Another beautiful day in Vancouver, but the weather is about to change. This ride was one I had to squeeze into an already packed weekend, so I made it an ambitious one.
Sometimes when I plan my ride, I focus entirely on the destination—never the journey there, and definitely not the journey back. But the journey back is often the hardest part. That’s where endurance happens. That’s where the training begins.
Going too far. To the limit. Must keep going.
There’s a moment in every long ride when you realize you’ve gone too far. You’re exhausted, miles from home, with no easy way out. No teleportation machine. No one to pick you up. You still have to pedal back.
I seek out that edge sometimes—not just in training, but in work and life. It’s in those moments, past comfort and deep in fatigue, that real decisions happen. Do you push through? Find a shortcut? Call home and admit you’re running late?
It’s a fitting metaphor. Whether in sport, creative work, or just navigating life’s responsibilities, we all hit that point where we wonder if we’ve taken on too much—gone too far. The question isn’t whether we’ll get tired—it’s what we do when we are.
Today, I’m riding from Trout Lake in East Van to the southern end of the Arbutus Greenway. I love this route—it cruises through undulating scenic city streets before easing onto a slightly calmer shared path.
But, as I mentioned, I had to squeeze this ride in. I got out later in the afternoon, right at peak traffic. Pedestrians, cyclists, cars—busy, busy. Another challenge to navigate.
Like all things, it comes back to the same question: Have I reached my limit? Or can I push through?
Enjoy the ride.
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Another beautiful day in Vancouver—cold, though. It’s just barely above freezing today. Still, any day in January without rain or snow? I’ll take it.
This week, I finally got around to tallying up all my metrics from 2024. Tracking data is something I genuinely enjoy, which is one reason I love triathlon so much—it’s basically an excuse to collect data. If I can quantify what I’m doing, it makes consistency feel so much easier. I bring that same philosophy to my creative work. Every day — or nearly every day — I track my creative writing and video creation the same way I track my workouts. I’m obsessed with my spreadsheets.
Here’s how 2024 shaped up:
I swam 90,325 meters in 44 hours, 20 minutes, and 26 seconds (5% less than 2023).
I cycled 3,901.07 kilometers in 175 hours, 21 minutes, and 32 seconds (22% more than 2023).
I ran: 621.44 kilometers in 67 hours, 11 minutes, and 29 seconds (23% less than 2023).
The big jump in cycling is thanks to our new indoor bike, which I added to my routine last year—it made all the difference. As for swimming, I swam less because I spent extra hours in 2023 learning how to swim, so naturally, I didn’t log as much distance in 2024 because I didn’t have that huge learning curve. For running, I held back intentionally to avoid overdoing it and risking more injuries.
2024 was my sophomore year in triathlon. While I packed the calendar with races, I’d call it more of a “slump year” training-wise. But seeing the data laid out, I know I’ve built a solid foundation. This year, I want to build on that thoughtfully—not just by chasing bigger numbers. These annual stats are a nice way to reflect on the work I’ve put in, but they don’t tell the full story. What matters to me this year is how well I’m performing in training and races.
Take swimming, for example. For my birthday, my amazing wife got me a game-changing gift: FORM goggles. If you haven’t heard of them, they’re like a smartwatch built into your goggles. They show data like pace and stroke rate while you swim. Even cooler, they give feedback on things like head position while breathing and overall swim efficiency.
After my first swim with them, I got a score of 40 out of 100. Plenty of room for improvement, but I’m excited to see how much I can progress.
With that said, I’m heading into year three of this triathlon journey. While improvement is always a focus, the real priority is maintaining the habit. I don’t even think of triathlon as a hobby anymore—it’s just what I do.
Before my training plan officially kicks off in a few months, I’m taking this time to maintain my routine and base fitness. There is no point in tiring myself out. This is my no-pressure, fun part of the year, and I want to enjoy it. And I definitely want to do a weekend ride. So I’ve decided to explore some parts of the city that aren’t great for structured training but are worth a visit.
Today, I’m riding to the West End of Vancouver to check out some of the greenways, including the Comox-Helmcken Greenway. Thanks to this project, there’s been a 49% boost in cycling trips and a 35% decrease in car trips in the neighborhood. While the greenway was originally planned to stretch across the entire city, only the Comox phase has been completed so far.
And since no ride into Downtown Vancouver is complete without detours, I got sidetracked by the demolition of the 115-year-old Dunsmuir building. It’s been a hotel, military barracks, and a shelter over the years, and now it’s making way for something new. From there, I’ll take a trip down the world-famous Granville Street.
Enjoy the ride.
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I turn 36 next week. Not old, but definitely older than I feel. People keep warning me that it’s only a matter of time before old age catches up and deals me the inevitable. Until then, I still have time to reach some old goals and start some new ones.
Last year, I completed my first Olympic-distance triathlon—a goal that once felt impossible. This year, I’m aiming for my second one. My first goal was simply to finish, but now, I want to do better. I’ve already signed up for one in September. Since that’s still months away, I decided to add a shorter race earlier in the year for practice.
At first, I planned to race in BC’s interior, maybe one of the ones in the Okanagan. But since we recently adopted a new dog, I figured staying closer to home would be better. Last year, I did the North Shore Triathlon in North Vancouver, and I liked how small and manageable it was. It feels like the perfect race to sneak into the year without disrupting everything else.
So, here’s the plan: one sprint-distance race and one Olympic-distance triathlon in 2025. On top of that, I want to run a 10K and aim for a PR—ideally under 45 minutes. I’m also keeping an eye out for a swim- or bike-specific race. I think that’s enough to keep me active without burning out.
You see, it’s not just the training. That novel I keep talking about? Still happening. I might do a video update on it soon, but essentially, I’m working on it 30 minutes a day. That means, when I’m working on it I’m not really getting any deep work. It’s very fragmented. But honestly, the whole project has been built this way.
At this point, consistency is the only way forward. A little every day adds up, just like training. Of course, there will come a time when I need to push harder and finish it, and that day’s coming fast. For now, though, I’ve got good momentum.
