Tedesco, the 22-year-old emerging NHRA star, includes a physical fitness routine as part of her preparation for drag racing. Not only do her workouts help her stay fit physically, they keep her mind sharp, too, as she races the CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Gas Chevrolet Cavalier and CARS Protection Plus/VP Racing Fuels Super Comp dragster.
"I like being in shape and fit, especially for racing," Tedesco said. "I can see a big difference, the way I'm feeling, the way I can react, the way my mind works. If I take a few weeks off and then get back in the gym, that next week I'm thinking more clearly and everything is flowing a lot more. I definitely think fitness is a big part of success in this sport."
Tedesco trains as often as she can at the Tedesco Body Shop gymnasium in Murraysville, Pa., which happens to be owned and operated by her sister Natalie Tedesco.
"It's a really cool multi-functional gym," Tedesco said. "There's weights, a bunch of stuff outside, boxing. When we go, we're not necessarily just lifting weights. We might run one day, we might push a sled the next, we might box. There is a bunch of cool stuff we get into and the variety keeps it interesting."
Tedesco doesn't stick to a set routine, mainly because she simply can't. During the busy racing season, Tedesco is often gone from home more than she's there, and when she's at the race track, she's can be there for many hours at a time.
"I don't exactly have a work-out routine because it gets tough when I'm racing," Tedesco said. "After Reading, I had all that week and most of this week to go to the gym and work out and get into a rhythm, doing different body parts on different days, so there are times I can get a schedule going, but then we turn around and head out for three weeks. You have to do the best you can."
After racing this weekend, Tedesco returns home late Sunday but flies out again Wednesday. That's a typical turnaround between events.
"I'll have two days at home to get caught up," Tedesco said. "I try to get caught up on sleep also so I can be rested and relaxed. The fitness stuff will be harder to do in two days, but my sister has given me other ways to stay fit and I follow that program when I'm on the road."
