McKirdy Trained

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McKirdy Trained

McKirdy Trained prides itself on developing and transforming athletes of all abilities.

The baby of 5 and growing up in a small town, I followed in my family's footsteps and became an athlete. I had the pleasure of being coached by one of the finest in the country then coaching along side him, Arleigh Duff, and he instilled a passion for the sport that continues to grow to this day. I've had the pleasure of learning and developing my skills as a coach and trainer with some of the very best the industry has to offer. Being influenced by these amazing coaches and athletes across New England and the country. With my 20+ years experience as an athlete and 13+ years experience as a coach, I have what it takes to provide you with the very best strategies to reaching your potential and goals as a runner and athlete. My clients learn what it takes to become the athlete they want to be and how to live a strong and healthy life.

09/13/2026

Today is Heather McKirdy ‘s birthday.

I love you, wife… and through all that life has brought us… all of the wonderful moments and the challenging moments… here we stand together. You are strong and loving and even when I drive you mad… you show me love and grace - far more than I deserve.

Happy 42nd my love. We have built a beautiful family together and our Wolfpack loves you dearly!

09/02/2026

It had been 18 months since last ran a marathon. We spent a lot of time training and racing other distances, anywhere from 3km cross country events to half marathons.

But the marathon bug always comes back to us and at 51, Adele had a mission to win the Longford Marathon - a plan we set into place in February earlier this year.

We trained over hills and through the rain. We trained through the wind and the hot summer days. We prepared as well as we could to as strong as possible... and I couldn't have asked for a better segment.

Adele finished the race in an astonishing 2:56:15! A time nearly equal to what she ran 18 months prior (2:56:09). She navigated the rolling hills and demonstrated the perfect combination of patience and risk management.

Here's a fun fact: Adele debuted in this marathon in 2002. Her time was 4:01:30 back then!

Well done Adele!!

08/30/2026

Oh, we had a day out in Sydney!

Words are hard to describe what we experienced watching earn his second medal at the . We are proud and humbled by his dedication and pursuit of self improvement.

The day prior… a fairly strong fever struck. We opted to take the day and rest. Tea. Honey. Lozenges to manage. We weren’t sure what to expect… but we did have two words we worked on all week:

I am.

Powerful words that can overcome physical challenges and self doubts.

I am.

When, even 15 minutes into the race you didn’t feel “right.”

I am.

When you take that final turn to the finish and you have to out kick the defending World Champion to earn the medal you trained your whole life for.

2:04:57 and a lifetime of memories and reflections of “I am.”

Thank you all for the outpouring of support and encouragement. We are so thankful.

Now we rest.

08/21/2026

We’re headed back to the TCS New York City Marathon!

Julia Paternain looks to make a wave at this year’s race. This will be her 4th marathon but her first effort at the NYC event. Meanwhile, Kamohelo Mofolo will be celebrating his 21st birthday with a jaunt around the city in what will be his second marathon!

We have Coach Daniel Montgomery running his 24th straight NYC marathon - and a host of athletes aiming to find their best on Nov 1st.

Keep your eyes pealed for the McKirdy Shakeout announcements for this race and for the rest of 2026! Will we see you in New York?

07/31/2026

NATIONAL RECORD ALERT!

Not having experience on the track didn’t stop Kamohelo from running his own race at the Commonwealth Games earlier this week.

His focus and determination put him at the front of the field early on and when others wanted to slow the race down, he forged ahead with a mission to run as fast as he could given the conditions.

His time of 28:01 earned 9th place overall in his first international track event!

Next up is the 5000m final on Saturday night where he will test a new field of athletes with a long history of track experience and tactics. Wish the young 20 year old some luck!

07/01/2026

Yep… I’m looking at you!

Let’s have a serious chat on your recovery pace… because frankly, “I’m not sure it means what you think it means” (another Princess Bride quote…)

One of the aspects of fitness we look at in your training is your recovery pace. How you manage recovery pace can tell us so much about how you felt in the session.

Running marathon effort and you can manage 45-60s per mile slower than “marathon pace” and still taking nutrition? FANTASTIC! That’s a good sign you’re where you want to be.

