Today is Canada Day, and I’m doing my first swim race—a 1km open water swim at Sasamat Lake, right here at White Pine Beach. This spot’s a local favorite, and on a holiday like this, it’s bound to get packed. I used to come here all the time when I was younger—not to swim, just to hang out. But since getting into open water swimming, I try to make it out here a few times a year.
It’s a beautiful day. My mom came along too, and I think she enjoyed cheering me on. She’s the one who paid for my swim lessons as a kid and took me to the pool on weekends. Back then, I wasn’t much of a swimmer. I’ve come a long way since.
I wasn’t aiming for anything impressive with this race—it’s mostly a practice swim to get ready for my triathlon in September. I wanted to hold a steady pace and try out the “swim straight” feature on my Form goggles. Really, I just wanted to enjoy the day, spend some time at the lake, and do something active. Training has pushed me to get out more and make the most of days like this.
That said, I have been training, and I had a rough idea of what I could do. In a test swim, I did 1000 meters in 24 minutes, so that was my target.
And then we were off.
I still remember my first time swimming in a race—the opening leg of a sprint triathlon two years ago. The water was rough, and I honestly thought I was going to quit. Nothing since has been as hard. But today? The water was calm. The crowd wasn’t too intense, though there were a few bumps—someone even cut in front of me at one point and forced me to stop mid-stroke. But it was all good.
I wore my Form goggles, which really helped—not just with swimming straight, but with keeping my mind occupied. The compass and live stats gave me something to focus on, which helped me stay calm. Open water can mess with your head if you let it.
Still, on the way back, I lost my sense of direction a bit. The sun was in my eyes, and I ended up following the swimmers ahead of me. I lost sight of the final yellow buoy and had to use the finish arch on the beach as a guide. By the time I got close, I realized I’d taken a different line—probably a longer one.
I came out of the water a little confused. Somehow, I’d finished in 21 minutes. My watch said I swam about 70 meters extra, which means even with the detour, I beat my goal pace—averaging 2:21 per 100 meters.
I walked away from this race feeling a lot more confident in my swimming. It wasn’t a super fast time, and I still need to work on sighting and swimming straight, but I’m not just surviving the swim anymore. There was a time when something like this felt impossible. When I first started, I could barely make it across the pool without resting five minutes to catch my breath.
That’s what I try to come back to—those early moments. It’s so easy to get caught up in small improvements or things that didn’t go perfectly. But if you pause and look back, you can see how far you’ve actually come. That’s what this race reminded me of.
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I’ve learned a lot about cycling over the past three years. One big takeaway? It’s not something I’m naturally good at. Part of that is probably because I’m in my mid-thirties, and before getting into triathlon, I didn’t even own a bike. When I think back to my childhood, I can’t really remember how I learned to ride. My parents never taught me — honestly, I’m not even sure they know how to ride themselves. I think I figured it out staying over at a friend’s place in fifth grade. I remember leaning against a wall, just teaching myself how to balance.
Teaching myself has been my go-to approach with most hobbies. It just made sense — why pay for cycling lessons? That felt frivolous, like taking art class or something. Maybe someday I’ll get a coach and try to really improve, but for now, cycling and sports are about getting in shape, relieving stress, having an event to look forward to, and challenging myself little by little.
One big challenge coming up is climbing Cypress Mountain in Vancouver. I live near plenty of hills, so I’m familiar with climbs, but a 12km climb straight up? That’s new, and honestly, it’s a bit intimidating.
Sure, there’s probably a “right” way to train for something like this. But I’ve got to fit in running and swimming too — I still have two swim races, a triathlon, and a 10K PR attempt this year. If I had a coach, they’d probably guide me, but for now, I’m figuring it out on my own. And honestly? That’s kind of peaceful.
To get started, I decided to do an FTP test. I began using MyWhoosh a couple months ago, and it’s been a lifesaver. Before that, I tried Zwift and Rouvy, but for various reasons, I stopped using them. I’ve done FTP tests with different apps before:
In November 2023, I did an hour-long test and got 146 watts.
