Coach Kelly
About Coach Kelly
I am a National Strength and Conditioning Association-Certified Personal Trainer, Certified USAT Level I Long and Short Course Coach, TriDot Certified Triathlon and Pool School Instructor, UESCA Running and Ultrarunning Coach, and am currently undergoing Ironman University Coach Training. I hold a BS in Clinical Exercise Science with minors in Nutrition and Healthy Living, and Integrative Health from Arizona State University.
I enjoy coaching a wide variety of athletes, from first-time racers trying to cross that finish line for the first time, to age groupers looking to obtain their personal best. I have been coaching athletes since 2019 and am the owner/Head Coach of Arizona Desert Endurance, home-based in Chandler, AZ.
I am a 1x Ultraman finisher (with a top 10 finish), 5 x Ironman finisher (with 1 top 10 finish), 9 x Ironman 70.3 finisher, 5 x marathon finisher and 3 x 50-60k ultra-marathon finisher (with 1 top 10 finish). I have over 28 years of racing in distances ranging from 5k to marathon road races, 15k - 60k trail races, sprint to ultra distance triathlons, and metric to full century bike races.
As a 20-year US Navy Veteran, you will get the same reliability, integrity and loyalty that I gave this country for 20 years.
1 x Ironman World Championships, Kailua-Kona, HI
1 x Ironman 70.3 World Championship
2 x USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships
1 x Top 10 overall finish at Ultraman Arizona
1 x Top 10 Ironman finish
1 x Top 10 60k finish
5 x Podium in the Olympic Triathlon
1 x Podium in the Sprint Triathlon
1 x Podium in the 25k trail race
1 x Podium in the half marathon distance
1 x 3rd Place Overall Women's Owl Masters Division, Aravaipa Desert Trail Series
Racing accomplishments
Whether you are a podium, middle or back of the pack athlete, or maybe even brand new to endurance sports – I believe in your ability to accomplish your goals! I want to help you get stronger, faster, and be able to stay in your sport longer by using a balanced approach that challenges you while allowing you to maintain a healthy personal life outside of training.
From the Coach:
What I expect from you
be present in your training every day
I expect you to be fully engaged and focused on your training each day, without being too distracted by thoughts and concerns about past or future training or racing.
be disciplined
I expect you to take your training seriously. Life will throw you curve-balls throughout your training and flexing will be necessary, but I expect you to do your absolute best to maintain a consistency that will provide the best results.
race and train with integrity
I expect you to train and race clean, within the regulations set forth by WADA, regardless of whether you are trying to podium or qualify for a championship race. I expect you to adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by the governing body for your race. I expect you to do your best to train in the spirit for which your training is prescribed.
be coachable
I expect you to be open to being taught and trained in a way you might not be used to. I expect you to be open to trying new methods and techniques in order to improve your performance.
be Purpose Driven (not comfort driven)
Participating in endurance sports is hard! I expect you to train outside your comfort zone and do the work regardless of how unpleasant it might be at the time. Train like you mean it, not because someone talked you into it. I expect you to work hard and not give up, especially when it gets tough - because it will. However, I also expect you to be in tune to your body’s condition and make the hard decision to back off when you need to in order to prevent injury.
take responsibility
I expect you to be accountable for yourself and your training. Hiring a coach is a huge step in accomplishing your goals, but hiring a coach is not a guarantee for success. Only YOU can determine whether you reach your goals or not, and I expect you to step up, be proactive and take ownership of your training, your goals, and your results.
