CKTriathlon

Huge congrats to Bylinda on her 3rd place AG finish at the Cam Run 5K! 🏃‍♀️🥉

She ran with her kids and husband and they even made their own family race T-shirts! I already know who’s in charge of CK TRI apparel next season!

After a focused marathon build and successful San Francisco Marathon, Bylinda jumped headfirst into triathlon training, stepping way outside her comfort zone. It’s been so much fun watching her show up, try new things, and turn racing into a family adventure while inspiring her family and friends along the way.

And then there’s the handwritten postcard she sent me from San Francisco. It truly touched my soul. In a world of texts and emails, those old-fashioned ways of connecting are still pretty darn precious. ❤️

So proud of you, Bylinda! Keep showing up, keep having fun, and keep inspiring those around you!

FROM MARATHONER TO TRIATHLON PODIUM!

Huge congrats to Wendy on her 3rd-place finish at the Buster Britton Triathlon - her second triathlon ever!

This marathoner-turned-triathlete put in the work, came to the start line with more confidence and experience, and delivered a seriously strong performance.

I love seeing my run-only athletes reach a goal and immediately start looking for the next challenge. Why stop at one sport when you can do three? And now Wendy is already looking for another triathlon with her CK TRI teammates. That’s the spirit I love about this team!

Never limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.

Nationals 2026 - one I’ll remember for a long time.

I came into Nationals not really knowing what to expect. Training hasn’t been where I wanted it to be, and life has been…complicated. But having my CK TRI athletes Lisa and Austin there gave me an extra dose of motivation, and somehow, I found my mojo again.

5th place in the Olympic Distance.
4th place in the Sprint. And another year qualifying for Age Group Team USA.

But honestly, the results were only part of it. What I loved most was getting to turn my brain off and just race. No legal battles. No endless decisions. No things outside of my control. Just me, my bike, my run, my choices, and the freedom to push myself as hard as I wanted. There was something incredibly therapeutic about that.

Having Lisa and Austin there made it even more special, and I’m so grateful to share this sport with my athletes.

Having Chris by my side made the weekend even better. The support, the splits, the bike care, the race-day nerves, and listening to all my endless race recaps - it means more than I can put into words.

Sometimes you don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need to find your way back to the things that make you feel like yourself.

For me, this weekend, that was racing.

Another Nationals in the books. Another Team USA qualification. Grateful for this sport, my CK TRI team, and all the messages from my athletes cheering me on. ❤️

NATIONALS DEBUT COMPLETE! 🇺🇸

Huge congratulations to Austin on racing his first National Championship at USA Triathlon Nationals in Milwaukee!

His age group is seriously competitive, and racing on this kind of stage is a completely different experience. You can win local races and feel great about it but Nationals will quickly show you just how deep and fast the field can be. That’s exactly why racing at this level is so valuable.

Austin had a solid swim in the middle of a full-on washing machine mass start 🏊‍♂️, dealt with some mechanical issues on the bike, and handled the day like a pro. He took the lessons, kept his head in the game, and walked away hungry for more.

And selfishly, one of my favorite parts of the weekend was getting to watch him swim, catch him coming into T1 and T2, and share the excitement of Nationals. Coaching is pretty awesome when you get to be there for the big moments!

Something tells me this won’t be Austin’s last time racing on this stage. 👊

8.2 MILES AROUND MACKINAC ISLAND. 🌊🏊‍♀️

Congratulations to Lee on completing the Mackinac Island Swim!

Yesterday’s conditions were rough, making this accomplishment even more impressive. The amount of work required to successfully swim 8.2 miles in open water is incredible. The training alone is one thing but then there’s pacing, endurance, logistics, and figuring out how to take in nutrition while you’re literally swimming for hours.

And of course, Lee keeps setting bigger and bigger goals. Why swim 2.4 miles for an Ironman when you can swim 8.2? 😂

She conquered Ironman New Zealand this year, is heading to Kona next year, and we have another secret goal later this year that we’re quietly working toward…

This woman is a superhero. 💪

So incredibly proud of you, Lee. Keep dreaming bigger and making these crazy goals a reality!

WHAT A WAY TO FINISH THE SEASON! 🥈

Huge congratulations to Jacque on a 2nd place finish at the Wisconsin Women’s Triathlon!

