A quarter mile into my half-mile swim during the first leg of the Greenwich Triathlon this past Sunday, both my lungs filed for a divorce from the rest of my body. They were screaming bloody murder, and I fully expected that to happen.
With every stroke it felt as if a boa constrictor was tightening its hold, squeezing ever so slightly, making each breath less and less productive. My lungs had good reason to be bitter.
A few minutes later, as I was rounding the first big orange buoy, my stomach and the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich I ate that morning began to argue over turf. Luckily, they reached some sort of agreement.
It had seemed reasonable at the time -- 5:30 that morning -- to have a little breakfast before attempting my very first triathlon. It is, after all, the ultimate test of mental and physical strength.
And you'd think that after denying my body the pleasure of eating carbs for months now that it would jump for joy at the sight of a freshly baked Portuguese roll loaded with my new mainstay, protein. However, it proved to be a bit of a transition.
A Strict Regimen
I've mentioned in the past that I have been on a virtually carb-free diet for some time now. It's done wonders for my physical and mental condition, and my body feels better than it ever has.
After a month without carbs, I realized that I didn't miss the bread, rice, pasta and potatoes as much as I anticipated. When you think about the havoc wreaked on your blood sugar level -- and feel the benefits almost immediately -- it's easy to drop the carbs.
So why did I go back to carbs?
Well, when you use up the instant energy source that carbs provide through a workout as intense as a triathlon, you can eat as many as you like. If you didn't work out, the carbs would just get packed on as fat.
So as part of my training for this triathlon, I started carb-loading the entire week leading up to the event. It was amazing: pasta, rice, baked potatoes, Snickers bars. You name it, I gobbled it down.
It certainly was a great reward after months of being disciplined and denying myself an entire food group. (If you're considering a long bike ride, a hike or a run this weekend, consider a heaping plate of carbs beforehand. You'll have earned it.)
Of course, there's an important distinction to be made: Twizzlers, M&M's, Mr. Goodbar and delicious champagne truffles from
Maison Du Chocolate are all ample sources of carbohydrates.
But so are fettuccine with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and shaved summer truffles, a crispy coal-fired pizza margarita and a plate of creamy risotto.
The difference between the two groups is self-evident; let's focus on the latter.
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Rocco DiSpirito
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