On Friday as I pushed through my training ride, my tired body struggled to keep it together and stay focused on all things positive. It was my tenth day in a row of training without a day off and when my alarm went off, I had to give myself a serious pep talk to drag my weary ass out of bed. Fortunately, I’d made a commitment to meet my coach, Matt, for a ride, so I knew I couldn’t bail. Even though my legs felt like bricks, it was worth every minute. Time in the saddle is the only way I’m going to get stronger on the bike, so even on mornings when I might like to lay in bed, read and sip coffee, I know I have to stay consistent. No excuses. No matter what.

One of two rides with Matt this week. Accountability (showing up when you say you will) is the perfect fuel for consistency and motivation. Thanks coach! Matt’s cycling jersey may be RANDOM, but his training program is anything but.

In addition to being consistent with the physical aspects of training, it’s necessary to be consistent with all other facets of training too while navigating the road to Ironman Arizona–from nutrition and recovery to flexibility and mental toughness. If I slack on one thing, it affects everything else. What I’ve discovered is that it’s possible to get away with a lot when you train for shorter events, but you definitely pay the price if you ignore even one of these things in longer endurance events. Sleep has been my big challenge, and it has come around to bite me in the gluteus maximus more than a few times. That’s one piece of the equation I continue to work on, especially knowing that’s when our bodies repair themselves after a hard workout so they can adapt and grow stronger.

Here’s a peek at this week’s training schedule:
Monday: Swim 1500y, core pm
Tuesday: Bike 60 min, Run 30 min, Pilates
Wednesday: Run 2 miles, Bike 2h45, Run 1.5 miles, Swim 2225y with a 1000y TT
Thursday: Run 60 min, Pilates
Friday: Bike 90 minutes, Swim 1075y, core pm
Saturday: Rest…some much-needed aaaaah!
Sunday: Run 40 minutes

Here a few snaps from the week…

Bike ride through Hope Ranch

Morning Pilates class at the Y with my sweet girl.  So proud of her for rocking it.

This view along Chase Palm Park never gets old. The soft grass is where I do many of my runs.

Thursday’s run overlooking Butterfly Beach in Montecito was pretty, but smoky from the nearby Sherpa wildfire.

Stretching at the Bird Refuge after my run, utterly beat, but keeping it all in perspective thinking about all the firefighters battling the gnarly nearby wildfire.

And finally, a rest day at the beach. Aaaah! This does wonders for the body and soul.

My personal key to consistency…There’s no way I could make my training a priority consistently and still be a good mom without the love and support of my rock star husband, Jeffrey (AKA Husband and Father of the Year). I am insanely lucky, and I know it, and I do not take my guy for granted for a second. Even though he’s always in the middle of a million projects himself, he’s there for my daughter and me 110% every day. That’s Every. Single. Day. Consistency is his middle name. Whether it’s cooking us healthy, delicious meals, taking Olivia to school so I can get my workouts in or doing a 911 emergency coffee run for me…the list goes on and on…big and small, his thoughtfulness knows no bounds. Sorry to gush, but Ironman training does not happen without a support crew. So thank you dear hubs for all that you do! The way you wear you Super Dad/Husband cape every day fills my heart.

Next week we’ll be celebrating our 14th official wedding anniversary and 28 years of being head-over-heels for each other. I’m so glad the universe brought us together so long ago. There’s no other person I’d rather share this outrageous life adventure with than this guy.

Happy weekend everyone, and Happy Father’s Day to all the Super Daddy-Os out there! Put your capes away for the day and enjoy some much-deserved pampering.

Thank you once again everyone, for all your support on this Ironman journey. Every time I train, I carry your unwavering enthusiasm with me. Knowing I have my friends and family behind me always adds wind in my sails….

xo Becky

This guy…although I didn’t have him long, my dad made me feel invincible and embraced all my tomboy notions. Notice the cast on my arm from jumping out of a swing as I was having a competition with a boy in my class to see who could fly the farthest (on an asphalt playground).

As always,if you missed any of my previous posts, you can click on any of the links here:

Kicking off My Journey to Ironman Arizona
Week One of Ironman Training: Believe
Week Two of Ironman Training: The Power of Friends
Week Three of Ironman Training: I Think I Can
Week Four of Ironman Training: Progress
Week Five of Ironman Training: Wind at my Back (and Front) and Peeps by My Side
Week Six of Ironman Training: Baking a Cake
Week Seven of Ironman Training: Courage
Week Eight of Ironman Training: It’s All About the Base
OMG, You did WHAT?! (AKA Sleep Deprivation + Training = Embarrassing Moments)
Week Nine of Ironman Training: Growing Pains
Week Ten of Ironman Training: Trust
Week Eleven of Ironman Training: Speedbumps and Breakthroughs
Week Twelve of Ironman Training: A Bundle of Sticks Can’t Be Broken
Week Thirteen of Ironman Training: Spring!
Week Fourteen of Ironman Training: Rollercoaster
Week 15 and 16 of Ironman Training: Staying Happy and Healthy
Week 17 and 18 Ironman Training: Inspiration and Purple Rain
Weeks 19 through 21 of Ironman Training: Transitions
Week 22 and 23 of Ironman Training: Holy Epicness…Julie Moss