This season has been such an incredible journey, especially watching her open water breakthrough. She drove to Crystal Lake for open water opportunities, put in the work, faced the anxiety, and kept showing up.

And at her final race of the season, she had the best open water swim of her life!!! In her own words: “About half way through, the water just moved out of my way - smooth strokes, full stroke to my hip, and I felt the speed.” ❤️

She set out this season to leave it all on the course, fix swim, and have fun. She absolutely did that and finished the season with another podium! 🥈

So proud of you, Jacque. What a season - love being part of your journey!

FROM NATIONALS TO AGE GROUP TEAM USA! 🇺🇸

Huge congratulations to Lisa on an incredible draft legal Sprint at USA Triathlon Nationals in Milwaukee!

Solid, composed swim. A great draft-legal bike rehearsal for World Championships in Spain next month. And then she absolutely nailed the run - a blazing-fast 5K and an all-out sprint to the finish that nearly left me without a voice from cheering! 📣

And the big news… Lisa qualified for Team USA for 2027! 🇺🇸

So proud of her. Life threw some crazy curveballs her way, but she stayed consistent, adapted, adjusted, communicated, and kept showing up.

Next stop: Spain!

🥈JACQUE IS A PODIUM FINISHER!🥈

This season Jacque made one goal a priority: becoming a stronger, more confident open water swimmer. She put in the work, showed up for every OWS opportunity and it paid off! Despite the chaos around the turn buoys, she stayed calm, composed, and in control. She exited the water 3 minutes faster than she did at this race last year. She followed it up with a strong bike and her signature stellar run to earn 2nd place in an incredibly competitive field at Naperville Sprint Triathlon.

What makes me the proudest is watching an athlete face her biggest challenge head-on and make incredible progress. OWS is still a work in progress, but the confidence, composure, and control she showed out there are a testament to months of consistent, purposeful training.

Jacque, I am soooo proud of you! You earned every second of this performance. That podium was well deserved, and that smile says it all!🧡

🥉MARISSA IS A PODIUM FINISHER!🥉

This race has a story. When Marissa and I started working together, she couldn't run. Every step was a challenge, so our first goal wasn't speed - it was getting her back to running pain-free.

We teamed up with her physical therapist, built a plan that respected her body's limits at the time, and progressed her training without overloading her. That collaboration and Marissa's consistent work made all the difference.

Fast forward to this weekend...A strong, confident swim. A powerful bike. A smart run strategy that kept her moving pain-free. And a 3rd place age group finish at the Olympic-distance triathlon at Graniteman Big Lake in Minnesota.

As a coach, my goal isn't just to help athletes race faster. It's to keep them healthy to keep chasing bigger dreams. Injury prevention, smart progression and working as a team with other professionals isn't a bonus - it's part of the process.

The podium is awesome, but the biggest win is that Marissa is healthy, confident, and still building toward an even bigger goal: her 70.3.

Marissa, I am so incredibly proud of you! This is proof that patience, teamwork, and trusting the process pay off. The best is still ahead! 🧡

BYLINDA CONQUERED THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON! 🏅❤️

What a journey this has been! Bylinda started running in 2025 and quickly fell in love with racing, eventually choosing San Francisco Marathon as her A-race. This course is not for the faint of heart!

She worked SO hard for this. Double-run days, Chattanooga heat, hills, treadmill elevation… and through it all, she trusted the process and trusted me when we needed to adjust the plan.

And it paid off. She didn’t just finish, she felt STRONG all the way through. Her pace stayed steady late in the race and she had the best time doing it -beating her goal time by 13 minutes!

She even sent me a picture of herself SMILING at mile 20! This race lets you leave encouragement for runners at each mile and of course I picked mile 20 for her. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled at mile 20 in any of my races! 😂

This was a team effort and I am so grateful I got to be part of her journey. And what an incredible support crew she has! Her husband James ran the half. And her husband and kids have supported her every step of the way even joining her for long runs.

Bylinda, I am SO proud of you! You worked hard, trusted the process and showed just how strong you are. What an amazing accomplishment that very few people get to experience in their lifetime!

San Francisco Marathon - DONE! And we already have the next goal to chase! 🎉