October 2025
Over the course of last month, having an immersive experience in Rosario, Argentina was unique and enjoyable. Exploring the city by running or walking, going to exercise at the local gym every day, shopping at the nearby grocery stores, attending Mass at the neighborhood church, helping with reception and cleaning at the hostel where I volunteered, meeting guests from various parts of Argentina and other countries, and spending time with co-volunteers, chatting and getting to know them each day, led me to learn more about the culture of the place and was simply wonderful to get to live out. Also, I was able to make a special trip to the city of Rafaela, where I visited a host family I bonded with when I was a kid over 20 years ago.
I was excited to find an awesome gym right around the corner from where I stayed. It not only had a spacious weightlifting area with a wide variety of machines, dumbbells, benches and racks, but also an entire floor completely equipped for CrossFit-style training, including an outdoor turf section. I couldn’t have found a better setting to start preparing for the next HYROX competition I signed up for at the end of November. Regarding nutrition, I have been able to get most of the foods I typically consume, except for a few items that aren’t available or I chose not to buy because of their high cost, and I got back into a more consistent eating routine devoid of any cheat meals. Lastly, a week after running my last marathon, I felt quite recovered and started running some miles again. Throughout the days and weeks, it´s been important to remain aware of sleeping 6 plus hours a night and napping for at least an hour in the afternoon, as I feel this supports my recovery given my current physical and mental activity levels.
TRAVEL
During this past month, seeing through a volunteering exchange in Rosario, Argentina, allowed me to get a real taste of the culture of the country. I had a wholesome five weeks ordinarily living day-to-day as a local would. Staying at a centrally located hostel enabled me to enjoy some of the nicest parts of the city by walking or running. Rosario´s largest park named Parque Independencia and the city´s waterfront on the Parana River were the places I most frequently went to and I loved. Every afternoon, and especially during weekends, these places were lively. It was awesome to see people, friends and families walking, running, playing around or just sitting in the green areas sharing mate (a traditional drink made of dried leaves from the yerba mate plant, and a ritual symbolizing social life). I realized I was in an active society that highly values connection with others, and I was glad to be a part of it for at least a while. Moreover, other activities I enjoyed in my free time were taking a walk through the city’s popular pedestrian street called Cordoba, located in the heart of downtown, extending for several blocks and offering a great diversity of shops and cafes; as well as checking out one of the most significant landmarks in Rosario known as the National Flag Monument.
Having the chance to settle in Rosario for over a month enabled me to get into a daily/weekly routine, essentially consisting of training at one of the neighborhood gyms and/or going on runs around town, working at the hostel where I stayed, food shopping at the nearby grocery stores and markets, as well as going to Maria Auxiliadora church located around the block on the weekends. Rather than constantly seeking touristic adventures or sightseeing wherever I happen to be, I feel engaging in such mundane activities leads me to have a closer interaction with the local environment and have a more authentic experience. In fact, this is one of the main reasons I enjoy slow travel. In other words, spending several weeks (at least a month) in each place and getting to know the area more deeply. Having always fast travelled in the past, where I prioritized sightseeing and/or adventurous exploration in the span of a couple of days, mostly because of time constraints, I have also come to appreciate a more relaxed and immersive type of travelling in recent years; unconcerned about seeing or doing as much as possible, but just embracing life wherever I already am and enjoying the surroundings.
Volunteering at a hostel has enabled me to settle in the city for an extended period. In exchange for 20 to 25 hours of help per week, mainly in the reception, as well as doing cleaning and housekeeping, I get free accommodation and some food at the hostel. Not only is this much more affordable way to travel slowly, but it also enables me to serve a cause and the community. Furthermore, I get to learn about an unfamiliar industry, develop new skills, establish relationships with the host, the staff and co-volunteers, meet people from different parts of the globe, and adapt to a co-living environment that certainly has its challenges.
Aside from all the amazing days I got to live in Rosario, the day I hopped on a bus for a 4-hour trip to the city of Rafaela was the most special one. I went to visit the family that hosted me 3 consecutive years when I travelled with my soccer team, from Paraguay to Rafaela, to play a weeklong summer tournament. The last time I saw them was back in 2005 when I was 12 years old, but we created such a strong bond that persisted throughout the years as we kept in touch. I always had in mind that one day I would go back to this place, where I made some of my fondest memories. As soon as I got to Rosario, I contacted my host mom Vivi, surprising her with the news I was staying relatively close to her house, we made plans to get together and the day I had imagined for over 20 years finally came. Although my host brothers Matias and Lucas were not home, since they are currently living abroad, spending the day with Vivi and her husband at the same house they welcomed me when I was a kid, going back to the soccer club where we played our games, and making a little tour around downtown where we used to spend our free time with teammates and host brothers, brought me so much happiness and enabled me to re-live some of the most memorable moments I have carried with me.
TRAINING
After taking a full week off of running, allowing my legs to recover from the last marathon, I went back out to log some miles at the beginning of the month and felt quite alright. Since then, I kept going on runs 3 to 4 days a week for a total of 20 to 25 miles, and though it´s been fun checking out the running scene in Rosario, I have been putting more time and energy into the gym. I have been working on strength and HYROX specific exercises to prepare for the competition I´ll be participating in next month. Essentially the training split I have adopted consists of 6 sessions per week at the gym, followed by an easy run on 2 or 3 days, and 1 day of only running.