That was the last test I did, and since then, a lot has changed. My bike fitness has definitely dropped — I didn’t do many workouts over winter after unsubscribing from Rouvy. I’ve been cycling regularly but mostly just commuting and casual late-night zone 2 rides.
This third year of triathlon has taught me I don’t have a huge appetite to ride outside unless I really have to. There are just too many hazards out there, and self-preservation feels more important this year.
That’s why I got MyWhoosh and went back to indoor riding for this training block. But to get a true baseline, I needed to start fresh with a new FTP test — and that’s what I did today, with a Ramp Test on MyWhoosh.
Having done a few ramp tests before, they always feel deceptive. The start is easy, then suddenly it ramps up and crushes your legs. Right now, I think my peak wattage for about a minute is around 260. Anything more, and I fall apart — at least on a ramp test, where you’re already exhausted by the time you hit the top.
I didn’t feel great during this test. I’m not proud of my performance, but I gave it everything I had. One annoying thing compared to Rouvy was the mercy feature: when you can’t keep up, the test ends. MyWhoosh doesn’t seem to have that — or at least I didn’t find it. So I had to keep going, watching those red numbers and feeling bad for not hitting 300 watts.
In the end, I got a shock — my FTP dropped to 192 watts. That’s 38 watts lower than before, which feels like a lot. But it doesn’t seem unrealistic. FTP tests aren’t perfect, and honestly, this feels closer to what I could hold for an hour right now.
So here we are, at the start of a new chapter. There’s a lot to improve in my cycling — I want to climb that mountain feeling strong, not struggling. I’m not aiming to win, but I want to feel good, to know I can push myself further.
Training starts now. I’ve got a few areas to work on, and not much time, so being realistic matters. Reminding myself this is all new helps. Reminding myself it’s a journey of self-discovery helps too. And that I don’t have anything crazy to prove.
Cycling is just another story I’m telling myself — a story I’m still writing. And this is the beginning.
If you want to support pancreatic cancer care and research, please consider donating to my ride — I’d really appreciate it.
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I knew triathlon training this season would be tough, but you never really know how tough until you’re in it. One thing that’s made this block especially challenging is Petey, our new rescue dog. He’s well on his way to becoming a great, obedient training partner, but the fear and stress from being abandoned on the side of the highway and his time in the shelter don’t fade overnight. We’re working with him patiently, step by step.
Our goal is to eventually leave him home alone for a few hours, but we’re not there yet. While we could leave him with someone we trust, we’re still nervous—especially about how he might react early in the morning. As devoted helicopter dog parents, we’re trying to strike a balance. Sadly, the world can’t stand still and wait.
Right now, that means adding Petey’s training to mine. Alongside preparing for my race, we’re also helping him get used to new experiences so he can join us at the event. We decided the best approach—for me, my wife, and Petey—is to go to the race together.
We know the environment could be overwhelming for him, but with gradual exposure, a little structure, and a lot of treats, we think we can make it a positive experience.
So, we set up a trial run. I signed up for a 5K at Rocky Point in Port Moody—the same place my wife and I got married. It’s a special spot for us, and now it’s tied to a new memory: Petey’s first race.
It was a small, inaugural event, which meant fewer people and a manageable crowd. After a warm-up walk, I headed to the start line while Petey busied himself sniffing a bush. Then it was up to my wife to keep him company—and for me to focus on the run.
I didn’t have a strict goal going in—this was mostly about training Petey—but I figured, why not aim for a personal record? My last 5K in 2023 was 25 minutes and 2 seconds. Those 2 seconds bugged me. So anything under 25 felt like a solid target.
I did it! Finished in 24 minutes and 1 second. Just shy of the minute mark—next time, maybe. Still, it was a strong run, especially on a hillier course than I expected. That’s a great sign heading into my upcoming sprint triathlon.
And Petey? He did amazing. Which really means my wife did amazing. She kept him calm the whole time I was running. A few months ago, having him in this kind of environment seemed out of the question. But today gave us hope. It was one more step closer to having a life filled with fun and adventures.
