Today I am heading to Central Florida so that I can ride Sugarloaf Mountain (pictured below).  This is a big part of my goal for the Under Armour What’s Beautiful campaign and it’s absurd to me that this day is finally here.  It seems like yesterday that I received the email from FitFluential letting me know I was a part of this whole thing.

I look back at the last seven weeks or so, and because I am me, I think of all the things I could’ve done but didn’t.  This is just part of my Type A personality, and after I self flagellate for a bit I forgive myself for being human.

I trained what I could train.  I rode at least four times a week, two of those in a spinning bike with a heavy gear.  Sure, I could’ve found more time on the Computrainer at a higher incline but I honestly feel that within my means, I did what I could.

In terms of posting and participating in the campaign, I feel like there was much more I could’ve done.  I am proud of my family’s music video, and was thrilled to be featured by Jill Conyers, but I could’ve taken on more of the challenges and been more engaged.  I see other women, and am so inspired by what they have done that I am tempted to compare and despair.

But then that would be totally against what I think is beautiful.  Envy has no space in beauty.  Instead I sit here and look at all these amazing women in the UA community, watch their videos, and see their pictures and am happy for them.  I don’t have to feel less than, or more than … I can just be a part of.

There was a lot going on in my life during this campaign: my final days as a teacher, the end of the school year for my boys, preparations for our upcoming trip to Portugal, and the increasing IronMan training.  These are not excuses I give for not measuring up, these are just short descriptions of where I am at.  And when I take a step back, and look at these past weeks I am content with who I am, how I behaved, and what I accomplished.  In the gran scheme of things, as one blogger posts, I am enough.   I was enough.

So here I am doubting my training as I pack up my bike kit.  I am nervous that I am not strong enough though I have a feeling my legs can take it.  I fear I don’t have the bike skills to go up, and that is a legitimate concern. What if I don’t make it? The other day someone told me “I know better riders than you that had to walk.”  Better riders than me had to walk? Crap!

One thing I have going for me is that I am stubborn, so I won’t walk unless I really, absolutely, positively cannot ride.  As in, I am going so slow I cannot balance my bike and I fall.

And if that happens … so what? Another thing I have going for me is that I realize that the only one that would consider this a failure is my ego.  And quite frankly, it can go to hell if it wants to.  My pride can be hurt but to me what’s beautiful is getting back up, walking if I have to, carry the bike if I need to, but I will take a picture on top of that freakin mountain.

Joe has been travelling for about two weeks straight.  He came home last night and had no quarrels telling me to make the reservations that he will drive the boys and I on the five hour road trip.  So I sit here, writing this with a smile because my Under Armour challenge is:

Conquer Florida’s highest point, SugarLoaf Mountain, on my bike as I train for IronMan Florida while still being the best mom I can be. I WILL.

I am officially training for IronMan, I have been the best mom that I can be, and now I only have to conquer Sugar Loaf … riding, walking, or carrying my bike to the top.

It’s time to get this show on the road.

Follow the culmination of my UA Challenge on facebook: www.facebook.com/triathlonmami and on twitter #whatsbeautiful #goingupsugarloaf