Leaning more towards lifting weights whilst incorporating functional movements has allowed me to not only build strength and some more size but also take a bit of a break from running and reduce weekly volume. In addition, it has been an interesting way to challenge myself and spice up my training routine. The workouts I have been doing at the gym consist of a compound exercise (squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, RDL), two supersets of push and pull movements with dumbbell, barbell, or cable machine, plus 2 to 3 rounds of SkiErg, RowErg, and assault bike. In addition, on the days I run I have been going straight after the gym for 6 to 7 miles, and this has enabled me to slowly get myself conditioned to running on heavy legs, as I would be doing at the HYROX race.
In the coming 4 weeks until the day of the competition, I intend to continue training the same way I have been, staying fit, building endurance and simply enjoying every session. Even though I had initially registered for the HYROX Open Men’s Single division, there has been a change of plans, and I’m excited to get to race in the Open Men’s Double division once again with my younger brother Fernando. It’ll be a great opportunity to test ourselves physically, our ability to implement a more efficient strategy and see if we can get a better result. Aside from any outcome, however, I’m grateful we’ll get to push our limits together as a team, and bond over the experience.
Nutrition
Throughout my five-week stay in Rosario, Argentina, I was able to get back into my usual routine of eating three meals a day consisting of whole, nutrient dense foods. Grocery shopping is one of the activities I really enjoy when settling in a new place. Going to the nearby food markets, walking around and checking out the types of foods that are available is rather interesting and fun. I was able to find most of the items I typically consume, but I made some exceptions and substitutions. For instance, the cleanest plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt that was available contained a few thickeners/stabilizers including milk proteins, modified corn starch and gelatin, which is not ideal, but I decided to get it anyway, as it is a significant source of protein for me. Also, since none of the stores I went to carried aged parmesan cheese or plain goat cheese, I experimented with fresh mozzarella as well as a typical Argentinian cheese called Pategras, which was quite tasty.
Another item I could not find was canned sardines in water. The only varieties were either in tomato sauce or soybean oil; however, canned mackerel in water was widely available. I had never tried mackerel before, but assuming it was almost the same as sardines in terms of taste and texture, I tried it and I liked it; hence it became a perfect substitute that is also packed with nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, potassium and magnesium. Moreover, wild caught pink salmon, either canned or frozen, is an item I consume regularly, and while I did find them in the stores, their prices were hefty (about $9 for a 5 oz can); therefore, I decided to stick with the more affordable types of fish.
Lastly, I was glad to see the accessibility of beef organs in just about every place where I shopped for food. There were meats I like to incorporate in my nutrition as much as possible, including heart, liver and kidney, and I certainly took advantage of it..
READING
Jesus Calling – Enjoying Peace in His Presence – by Sarah Young
One of the passages I read in this book last month had to do with seeking to cultivate a mindset of trust and gratitude, becoming increasingly conscious of one’s complaints and avoiding them in all circumstances. Thanking God and expressing my trust in Him amidst difficult moments has profoundly changed me, allowed me to navigate life with a better attitude, and led me to foster inner peace. It is a practice that has continually served me, and I do my best to stay conscious of it daily, since complaining tends to be one’s initial reaction when facing inconveniences, setbacks or hardships. In instances I catch myself leaning into a victim mentality, simply reaching out to God and trusting he is working for me and not against me, helps me to have perspective, remain calm, and be predisposed to carry on with more ease. An important realization I have had with time is that complaining is nothing but futile, as it never resolves any sort of problem one might face, as well as the fact that challenges are inevitable and necessary for one’s growth and evolution, especially in a spiritual aspect. These are the lines in the excerpt:
“WHEN MANY THINGS SEEM to be going wrong, trust Me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank Me. These are supernatural responses, and they can lift you above your circumstances. If you do what comes naturally in the face of difficulties, you may fall prey to negativism. Even a few complaints can set you on a path that is a downward spiral by darkening your perspective and mind-set. With this attitude controlling you, complaints flow more and more readily from your mouth… Cry out to Me in My Name! Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. Thank Me for everything, though this seems unnatural – even irrational… You can face your circumstances from a humble perspective. If you choose supernatural responses – trusting and thanking Me – you will experience My unfathomable Peace.”
PODCASTS
Listening to podcasts is a habit that has added a ton of value to my life, and they are useful resources I continually utilize for personal development. These are some insightful and inspiring episodes I listened to in the past month:
Chasing Excellence:
Being Normal is Making Us Sick. It’s Time to Embrace Being Weird
The ABCDs of Real Health: Attitude, Basics, Consistency & Discipline
Nick Bare Podcast:
The Minimalists:
The Tim Ferriss Show:
The School of Greatness:
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett:
No. 1 Sugar Expert: 17 Seconds Of Pleasure Can Rewire Your Brain! – Dr. Robert Lusting
RECOVERY
All through this past month, focusing on maintaining a regular sleeping schedule, and dialing in my nutrition again, I believe have supported my physical and mental recovery, allowing me to show up to my daily activities as best as possible.
In terms of daily rest, I have been able to consistently sleep 6 to 7 hours at night, and then 45 minutes to an hour in the early afternoon. Whereas regarding nutrition, ensuring I eat three meals a day consisting of clean, whole foods has been key to getting enough calories and nutrients to recover well and have plenty of vitality to work, train, engage socially, and dedicate time to my relationships.