Sophie Kirk - Triathlon Coaching

An extra special Medal Monday for Clemmie Knight Clemmie and Dan Durman Dan!

There’s not many people who can perform to such a high level at their first ever Ironman. A testament to the hardwork and dedication 💪🎉. Congratulations Clemmie, you are an Iron(wo)man!

And of course Dan who was along for the ride, training and supporting each other to get a PB too. Can I take some credit 🤣

There’s not many who can negative split their first Ironman marathon & almost get a marathon pb…

There’s not many who can say they enjoyed the whole thing….

There’s not many who can say they enjoyed every training session too 🥹✨

Two slots now available for 1:1 online triathlon coaching starting this month. If you are racing late season and struggling to balance work, training load and life - this is for you.

Or if you have a big scary goal coming up, start planning and setting the groundwork ahead of the game. It’s been extremely rewarding to watch 3 Tri Kirk Coaching athletes race at their first Ironmans this year. And excel!

Can Tri Kirk Coaching help you?

When I started coaching I wanted to bring a personal touch to what can be an overwhelming sport. There are so many moving parts when it comes to triathlon.
I’m here to make your life easier, cut out the unnecessary and calm your worries. That’s why I offer both online and in person sessions. That way you can choose what works best for you.

What do I offer?
•⁠ ⁠Personalised training plans
•⁠ ⁠Race & nutrition planning
•⁠ ⁠Unlimited advice and contact
All for £150/month (discount available for Ful-on Tri members)

ADD ON:
•⁠ ⁠1:1 in person coaching for swim, bike and run (London)

Interested? Dm me for a chat about how I might be able to help you.

One of the things I enjoy most about coaching is helping athletes fit training into real life, not the other way around.

Katie’s initial goals were to get back to enjoying training and not feel exhausted come race day or pack it all in! And the challenging bike course at Mallorca 70.3 meant the main focus was on a consistently strong run off the bike.

Like many age-group athletes, the biggest challenge wasn’t fitness, it was time.
Between a demanding job, frequent work travel, social commitments, and last-minute schedule changes, consistency could easily have fallen apart. Instead, we focused on flexibility, adapting the plan around life while keeping the key sessions in place.

The result was months of productive training and ‘green’ on training peaks without the stress of trying to force everything into limited days. Katie has made huge improvements in her run and now has confidence in being able to push and hold a pace for the duration of a race.

The final weeks pre race threw in one final challenge with illness disrupting the lead-in. Rather than panic, we adjusted training, trusted the work that had already been done, and focused on making the most of the extra rest.

Katies thoughts on race day:
“Swim was my first sea swim and I found the waves bigger than expected. My training definitely helped me stay calm and adapt my breathing pattern to stop me breathing in water each time!

Bike - I loved the climb and generally felt strong on the bike. The wind made the last section really tough and I could feel the final few weeks of illness maybe creeping in.

Run - I generally felt great. Knowing you believed I could do a sub 5 min/km really helped me to hold onto the pace when I was struggling. I felt really strong on the course and was overtaking people the whole way round.”

The feedback that meant the most?
“Believing in myself. Knowing you thought I could do a session made me able to do it and dig in even when I thought I couldn’t.”

Sometimes the biggest impact of coaching is helping someone trust themselves, stay consistent, and enjoy the training.

Excited to see what’s next.

Another Ironman conquered by a athlete! Ben successfully ticked off a bucket list race last weekend at Ironman Tours Metropole.

When Ben first came to be for coaching he was recovering from a shoulder injury so a careful build and maintaining rehab was key. So impressed with his calm and controlled swim to post a really solid swim time - even ahead of schedule! That smile says it all.

On the bike, the course was flat but the heat was relentless, sitting above 30°C. While plenty of athletes came flying past, the focus remained on riding his own race, resisting the temptation to chase and instead staying consistent, keeping something in reserve for the marathon ahead. Especially with the unknown of how the body would respond after such a long ride in those temperatures. The stunning countryside certainly helped make the miles pass, serving as a reminder of how fortunate we are to compete in places like this. In fact, it was described as the best bike course my athlete’s brother-in-law has experienced to date!

