Learn a little bit about me and the best sport in the universe: Triathlon
About the Author
Courtney K.
I was born in Jacksonville, FL on January 13, 1981. I’m definitely a ‘90s kid. I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, with a younger sister (3 years) and two parents in a sports-enthusiast household.
I lived in NYC for nine years after college then returned to the Midwest, currently in Michigan.
My husband is an cyclist, and our daughter is catching onto our sports energy, whether participant or fan. And I also rescue animals — a passion of mine since 2005.
I have always liked writing but haven’t always had the patience and time to pursue it. I like to think that the older I get, the more I should write.
Sports History
I was a competitive swimmer from age 8 then got burned out by age 14 and wanted to do team sports, so I played field hockey in high school and was fortunate enough to play in college (Brown University, ‘04).
My dad got me into cross country in elementary school, and I have always loved running. I’ve done a few marathons, but I prefer multi-sport races. My parents always encouraged me to pursue athletics, and I do have natural talent (thanks, parents!), so sports success became an expectation early in life and not much has changed with that!
Triathlon
Because I was a competitive swimmer from a young age, I naturally gravitated to triathlon, doing the local kids version of the Sylvania Triathlon most years then sporadically in college and early adulthood.
I took a 10 year break from triathlon, until I moved back to the Midwest in Fall 2013, after 9 years living in New York City, and in Spring 2014 moved to Michigan and joined a Triathlon Club.
My preferred distance is the half Ironman or 70.3. I’ve never done a full Ironman but hope to in the coming years, availability dependent.
Training & Coaching
I have worked with two different coaches, a local who sadly passed away and Mark Allen. In 2026, I’ll start working with Trevor Foley, a young Ironman professional who also coaches.
I generally believe that if I work hard, I can have race success, but I think that training for long distance triathlons is very complicated when set in the context of life. I will likely expand on my philosophies on training successes and failures in a later article, hopefully mixed in with the thoughts from other athletes and coaches.
Race Resume / PRs
70.3: 4:42:44 (2025)
Marathon: 3:16:02 | 7:29 / mi avg (2019)
Half Marathon: 1:29:24 | 6:47 / mi avg (2025)
10K: 40:17 | 6:24 / mi avg (2025)
5K: 19:26 | 6:20 / mi avg (2025)