Between the novel, training, work, eating, sleeping, and everything else, life’s busy. And let’s not forget about making videos. Videos tie all of this together. This year, I want to take you on a more immersive journey—especially with my triathlon training. I also want to showcase the sights and sounds of Vancouver. Ever since I started riding my bike, I’ve found a new appreciation for this city that I love, and I want to share it with you.
Consider this the first episode: a weekend ride from Science World to the Stanley Park loop, one of my favorite routes. It rained in the morning, but by the time I got out, it turned into a beautiful January day. Enjoy the ride.
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Twenty months ago, I didn’t swim, bike, or run. I was just a sedentary writer and marketer, feeling frail and pretty down—basically, an all-around sad boy.
Since then, I’ve gradually built up my skills in each discipline and improved my fitness along the way. And honestly, it’s done wonders for my mental well-being. They say if exercise were an antidepressant, it’d be the most effective one out there—and I totally believe it. I might even be a bit addicted now, but I think I’ve got it under control!
Looking back at how far I’ve come is a bit surreal. If you’re interested, check out this video of my first sprint triathlon from last year after you finish watching this one. The improvement is huge!
Now, I’m gearing up for my first Olympic-distance triathlon: a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and a 10-kilometer run. What once felt impossible now seems totally doable.
While a lot of things went right, I definitely learned some lessons tackling this longer distance. Today, I’ll share what worked for me and where I stumbled in each of the three disciplines. Let’s go!
Swim : What Went Right
Started at the Right Pace
Last year, during my first sprint triathlon, I charged into the swim as fast as I could, thinking I could power through the 750 meters and keep up with the pack. Spoiler alert: that didn’t go as planned. I got completely knocked around after just 200 meters!
This year, though, I played it safe. Knowing the distance was double, I wanted to make sure I had enough energy to get through it.
So, I let the front runners take off ahead of me and eased my way in at the back. I even took a moment to wave goodbye to my wife before diving in.
What I loved about this was that I found myself swimming the first 50 meters next to a guy doing breaststroke! That was a game changer for me because I definitely felt a few jolts of panic throughout the course. But all I had to do was slow down my stroke rate and focus on my breathing. In about 10 to 20 seconds, I was able to chill out, enjoy the splash of the salt water, and just steadily make my way through it.
Swim: What Went Wrong
The Sun Got In My Eyes
Here’s the bad news about the swim, which definitely made me glad I was taking it slow. During the first lap, as I was swimming back to the beach, I was headed east just as the sun was rising above the park. That meant I was basically swimming into the sun for the whole 300 meters back in. You can probably guess how that turned out.
I completely lost sight of the buoy, the beach, and everyone ahead of me. I was pretty much swimming blind! My tinted goggles didn’t help much either. In the end, I ended up taking a super wide line, just guessing where to go, hoping I’d get close enough to hear the commotion on the beach or spot some splashing feet in front of me.
I finished my swim about 4-5 minutes slower than I expected, and when I looked at my data after the race, it all made sense—I swam an extra 200 meters! While it was nice to go at my own pace, that also left me swimming solo, which created a whole new problem in terms of navigation.
This is definitely something I need to work on for future open water swims, especially on sunny mornings!
Bike: What Went Right
Staying Focus
A 40 km bike ride is something I usually chill out and do over 2-3 hours around the city with music blasting in my ear. I’m not really used to doing four laps around a course, but man, the Stanley Park route is absolutely stunning. I had to take a moment a few times just to soak it all in, but a part of me just wanted to power through as quickly as possible.
There were definitely a lot of thoughts running through my head during the ride. How fast should I go? What gear should I be in? Should I try to keep pace with the person in front of me? Should I pass them? Should I save my energy for the climb, or push harder? How reckless should I be on the descent?
I was having this constant dialogue with myself for the hour and twenty minutes I was on the bike, always checking in on how I was feeling. That constant check helped me stay focused. The worst thing that could happen was getting bored and either gunning it or blowing up. Or just crashing. I realized how important it was to keep a gauge on my energy levels and pull back if I was pushing too hard because my goal for the bike was to stay steady and feel good for the run. That’s where I could make up for any lost time!
Bike: What Went Wrong
A Bad T2… Again!
While I didn’t have a stellar bike ride by any means, I made it through in one piece with no mechanical issues. It was just a steady, consistent effort, and overall, I’m proud of that. But what I wasn’t proud of was everything that happened once I got off the bike and hit T2.
Transition 2 was a total mess. I got super disoriented, caught in some congested traffic on the way in, and I ended up fiddling with my watch for way too long while trying to keep moving. Oh man, it was definitely amateur hour!
To make matters worse, once I got into transition, I completely lost track of where I was supposed to rack my bike. I stood in another aisle for like 10-15 seconds just searching for my towel. It turned out to be in another row down, and it was pretty embarrassing. Thank goodness my wife was still walking over, so there’s no footage of me looking like John Travolta in Pulp Fiction.
The thing is, I got so used to seeing the racks from the opposite side—the side I exited to the bike course—that I never familiarized myself with the other side, the side I came in from after the bike. That was honestly just a huge oversight, and it really rattled me. Instead of feeling good about heading into my run, I was all discombobulated and had to take a moment to refocus.
T2 has always been tough for me. I don’t know what it is…
Run: What Went Wrong
Nutrition and Cramping
My goal was to run a 5-minute kilometer for the 10K. I started out strong, but within the first 100 meters, I realized I wouldn’t be able to keep it up. Almost immediately, I felt like my quads were about to cramp up. Usually, when I run off the bike, the first kilometer is the painful part, but it passes.
This time, though, it didn’t pass. I was on the verge of cramping the whole time, which meant that if I even tried to speed up, I’d really feel it, so I rode that fine line for the entire run. Instead of feeling like I’m conquering the run, I had to stick to a much slower pace—about 30 seconds slower than I wanted. It was super frustrating and honestly the most disappointing part of the whole race. My strategy was to feel good during the run, and I definitely didn’t.
My marathoner wife, who’s been through every running experience you can think of, suggested that my crampy legs were likely due to not having enough nutrition and not enough calories to fuel my run. I had one Gu at the start of the swim, another at the start of the bike, a full bottle of Gatorade on the ride, and two more Gu’s during the run, but that didn’t seem like enough. It’s definitely something I need to experiment with in the future.
