Testimonials

here's what some of our athletes have to say

Working with Heather has been a gift. She has pushed me to places I could never have imagined going, while never pushing me over the limit. Not only does she know me as an athlete, but she knows me as a person, and that is invaluable.
Michelle DeMarco
Dan is truly the best running coach. His constant support and encouragement keep me going. He believes in me more than I believe in myself and is truly one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. Since I’ve been with Dan and McKirdy Trained I have PR’d in almost every distance, and they helped me to get my first Boston Qualifying time!!
Laura Dixon
Working with Michael has taken my running to an entirely new level. In the past 3 years, his coaching has led me to a personal best in every distance including meeting my ultimate goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I look forward to where we will go together next. I’m grateful and proud to call Michael my coach and my friend.
Jen Jarvis
I’ve been with McKirdy since December 2019 after my first marathon and missing the BQ time by 4 minutes. Lauren was a perfect fit for me. I do 99% of my training solo, and Lauren has been in my corner. I transitioned in 2020 to a career as a stroke/neuro RN (during a pandemic!), and the personalized training has been the key to my success while working long hours. In my most recent marathon I ran a BQ with a 17 minute buffer (a 21 minute PR!). Something that would have never been possible without McKirdy Trained.
Rachel Weeber
For several years I have been running on my own, having slow improvements. When I was paired up with Meghan, I noticed a difference in my fitness and paces within a few months. Meghan tailors my schedule to meet my goals and is there every step of the way to offer words of encouragement and feedback. Meghan is a fantastic coach!
Brad Tobe
In the few years I've worked with Heather she's seen me through a roller coaster of ups and downs, and she's equally supportive no matter what shape I'm in. She understands that life can be unpredictable and sometimes plans have to change, but that doesn't mean she goes easy on me! Heather's training challenges me beyond what I ever thought possible and she always believes in me, even when I don't. I never would have made it to this level without her and I'm so grateful she's my coach!
Kristen Leslie

more success stories

Sarah has a unique gift for seeing more in people than they can see in themselves and then helping them to achieve and believe what she sees. Training with Sarah is no frills. Hard work wins the day – every time. And Sarah lives by this. I’ve never seen a person take on as much as she does and do it all with a smile on her face and so much positivity that it’s almost tangible. As an athlete Sarah has pushed me to achieve things I never thought possible in my lifetime let alone a year. But what means even more is that she has made me a better person and a person who believes that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. She leads by example and I couldn’t be more grateful to have her in my corner.

Dan is truly the best running coach. His constant support and encouragement keep me going. He believes in me more than I believe in myself and is truly one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. The weekly training plans are always different and I feel that they are geared specifically towards me and my abilities. I feel like they are very challenging but manageable. Dan always finds a way to make it fun and is very engaged in my weekly performance. Since I’ve been with Dan and McKirdy trained I have PR’d in almost every distance, and they helped me to get my first Boston Qualifying time!!

I met Coach Heather Pech at a running store. At the time, I wasn’t looking for a coach—I already had a tri coach—but I knew I wanted to become a better runner. Heather was talking with a friend of mine, her enthusiasm about running obvious. I knew within seconds she must be a running coach. Within 15 minutes, I had figured out I wanted a running coach and I wanted it to be Heather. Six months later I ran my first marathon with Heather as my coach—I beat my personal best by nearly 30 minutes. But I also know that’s just the beginning of our journey together.

With the goal of running Boston on or before my dad’s birthday, I coached myself through three marathons, the third being a BQ. I was set to run Boston 2021, then covid happened. Not only did I lose my job, but I also lost my balanced routine, a lot of confidence, and the chance to run Boston 2021 due to the smaller field size. I reached out to Mckirdy Trained for help, and got connected with Meghan. She has been the greatest help to me in training for St. George, helping me balance quality training with 40-45 hours of working per week. I feel stronger and more confident having trained under Meghan than I did last year. Her strategies have worked so well; not once have I felt burnt out this cycle. She gets the busy life of a working American, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her.

From the first minute we chatted, Michael immediately understood exactly who I am as a person. This relationship brought me from a complete amateur to a real journey in the world of running. He has brought my athletics to places I never dreamed existed. Michael is virtual but has developed into such a dear friend who understands me through and through; first as a person and then as an athlete. This is the key to our amazing success.