Of course, this was just a test—a short run. A triathlon is a whole different beast: longer, more chaotic, and way more logistically intense. It’ll be a challenge. But that’s the point, right?
Thank you for joining us on this run. I’ll see you in the next one.
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I think a lot about how momentum works. Not just in training—although yeah, I do love a good triathlon—but in creativity too.
When I’m training for a triathlon, I’m not just running every day. I swim. I bike. And I run. Each discipline works different muscles, keeps things fresh, and somehow… they all support each other. Like, I come out of a bike ride with stronger legs for the run.
And that’s kinda how I’m approaching my creative life too.
I don’t just write. I don’t just draw. I don’t just make videos. I move between all of them—and doing that actually helps me stay motivated and inspired. If I’m stuck in one, I switch to another. If I’m tired of reading, I pull out my camera. If I can’t sit down to draw, I cut up footage and express my creativity in a whole new way.
So today, I’m sharing something I call the Creative Triathlon. It’s a predetermined length of focused time on three different creative practices: illustrating, video creation, and writing. One discipline at a time. No pressure. No multitasking. Just a way to find time to do what you enjoy.
First leg: illustration. For the past 4 years, I’ve been working on this massive personal project—drawing every single Pokémon. Yeah. All of them. It’s been slow-going, not because I don’t love it, but because finding the time is hard. Life piles up. Other projects take priority. And as strange as it sounds, drawing Pokemon doesn’t pay the bills.
But when I do this creative triathlon, it forces me to carve out time for it. Even just 25 minutes. And honestly? It’s kind of like swimming. At first, it takes a while to get ready. But once I start? I don’t want to stop. It’s peaceful. It’s focused. And there’s something really satisfying about seeing one more little creature take shape.
This leg always reminds me why I started this project in the first place: because I love it. Because it brings me back to that kid part of myself that used to draw these things on notebooks.
I’m almost at 1000 Pokemon. I really want to finish before they add more. If you are interested in see the rest, check out this video in the cards and the instagram in the link in the description.
Second leg: video creation. Right now, I’ve been making a series of YouTube Shorts where I highlight key takeaways from books I’ve read. It’s honestly become one of my favorite creative outlets.
What I love about it is that it’s a true mashup of all my past-time activities—reading, thinking, writing, editing—it all comes together in these tiny videos. It makes everything I do feel active. Reading no longer feels like a passive intake of ideas. By turning it into a video, I get to spend more time with what I’m reading. I get to sit with the concepts, rephrase them, visualize them. And because of that, the lessons stick. They become part of me. A little snapshot of my life.
Video creation is great that way. It lets you experience your own thoughts in a completely new medium. You go from absorbing to articulating, from quiet reflection to something that moves and speaks. Seeing an idea come to life on screen—it just never gets old.
Final leg: writing. I’m currently editing the fifth draft of the first book in a trilogy I’ve been working on for years. And yeah—it’s a slog. A meaningful one, but a slog nonetheless.
It’s such a big project that most days, I’m just chipping away at it. I don’t always see progress. There’s no big “aha” moment, no flashy breakthrough. It’s slow, repetitive work. And honestly, it feels a lot like running. Not a sprint—a marathon. You get tired. You want to stop. But you don’t, because the work is worth it. The fatigue is part of the point. It’s what builds endurance. It’s what makes the story matter.
Working on something this big, this long—it becomes part of your life. It’s something you carry. And the beautiful thing about creativity is that it’s not like sports… there’s no finish line in the same way. It doesn’t end. But that’s why I love this Creative Triathlon practice—because it does give me small finish lines.
Instead of focusing on finishing the book, I just focus on finishing a session. That’s it. One 25-minute block. And when it’s done, I get this little burst of relief, a sense of accomplishment. Like I’ve closed a loop. It’s such a good feeling—being able to look back at my day and say, “I did something today.” No guilt. No disappointment.
So that’s my Creative Triathlon. Three disciplines, 25 minutes each for me today. It could be more on other days, but today was only 25 minutes. Which is enough to get a good chunk of work done. Know this, though, it’s not about finishing a masterpiece in an hour and a half—it’s about movement. It’s about momentum.