Run: What Went Right
Enough to Finish Strong
Nevertheless, what went right was that I finished strong. I remember having enough energy to pass two more runners on my way to the finish line, which was exactly what I needed. There was an uphill stretch right before the end that felt like the most torturous part of the whole course. I really picked up the pace there because I didn’t want to hold back. In the last kilometer, I hit the pace I had been aiming for, and it absolutely finished me off. I left it all out there and crossed the line with a time of:
Official Time: 3:08:18 Overall: 162/243 Gender: 126/237 Division: 24/46
Taking everything into account, I think that’s a pretty respectable time for me. It reflects where I am in terms of fitness, skill, and experience. I can’t do another triathlon without feeling accomplished for having completed this one, especially since I didn’t think I could do it 20 months ago.
While I finished this race strong, it’s definitely not the end. Reflecting on this experience, I’ve come up with a ton of ideas for tweaks I can make to improve, and it goes beyond just training and getting fitter.
Conclusion:
This Olympic-distance triathlon was harder than all three sprint triathlons I did combined. But having the base fitness in each discipline gave me the confidence to know that anything is possible now. I have proof that I can do this—and maybe even more.
This wraps up a fun season of sports, and I’m already looking ahead to my next race. I’ve got a couple in mind for 2025. Right now, my goal is to use triathlons as a way to get outside, stay in shape, and explore new towns and cities—starting in my province and then going further. Which race will I sign up for next? We’ll have to wait a bit, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out soon! Hit subscribe so you can follow along.
This is the final part of my Project: Be Consistent — if you are interested in seeing the first two parts, which chronicles my 8 week training plan and carb-loading week in Italy, you can click on the link in the description or the playlist here.
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I’m Elliot, a writer and marketer. Two years ago, I found myself recovering from the doldrums of the pandemic, living a very sedentary life. I knew I needed a change, so I signed up for my first triathlon.
I really got obsessed with it and completed three sprint-distance races over 10 months. With each one, I felt more comfortable, confirming that I was ready for the next step.I’m ready for a new challenge.
So… entering 2024, I signed up for my first Olympic-distance triathlon in Vancouver.
In those earlier races, I sort of improvised my training plan, doing what I could, when I could. For the Olympic-distance race, I wanted to take a different approach. I wanted to commit to a structured plan and see it through. This led me to a new project: Project: Be Consistent.
You see, when you’re training, life often gets in the way. It’s easy to find excuses not to stick to the plan—I’ve been there. But for the next eight weeks, I’m determined to commit fully to my training. I believe that staying committed will be just as challenging as the race itself.
Will I be able to finish this project and arrive at the start line healthy? How will life interfere with my training, and will I be able to recover? What gains will I achieve from this project, and will the training be enough to help me reach the finish line?
In this first part, I’ll share my experience with the eight-week training plan. In part two, I’ll cover the trip to Italy I have planned during my taper week and my carb-loading process. Finally, part three will focus on my experience racing in the Vancouver Triathlon. Hit subscribe to stay updated when these next videos launch.
Now, join me as we find out if I have what it takes to complete my first Olympic-distance triathlon training plan.
Week 1: A New Challenge
The first week started off easy with a long ride outside followed by a quick 10-minute run to the brewery, just to celebrate the kickoff. But things quickly ramped up on day two with a strength workout that left my core and legs aching from planks and lunges. I’ve been neglecting those muscle groups. I mixed in some indoor rides not in the plan to recover. But still my runs and swims felt really sluggish this week—definitely a lot of work ahead in those areas.
My one key indoor ride this week was made more challenging when my fan ran out of battery. Not great, for a hot day. Despite the challenges, I was happy to get moving and enjoy the nice weather, even getting out to some community events. I pushed myself as much as I could, knowing that while the week felt easy at first, the fatigue would start to build.
Week 2: It’s 30 Degrees Celsius
It was a busy, hot week, but thankfully, I managed to fit everything in and survive the heat. I didn’t do any extra training on the bike this week—not that I needed it. Just what was on the plan, nothing more. The week started with a solid run as I continued working on building speed.
The weekly strength workout left my glutes aching, though my core felt fine, which was a good sign. These strength workouts just might pay off. I enjoyed some great outdoor rides this week, including commuting to work.
The swim, however, was tough, and I struggled to get faster, realizing that my aerobic endurance had waned. This became clear when I swam in a 50m pool for the first time in months. I crashed my bike a few months ago, and my previously injured right arm felt sore, leaving me a bit concerned about the process.
I ended the week with a long ride followed by a challenging 15-minute run off the bike. My calves tightened in the transition, and I have a feeling that soreness will stick around for a day or two. The fun part of the training plan might just have ended.
Week 3: Uh Oh! My Foot Hurts
The week started with an easy ride to work, giving me a bit of recovery. Up until Thursday, it was relatively light, but then came a strength workout and a tough swim. By Friday morning, my legs were sore again—those lunges always get me. And to top it off, I had an interval run scheduled that day, which led into a weekend packed with most of my workouts.
This week was definitely back-heavy. I had hoped to use it for recovery and to feel fresh, but instead, it was a rollercoaster within just seven days. It really makes me appreciate the moments when I do feel good. Surprisingly, the hard run wasn’t so bad in the moment, but after resting at home, I noticed pain in my right foot whenever I put weight on it. Uh oh! That could slow me down.
On Saturday, I pushed through with a ride out to a swim, which was so enjoyable, though my foot was still sore whenever I put weight on it. Cycling and swimming was fine, but there was no way I could run. I decided to modify my Sunday’s planned 90-minute ride and 20-minute run, opting for just the ride instead. While it’s improving, my foot isn’t anywhere close to ready. I had to shuffle my schedule for next week, but I’m hoping to run by Wednesday. If not, it’s going to be a real disappointment, and my whole project to be consistent is in jeopardy.
Week 4: Halfway There!
I finally had a much-needed do-nothing rest day, which was absolutely necessary. My foot is improving, but after a 20-minute walk, I could still feel it giving out. Despite this, I’m hopeful and noticing progress. It’s surprising how random this injury is—I can’t pinpoint what caused it—just a classic running issue.
