There is something special about the classic vehicle community which separates it from more “modern” communities. Whether attending an event, reading an article, watching a video or participating in a forum, there’s always a kind of respect and recognition to all individuals from all participants. I think the respect comes from the fact we are all making significant economic and time efforts to maintain our vehicles in driving conditions.
There are many behaviors highlighting this respect, but the one I like the most is how when we welcome the purchase of a new vehicle by a member of the community, we always close our congratulations message with “Enjoy it with health”. While this kind of signature can be applied to everything in life, it is very meaningful within our community.
This is because as hobbies go, classic vehicle collecting is not cheap. Most of us could only afford it after a certain age, when our intellect is at its peak and our physical condition starts to decline. This means that we may not be able to enjoy our collections for as long as we’d like, due to both how physically demanding driving them can be, and the fact that our window of opportunity might be short.
I am 44 years old, I feel good and consider myself fit enough, though I know I am not as fast or flexible as I was in my 20s. So how do I feel after driving 200km hard in my 308 GTB? I feel completely happy……..and exhausted! Kind of like Nigel Mansell in the Dallas 1984 F1 GP
So can I do anything to keep myself as ready as possible to enjoy my rides and at the same time cope with the physical challenge? Of course I can, and so can you.
Michael Schumacher brought many things to motorsport, but one of the most significant ones, which was overlooked by his predecessors in F1 was the physical training. He trained his body hard, to the point he could probably drive the distance of 2 GPs in a row and still feel fresh. If you watch some of his first podiums, you will notice how done his rivals look while he smiles and jumps like nothing happened. We miss you on the track, Michael.
I encourage you to recover or start your physical training as soon as possible, start walking regularly during the week, go for a run or jump on your bicycle. You will feel better everyday and I assure you that your next ride in your classic will come with more pleasure during – and after – the spin.
Keep your car and your body on the road – and enjoy it with health!
Julio Saiz
Still not on The Motor Chain?