Just like in a real triathlon, each leg has its own rhythm. Some feel strong. Some feel slow. But they all carry me forward.
If you’re someone who loves multiple creative things—or if you’re feeling stuck—try this. Treat your creativity like a triathlon. Mix it up. Work different muscles. Let each practice breathe new life into the others.
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you decide to try your own Creative Triathlon, let me know how it goes! And if you already have a different combo that works for you—maybe it’s music, painting, and cooking—drop it in the comments. I’d love to hear what you’re working on.
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When we talk about endurance sports, we often hear about battling through pain. So much of the sport is about pushing our limits, and it’s in that process where we truly improve. When it gets hard, that’s when we’re challenged. That’s when we discover who we are. That’s when we endure.
That’s when we prove to ourselves: we are not quitters.
Of course, this mindset isn’t just for sport. We can bring that kind of endurance to every part of life. Don’t give up on what you started. Follow through on what you said you’d do. As a creative, I know that struggle well. How many projects have I started only to abandon them halfway through?
In life and in triathlon, endurance is everything. When things get hard, scary, or painful, we have to push through. We have to keep going.
During this training block, I faced plenty of challenges—not just tough workouts, but all the resistance that comes with the sport. There are always reasons to stop.
Lately, I’ve been finding it hard to get on the bike for long rides. Not just because of the weather, but because of my schedule. This season doesn’t really allow me to be away for hours. And sure, I don’t need that long of a session for a sprint triathlon, but I still feel like I should be putting in the time. My new dog, my new job—life has been full, and it’s been keeping me off the bike.
But I’m still enduring. And enduring sometimes means problem-solving. Last year, I relied on Zwift for convenient indoor training. When it stopped connecting to my bike, I tried Rouvy. But I wasn’t riding enough to justify the cost, so I cancelled. I thought I just had to tough it out with nothing but numbers on my watch, but that’s unnecessary suffering. I signed up for MyWhoosh last week, and suddenly, my excitement for biking returned.
Things go wrong. Equipment breaks. Problems arise. We have to endure that, too. This is the good kind of endurance—the kind that builds patience, confidence, resilience. Not just physical strength, but mental strength too.
Recently, my GPS watch started glitching. After just a year, the battery drains quickly, and the elevation tracking stopped working. I’m working with support to fix it, but it’s frustrating. When my gear isn’t working, my motivation drops. I love collecting data—tracking workouts, measuring progress. When the metrics are off, everything feels off. It’s like playing hockey with dull skates. But I kept going anyway. And good news: I discovered Strava has a “Correct Elevation” feature, so even if my watch is wrong, I can fix it.
This is what endurance really looks like—dealing with the little things. Because when you don’t deal with them, they pile up. It’s like cleaning your house—if you clean as you go, it’s easy. If you don’t, it becomes a mess. Maybe even a hoarder-level mess.
Good endurance is good habit. It’s confidence. It’s delayed gratification.
But not all endurance is good.
Bad endurance is ego. It’s pushing through when you shouldn’t. It’s training through injury. It’s ignoring your mind and body. It’s refusing to fuel or rest properly. It’s bottling up your feelings. It’s not asking for help when you need it.
Bad endurance is thinking you’re strong for holding your hand to the flame. Sure, it might impress someone in the short term—but long term, it only burns you. Physically, mentally.
Bad endurance is staying in toxic relationships or jobs. It’s putting up with bullying and gaslighting. That kind of endurance doesn’t make you stronger—it chips away at you. It erodes your confidence. It delays your healing.
After everything I’ve been through these last few years, I’m learning what’s worth enduring and what isn’t. What makes me stronger, and what just does damage. What’s worth waiting for, and what isn’t.
Triathlon is an endurance sport—but that doesn’t mean you should endure everything. There’s good endurance, and there’s bad endurance.
I remind myself of this whenever I feel like quitting. I take a moment to reflect on what’s really stopping me. Am I avoiding a problem I could solve? Am I just making an excuse? Or am I actually being fair and reasonable with myself?