On Wednesday, I went for a slow run, and my foot felt okay. However, when I increased the intensity on Friday, I felt a twinge of pain towards the end of the run, with about 3-5 minutes left in the workout. The amount of running in my schedule is quite demanding, and I’m starting to rethink whether I should swap some hard interval runs for bike rides to give my foot more time to heal.
No, I couldn’t swap anymore, otherwise, my whole training plan would be out of whack.
I took it easy towards the end after a long ride with some hills, gradually pushing my limits. I did one more run this week, a run off the bike. The foot felt good overall—just a little niggle—but I managed to get through without making anything worse. I capped off the week with a fantastic open water swim, and I’m feeling positive about my body’s ability to recover and the progress overall.
Week 5: Road Trip to Okanagan
This week is shaping up to be quite unique since I’ll be heading out of town this weekend and I have the Olympics occupying my mind. While I want to fit in as much as possible, it’s also a good opportunity for some recovery. I kicked off the week with strength training, focusing more on my right arm and my ankles. Naturally I got really into the pistol squat. I followed all that up with a solid long swim, really pushing myself in the pool.
The highlight of the week, though, was following the Olympics and wondering if the triathlon would happen. After the first canceled race, messing up my sleep schedule, I was committed, I stayed up until 4 a.m. the next night to watch it, and I’m thrilled it all worked out, especially with Alex Yee’s inspiring win.
The next day, a little sleep deprived, I did a 45-minute run and surprisingly felt great with no pain. The day after, I tackled a cycling workout, but my legs felt really tired, the accumulated fatigue from the past few weeks and that late night had caught up with me. So much for recovery. I wrapped up Friday with my VO2 max run, and felt really accomplished. Now, I’m gearing up for the weekend away, and an opportunity to swim in Kal Lake out in the Okanagan. This made it a notable week in my training, and I hope to one day do a triathlon out in this part of my province.
Week 6: Hard Work, Working Hard
I returned from the trip and it’s August long weekend, so I took a day off from work to get back into my routine. I went for a ride to a pool further out in the city that I haven’t been before. It was a nice change. This week was run-heavy, as I tried to make up for a missed run from a few weeks ago. Although I’m feeling tired, I’m still managing to get through the workouts.
I’ve scheduled some maintenance, including a massage this week and a physio next week. I think this is a good idea as the training plan is coming to an end. The massage was much needed after all the running this week. Even though it may not seem like a lot, everything’s adding up, and after a tough run on the Friday, I felt completely spent.
On Saturday, I had my open water swim on the race course in Second Beach. This was a great swim. We ended up walking home from the beach and I took a three-hour nap feeling confident but tired. I wrapped up the week with a 90-minute bike ride followed by a run. And that day, it was clear that I really needed rest, not because of an injury but due to the sheer volume of training. I’m exhausted, but I’m also at a crucial point where most of my gains can happen. As we approach the finish line, I need to carefully balance pushing hard with avoiding injury.
Week 7: Losing Motivation
Here is where consistency gets hard. It’s easy in the beginning, but now it’s all about fitting in the tough workouts and finding time to recover. When training stops being enjoyable and starts feeling like an obligation, it becomes hard to stay committed, especially when you’re tired and busy. On the bright side, I managed to sign up to go swimming at the Kitsilano pool which is the longest outdoor pool in Canada. I didn’t think it would happen this year, because it was under repair, but I have it all set to do that on Friday.
Then, on Thursday—my rest day—I woke up early to visit the physio about my right elbow, which has been sore since a crash in April. The physio suggested that scar tissue might still be present and needed attention through stretching and rolling. I returned home, expecting to start work, but instead, I got laid off. At least my elbow is getting better.
After the initial shock wore off I felt that triathlon training was trivial and considered giving up on the entire race, even though I was so close to finishing. I really fell into a funk those few days. I got a chance to swim in the outdoor pool at least once this year, but the joy of it was dampened a bit due to all the sudden stress I was under. There was a lot of time now to think… and naturally, I went down some negative spirals.
On Saturday, with a 90-minute bike ride and a 20-minute run scheduled, I was reluctant to train. However, with my wife’s encouragement, I decided to go for a 10k run, moving my easy run workout from Sunday to Saturday. I realized that triathlon training, which I had previously viewed as a reward for finishing my work, is actually something I need to maintain my emotional well-being, regardless of employment. It’s a crucial outlet for me, and without it, I tend to fall into a dark place. It’s not a reward… It’s essential.
Week 8: The End is the Beginning
This week was tough for motivation. I was exhausted and emotional, and though I should have been looking forward to completing the workout plan, I just felt worn out. I should have been excited about finishing up, but I struggled with the last few workouts. Despite the fatigue and the stress of getting my life back together and preparing for a trip to Italy, I managed to get everything done. Training for the triathlon didn’t feel like a top priority, but it provided a welcome escape. Once I was outside and moving, I felt better—though still tired. Now, I’m ready for taper week; I think I really need it.
So much has happened in my life over the past eight weeks, and there’s still so much more to come. I have big plans, but first, I need to tackle a few key events. The first is a trip to Italy—not just to attend a wedding but also to focus on carb loading. Following that, the race is right around the corner. As soon as I return from my trip, I’ll have 2 days to prep for that.
That’s right! A lot more to come! Stay tuned for the next part in this series Project: Be Consistent, as I dive into my Italian adventure, where I’ll be carb loading and tapering for the big race ahead. How did it go? Is it as easy to carb load in Italy as it sounds? Can I actually get enough rest to finish my race after travelling? Hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss the next episode. And check out this playlist for more of my endurance sport journey.
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I’m Elliot, and I’m here to improve my cycling skills. To achieve this, I’m embarking on a project I call FTP Builder, inspired by the workout I’ll be taking on in Rouvy. This series will be told in five parts. This is the conclusion, entitled: The Gains
We’ve made it! What a journey. At last, we are here at the final part of this project. When I began, I was confident that after going through this training plan and racing the race, I would emerge as a better cyclist. I knew that if I put in the work, I’d see positive results in the end.
But as we know with sports, there are no guarantees. You can trust in the process and do every workout perfectly, but the only thing that matters is what happens on the day. And that’s what I love about it.
