On my way back to Toronto this morning and am currently sitting in the Bradley International Airport after a pretty thorough security check...they swabbed my bag (must have found that exploded toothpaste), analyzed air from my clothing, triple-checked my passport and boarding pass and were generally pleasant. It was funny to see the passengers around me flustered by the demands of the agents and seemingly thrown off their "travel games" by an unanticipated request. I felt almost preternaturally calm (though the 5:30 AM departure could have something to do with that).Does that seem like rowing for inexperienced athletes? The demands of training, every head race, and every 2000m race are very predictable...especially in terms of physiology and we can fully control our preparation for those demands each and every day. The unanticipated demands are those that are mental in nature - training during injury, academic stress, an incredibly close race, or a race that holds a lot of meaning. Dealing with these aspects of being a rowing athlete are also completely in your control if you are mentally prepared. I know we're looking hard at not getting thrown off our "game" by the demands of airport security or anything that the season can throw at us.
I hope everyone is having a healthy, safe, and happy time with their families and friends this holiday season.