That said, training is going well. After a few speed bumps with my health, I’m feeling good. So I’m trying something new: riding across the Lion’s Gate Bridge into West Van, down to Ambleside Beach. It was my first time doing that route, and let me tell you—the descent off the bridge is way steeper than I expected. But I stayed calm. I didn’t stop. I managed the panic.
And that, to me, is good endurance.
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This is my third year training for triathlon. So many things that once felt new now feel like routine—but that doesn’t mean they feel old. A training plan stretches across months, and because life keeps moving—your schedule shifts, your body changes, the world changes around you—none of it ever stays the same. It’s like that saying: you never step into the same river twice. Even if the actions—swimming, cycling, running—are familiar, the route, the time of day, the body you’re moving in… none of it is exactly as it was before.
My body is in constant flux. Some days it’s tired, others it’s fresh. Sometimes I ache. Sometimes I feel strong.
Life throws a mix of old and new challenges. Things I’ve done before and continue to refine, and things I’m encountering for the first time. This season, like clockwork, allergies hit me hard. Hay fever, maybe a cold too—right during the week I had off before starting a new job. Not ideal timing.
The new job has been exciting—a fresh challenge, new systems to learn, new people to meet. It’s energized me, but it’s also demanded my focus, and that’s meant training has taken a back seat some days.
And then there’s Petey, our new rescue dog. It’s been three months now, and while he’s adjusting well, he doesn’t exactly make triathlon training easier. Every day is a puzzle of syncing his needs with mine and my wife’s schedules. On top of that, we’re trying to figure out what to do with him on race day—we don’t think we can leave him alone for that long. Ideally, we’d bring him with us.
That means, in a way, he’s training too. We’re slowly getting him used to more stimulating environments—other people, other dogs—but more importantly, we’re helping him get used to me leaving him. That’s been the hardest part. On walks, if I duck into a store or step away, he panics. So we’re working on that—teaching him to stay calm when I leave, helping him understand that I always come back. Patience, consistency, and making those moments feel safe are key.
There’s a lot going on. At times, more than I feel I can juggle. Priorities shift day to day. But strangely, all of this has helped me stay present. When I do get to train, it feels even more meaningful. Something I look forward to. Something that feels like mine.
I’ve done triathlon before. I’ve even raced this upcoming course before. But nothing about this season feels the same—and that’s what makes it thrilling.
Like today. I’m riding out to Burnaby to do what I call the Brentwood loop. I grew up in Burnaby North—a suburb just outside Vancouver—and this area is so familiar to me. But every time I return, something’s different. New buildings, new shops, new roads—but also, pieces of it stay the same.
Things shift—over years, over days, even from one moment to the next. One second it’s sunny, the next it’s raining. That’s just how it goes.
So: enjoy the ride.
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Finally back on the bike, and it feels so good. Starting a new training block, having a race to aim for—everything feels right. Even when the world seems like it’s spinning out of control, it’s such a relief to focus on my training. For a brief moment in this crazy life, I feel like I can take control back.
I remember why I started triathlon. Two years ago, during one of the darkest times in my life, I made the decision. It was the beginning of 2023, as we were finally coming out of the shadows of Covid and the world began to reopen. I had been locked up, living in a five-block radius, working in a windowless room. I was focusing all my energy on my creative projects and work, but it felt like the hours spent in front of a computer screen were slowly suffocating me.
I literally noticed that I was holding my breath for long periods while writing a stressful email or attending a Zoom call.
I lost 20 pounds. Looking back at pictures from that time, I was so thin and sickly that there’s no other way to describe it but to say I felt bad—physically and mentally bad.
Change is nothing new to me. I’ve gone through phases in my life. If you had asked me in 2019 if I’d ever do any of the three sports in a triathlon, I would’ve laughed it off, made a joke, and everyone would’ve been laughing along. But no, triathlon wasn’t even on my radar.
So how did it come to this? Before Covid, travel was my source of excitement. It was a huge part of who I was. I took two or three trips a year—flying on planes, exploring new places, tasting different foods, paying in different currencies. That was my thing.
