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Phaedra K | Triathlon Coach for Midlife Women

@coach.p.k

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🏃🏻‍♀️Helping women unlock their best run off the bike since 2016
🔜Your First 70.3 Online Group Program: Fall 2026
🔗Camps, Coaching + other good stuff.

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Looks like there are a LOT of new faces around here lately, so I figured it was probably time to reintroduce myself. 👋🏼

The funny thing about putting almost 30 years of your athletic life into a handful of slides is realizing just how much sport has shaped who you are.

I started running because I wanted to lose weight. I had no idea it would eventually change my career, introduce me to some of my closest friends (and my spouse), take me all over the world, and teach me that I was capable of doing some bloody hard things.

And I’m still finding that out.

At 55, I’m still training (when my body allows me to), still setting goals (although they look a little different now), still learning what my body needs (definitely a work in progress), still screwing things up occasionally, and still ridiculously excited about helping other people discover what they’re capable of too.

So that’s how I got here.

Now I want to know who’s hanging out here.

What sport do you do, and why did you start? by @coach.p.k

When I did my first half-Ironman in 2005, I had to figure it out entirely by trial and error. I didn’t have a coach who understood female physiology, or who I felt comfortable talking to about women’s specific issues. I didn’t have a group of women to ride with on the weekends. I just had a massive goal, a lot of nerve, and a lot of unanswered questions about how to survive a 6-hour race.

Twenty-plus years later, my mission as a coach is to make sure no woman has to transition to long-course racing in isolation. I want to see MORE women on 70.3 start lines with the support that I never had.

That’s why I created Your First 70.3. It’s a hybrid program engineered to get more women on the start line while providing them with a science backed training program, coaching support and a kick ass community of likeminded women all training for the same thing. A plan will get you fit but a community will help keep that fire lit.

You don’t need to guess your way through your first 70.3. I built the program I needed 20 years ago so that you can step up to the line with absolute certainty.

If you’re thinking about tackling a 70.3 in 2027, the waitlist is officially open.
Head to the link in my bio or comment SQUAD below. by @coach.p.k

Are you new here and curious about what I offer as a coach? Here are SIX ways to work with me in 2026.

1️⃣ I offer 1:1 online coaching for both endurance training (running + triathlon) and strength programming. Head to www.pkperformancecoaching.com for more info.

2️⃣ Training camps. These are one of my FAVOURITE things to do. This year you can join me and @healtoronto in THREE different places. Our Girona camp in April (18-25) - we have opened up two more spots for that. Our Ottawa Recon camp May 29-31 and our Tremblant Camp June 5-7.

3️⃣ I also do group coaching with the Toronto Triathlon Club. In the winter I lead a 12 week virtual mobility program and in the summer you can find me leading the occasional group ride and running track workouts in the west end of the city.

4️⃣ 1:1 coaching not in your budget? I also offer custom coaching plans that are tailored specifically for you and your schedule.

5️⃣ Small Group Workshops. @healtoronto and have run several great couple small group sessions over the last few years, our most popular one being our Peak Performance Clinic, geared towards peri and postmenopausal endurance athletes. We may run that again in the fall, along with another general endurance strength + nutrition program. Keep your eyes peeled as we’ll announce things here and via our mailing lists.

6️⃣Coming in the fall of this year: Small Group training. This will be a race specific group program geared towards triathletes that are looking to step up to the 70.3 distance in 2027. If this is something you’re thinking about, get on my mailing list to be notified when it launches. Link is in my b1o.

If you’re interested in chatting with me about any of these options, my DM’s are always open!

P.S. I currently have 1 spot open on my 1:1 roster so if you’re looking to level up your performance this year - shoot me note!

#pkperformancecoaching #pkpccrew by @coach.p.k

I’ve been working with Sue for a couple of years now and one of the things I admire most about her is her positive attitude. Even when training or racing doesn’t go quite the way she’d hoped, she always seems to find a way to look on the bright side and keep moving forward. She’s also a fellow West Ender and, as it turns out, lives not far from me! She found her way to me through someone I used to swim with years ago. Just goes to show how small and connected the endurance community really is.

📆How long have you been working with Coach PK?

I’ve been working with Phaedra for coming on two years.

🧠What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned from training with a coach, and specifically from working with PK?

I’ve learned to believe in myself. When I started I was always “rush rush rush”. Now I’ve learned to slow down and listen to my body. I’ve been injury free and feel stronger over all. PK has shown me that I am stronger than I think and can just enjoy the process. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone, just enjoy!

🏁How did you first get started in endurance sports?

Around twelve years ago I started running, then heard about triathlons and thought “hey that sounds like fun”. I enjoy the variation of training for the three sports, I feel such a sense of accomplishment.

