Known to friends, family, and those on the triathlon circuit as “The Quad Father,” meet Nick Tierney; a 46-year-old athlete from Delaware, OH. Tierney is no stranger to overcoming challenges both on and off the course. And despite a hectic home life with a loving wife and four kids, he’s never once considered hanging up the sneakers. M&F sat down with the “Iron Dad” to find out where he gets his energy from, how he balances it all, and why being active is non-negotiable.
Tenacious Tierney’s journey is a testament to the indomitable human spirit. A former soccer player and downhill skier, he found his true calling in triathlons and made his Ironman debut in Kentucky in 2011. But life threatened to get in the way when his wife gave birth to quadruplets in 2012. It forced Tierney to put his Ironman dreams on hold. The Ironman consists of a 1.2-mile (1.9km) swim, 56-mile (90km) bike ride and a 13.1-mile (21.1km) run, and cannot be undertaken without due preparation.
Because of his dramatic change of lifestyle, those around him concluded that his triathlon days were likely over. But this dedicated dad had other ideas. In a twist of fate, he returned for the 2013 Ironman Kona Inspired program, earning a coveted entry to the Ironman World Championship mere months after his kids were born. Not only did he compete, and complete the race, but he also raised funds for the Elenore Rocks charity, proving that his heart is as big as his household. Since then, “The Quadfather” has been unstoppable. A three-time finisher of Ironman, Louisville, his story reminds us that with determination and passion, we can balance family responsibilities with our personal goals. Here, we put the pertinent questions to Nick Tierney:
As an athlete, what was life like before you had children? You must have had more time to train and recover?
Looking back, prior to having children I had all the time in the world to train but it never felt that way and in retrospect my training load was not that high compared to my volume today. Everyone’s life is busy, but you can always find time for what’s important to you. After children, I became much more efficient with my training, mostly by waking up earlier and going to bed very early when we put the kids to bed. When you need to, you can find a lot of time throughout the day to train that normally would be wasted through other pastimes like TV and social media.
I have done my training during commercial breaks, at the playground, and running stairs during work breaks. (Tierney is a registered nurse and anesthetist) I always try to stay active with the kids, too. I loved running with the push stroller, doing Tabata in the pool with them on my back, and bouncing them on the trampoline when they were little. Nowadays we enjoy 5Ks, hikes, and bike rides together!
Discovering that you were going to be the father of quads must have come as a surprise!?
We found out we were having quadruplets early on in our pregnancy. My wife had to have an early ultrasound. And the obstetrician sat down and explained what she saw on the picture. I was at work and my wife called, asking me to come home early for the day. She said it wasn’t an emergency, but I needed to come home right away. I was confused and worried all at the same time. When we sat down, she placed the ultrasound picture on the table. I saw the four babies and was so happy! We had been trying to get pregnant for a long time at that point, so I was very excited.
It must have been an awesome moment, but did you also wonder if your athletic pursuits would come to an end?
Not once. As a matter of fact, while my very supportive wife was on bed rest in the hospital, I did a local 100-mile team relay with a group of friends and ran the stairs when visiting the hospital! The only hiccup we had was that I was signed up for Ironman, Wisconsin. It was the same time that my children were due, so I had to pull out of that event. When the kids were almost one-year-old, we packed them in the van and traveled to New York City for the New York Triathlon.
Then, that October we also had the opportunity to travel to Kona with Ironman through the Ironman Foundation. Athletic events have been a consistent part of our lives and we have involved the kids as much as possible. I hope that by seeing us have an active life, it’ll point them in the right direction when they have to make their own decisions.
That’s so inspiring, although many people will wonder how you fit it all in!?
Balance in life is very important and I feel that we do a good job with that in our home. I made social sacrifices to train for my events just as most endurance athletes do. I don’t stay out late on Friday nights. And I get up at 4 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings for long workouts. No, I can’t go out and watch Monday night football games. And yes, I have missed important weddings and birthdays due to previously scheduled races but my immediate family at home comes first.
My wife and I do our best, dividing labor at home and at work so one of us is around to care of the kids. Conversely, I feel that missing a workout doesn’t affect my training load as long as I keep things pretty consistent. The past few years, I’ve done big blocks like January to May and August to November. It’s mostly for running event preparation. I reduce my volume in the lighter months to recover. These days, with the kids being 12, it’s easier to get good volume while school is in session!
My wife is very supportive of my athletic adventures and even participates with me. She was one of my pacers at the Burning River 100 trail race. We’ve run 5K marathons together. In Boston she raced the 5K, the day before the marathon, and I got to cheer her on. At Ironman, Texas, she volunteered at the finish line. She even put my medal on me when I crossed the finish line. That was awesome! She’s my biggest fan, a great wife, and a wonderful partner in all my adventures.
The Ironman itself is extremely taxing. How do you tackle the various stages?
Running is my strongest event and I enjoy it the most of the 3 disciplines. I’ve run Boston in 2022, 2024, and have even gone 100-miles at Burning River. Swimming is my weak spot and takes the most motivation for me to jump in the water. Part of it is finding time to get in the pool and in the winter. I really don’t like getting out of the water and then heading straight out to the cold air. Open water swimming in Ohio isn’t really a high point either! Maybe if lived someplace with better quality swimming areas, I’d be more inclined to jump in the lake for a dip. My savior is my Total Gym workout machine in the basement. I can mimic a swim stroke for 15-20 minutes and get a good dry-land workout in when I’m time-crunched and in need of some swim strength.
You made a very respectable time of 5 hours, 45 minutes and 51 seconds in Louisville this year. But I’m guessing competing isn’t about winning the race, but the process of training and completing it?
Being able to swim, mountain bike, and run around the yard with them while training all at the same time is something I never could imagine not doing. And, as a nurse anaesthetist, I find myself much sharper mentally and technically better with patient care after my morning workouts. I feel a good morning workout is something I’ll never stop doing. When Covid hit, pools closed, and race options were limited. That’s when I jumped into the Ultra races and went for the Burning River 100. So, I had not been in a pool since 2019. And 2024 was a humbling experience trying to regain swim fitness. My most resent Ironman result reflected my training and I’m hoping to get closer to 5 hours again next year.
Tell us more about the training process
I train in the morning, 6 days a week. I get up around 4:30-4:45am depending on my work schedule. On my days off and when the kids are in school or at camp, I’ll do a long session outside. Tuesdays and Thursdays are short, so I usually try to get in a swim workout on those days. Weekends; I get up early and get in a long run and bike. When it gets close to race time, 3-5 weeks out, I usually do two big training days to try and get my desired volume. That’s about 80% to 90% of each discipline’s distance. I do most of my riding and running in the basement in the dark. I’ll watch TV shows to pass the time. Swimming is done in the pool and I supplement with my aforementioned Total Gym bench machine.
What would you say to dads that say they don’t have the time to be active?
To dads that say they don’t have time – If it’s something you really want to do, you can make time for your own dreams and make them a reality. Everyone has a challenging story but along with the many excuses as to why you can’t do something, if you want it, do it! It may take some lifestyle changes and sacrifices but it’s so worth it. Nothing is better than working hard and sweating for a dream. The harder you work, the bigger the reward when you cross the finish. My finish at Burning River brought me to tears. Not many others knew what I had accomplished but the pride I had in myself will go with me to the grave!