the asterisk

training can be difficult, some days more than others. sometimes we need certain aids to get us through a workout. and while it may seem fine and well to help yourself out now and then, getting used to certain aids can come back to bite you in the ass. we calls these aids 'the asterisk', because a good workout just isn't quite as awesome when you give yourself the luxury of a training environment that resembles racing.

take coffee for instance. i used to resort to caffeine at only the most tired of times. but once coffee started to make every workout feel more manageable, i started having 6 a week. now i don't really get that kick anymore! it's come to the point where i try and lay off the stuff a few days before a race just to feel a bit better than usual when i take it an hour or so before the race.

and dragsuits? forget about it. with swimming as my weakest link i've always looked for an edge in the water. i wear a cap, too. i just want to keep up. but when racing season comes and everyone sheds the extra layers, they all seem to take off. the satisfaction of waiting until race day to take off the suit is something that i would love to feel. i tell myself that i'll 'suit up on monday', but i never follow through. i'm gonna suit up after coteau. believe me?

but is this the attitude i should be taking into my first olympic distance race? no way! the confidence i've gained from some better sessions thanks to a firing nervous system and a slick exterior have to be worth something. but just in case you're wondering how much help you're giving yourself, here's a list of some 'asterisks' that may be relieving you in your daily efforts. 4 or more of these in a single workout and you might as well not even count it as mileage:

-caffeine
-lightweight equipment (flats, wheels, speedo)
-rest day prior to workout
-in the presence of olympians
-in the presence of attractive males/females
-more than 4 hours sleep
-tires bumped above 70 psi
-removing gluten from your diet
-hearing good news before the workout

hope this helps! start choosing the harder routes and race day can only feel easy!

some photos of yesterday's run. everyone displayed great angles.