So, I returned to Stanley Park, both the virtual version and the real one, after a couple of weeks of recovery. In Part 2 of this series, I ran two time trials, to give myself a baseline number of one lap around the Stanley park course. As you may recall, I am training for a race later this year that will require me to do four laps of this course. So this remains to be appropriate training.
The goal in this episode is to do the time trials all over again and then compare my results. Did I improve? Do I have a proper strategy for when I have to do this in a competitive environment with other racers around me? What areas of my cycling abilities should I focus on after this? Where are my weaknesses still? These are all questions I have in the back of my mind as I return to the start line of the Stanley Park course.
Let’s begin!
Here I am once more in Rouvy. Last time I took on this course in the virtual environment, I had a feeling that I might not have given it my 100%, that in the end, I might have left a bit in the tank. Of course, in the moment, I was probably thinking about pacing appropriately, building up as I went, and aiming for a negative split.
This time, I wanted to try something different. I started off a little more aggressively, aiming to hold a steady pace for the whole course.
I immediately got my watts into the 200s, aiming for around 220, which is just around my FTP. This was about 40-50 watts faster than my first attempt. Things were looking good!
About 3 minutes into the time trial, I was just under 200 meters ahead—not far enough to feel comfortable. My ghost could still catch up, even though I was pushing much more power. But as more time passed and I maintained the pace, I was able to keep building the gap, which was exactly what I intended to do.
One interesting point to note was my heart rate. During my first attempt, my heart rate was about 15 bpm faster than in my second attempt, even though I was pushing harder the second time. This was good news, though it could also mean my heart rate monitor wasn’t working properly. Who knows?
I reached the first split at 7:12 in my second attempt, 42 seconds faster than my first attempt, which was 7:54. I was on pace to break my record and still felt relatively good as I approached the hill.
There was no sign of me slowing down at this point—I was full steam ahead. At the climb, my heart rate rose, but compared to my first attempt, it was still at a moderate zone 2 level. Yeah, something must not have been right, so we’ll take that metric with a grain of salt.
It’s incredible to see the difference in the power I was putting in. I remember that during the climb in my first attempt, I decided to turn it on, pacing myself for most of the race but pushing it now. I did the same in my second attempt. Finally, my heart rate shot up to 177, reaching zone 6 by the end of the climb. It seemed to at last calibrate appropriately. I was indeed giving it my all as I approached the descent, where I continued to put down the watts. I wanted to ensure there was no denying that I had improved.
By the end of the climb in my first attempt, my heart rate was only in zone 4. There was no doubt I had some left in the tank, and I had picked this point to really increase my effort. But it was too late. There is something to be said about being able to go steady and hard the whole way through.
In my second attempt, I was almost done by the time my first attempt finished the climb. I flew down the descent and finished at 15:17.9, beating my previous record of 16:38.7 by 1 minute and 21 seconds. I was on average 3 km/hour faster and pushed an average of 37 watts more. It’s safe to call it an improvement.
But wait, the experiment is not over. What about the real world?
So much had happened in the two months between the two attempts. Yes, I went through the training plan, but I also had a couple of crashes that messed up my confidence. I had low expectations this go. I knew beating my original time was possible, but I wasn’t willing to do anything too risky. My arm, although it felt much better, still wasn’t 100%, and I couldn’t shake the image of myself crashing on the descent. Nevertheless, I approached the start line with determination to try my best. It was all I could do.
Like my indoor ride, on my second attempt outside, I went out a lot harder at the start. If my training worked as it had shown, I shouldn’t hold back as much. I needed to go for it! This was especially true if I anticipated being a bit nervous on the descent later on. I wanted to give myself as much running room as possible.
My first checkpoint was the turn into Stanley Park, where I had to slow down a bit to anticipate traffic. I counted that I was about 8 seconds faster than my previous time. If I continued at this pace, I could build upon it, so I kept rolling.
I could feel myself moving a lot faster this time, but I also knew it was not going to be easy. Unlike my first indoor time trial, the last time I rode the course outdoors, I really was giving it my all.
Luckily, there were a few riders that day on my second attempt who were really flying, especially this guy. I used him as a bit of a carrot to chase, and he actually helped pace me. That guy was going fast, and if I could at least keep him in sight, I knew I could beat my previous record. But he was moving. It goes to show that as much as I have improved, there are still so many people who are better.
At the midway point, I counted about 20 seconds ahead of my previous time. This gave me a slight bit of comfort, but like I mentioned, the hard part was still to come: the hill.
Thanks to all my training, the hill didn’t seem that hard this time. Yes, it was still hard, and you can hear it in my breathing, but I managed to catch the guy who had zoomed ahead of me, and that made it feel easier. I knew I was on pace, I just couldn’t blow up now.
Looking at this footage, it’s interesting to see how green the park got in the past few months. That’s something that certainly isn’t replicated in the virtual version.
I got to the top of the hill about 36 seconds faster than my previous attempt. That hill climb allowed me to extend my lead by an additional 10-15 seconds. Now all I needed to do was stick the landing, get down the descent at a moderate pace, and I would beat my time. Good thing the guy I passed on the climb passed me again. It was nice to have him on the descent because it made the experience feel less lonely. Then another rider joined us. We were a group now, which really erased all my worries, and I could just follow their lead.
I did it! Got all the way down and I ended up beating my time by 45 seconds, finishing at 20:13 compared to 20:58. This was far better than I expected! I thought I was only going to squeak through with a few seconds left, but 45 seconds is substantial.
So in a matter of a couple of months, I improved my indoor time by nearly a minute and a half and my outdoor time by almost a minute. After my crashes, a part of me thought I might give up completely and find a new hobby where I could stay inside bubble-wrapped. I am thrilled that I stuck with it and saw an improvement. But I know this is only the beginning. There is so much more to learn and improve on. What fun projects I have ahead!
Thank you all for joining me on this journey. I hope you enjoyed the ride with all its ups and downs. I assure you there is more to come in my triathlon adventures, so if you don’t want to miss it, please subscribe.
