One Thing to NEVER Say to a Tapering Triathlete

Here it is… The one thing to NEVER say to a tapering triathlete.  (And chances are… it’s been said!) (For a companion post on how we, as triathletes, should hold up our end of the bargain, check out yesterday’s blog.) And…drumroll please: “I will be SO glad when this race is over and everything can go back to […]

Pushing Limits, Patience, and Protecting the Kids

As I wrote in this month’s article in Triathlete Magazine, I have two amazing, wonderful children–who could not be more different. They had their second ever triathlon this past weekend. Stella (age 7) jumped out of bed at 4:45am, with her little warm face pressed up against mine, whispering, “Mom, mom, mom. I am so excited.” […]

Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 and Scared Sh*tless

Tomorrow I start to rebuild.  Rebuild the running, rebuild my tri season (if there is one to be salvaged), and decide what in the world I want to do. In light of the Expert’s fantastic showing at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga Choo Choo yesterday, I am finding myself in a place of utter fear. Oh okay, […]

Email of the Week

I received this ah-maz-ing email from a Swim Bike Dad last week.  I HAD to share it, because it was so awesome!  I am thinking about featuring an email of the week, because so many of you send me notes, and some are just awesome.  Here’s a good example from Blair, who gave me permission to […]

Superheroes, Goats and Kids

Yesterday, the Expert and I celebrated twelve years of marital bliss.  Okay, so maybe not bliss.  But it’s been a pretty darn good twelve years. For the big celebration, we were starting out to kill each other in a 5k race to the death at the 2013 Superheroes vs. Villains 5k. We woke up at […]

Rev3 Anderson Olympic: A Race Report by the Expert

Hi everyone… Swim Bike Dad (a/k/a the Expert) here. 2014 has been interesting to say the least. The Atwood family has had many highs (Ironman finish, new jobs) and some lows (Ironman training, marital strife, martial strife from Ironman training, the Hell House, the litigation surrounding said Hell House, old jobs), so to say my […]

The Power of Three

Hi guys.  The Expert here. Back in my weightlifting days, there was a fellow gym rat who would espouse “the power of three.”  [Now, this guy also huffed gas—and for his “intense” diet would eat twelve oranges for dinner. But not really eat. He would chew on the orange the spit it out.]  So you […]

Doctor, the Patient is Ready…

Hi guys.  Swim Bike Dad here. Tomorrow the Swim Bike Family flies out to Coeur d’Alene. It’s the beginning of many “firsts” for our little family. First “official” family vacation First airplane ride for the babies And oh ya, a first Ironman for someone I pray the next seven days are full of joy, but […]

Ironman is Sunshine and Rainbows

…oh, I mean marriage is. Wait.  No.  Marriage is NOT sunshine and rainbows.  I want my money back. So, the Expert and I haven’t been doing so well.  And I wasn’t going to say anything, but the proverbial fan hitting of the poo kind of happened yesterday. And well, I woke up to a post […]