🏆What’s been your proudest racing achievement to date?

My first Olympic distance tri was pretty awesome. As I finished each leg I remember thinking “this is so cool”!

🔮What are your future racing goals?

In the spring I’m running the London Marathon, my fourth marathon.

⁉️What’s one fun fact about you that people might not know?

I love doing puzzles, the sense of accomplishment of completing the challenge is the best!! by @coach.p.k

October, you’ve been pretty darn good to me. 🍂

First off, can we talk about this fall weather? It’s been absolutely spectacular here in Toronto. The colours, the sunshine, the temperatures. I can’t remember the last time we had a fall this beautiful and I’ve been trying to soak up as much of it as possible.

Things have been a little quieter on the coaching front, which, as it turns out, was exactly what I needed. I feel like I’ve been going at full tilt for most of this year, and having a bit of breathing room has been really nice. I’m not always great at slowing down, but I think I needed this more than I realized.

I also decided to do something just for ME this month and if you’ve been following along in my stories you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Dealing with this shoulder nonsense for the better part of eight months has taken a toll on me, both physically and mentally. I haven’t been feeling entirely like myself, so I decided to start getting dressed up for work again. Yes, even though my commute is approximately 10 steps to my home office.

I’ve always loved fashion, but somewhere along the way, after I started working from home, that part of me got pushed aside. I’ve been sharing my outfits in my stories, and I honestly can’t tell you how much joy I’ve gotten from putting together a good outfit each morning. It’s such a small thing, but it’s helped me reconnect with a part of myself I’d forgotten how much I missed.

And on the training front, some good news! I’ve finally been cleared to start lifting weights again and doing what I can within the limitations of my shoulder (which is slowly starting to improve)

I’m basically starting from scratch, and I won’t pretend that doesn’t make me a little sad. It’s hard to go from being strong and capable to feeling like a complete beginner again. But there’s also something kind of exciting about it. I know that if I keep showing up and doing the work, I’ll start to see progress fairly quickly.

So here’s to another month of gains in the gym and outfits of the day. by @coach.p.k

Fall racing season is almost coming to an end. I can’t believe that we are heading into NOVEMBER already.

Some of the Crew will be wrapping up their race seasons this weekend.

Stephanie @stephgrace77 is racing the Hamilton 10 km tomorrow just because she can. The goal: just go out and have fun!

Jodi @jodibonham Sarah @sjsnaps and her hubby Michael are all toeing the line in the Big Apple this weekend. Sarah has run NYC before but this will be Jodi’s first time (and it’s also her bucket list race). It will also be Michael’s first NYC AND his first marathon - so a lot of firsts this weekend!

I’ve got them loaded into my tracker and I’ll be following along Sunday morning.

GO GET IT CREW! by @coach.p.k

Testing puts numbers to feelings. After seven months of dealing with frozen shoulder, I knew my body felt different. But feeling weaker and knowing what’s changed are two different things.

Working with Carol, Harrison Healthcare’s exercise physiologist, gave me a baseline for force production, balance, grip strength and shoulder mobility. Some results were reassuring. Others surprised me. All gave me something more concrete to work with.

When you’ve spent months adjusting how you move and what you can do, it can be hard to judge where things stand. My right side felt so much weaker, yet my grip was still stronger on that side. My lower body could still produce plenty of force. Having those numbers helped me see beyond the frustration with my shoulder and better understand what my body could do.
That matters to me as an athlete, but also as a 55-year-old who wants to keep being active for decades to come. Strength, balance and mobility matter when I’m training, and they matter when I’m carrying groceries, hauling a suitcase or getting out to explore somewhere new. I want to understand what needs attention now and have a baseline to compare against as I work on it.

I also appreciated that Carol took the time to understand my training, my goals and what I wanted from the session. Within Harrison’s Premier program, she’s one of several professionals who collaborate with family physicians to support proactive primary care. Her assessment contributes another piece to the team’s understanding of the person they’re caring for, helping connect physical function with overall health and ongoing care.

That’s what makes the testing valuable to me. The numbers give us something to act on, discuss and revisit.

I left with a clearer picture of what my body can do right now and information I can bring to my sports medicine doctor to help guide my rehab and training. After months of frustration around my shoulder, having a starting point I can measure progress against feels pretty good.

For more info or to schedule an appointment click on this link:
Https://harrisonhealthcare.ca/upgradewithphaedra

#bodycomposition
#performancetesting
#over50health
# by @coach.p.k

Amy’s race results are incredible, but one of the things I love most about her story is how much she’s learned about herself along the way. She truly is a student of the sport.

