVIGATING A CROSS-COUNTRY RACE IS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY TAXING But a different kind of fitness is needed for the South African Cross Country Series.
Cross country car racing is physically, mentally taxing.
As a passionate amateur athlete who has been swimming, cycling, running, mountain biking, hiking and going to the gym for a few years now, I did not realise how mentally and physically taxing car racing can be until I had the opportunity to experience it at a national level two weeks ago.
Having followed both rally and circuit racing for just over 15 years, I did not think much of the drivers’ and navigators’ fitness levels because they come in all shapes and sizes.
My thinking changed when I was invited by racing driver Terence Marsh to navigate for him in the final round of the South African Cross Country Series, as part of the Nissan Red-Lined Motoring Adventure Celebrity Challenge.
Other celebrities who have competed in the challenge include actress Hlubi Mboya Arnold, DJ Fresh and Jeannie D.
The challenge included learning about the car, a lesson on the theory of the navigator’s duties and a practical lesson with the driver in a race car.
All the pre-race sessions went according to plan. Nothing seemed physically or mentally taxing until the race weekend.
It is a mental challenge because during the race you are required to do this for almost two hours nonstop, while being rattled like a rag doll due to uneven surfaces.
Then, the physical challenge comes into play.
Precautions are taken to ensure both driver and navigator safety with correct seat measurements, four-point seatbelts, a helmet and a Hans device, which reduces head and neck injuries.
This, however, does not completely eliminate or prevent your head from swaying in all directions when the car goes through ditches and over humps and rocks at incredibly fast speeds. I realised that a strong core and strong neck muscles are an important requirement. This was one of the most challenging activities I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I even broke such a sweat in the race suit that I felt I lost one or two kilograms over the weekend. The ability for that long gaging my rying out all quired felt sityexamon
This was definitely an experience that tested my tenacity and endurance to the maximum. I now know that car racing requires a different kind of fitness.
Letshego is a fitness and lifestyle blogger She is a qualified biokineticist and co-founder of PopUpGym. Follow her on Instagram: @letshego.zulu Twitter: @letshegom Facebook: Letshego Zulu