The more time you spend in the world of Swim Bike Mom, the more meaningful her long-time mantra becomes. Meredith Atwood is the unstoppable force behind the addictive and popular blog, Swim Bike Mom, where she’s chronicled her story of nearly 2.5 years of triathlon training while leading a busy life in Atlanta, Georgia as a person/mother/wife/attorney/author. Her adventures include a lively cast of characters (most notably The Expert and Coach Monster), challenging settings (open water, anyone?), and an array of themes from the painful to the victorious to the hilarious, all of which help her push forward in her pursuit of her latest goal (Ironman Coeur d’Alene), and ultimately, the best version of herself.

In her youth, Meredith dabbled in sports, trying many childhood staples including basketball and softball; but it wasn’t until she got into Olympic-style weightlifting that her athletic commitment intensified. She won the Junior National Championships and traveled to South Africa to compete in the Junior World Championships. Then, life and career and kids (and chaos) happened, and Meredith found herself out of shape and ready for change.

“I find that I am focused on what I have in my life because there is nothing like a 5 hour bike ride to remind you how much you want off that bike and into the arms of someone you love.”

Meredith came to triathlon in her effort to reclaim a bit of herself for herself, and in doing so, she now has completed several 5 and 10Ks, several half marathons, a number of sprint and Olympic distance races, and 2 Ironman 70.3 races. After all that, she feels she’s “sort of become an athlete for what really feels like the first time ever.” And she has done all this while continuing to live her busy life, maintain her popular, productive blog, AND do a little thing like write a book. Yes. A book. Meredith’s book Triathlon for the Every Woman recently came out in November. And now? Her eye is firmly on the prize and and all of her training is directed at completing her first full Ironman (Ironman CDA) on June 23rd of this year.

“Blessed. Insane. Busy. Blessed.”

The Swim Bike Mom and Bia connection is one of those that is such a natural, comfortable fit, no one is sure how the two found each other. Maybe Meredith found Bia; likely Bia found Meredith. Regardless of how the connection came about, Meredith was pulled fully into Bia’s big adventure by a love of our dedication to women and fitness as well as by her growing disdain for her Garmin. She’s looking forward to taking her Bia along on her long runs and bringing a little more of the love to her love/hate of the big mileage.

In Her Own Words:

How do you empower yourself & others?
I put myself out there, all of the stuff that is good about me and all the stuff that is embarrassing or horrible (okay, maybe not ALL things, but many things). In being honest and sharing my journey with the world, I think it helps other women say, “Wow, she’s a ridiculous mess, and if she can be positive, ‘just keep moving forward’ and finish big goals while facing some major challenges, maybe I can too.” I see no benefit in sugar-coating how hard it is to be a wife, mother, lawyer, working woman and triathlete; and I think others find comfort in my insanity. At least I hope so.

What personal transformation has most influenced your perspective/sport/work/life? Realizing that I can be whoever I want to be: If I work hard, I can finish races. If I want to change, I just need to change. If I set my mind and heart to something, I can finish it. For a long time, I felt victimized by the legal profession, by my place in life, by the insanity of parenthood. In coming to grips that I had one life and it was up to me to make it mine, I quit complaining and took action. Triathlon has helped me realize that the sky is the limit and it helped me realize that I have a lot to be grateful for. I’m going to keep shooting for the sky. Period.

In what ways do you fit, break, or defy the mold of the “Female Athlete”?
I think I pretty much King-Kong-style obliterate “the mold.”  I’m 200 pounds; and I can swim and bike faster than some of my 140 pound counterparts. Now, running is a little different story, ha ha.  But I’m working hard NOT to be 200 pounds. Still, I have finished several half marathons, dozens of triathlons, including 2 half Ironmans weighing more than that and I didn’t finish last. The proof in my pudding is that: anyone can get out there and become their own best version of an athlete.

“It’s not reserved for the uber-fit and skinny and beautiful; but it is reserved for the brave.”

What’s among your favorite or biggest athletic accomplishments? What are the top 3 things that made it/them possible?
Finishing my second half Ironman was my favorite and happiest and biggest accomplishment to date.  The first half Ironman was special, but the second was sweeter because my mom, dad, and one of my best friends were there to cheer me and the Expert (my husband) on, and it felt wonderful to see them on the course.

The top three things that made that possible?
1) Love (of the sport, love from my family)
2) Hate (for my profession, generally; for things ‘wrong in my life’ -makes me train harder!)
3) Enduring pain (physical and mental).

What’s your best piece of advice for a busy person contemplating a new athletic goal?
Make the Decision to do it. This is exactly what my book says: Decide to become a triathlete.  Decide to become who you want to be.  Want to try a half marathon, but you “aren’t a runner”?  Well, decide to become a runner. Make the Decision, and go after it.

Meredith’s book, Triathlon for Every Woman is available on Amazon.com in paperback and kindle. You can follow her blog at www.SwimBikeMom.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Bia field tester Kelly Delgado knows the drill. 2 months ago, this rock star mother of 5 completed her first full Ironman (Florida). Coming to our Kickstarter campaign by way of Bia-love shared by Swim Bike Mom, Kelly did her homework, decided we were about to revolutionize the GPS watch industry, and signed on to be one of our early field testers. Not shy about her opinions and beliefs, Kelly doesn’t hesitate to challenge others in a debate or shy away from calling words of encouragement to those she meets in a race. She’s goal-oriented (Kona some day), content (loves what she’s doing), busy (5 energetic kids), and blessed with a husband who works hard so she can stay home and take care of their children and who still supports all of her “sometimes crazy” athletic endeavors.