When Covid hit, that travel bug was crushed. And unlike the cockroaches that can survive an apocalypse, the travel bug didn’t really come back. Sure, it would be fun to travel again, but I no longer had that intense desire. But I still needed something to look forward to, something I could work toward. I needed an activity that would regularly take me outside the house.
My wife became a big source of inspiration. She’s been a marathon runner for years, and she’d always tell me about the places she ran to. It blew my mind that, as a hobby, she could end up in totally different parts of the city. I wanted that for myself.
Triathlon turned out to be the perfect sport for me because it’s three sports in one. Training for a marathon means repeating the same activity every day, but triathlon is varied. Every day is different, and I love that.
Little by little, I started learning the three sports, having never done any of them before. The progress is steady, but it’s happening. What I love about riding, running, or swimming is that at the end of each session, I return home. Work, whether creative or professional, often feels like an endless grind. But sports have a sense of closure—a run, a ride, a swim, and then it’s done. And I feel good.
That good feeling has been a lifesaver these past couple of years. Life isn’t always easy, of course. But on a sunny day, when I’m out on a ride like this one, preparing for something ahead, it gives me a sense of hope. It’s a personal journey, but it fills me with a simple desire to keep living.
The world can be a scary place. There are people out there who aren’t kind. And when you’re on a bike, you sometimes feel that—like you don’t belong, or you’re in someone’s way, or even that you’re breaking the rules — when you’re not! But that’s just life. Even when the world wants me to feel bad, I don’t. I feel good.
Today’s a good day. This week’s a good week. And it’s the start of something great. We’ll get there. For now, I’m riding Ontario Street in Vancouver, one of the main north-south corridors that takes you from the seawall downtown to the Fraser River on Marine Drive. From there, you’re just a stone’s throw from the airport. This is my first time riding all the way south—a 65-block journey. Enjoy!
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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 started doing triathlons.
This year, thanks to a fortunate scheduling quirk, we planned a trip to Italy for the week immediately after finishing my 8-week training plan in anticipation for my first olympic distance race. This timing perfectly aligns with my preparation, more specifically my tapering and carb loading week.
If you’re unfamiliar with these concepts, here’s a quick rundown:
Tapering is all about giving your body time to rest and recover from the fatigue of intense training. While it’s important to maintain optimal fitness, continuing training right up until the race can leave you too exhausted to perform at your best. Typically, endurance athletes will taper for a few days to a few weeks, depending on the distance and difficulty of their race.
Carb loading focuses on ensuring that your body is well-nourished to handle the effort required on race day. Without delving into the science, carbs or carbohydrates are stored as an energy source known as glycogen in your muscles, and the more carbs you consume before the race, the more glycogen your muscles can store. Simply put, these extra carbs help sustain your energy throughout the race.
And you know what Italy is known for right?
Pasta! Pizza! Pastries! Carbs!
So, the plan was set! I made a list of all the carbs I wanted to eat and off we went. In this video, I’m going to share my experience carb loading in Italy and answer an important question: Is traveling during taper week a good idea?
Now! Let’s head to Italy.
One day after my final workout, we woke up at the crack of 3 am and skipped off to the airport.
After a 15 hour travel day, we arrived the next morning in Rome.
Our plan is to spend 2 days in Rome and 3 days in a villa in Assisi, and then one more night in Rome before travelling back to Vancouver just in time for 2 days to rest and prep before the big race. While the main purpose of this trip is to attend our friends’ wedding, the second purpose of this trip is to taper and carb load. So my goal was to eat as much as I could.
The general math is that while carb loading, you should consume 8-10g of carbs per kg of body weight per day. That means, I should aim to consume around 330-460 grams of carbs per day for the first 3 days of the trip and then increase to 530-660 grams of carbs per day for the next 3. That sounds like a lot!
Now, I’m going to do my best to add up all the carb heavy meals I had, and omit any dishes that I don’t think have that much carbs, just to keep things simple. On top of that, it’s important to note that I’m just grabbing a general estimate. None of this should be taken as science. I repeat! I am not a scientist. Or a chef. And some of the food, I’m not even sure what the names are. So yeah! That’s the kind of video this is. You’ve been warned.