Finding that you need to slow down 75s per mile (or slower) just so you can say you hit marathon pace? Well either the weather is getting to you, you’re sick, or maybe you just aren’t as fit as you thought. Either way you slice it, we gotta make some adjustments.

Maybe you can handle 10 x 3 min at “5km pace” with a 90s quick jog… Well I have news for you, I bet you are likely MUCH FASTER than you think!

We all want to see the paces look good… but it’s the relationship of the effort and the recovery that truly show us where your fitness is.

When you are just paying attention to the flashy splits, that can blind you to what’s really happening. Focus on the right targets.

06/30/2026

The results are not guaranteed, they are earned.

Since 2001, I’ve been coaching in some way or another. From volunteering at my high school to where we are today the past 25 years of my life has been dedicated to helping athletes find the very best of themselves.

There’s been wonderful highlights and hard lows to go with those years, but of the many things I have learned in 2.5 decades of coaching is that the success you want isn’t guaranteed.

Rather, it IS found at the end of trying.

If you aren’t willing to risk a little bit of failure, then you’re probably not going to achieve anything close to your potential. I don’t care what age you are… I truly believe this.

I’m not saying that you need to be dangerous in your risk. I believe in focused training with a developmental mindset. But don’t you dare for a second think that just because you hit your paces in sessions that it’s gonna come easy to you on race day.

06/26/2026

If you’ve run a marathon then chances are you know exactly what this feels like.

In one glorious moment you’re crossing the finishing line in pure joy. You crushed 26.2 miles and your legs carried you to places you never thought possible.

A day later you need handrails just to sit on a toilet. People are looking at you in the grocery store with pity in their eyes. You’re late for your flight and there is no way on God’s green earth you’re making it the 200 meter jog before the doors shut and you’re stranded.

You’ve earned the right for those middle of the night cramps that creep into your dreams and wake you up in a feverish nightmare. The sound emanating out of you is something not quite a scream but not quite a moan either. It sits in the back of your throat but somehow the noise you are making is coming out of your nose.

It’s worth it. It always has been and always will be.

As Westley from the “Princess Bride” most famously said … “To the pain!”

Here’s to the pain… I mean the marathon. And to all those who’ve turned 102 years old in a blink of an eye.

06/21/2026

Breaking tape is incredibly special - no matter the level of athlete you are.

Breaking tape in a marathon? Well… that’s a notch above.

Amanuel Mesel has been running marathons since 2013. He’s a two time Olympian (2012 and 2016) from the 5000m and the marathon distances and even with all of his accolades, he never won a marathon - that is, until yesterday!

Grandma's Marathon has been gathering some amazing athletes over the years and the task to race this year’s field was a tall order. Veterans and newbies alike all wanted to take top honors and the race was competitive and bunched through the 15 mile mark.

Our mission was simple - run smooth and never skip fueling. We didn’t want to play into the typical “fartlek games” top runners can get themselves into and we wanted to make sure he took as much of the prepared fuel as possible.

As the chaos unfolded… the surges, the pullbacks… Amanuel looked like an accordion - but that’s only because he was running smooth and steady when everyone else around him seemed to be testing their speed.

At 25km, with fresh legs and a sharp mind, he took the lead and never looked back.

Through humid air and fighting a headwind the entire way, Amanuel was the only elite male in the top 25 to negative split. It might actually be the first time in his career he negative split a marathon - but that we don’t know for sure.

But one thing is for certain, it was his first marathon victory. After 13 years of marathoning he finally had the honor of breaking the tape. His time of 2:11:21 was 90s ahead of second place and famed Grandma’s Champion, Elisha Barno.

Even great athletes don’t get these moments often, sometimes ever… so it feels wonderful to see it come to such a hard working and honest man.

Congrats Amanuel! We hope you can keep this memory for the rest of your life!

05/24/2026

Congratulations to Kamohelo Mofolo on his debut marathon at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2026.

At 20yrs, Kamohelo finished 11th place in an astounding 2:08:50! With his efforts he is now the second fastest marathoner in Lesotho history! This is a wonderful step forward as we continue to see develop towards the 2028 LA Olympic Games.

His teammate and countryman, Tukiso Motlomelo also set a personal best of 2:16:30.

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Flagstaff, AZ
86001

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http://www.mckirdytrained.com/

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