I've got The Boy doing triathlons and cycling events with me.

But that daugher of mine...she's the embodiment of every girl stereotype I can think of. So of course, she has dance lessons, and of course her weekly lesson is her favorite time of the entire week.

I remember dance lessons from my youth - my mom made me go, and I hated the silly costumes and annual recitals. Plus, my sister always got better costumes than me anyway.

So The Girl -… Read More

A little over a year ago, a friend of mine joked about the marathon she had just completed, "Yeah, I just crossed number 123 off of my life to-do list!"

She didn't really have a number 123, but it got me thinking. There are so many things I want to do in my life, both with and without my family. Why shouldn't I actually create a list and number things, then periodically refer back to it and check them off?

And obviously… Read More

I did my first triathlon as a celebration of my weight-loss. The very idea of a triathlon seemed so crazy, so impossible - and yet, I wanted to try it.

Obviously I was hooked right away. And as I pulled up to my latest race this past Saturday and got out of my car, the woman parking next to me said, "You can always tell the newbies! We have too much stuff!"

I laughed. She had a mountain bike and, it's true,… Read More

The Boy did his third triathlon of his seven-year life on Saturday. We both had a blast.

The kids race began after mine; in between, The Boy set up his transition space, laying out a towel and putting his bike helmet, race number, bike jersey, shoes and socks in order so he could change quickly between legs. Then we walked around, looking for the entrances and exits to the transition area. "Here's where you run in from the swim," I explained,… Read More

The Boy is going to participate in his third triathlon on Saturday.

Here's how to get kids to train for triathlons: 1. Get the kid a bike and helmet. 2. Let the kid ride the bike and run around the yard or neighborhood. 3. Take the kid swimming once or twice before the race. Wetsuits are totally optional!

Seriously, it doesn't take much discipline to get a kid ready for a kids' triathlon. Typically these events are not competitive; all kids get an… Read More

I'm not referring to my children. They were away for the weekend with their grandparents.

No, this weekend, my 33-year-old husband took his 32-year-old wife out dancing - like we did all the time before we had children!

In eight years, all the bars and clubs we used to go to are pretty much gone, and so are the friends with whom we used to party. And it takes some work for me to find "going-out" clothes - I have casual… Read More