I happily accepted that I was a “slow” runner. I thought if I pushed myself to get faster I wouldn’t enjoy running anymore. When I got a lottery entry for Chicago this year, I wanted to try to improve on my first marathon time but didn’t really know how to. So I hired a coach. With Mel’s help, I started putting in week after week of consistent mileage and solid workouts. While my fitness has increased dramatically, my love for running has grown even more. I surprise myself on almost every single run with what I’m able to do, and even more so by just how much I actually enjoy pushing that limit. Obviously not every day is perfect – but that just makes those good runs even better. I’m so excited to see what I can do at Chicago & New York this year, and wherever running takes me afterwards!

I’ve been working with Meghan since January and I’ve already seen so many gains in my running – not only in meeting my goals (including some PRs!), but also in my confidence in my abilities! Meghan is always quick to respond and adjust my training where needed, and I have no doubt she is going to help me smash some goals at upcoming fall races.

Boston was the most incredible experience ever! 2 years in the making- 2 years full of hard work, dedication, tears, and happiness. When I got accepted into boston21 I decided to try a new coaching program. I signed up w Mckirdy and was connected with coach Lauren. I was so impressed with the marathon cycle. Her training was perfect for me. I felt more prepared for Boston mentally and physically than any other marathon. I made a 6 min PR! I felt strong and confident the entire race.

I ran my first marathon in the fall of 2020, finishing in 3:55. Marathon #2 was coming up in September and I had a stretch goal to BQ, but knew I needed an experienced coach to help me get there. I joined McKirdy and started working with Meghan in May 2021. Meghan made me work hard, but more importantly, helped me brush off the workouts that didn’t go so well. She believed in me when I questioned my ability. I got that BQ, taking 25 minutes off my previous time. I’m excited to continue working with Meghan to see what else I’m capable of!

Teaming up with Michael Crouch of McKirdy Trained has absolutely transformed my confidence in running and has brought so many PR’s! All of the guesswork with training is taken out of the equation and replaced with custom workouts tailor made for my goals and filled with positive encouragement all along the way. Do yourself a favor and hire a coach from McKirdy! My only regret is not teaming up with Michael earlier.

I’ve been working with McKirdy Trained since 2019, and I haven’t looked back. Coach Sarah Bishop pushes me to levels I’ve never imagined with the right combination of a completely personalized approach based on my lifestyle and goals plus a healthy dose of tough love. Under Sarah, I have seen improvements from the mile to marathon. I’ve felt fully supported by Sarah every step of the way and have loved bonding/commiserating with the #bishopbabe community she’s created.

I reached out to James and when we spoke I knew right then he was the perfect fit for me. He is not only a great coach, but he is also a genuinely good person and truly cares about the well being of his athletes.

I came to McKirdy Trained in January 2020, after being sidelined from running for most of 2018-19 due to back-to-back major injuries. The comeback was as much physical as it was emotional, and the recovery was not linear, having multiple setbacks along the way. 9 months post surgery I still could not bend to tie my shoes without pain. Coming into training, I had to work through my fears and doubts about what my body could do. 2020 race cancellations gave me space for a period of rebuilding and here I learned not just patience but also a love for training process itself. Here, Coach Melissa has been my anchor. As a goal-getter, I had to reframe success from strictly performing in a race, to making progress and achieving consistency in training. I gained new level of gratitude for every run, and a deep respect for what it takes to get to the start line fit and healthy.

I’ve been running marathons since 2007 and prior to working with Sarah the local running group is how I increased my fitness. Running with groups here in Cinci I took my marathon results from 4:20 to around 3:30 pace. About two years ago after marginal improvement I decided to get more serious as my appetite for a Boston qualifying time grew. I signed on after my wife experienced success with Sarah and the rest is history. Simply put, Sarah has taken my fitness to the next level. I’ve gone from running 3:30 marathons to a recent sub 3 hour marathon under her guidance. I’m confident I would have never pushed myself hard enough to achieve what I’ve done with Sarah. She’s experienced, understanding, flexible, and confident in her training plan. I have also appreciated her confidence in where my fitness level is prior to race day helping me go out with confidence to achieve my goals.

I started working with Heather two years ago. I was coming straight off a PR at CIM and I wanted more! The first year we worked together, I PR’d at every distance. I was blown out of the water. I don’t think I expected the training to be quite so personally prescribed. She was able to push me outside my box with workouts, remind me what easy runs were all about, taught me about shoes (because who races in Pegasus) and really help shape me into the runner I am today. I hit a rough patch with injury a year in and rather than pulling back from me as an athlete, she leaned in. We navigated our way through months of ups and downs. The thing I love most about Heather and her coaching is — she’s no bull shit and somehow she also has space for the importance of the mental health piece in the sport. She prioritizes the ‘whole’ of the athlete. She knows when to push, but also when to pull back and refocus. My running wouldn’t be what it is today without McKirdy Trained!

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