With that aside, let’s get to it.
Pasta Amatriciana
Day 1:
My Italian adventure kicked off with a delightful lunch of Pasta Amatriciana, packing in 85 grams of carbs. The whole reason we went to this specific restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto neighbourhood was to try one of the famous Jewish artichokes, adding 4 grams. Of course, I washed it all down with a refreshing beer, contributing 26 grams. It was good to know that beer has more carbs than wine!
Dessert was our first of many gelato, offering 42 grams of carbs.
All’AnticoVinaio
On the way back to the hotel, I grabbed one of these world-famous Italian sandwiches from a popular place called All’Antico Vinaio, which added another 46 grams of carbs. We went back to our hotel for a quick nap to recover from the travel and the food before trudging out again to enjoy the evening.
For dinner, I had a Carbonara (85 grams of carbs), shared half a tiramisu with my wife (17 grams), another beer (26 grams), and a second round of gelato (42 grams).
Day 1 Total: I was nice and full and had managed to hit my target carb intake for the day. 347g Can I do it again tomorrow?
Maritozzi
Day 2:
The next morning started with a traditional Roman breakfast: a Maritozzi pastry (23 grams of carbs), a cappuccino (4 grams), and some biscuits (12 grams).
For lunch, I opted for Spaghetti alle Vongole, spaghetti with clams (85 grams), accompanied by an obligatory beer (26 grams) and finished it off with gelato in a cone (51 grams).
Trapizzino
Later, we meandered over to the Trastevere neighbourhood, and I got one of the famous Trapizzino (46 grams), a delightful pizza pocket.
Then we went for a long, hot walk to the Vatican and through some wonderful Renaissance piazzas before arriving back in our hotel for another nap.
Cacio e Pepe
Dinner was another pasta feast with a Roman classic, Cacio e Pepe (82 grams), which was probably the best pasta I had in Italy so far. I also got another beer (26 grams) for the carbs specifically, and half a burrata (1 gram), which was just—dare I say it?—heavenly. Of course, I ended the day with more gelato (42 grams), which also happened to be the best gelato I had in Italy so far. An evening of bests! But how did I do on the carb loading? Let’s check the tally.
Day 2 Total: A day well spent with plenty of pasta and carbs, I consumed 398g! Well within the range. Celebrate! But the next day, carbs may be harder to come by.
Day 3:
Our travel day to Assisi started with a quick breakfast of a cream-filled croissant (25 grams), cappuccino (4 grams), half a meringue (8 grams), and half a cookie (10 grams) before we headed off to the train station.
All and all, it was a five hour journey from Rome to Assisi.
Upon arriving at the villa for the wedding, dinner was a BBQ affair. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very carb-heavy, but I did enjoy some bread (14 grams), two beers (52 grams), wine (3.8 grams), and a tiramisu (32 grams). After dinner, we did discover these Nutella cookies (36 grams) and Focaccia flavored Pringles (4 grams).
Day 3 Total: Carbs were a bit sparse, and even with the extra snacking, I missed my mark this day with only 188.8g. To be expected, but all is good. More meals to come.
Day 4:
Today, our wedding party had plans to explore the town of Assisi.
Before heading out, I had some room bread with jam (56 grams).
Then while touring the town, I, of course, had to grab a gelato (42 grams) to get a little pick me up from being on my best behavior in the church.
We continued our tour, got caught in the rain and then we took a break to grab some lunch.
Lunch featured a Prosciutto Sandwich (45.5 grams) and finally, some sort of craft beer aka not Perronis (26 grams). More gelato followed (42 grams), I was getting adventurous with this one — I literally got licorice flavor, and you know what… It’s pretty good! Forgive me, I have sinned.
Before we returned to the villa, we enjoyed a glass of wine (3.8 grams), focaccia bread (21 grams), some salty meat and cheese (which probably had little to no carbs, but was so good) and a macchiato (1 gram).
Gnocchi
Dinner was the highlight of the evening that started with a gnocchi-making class where we then got to enjoy our creation (156 grams), I washed that down with a beer (26 grams).