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Hi, I’m Elliot, and I’m here to improve my cycling skills. To achieve this, I’m embarking on a project I call FTP Builder, inspired by the Build My FTP workout I’ll be taking on in Rouvy. This series will be told in five parts. This is Part 4, entitled: Race and Recovery
One week before I was to race in a Sprint triathlon, I took a spill off my bike. Crashing right into the curb. This was partly caused by the fact that I was still recovering from a previous fall I had two weeks before. Needless to say, at this point my nerves were a bit shaken, my confidence was compromised, and my bike had some new scratches to remind me of my ambitions — and errors.
I had intended to finish the Build My FTP training plan with one week to taper, but that plan is now out the window.
I did one more test run on my road bike just to keep the feel, but the most important thing was not to do anything risky. There was no point in pushing it anymore. This race will not be about performance and personal records but rather about enjoying myself. My goal now is simply to finish the workouts I committed to, not in 4 weeks but in 6, with the last workout taking place 2 days before the race.
Final Workout:
The final workout for the Build My FTP training plan was an easy ride that lasted just under 30 minutes. It was steady most of the way with 2 significant bursts at the 3 quarter mark.
Overall my legs felt great. When I consider how strong they feel, it’s hard to believe that I won’t be able to use them to their full potential. The thought of descending fast or taking a sharp turn still made me nervous. All the indoor training had been great, but having lost so much confidence outside was just disappointing.
Sadly, injuries are a part of the sport. Like I said, coming out with just a sore elbow, a few scratches on my body, and minor damage to my bike was really a lucky outcome. It could have been much worse.
In the end, the accident was a good learning experience. I’m the type of person who needs to learn from making mistakes. I can hear advice all I want, but experiencing an injury that compromises my performance in a race is something I will carry with me into the future. For that, I am grateful. Give me a diploma for that!
North Shore Sprint Triathlon Race:
The sprint triathlon race I participated in was hosted in North Vancouver. The course started in a community pool with a 444-meter swim, featuring a staggered start with the fastest swimmers going first.
I had a hard time predicting my speed, as my right arm was still only about 75% healed. When I tried to pull, I couldn’t generate much power on that side. Overconfident as usual, I positioned myself too far ahead and ended up letting 8-10 people pass me along the way. This short swim was much harder than I expected due to one end being super shallow and choppy. Anyway, all is good, and I survived.
I had been dreading the bike course. Anything can happen, and I was still nervous about my cycling abilities. So, I took my time preparing at T1, making sure I had everything I needed. I took a gel and got up the initial hill into the course, which was an out-and-back that I had to complete 4 times.
Heading out was a moderate hill, nothing too crazy, but it did allow me to coast a bit on the way back. The tricky thing was the two hairpin turns at either end. With my nerves, I might have hit a cone on the last lap out. Luckily, I didn’t fall off my bike this time and embarrass myself. I’m genuinely pretty happy with the way it went. Confidence up 10%!
Once the bike leg was done. The run was a piece of cake. Even though it was a hilly course, with over 90 m of elevation gain, I felt great and finished strong. if I came in 100%, I’m honestly not sure how much better I could have done. Maybe a minute faster in the swim? Maybe another minute on the bike? We’ll never know.
In the end, I finished somewhere in the middle of the pack and the race worked out in its own unique way, and that’s all you can ask with this stuff sometimes.
Returning from Injury:
When it was over, I took a week off from riding outdoors, and started loosening up and preparing myself for my A-race in September. An Olympic distance triathlon in Stanley Park. I honestly felt pretty shaky getting back up to speed. Parked cars and curbs made me nervous. Doing simple things like descending or riding one hand to drink from my water bottle was really tricky. I was worried about pulling too hard on the brakes again and flying over the handlebars.
I couldn’t help replaying the accidents in my head. So I considered the best way to confront my fears, and that was to return to the scene of my accidents. Riding past where I had crashed and seeing how innocuous the road was, I wondered how I even fell the first time. I chalk it up to just having a lack of focus that one time. A one time thing. Let’s move on.
After a month of just getting back into the groove with safe indoor riding and light runs, I prepare myself for the final chapter of this project. At the start, I gathered some baselines numbers for this experiment.
In the conclusion of Project FTP Builder, I’ll return there and see if I can beat my time.
Stay tuned for the final installment… and subscribe so you do not miss it!
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Hi, I’m Elliot, and I’m here to improve my cycling skills. To achieve this, I’m embarking on a project I call FTP Builder, inspired by the Build My FTP workout I’ll be taking on in Rouvy. This series will be told in five parts. This is Part 3, entitled: The Workout
Rouvy’s Build My FTP workout is a structured training plan designed to boost your FTP over 4 weeks. It includes various intervals that target different aspects of your fitness like endurance, strength, and power.
During each workout, I can expect a warm-up to get my muscles ready and my heart rate up. This usually means starting at a moderate pace and gradually increasing the intensity.
Then there’s the intervals. This is the heart of the workout. I’ll do several high-intensity intervals where I’ll push myself to hold a specific wattage for a set amount of time. These intervals are tough but this is where the gains happen.
Some segments of the workout require me to maintain a consistent power output for longer periods. These are called steady efforts and they simulate the sustained effort I’ll need during a race or a long ride, helping me build the stamina to keep up high wattages over time.
Finally, each session wraps up with a cool-down phase. This helps lower my heart rate and start the recovery process for my muscles.
Now, let’s find out how I did:
Week 1: Getting Used to It
I was excited to get started on this workout, but that feeling didn’t last long. The first one was rather short, but the next two were not.
This week was all about adapting to longer, high-intensity workouts. Anything over 40 minutes felt like a grind. I’m used to more frequent, but shorter rides on the indoor bike. Holding the required power for that duration wasn’t easy. I was pretty tired by the end of the week, especially since I was also doing some high-intensity run training at the same time.
I’m not too sure what I’ve gotten myself into trying to fit this project inside my training for an upcoming sprint distance triathlon. I guess I’ll find out.
Week 2: Squeezing It In
With three long workouts this week, I had to alter my schedule to fit it all in. I had to do them early in the morning, after work, or after another workout. They were tough, and most of the time, I couldn’t even hold the required power. By the end of the week, I was pretty exhausted.
Any excitement I had for this project was gone… these workouts are painful. But I knew that the hard work will pay off when I’m at the start line and I’m confident that I’ll have the strength to climb those hills. So I stayed positive and committed to the process.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Week 3: The Crash
Maybe I was doing too much and the universe decided I needed a break. I started this week by crashing my bike while riding to work.