When we started working together, she didn’t know much about fueling. She remembers bonking on her first group ride with just one bottle of water. Now she pays close attention to her fueling and hydration and knows how to prepare for the demands of training and racing. She’s got it down to a science.

She’s also learned how to use effort to pace herself: when to push, when to back off and when her body needs more rest. That awareness has taken time to develop, and it’s something we continue to pay attention to as her training and recovery needs change.

And then there are the experiences along the way. Amy has taken on challenges she once might not have imagined, from the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon to climbing in the French Alps on her tri bike. I will say after 8 years of working together, she’s game for pretty much any kind of challenge.

She’s also found friendships and a community through the sport. As she put it, she’s found her people. ❤️ I consider myself lucky to be a part of that group. If it wasn’t for this sport, we may not ever have met, even though we live in the same neighborhood!

Amy, thank you for trusting me with your training and for sharing your story. I can’t wait to see what you take on next. by @coach.p.k

My first Dexa scan, a chance to try some interesting testing equipment, and a space where I could have happily settled in with a coffee and a book. That was a pretty good introduction to @harrisonhealthcarecanada

At 55 and six years postmenopause, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to look after my health for the long haul. I want to keep running, riding, travelling and doing the things I love for years to come. Understanding where my health stands now is part of that.

Bone health has been particularly on my mind. Menopause accelerates bone loss, and with my shoulder limiting how much strength training I’ve been able to do, I wanted a clearer picture of where things stood. A Dexa scan measures bone mineral density and can help identify low bone mass or osteoporosis. Alongside my medical history and other risk factors, it helps inform conversations about protecting my bones.

For me, this was an opportunity to get some actual information rather than keep wondering. Nadiya walked me through the scan, and we reviewed my results straight afterwards. Having the time to ask questions and understand what those results meant was something I really appreciated.

That carried through the rest of my visit, too when I met with Carol, their exercise physiologist. We talked about my training, my shoulder and what mattered to me. Those conversations matter when you’re looking at your overall health and how you want to live.

Next up, I’ll share my testing experience in their Movement and Strength Lab. The performance nerd in me had a LOT to say about that.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with the Harrison Team, click on this link: https://harrisonhealthcare.ca/upgradewithphaedra/

#bodycomposition
#bonehealth
#over50health
#personalizedhealthcare by @coach.p.k

My Growth Season priority is getting back into lifting after months away from it because of my shoulder.

Would I also like to be running faster and riding stronger? Obviously. The wish list is alive and well. 😂

But rebuilding my strength is where I’m choosing to put my attention right now, working within what my shoulder can tolerate.

With my athletes, I’ve used this time of year for focused swim blocks and run speed blocks with a lot of success. We look at what they want to improve, what happened during their season and what they have the time and energy to commit to.

Then we give that focus some actual room in the plan.

If swimming needs attention, it needs more than whatever energy is left after everything else. If we’re working on run speed, the rest of the week needs to support that work.

There’s always going to be something else you could improve. Endurance sport is generous like that.

But you have a finite amount of training energy. You can have a long wish list and still choose one thing to prioritise.

For me, right now, that’s lifting.

What’s getting your attention this Growth Season? by @coach.p.k

WHO ARE THE PKPC CREW?:

The #pkpccrew is the affectionate name I’ve given the athletes I work with. No matter what you’re doing, whether it be running, triathlon or strength, if I’m coaching you, you are a part of the CREW. They all have different goals, abilities and lives outside of training, but there are a few common traits that make them a great fit for the way I coach.

🤩They are athletes that have done some races and are either looking to improve their performance or take on new race distances.

🤩 They are athletes that value communication and feedback as much as I do. They understand the importance of communication in the coach / athlete relationship. They are great collaborators. Collaborative athletes are successful athletes!

🤩 They are athletes that understand that the coach / athlete relationship takes time to develop and they are willing to give it that time. Many of the people on my roster have been with me for years.

🤩 They understand that endurance sport is a long game and are committed to showing up consistently, year in and year out. They’re also willing to be flexible when life, recovery or their body calls for a different approach. They understand that adjusting the plan is part of staying consistent, and we work together to figure out what that looks like.

Does this sound like you? If so, I’d love to have you as a part of the CREW in 2027. I will be opening up space on my roster in November so if you’re interested in seeing if we are a good fit, shoot me a DM. by @coach.p.k

Wheeling into the weekend like… 🚴‍♀️💨

Good roads. Big climbs. Long descents. And six days of riding in one of the best cycling destinations in the world.

That’s Girona camp. 🇪🇸

Five rides. About 6,000 m of climbing. Swims. Runs, Chats. Great food.

A crew of like-minded athletes. And the kind of experience that stays with you long after you’re home.

Girona Camp 2027 is calling.

Who’s ready to ride? 👀 by @coach.p.k