Briscoe trains in Italy

Last Friday Ryan Briscoe returned to his home in North Carolina after spending ten days at Formula Medicine in Viareggio, Italy. The facility, led by Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli, was founded to provide racecar drivers with a resource to learn about and implement successful training regimens into their lives.

Briscoe spent a significant amount of time at the facility in the early stages of his career, but this trip was the first time he'd been back since moving to the United States in 2005. Fitness has always been a large part of Briscoe's life, as he trains nearly every day.

"I put a great deal of importance on being fit," explains Briscoe. "It's vital to build my conditioning levels so I'm just as sharp at the end of a race as I am at the beginning. Fatigue is something I don't want to feel as the final laps wind down."

Over the course of the ten-day trip, Briscoe underwent evaluations of his cardio and strength conditioning and had a full medical check-up. He spent six to eight hours each day cardio and weight training as well as talking with staff members about nutrition and the mental aspects of racing. Throughout his life, Briscoe has fine-tuned a very specific training and nutrition regimen that really works for him. It's not just about making himself physically fit; Briscoe has also learned that eating the right things at the right time can pay off during a race just as much as strength and cardio fitness can.

"I wanted to return to Formula Medicine for a refresher before the 2009 season started. I needed to make sure that I'm at the top of my game and my performance level is at its highest so we can shoot for a successful season," continued Briscoe. Team Penske PR