I went shopping this afternoon…again. My local Décathlon had no EPO, so I had to settle for the stuff below to enhance my performance. From right to left I bought:

1. Sports drink. I learned the hard way in Singapore that these things are crucial for rehydration after exertion, and not bad to have in your bidons either.

2. Protein powder. I was a hard sell on this one, but I took it for several months when training for a big dragon boat race a few years ago and I think it aided in muscle recovery after workouts. Anyway, I live with a vegetarian, so all the extra protein I can get shouldn’t hurt me.

3. Energy cake. Never tried it (nor heard of it before this week), but probably a good addition to my toast and peanut butter on race morning.