Nutrition was kept simple and effective:
✅ 750ml Precision Fuel carb/electrolyte drink per hour (60g carbs)
✅ Additional 30g carb PF chews or half a Maurten bar
✅ Targeting approximately 90g carbs per hour throughout the ride

Then came the run... and the heat really made itself known. The original pacing plan had to be adjusted, but that was the right call. Heart rate became the primary guide as discussed in advance as well as walking the aid stations to get enough water and nutrition in. Sometimes smart racing means adapting rather than forcing a target pace, and that’s exactly what happened here.

The only real challenge? The aid station toilets... let’s just say race organisers may want to review their toilet paper strategy! 😅

The final 10km were incredibly tough, as they should be in an Ironman. But this was a race built on patience, smart decisions, and adapting to the conditions. And a real testament to our work on balancing work, family life and training! Proud of you Ben!

A strong start for Ben!

I don’t always say what you want to hear, but great commitment from Ben to get the bike sessions done in any way he could. Even if

Pretty big weekend incoming for athletes this weekend!

Clemmie & Denis and our honorary Dan racing at Ironman Austria 🇦🇹

+ Ben racing at Ironman Tours Metropole 🇫🇷

Really excited to watch them tear up the course! The work is done and now it’s time to celebrate.

That means it’s taper & carb loading time. More rest, less stress and lots of simple carbs 💁‍♀️

Can’t wait to be glued to the tracker all weekend 🤩

A little belief goes a long way…

I knew she could do it, and so she did 😉 Amalie absolutely smashing the short course racing right now. From zero triathlons to can’t get enough 💪

Predicting 4.18 pace and then ran a 4.17 with extremely consistent pacing. Just as predicted. A little belief and a little push goes a long way.

Great efffort at FoT club champs this weekend to win age group and 3rd in club too 🤗 Next up Olympic distances and maybe a 5k pb on the horizon 💃

Looking for confidence or technique ahead of your first triathlon?

Swim coaching for triathletes - June/July booking’s now open.

You can choose 1:1 sessions or bring a friend (2:1) for triathlon focused swim coaching. Open to new and existing clients. If you are new to the sport or looking for swim improvements this is for you!!

Get feedback on your technique, triathlon specific advice and drills to help you improve.

📅 Weekdays 6:30am to 11:00am at Nuffield Health Fulham, London.
Weekends from 5.30pm.
1:1 £80 per hour // 2:1 £45 per hour pp.
Private Lane hire.

DM for more info and to get booked in!

Medal Monday for who raced this weekend at Kernoman Aquabike!

First race over this distance and don’t let the sunny skies fool you! The water was cold and the bike was rolling. But she got her confidence up and smashed round the country lanes in Cornwall.

Jo even made an appearance the next day training at the lake!

A well deserved easy week and an even more well deserved medal! Now for the next challenge ➡️ moving country. This gal keeps me on my toes 😉

A delayed Medal Monday to celebrate Katie & Ian at Ironman 70.3 Mallorca!

It’s been a pleasure to coach them both in the build up to this event last weekend. Different goals but no less impressive!

Ian who I previously met on the island 10 years ago (!!) came to me for a plan to achieve the distance following some back injuries. Enjoy training around family life (which meant no training on the weekends!) and create a resilient plan to get a solid result. Ian more than achieved that, with a super solid swim, bike and run. And some of the most even run splits I have ever seen! Congrats Ian!

part of the club we love has already tackled the full Ironman with much success so this was about getting some more speed in over a shorter distance. Consistent training is her superpower!! She’s a lady who loves a plan that’s for sure. It’s been really fun getting to know her through the last few months, and learning about Grant’s job to get the turbo trainer kept in order 👀.

Katie produced a super solid performance as well in the winds of Mallorca with conditions not as expected. And held on for a run performance she could smile about!

Good luck with the wedding now, and maybe another Ironman next year 😉

Amalie’s first triathlon 💪❤️

A smart decision to enter a local race and get the feel for all things triathlon ahead of her 70.3 this year.

No stranger to the race course (or river!) and long time endurance training for marathons and cycling for fun too. So it was just about going through the technical aspects of transitions and putting all three sports together.

We love for this! The clues in the name 😉.

In just a short time we have learnt together the balancing act of holidays, learning to love the plan and great communication. We don’t work through we work with and around life, illness and more. Because that’s what real life is all about.

Congrats on the podium Amalie!!! Let’s go do an Ironman 70.3 🎉