So, I realize that I left you all hanging after Day 5 of our challenge. Spoiler alert: We did it!

Catch Up

• Logistics
• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5

Totals

• Swim: 2.4 miles / 1:48:18 DONE
• Bike: 112.46 miles / 8:50:04 DONE
• Run: 26.32 / 4:13:53 DONE

Run On Day 6, all we had to do was a 4 mile run. Our legs were pretty well fatigued, so it was a slow victory run, but we got it done! This is day 1, before our first step, and then day 6, after our very last step. I think we look a little tired. Here are a few questions and answers we received from friends and family related to the challenge: Why did you do it? I covered this in the logistics post, but basically we were bored with our workouts and wanted to have a fun way to jump start our training for a few upcoming races, start getting up earlier (I’m trying to adjust to normal work times before school actually starts), and spend some time together in an active way. Also, it’s our kind of crazy challenge. What did you learn from it?

• Ironmen and women are LEGIT.
• I don’t know how we would be able to keep up this type of training for months with a full time job and a family.
• Taking care of yourself physically and nutritionally is so so important when you’re training like this. Rob was incredibly hungry pretty much all day, and I spent more time foam rolling then I typically do (aka none).
• You have to know what you’re doing in terms of planning your workouts and being prepared to make them happen. If you miss one or two days per week, it puts you significantly behind your schedule.

We celebrated finishing by going to a German festival just down the road from our house. Beer and pretzels for the win! Will we ever complete an Ironman? Well, of course it’s always going to be in the back of my mind. I think would be an amazing feat, but I just can’t fathom all the training. Maybe one day. Rob would rather do a half Ironman as it seems a more manageable distance for him both training and competition wise. Would you do this challenge again? Absolutely! While it was tiring, it was interesting to watch our bodies adapt to the workload. For instance, our last swim on Day 4 felt easy. And the 32 mile bike ride didn’t seem as arduous as it did two days previously. Are you going to host this type of challenge for other people? It’s definitely a thought. Would any of you be interested in trying it? We could do a Facebook support group and do the thing in a week, two weeks, or even a month. Thoughts? Something you’re interested in? RQ: Do you want to try this challenge (or something similar to it)?

Brooke Selb

I’m Brooke Selb, a Personal Trainer and Health Coach specializing in helping busy moms and moms to be to easily juggle mom life with family friendly recipes, and easy exercise routines to help you achieve your fitness goals that fit in with your already busy life with sound nutritional advice.