While going down a hill just outside of my place, I was fidgeting with my jacket with my right hand and I accidentally pulled too hard on the front brakes with my left. My momentum sent me over the handlebars and I literally tackled the pavement at 20 km/hr with my right arm. It happened so fast that I was genuinely confused when I picked myself up from the road.
My elbow hurt a lot and was completely swollen. It took a couple of days before the bruise even appeared. I didn’t have much mobility, but at the time, I didn’t think it was that bad and that it would only set me back a few days. I was wrong. This week ended up being a complete write-off.
Week 4: Recovery and Return
After a few days off, I went to the physio for an assessment to see how much I should push myself in preparation for my triathlon race in three weeks. He assured me I’d be fine, but my elbow might take 4-6 weeks to heal completely. The only way I could injure it further was if I fell off my bike again, so all my exercises would be done indoors, which was the plan with the whole Rouvy thing.
Returning to workouts was a bit of a struggle while trying to deal with the lingering pain in my arm. You don’t realize how much you rely on it sometimes. Simple turning motions and loading bearing were the toughest. However, my legs felt fresh, which was a good sign that the project was having some positive results before I got injured.
While the workouts were still long and holding the watts was tough, I surprisingly managed to get through them. Holding myself up with my arm for over an hour was a bit challenging, but it actually helped get the blood flowing, and my arm felt better after the workouts. Though getting injured never feels good, this one came at a good time to help me regroup.
Week 5: Another Setback
Although my right arm was still stiff and achy, I was grateful that the injury wasn’t worse, considering how unpredictable a crash can be, and that I still had the ability to train from home. Yes, the workouts on Rouvy were still tough — maybe even harder now that I was in recovery mode. Holding the watts for long durations was so painful it dulled everything else. But a short burst of power, such as sprinting felt good, and I could tell I was getting stronger, but the week 4 workouts were a doozy. But I was conquering them. I was so close to finishing.
But then… with only two more workouts left to go —just as I was wrapping up the last bit of training in preparation for my triathlon, I crashed again during a practice ride outside.
That’s two crashes in under three weeks. This time, it just felt like a lapse in focus. I was doing laps on a local hill, and on the third lap of a decent that day, I got distracted for a moment, and when I came to, I was heading towards the curb. I don’t know how that happened, but I put a lot of blame on the fact that my arm wasn’t healthy enough to return, at least not strong enough to take the risk that I took. If I was in full strength I think I could have steered myself away, but my right arm just couldn’t respond in time.
This time I scratched up my road bike and the other side of my body. More critically, this crash really affected my mental state. I started this project wanting to improve my cycling skills and in the end, I feel like I regressed.
If you recall, after visiting the physio for the first time, the only concern was getting into another crash. It goes to show that if you tell me not to do something, you can almost guarantee I’ll do it. If my right arm was 80% recovered, the fall probably took me back to 65%.
Overall, I’m okay, and my bike is okay, but my confidence took a hit. I worked so hard through this training block, wanting to do well in this race, set a new personal best for my time trial, and build up my FTP. I keep replaying my two crashes in my head, even though the memories are all foggy and fragmented. It sucks, because I feel like I’d be in better shape mentally and physically if I hadn’t done this project at all. But, that’s the wrong way to think of it — accidents happen, and it’s a lesson that is probably more valuable than improving my FTP.
Reflecting on everything now.
I don’t want to blame my indoor training for my hubris, but over the last few months, due to various circumstances including weather, I made a lot of progress in my indoor cycling fitness and strength and improved my FTP. However, I haven’t done enough training handling the bike outside. Maybe that’s the cause of my two crashes. My comfort on the bike indoors hasn’t translated to my abilities outdoors. Or maybe I just lost focus at critical moments. My race is next week. I have a couple more workouts left in Rouvy, and then we’ll see what happens.
To be continued…
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As a part of the process of gauging my current cycling level, I decided to do a time trial ride on one of Rouvy’s courses and compare it with the same route in real life. For this experiment, I chose the iconic Stanley Park loop in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Stanley Park is a beloved destination for cyclists in Vancouver. The loop around the park is about 10 kilometers of scenic beauty, featuring coastal views, a hollow tree, and glimpses of the city skyline and the Lion’s Gate Bridge. It’s one of my favorite outdoor spots in the city and just another reason why it’s so great to live in Vancouver. .
And it’s perfect, because for my Olympic distance triathlon later this year, I will be doing four loops of this course, so this is very appropriate training for me.
So let’s get started.
The Virtual Ride: Stanley Park on Rouvy
I decided to start with the virtual ride on Rouvy.
I’ve taken the Stanley Park loop many times before, but doing it virtually was new. My first impression was a good one, the virtual representation was impressively accurate. As I pedaled, I recognized all the turns along the way leading in, and for the first time, I didn’t have to look over my shoulder while cutting across the road.
One major advantage of riding on Rouvy is that I didn’t have to worry about traffic. There were no cars to navigate around, no tourists stepping into the bike lane, and none of the usual park hazards like potholes, speed bumps, or horse droppings. The virtual course was smooth and uninterrupted, allowing me to focus entirely on my performance.
Additionally, I didn’t have to worry about the big hill’s challenging incline or my handling on the big descent. The effort was consistent and controlled, which made it easier to maintain my target power output at about mid 180s, all the way until I reached the hill, where I began pushing it up to the mid 220s. With all that I ended up completing the course in 16:38.7, which is an average speed of 32.5 km/hour.
Not bad, but there is definitely room for improvement, and I can’t help feeling that I might have held back a little.
I do love all the data I get right in front of me on my virtual rides. You see, I don’t have a power meter on my road bike, and I can’t just magically appear at the start line at Stanley Park, I’ll need to ride about 10km to get there, so all of that will play a factor in my performance in real life.
But hey, no excuses.
The Real-Life Ride: Stanley Park in Person
A few days later, I took my bike to Stanley Park to ride the loop in real life. The experience was, as always, invigorating. It’s so nice to get away from the desk and the screens and be outside. However, going all-out on a time trial came with some challenges.