For dessert, I tried Zuppa Inglese (34 grams) which is like trifle, and if you’re like me and you don’t know what trifle is… well, it’s a thing of little value or importance. We stayed up late this night, watched the lightning storm roll in and out, and I stayed up for about an hour extra alone in the kitchen, snacking on Nutella (21g), jam (13g) and Fetta Dorate (39 grams), which are these melba toast things.
Day 4 Total: An excellent day of eating, there seemed to be a little of everything and it all tallied up to 526.3g. Mission accomplished! Well, for this day at least.
Day 5:
Today is a big day! The wedding day!
The morning started with cappuccino (4 grams) and biscuits (12 grams). The groom’s father treated us to a variety of Middle Eastern sweets (40 grams).
Lunch included two ham sandwiches (96 grams) and a beer (26 grams). Not sure about the science of carb loading with beer, but I wonder if all the alcohol may have negative effects on my race. I guess we’ll never know.
Then, we had the wedding and afterwards, I snacked on some Hors D’oeuvre (28g)
Finally, we sat down for the wedding dinner, which included a couple of Arancinis (10.8 grams), bread (14 grams), Farro Salad (35.5 grams), Risotto (54 grams), and potatoes (9 grams). There was also a meat dish there as well. It was really good, but sadly, no carbs, so we don’t need to talk about it any further.
Mille Feuille Cake
For dessert, there was this really awesome Mille Feuille (18.5 grams) cake.
Day 5 Total: Yes, while I did consume 346.8g of carbs one must believe that I burned all of it off on the dance floor that night… and let’s not forget an impromptu workout session that… might have been detrimental to my tapering. One will find out later.
Day 6:
Well, our stay at the villa is over.
After a final breakfast of beans (10 grams), pita (16 grams), baklava (14.5 grams), and what I believe is called basbousa (20 grams), we caught the train back to Rome.
The funny thing about traveling in Italy is that you never really know how long a journey will take. What we expected to be a 3 hour direct ride back to the city, ended up taking over 5 hours thanks to some delays and a mid-ride train switch half way through. So… we didn’t get back into Rome until late that evening.
Still we made the most of our last night, and I did all I could do to load up on carbs in just one meal.
Anchovy Pizza
Dinner in Rome was a carb-lover’s dream with a beer (26 grams), Anchovy Pizza (99 grams), Suppli (34.4 grams), and Pasta Marinara (98 grams). Of course, I capped it off with gelato (42 grams).
Day 6 Total: An excellent final night of indulgence before heading back home gave me a total of 359.9g
Day 7: Farewell to Italy
And just like that.. Our Italian trip was over. It’s time to say goodbye to the humidity and the old stuff, and return to Vancouver.
But not before we had one last breakfast. Our last morning in Italy included a cappuccino (4 grams) and a cream-filled donut (58 grams).
At the airport, I enjoyed a final Italian meal: half a croquette (3.9 grams), half an arancini (2.7 grams), pizza (50 grams), and lasagna (35 grams). For the flight, I had a chocolate croissant (33 grams) and half a donut (20 grams), with additional pasta onboard (49 grams).
And let’s not forget about the A&W burger (35g) and fries (54g) I got during layover.
Day 7 Total: It was a sweet ending to my Italian adventure, giving me a total of 344.6g. Although the last few days in transit made it hard to get all the carbs in… it doesn’t change the fact that when I did get some carbs in, it was delicious.
Italy turned out to be a great trip, but I did return real sore and tired. I’m really thankful for the extra day of rest before the race. Do I recommend going to Italy for a taper/carb loading experience? Yes! But you should actually plan out the meals a little better than I did. And make sure you also have a few more days to rest.
Of course, once I got home, I was able to fill up a bit more and spend the whole day Saturday recovering before getting my race package and dropping off my bike on Sunday.
Could I be more rested and carbed up? Yes, I could. But I could also say the same about training and pretty much every factor of my preparation. Life is life, and I’m as good as I am going to be.
So… here it comes… the race.
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Elliot Chan 