Yes, mornings are lovely with Ivan Carapiet

By Rikki Suarez | Photos by Ronan Capili

Juggling car racing, acting, and modeling is already quite a feat in itself. But adding another grueling sport such as triathlon into the mix is simply astounding. Ivan Carapiet is nothing short of this description.

Behind his façade is someone who is no stranger to the cutthroat nature of competitive racing. The erratic work environment of his showbiz and modeling career prepared him for the intense and time-consuming training regimen of a serious triathlete.

Throughout the years, Carapiet has proved his worth by displaying versatility, toughness, and prominence. Not to mention his good looks, of course. Here’s a snippet of how he starts his day as he makes an effort to swim, bike, and run before rushing to shoots, pictorials, and racing assignments.

What time do you wake up during an early morning training day? Jumpstart and ready to fire all cylinders or snooze button first?

I wake up late; maybe 10am or so. I wake up fast like a ninja.

Do you have any shortcut routine or prior preparations to hasten things up before heading for training?

Yes, I ready my meal preps for the day before I sleep so when I wake up, I am good to go.

Any habit you automatically do right after waking up?

I automatically check my phone first, then coffee, and then proceed to the rest room right after.

What necessary food or nutritional supplements do you usually take before or during a training session in order to sustain your energy?

I used to take all kinds of supplements. But this year, I stopped them all. I want to go all-natural this time around and simply use multivitamins. I eat very clean—eggs in the morning, fish and veggies for lunch, and chicken and veggies with brown rice for dinner. Sometimes, I eat unhealthy things at night. I am only human! [laughs]

Are you fond of training gadgets like GPS watches, power meters, and the like while doing your training?

When I was just starting, I use to do all things as they go–no watch, no taking down notes, “tira pasok” method as they say in local lingo. It was not working for me though as the results would be erratic and inconsistent. So, like in motorsports, I made sure that every move I make from now on goes through a computer and notes taken down left and right. This year, I put into play my heart rate monitor and write everything, including my progress, down. The results have never been better.

What is your early morning training routine like and where is your usual training ground?

I go on either a one-hour run or bike ride after I get up and drink my coffee. After I replenish with food, I rest a bit and get myself ready for the heavy sessions. Before lunch, I am riding out for about two hours with intervals at C5. I’m a bit crazy! I have to do what I have to do. After the bike ride, I come home for a late lunch. After I rest a bit, I hit the gym for about 45 minutes only before I head for my last workout of either a run or a swim.

After training, what is your recovery breakfast like?

My go-to breakfast is composed of 10 eggs–one whole and nine egg whites either boiled or scrambled with toast and a lot of peanut butter! I am addicted to peanut butter. It fuels me.