“At the end of the day, I am racing against myself.”

Following her memorable Ironman experience of 2012, Kelly plans to spend 2013 drawing her teenage daughters into triathlon, fine tuning her own athletic training and efficiency, and participating in a number of races at various distances, all with an eye toward another full Ironman, perhaps Couer d’Alene or Cozumel, in 2014. Of course, she’s eager to have Bia along for the ride. She looks forward to field testing our watch during training, specifically in the ocean and under foggy California coastal conditions, and she can’t wait to try it out in an actual race.

In Her Own Words

What’s your athletic history? What brought you to your sport?
I started running Cross Country and Track in high school at the age of 14, and have been addicted ever since. I was the number 2 runner at Antelope Valley College, and then I won a partial scholarship to Cal State San Bernardino and ran there for two years while pursuing my Criminal Justice degree. After college when ‘real life’ took over, my athletic endeavors were put to the wayside. I still exercised regularly and found my stress outlet in running, but I did not compete again until after I was married and my children started school.

My first return to racing was the American Martyrs School 5K in Manhattan Beach, CA.  I went into it thinking that I would just take it easy and have fun, which I did for about the first mile but then the competitive bug bit and in a big way.  I took off and ended up finishing first in my age group. From there, my good friend who is a triathlete, somehow talked me into doing my very first triathlon with her in 2011. I was not a good swimmer, and in fact, was terrified of water in my face and I had not been on a bicycle in many years. But, the athlete in me likes a challenge. Terrified and excited at the same time, I signed up for The Oschner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans with a mere 4 months to learn to swim and bike. It was quite the learning experience and despite the swim portion being cancelled that year (a disappointment after all of the work I put in), I finished and have been hooked on triathlon ever since.

In what ways do you fit, defy, or break the mold of the “Female Athlete”?
I think I am a combination of the “typical” female athlete as well as a bit of a mold-breaker in other areas. I am constantly trying to balance being a good wife and mother, with training as efficiently as I can.  Like many other female athletes, I am driven, determined, and sometimes very lonely during training sessions. I am a stay-at-home mom of 5 kids dealing with 3 different schools, so time is very precious.

I break the mold of the typical “female athlete” in a different way.  I am fanatical about food and its part in health and athletic performance. We follow the Paleo diet, so I make sure that we have a constant supply of fresh grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish and fresh fruits and veggies from our own urban garden. I make our own butter, chicken-foot broth, bone broth, sauerkraut, and some fun adult things like wine, beer, Limoncello, and Grand Marnier –not so great for you, but hey, a mom needs a break once in awhile! I’ve found that the better I eat, the better I feel and perform as an athlete.

What personal transformation has most influenced you?
I think the most transformative experiences come from pain. That is where learning and growth comes from; there is no growth without first feeling the pain.  Like any other person, I am not unfamiliar with that. My personal transformations are a collection of all of my experiences and growth so far. The key is to acknowledge the pain, test the limit, and eventually, push through it. That is where true transformation takes place. A quote that I meditate upon on occasion: “Change will come when the pain of staying the same is worse than the pain of change.”

What was your biggest athletic accomplishment of 2012?
By far, my biggest accomplishment of 2012 was finishing Ironman Florida, November 3, 2012.  Before that I had competed in (in order) Ironman 70.3 New Orleans, Ironman 70.3 San Juan, Barb’s Race 70.3, and the Nautica Malibu International Distance. It was a huge deal for me since it was my first full Ironman and my fifth race ever. My goal was simply to finish, which I did in 16 hours and 15 minutes. I wanted to quit so many times. I hurt. I was hungry for real food. I was mentally and physically exhausted. My brain kept trying to bargain with me to stop and just quit. I have never been a quitter, but I honestly considered it several times. I had pretty bad stomach cramping, but I just kept pushing through. I had to keep moving, and so I did. I was not the fastest in Florida, but I did it and I was so proud of myself that I bawled like a baby crossing that finish line.

There were a number of things that helped me to the finish. I am grateful for Island Boost, which was the only thing that was palatable and that I was able to digest near the end. I am grateful for LA Tri Club’s Ocean 101 class and the amazing coaches they have for helping me get over my fear of the surf and swimming en masse. I am grateful for Adrian Valdivieso from LA Tri Club, because he provided me with a fantastic training plan that I tried to follow as best I could, even if he had me cursing most of the time. But at the end of the day, I owe my successful completion of that race to three people:

1. My amazing husband, Jerry, and the unconditional love and support that he has given me throughout my journey.  I love you, baby!
2. My unbelievable swim coach, Mallory Mead, without whom I would still be terrified of the water.
3. My good friend, Leslie Jordan, who got me into triathlon in the first place and pushed me to continue the race when I was begging her to let me quit.

For each of them, I am eternally thankful and truly blessed.

What’s your best piece advice for a busy person contemplating a new athletic goal?
If you can, join a group of people.  It makes training that much easier and makes you keep an appointment.  Also, stick to a training plan as much as possible, with a lot of variety so that you don’t get burned out.  If you are going solo, fit in sessions (no matter if it is only 30-45 minutes!) whenever you can- early morning, lunch breaks, early evening before dinner. Make the time and stick to it, otherwise there will always be an excuse to skip it.