To start, I had to deal with traffic along the first half of the ride. Navigating around cars that were clearly there to do some sight seeing added an extra layer of complexity. I happened to choose a Friday afternoon for this ride, so really it’s my fault.
Additionally, my front chainring was making an annoying sound, which was a constant distraction as I entered the park and started to accelerate.
As I continued, I encountered other riders who were out for a casual ride but were blowing past me effortlessly. This was somewhat demoralizing, especially when I was trying to push as hard as I could, taking this time trial as seriously as I could.
Yes, I was attempting to do this familiar course as quickly as possible, but riding in the real world means being aware of my surroundings and the potential hazards. Other riders, pedestrians, parked cars, little bumps in the road, I’m not skilled enough to just bury my head and push power.
In the real world, I cannot just step off my bike and lie down in bed. I had to gauge how hard to push myself because I didn’t want to blow up halfway and still needed to get home.
Then came the hill. This is the most challenging part of this course, but it was also the section that made this loop so enjoyable. I both look forward to it and dread it.
Here was where I could really put down some effort and make a difference in time, as I usually take this part as lightly as I could to conserve energy. This time, I caught a couple of causal riders on my way up, which gave me some confidence as I headed towards the decent. Even though this was the fastest I’ve ever done the decent, at the end, another rider just flew past me. It goes to show that I had a long way to go.
Still nothing beats the rollercoaster feeling of soaring down that hill. I love it. It’s such a nice rush and — it’s free, all it cost was the power to get up.
In the end, I finished the Stanley Park loop, exactly where the Rouvy course started at just under 21 minutes. 20:58, if I’m not mistaken.
That’s a difference of 4 minutes 20 seconds between Rouvy vs the real world, which to be honest, is pretty good!
I thought with all the factors of the real world, that my time would be much slower.
I’m pretty glad that Rouvy has a virtual course that is local to me as well. Since I will have to do this Stanley Park loop 4 times for my Olympic distance race at the end of the summer, I’m happy that I will have it accessible to practice, and that I can use the real world vs indoor experience to gauge where I am in my training.
If you live close to a Rouvy course, I really recommend you giving this benchmark test a try.
Both Rouvy and real-life rides have their unique advantages. Rouvy is great for its convenience, detailed data analysis, and consistent training conditions, making it perfect for structured workouts and tracking fitness.
On the other hand, riding outside provides a richer experience and there is something to be said about physically moving through space and seeing the world pass by. And it’s important to experience the thrill of travelling over 30 km/hr in real life.
Now that I have my benchmarks, I’m ready to move to the next phase of this project, which is actually going through the workouts. Like I mentioned before, I will be doing the Rouvy FTP Builder workout, which will last 4 weeks. At a glance, it seems pretty hard, but I look forward to it and hopefully, it’ll all be worth it and in the end, I’ll be fitter and more capable on the bike.
Stay tuned! Thanks for joining me on this ride—if you want to follow along on this journey, hit subscribe and check out this playlist right here.
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Hi, I’m Elliot, a writer and age-group triathlete training for a sprint distance triathlon in 5 weeks and an Olympic distance triathlon at the end of summer. But more specifically, I’m here to improve my cycling skills. To achieve this, I’m embarking on a project I call FTP Builder, named after the workout I’ll be taking on in Rouvy, the indoor cycling app. This series will be told in five parts. This is Part 1, entitled: Benchmark.
In order to determine my current level, I decided that I’ll run a few different baseline tests. First will be a test to determine my FTP. I’m sure you already know what an FTP test is, but here’s a quick refresher.
FTP—Functional Threshold Power—is a measure of the highest power output you can sustain for one hour, normalized to your weight. It’s a key metric for cyclists because it helps gauge fitness levels, set training zones, and track progress. For me, understanding my FTP will be crucial because Rouvy will use this data to properly design my FTP Builder training plan.
I’m a pretty light guy, and given my weight of 66 kg, it was recommended I use Rouvy’s Ramp Test Lite, which is designed to provide a solid estimate of my FTP. This will serve as my primary benchmark.
I’m not good with tests, but I did my best to take this one seriously. I got as much rest as I could and picked a weekend with low stress to attempt it. The competitor in me wanted to have a high mark, but I also knew that if I take it to my limit, I’ll just have a higher bar to deal with going forward. Nevertheless, I set off with an attitude to do my best.
As anticipated, the first half was smooth sailing. My heart rate remained steady and manageable as I increased the power output incrementally. Up until the 200-watt mark, I felt strong and in control.
But at 220 watts, things started to get shaky. My heart rate climbed, and the effort required began to take its toll. By the time I hit 230 watts, my legs were starting to feel the strain. Holding that wattage for the full minute became a real struggle.
The default course for this Ramp Test was in Norway. I’m not even going to try to pronounce the name of the region I was riding through. I went up a winding road and saw some nice houses built on the side of cliffs, but really, I wasn’t paying too much attention to my environment. While I like the realism of Rouvy, sometimes the roads in the real world just aren’t that interesting to look at. For most stretches, Norway looks pretty similar to the mountain roads we have in British Columbia. Sometimes scenic, sometimes just a wall of trees.
The test continued, and as I approached the 250-watt mark, I found myself struggling to maintain that power for more than a few seconds at a time. I made occasional bursts of effort, pushing myself to reach higher numbers, but it was clear that I’m at my limit. My heart rate soared past 180 beats per minute, and my primary goal shifted to holding enough power to simply finish the test.
That bit of motivation helped me squeeze out every last bit of energy, allowing me to reach a maximum wattage of 306.
Finally, the test was over, and according to Rouvy, my FTP was calculated to be 225 watts. To be honest, that number feels quite high to me. If FTP is a measure of what I can sustain for an hour, there’s no way I could maintain 225 watts for that duration. However, I’ll take this result as a starting point and see where I can go from here.
So there you have it, my initial benchmark: 225!
In the upcoming episodes of Project: FTP Builder, I’ll be taking on my next benchmark test, which will be comparing the indoor ride on Rouvy with the exact course in the real world. I will be doing a time trial of the Vancouver Stanley Park loop to see how I perform indoor vs. outdoor. This will hopefully help me determine whether my indoor training can be translated to the real world.
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Elliot Chan 