~realize your potential~
One month prior to my Ironman race in Louisville, I contacted Kellie for some tweak sessions. I had only learned to swim 2 years ago and knew I hadn't perfected my technique based on my slow times. Kellie was like no other Coach - she greeted each session with energy. She was organized and prompt for each session. Kellie always jumped in the water with me. She watched me underwater, watched me above water, followed behind me, and even met me at Stoney for some open water fun! Kellie, being a seasoned triathlete, knew I need some quick feedback before my race. In fact, she told me things nobody else had, and also, she gave me drills and designed work-outs for me that were specific to my weaknesses rather than overwhelming me with every drill/work-out she could think of. She showed a genuine interest in me and my racing by following up with me on my time trials and races. If I hadn't met Kellie, I would not have shaved 22 minutes off my swim time from one year ago and qualified for Kona at Louisville. Thanks Coach Kell!
Corey:
Very Simply she gets the results out of me! I started in triathlon just a year ago, and did my first Tri, a Half Iron distance, May 2009. That race brought the realization, I could push all I wanted but with out direction it would get me nowhere. Kellie coached me to a 38 minute PR in my next Half Iron Tri, despite losing close to a month of run training, due to a fall. This also included a huge increase in my bike MPH. Coach Kell realized that I always went out too fast the first half of any run, so with her constant attention and training plans it became second nature to start slower and have some gas left in the tank. I'm now off to Boston after my first attempt to qualify after running a 3:09.09 in the Detroit Marathon. She is always there when I need an answer regarding pace, nutrition and scheduling. She has squeezed some nice results from me and we haven't begun see where I will end up.
Carol:
I decided last March, in a moment of insanity, that I wanted to do a triathlon before my 50th birthday. I had been running 5k's, some leisure biking, but I had not swam a length of a pool in 30 years. For some crazy reason I thought I could do a tri. When I told Kellie of my plan, she not only encouraged me to start training, she lent me her road bike, and came to my first several swims. After the first lap in the pool, I was gasping like an asthma patient. She was kind and patient and reassured me that I could do it. Her one on one instruction was worth every penny. She organized a mock duathlon in April so us newbies would get a taste of what the "multi-sport" felt like. I am thrilled to say that I completed my triathlon in August with a huge smile on my face. It was such a great feeling of accomplishment and I couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, have done it without the encouragement and coaching from Kellie.
Sandy:
I have known Kellie as a fellow club member since we were both fledgling triathletes. Through hard work and dogged determination I watched her transform herself into a accomplished sprint distance athlete as well as an accomplished endurance athlete completing Ironman Lake Placid in 2008. When Kellie decided to turn her talents to coaching I was one of the first to sign up. I admired her strength, her calmness and her enthusiasm for our sport. After inefficiently training for several years on my own I was ready for a change. Within nine months Kellie had taken my sloppy half hearted swimming technique and honed it into a polished efficient freestyle. After four and a half years my running times have finally improved in response to her introduction of speed work tempo runs and various other combinations. Kellie does not turn you into the athlete she is, but more importantly into the athlete you hope to become. I started triathlon at 48 years old with no athletic background and at 54 I hope to work with her into my next decade.
Greg:
After several years of either battling injuries, burn out, or frustration I hired Kellie to help me realize my athletic goals. Prior to being coached by Kellie I was self taught runner/triathlete. I have had my share of success but nothing lasting, and over the recent years I have had more down moments than up. I expressed to Kellie some goals I had, and Kellie has helped me make significant progress - I had my best race open road race (Detroit Half Marathon) in years under her coaching. Just as important, for me, I feel mentally and physically fresh and am ready to charge onward, when before I would waste my gains or be hurt - ha, she keeps me in check!
Having a coach takes the thinking/stress out of the equation for me - I simply "follow orders" and give feedback. Which brings up another important point, Kellie is extremely accessible. At no time do I feel confused about my work outs, direction or how I'm doing. She promptly responds emails, texts, etc. I actually sought out Kellie partially for this - many bigger coaching services are less hands on, Kellie is NOT, with her you get a personal, friendly touch.
