Meet Kathryn 👋🏻
Kathryn and I have worked together since 2011. A few years ago, she began dealing with joint issues that gently nudged her to step away from running. Rather than giving up sport, she pivoted: dabbling in gravel racing and aqua bikes to stay focused, engaged, and moving forward.
Last year, she started to wonder what it might look like to race a 70.3 again. She had plenty of reasons not to try, but she also kept an open mind and a flexible outlook. Together, we decided to go for it.
There is no standard way to train for a 70.3. Every athlete is a unique puzzle, and solving that puzzle is both my job and my joy as a coach.
We leaned into the bike and swim for intensity to safely drive fitness, while relying on aerobic training to build overall capacity and durability. We integrated run-walk from the start to increase time on feet, never abandoning the walk breaks. Steep incline walking helped engage muscles similar to running, and when running we embraced strict pace control. There was no speed work – nothing that carried unnecessary risk or compromised her ability to simply keep running.
We also expanded our focus beyond fitness, spending time learning, experimenting, and refining fueling, hydration, pacing, and mindset strategies.
La Quinta marked Kathryn’s return – nearly three years after last toeing the line at a 70.3. She didn’t just start; she finished in the top 15 of her age group, and the fire was lit again. In 2026, she’ll take on two 70.3 events.
In her words:
“I was so happy to be racing again. I love the process of getting better and answering questions on the day to get the best out of myself. I love the work of training and figuring out how to fit it into life.”
It’s never too late to become who you were meant to be. In Kathryn’s case, that person has always been a triathlete. It took courage to sign up again and pursue a goal that once carried risk. Together, as a team, we didn’t just solve the puzzle – we put the pieces in place to now build on it.
Keep Reading
- Mastery Moment with Katie M.
- What Shapes Our Coaching: The Multisport Mastery Approach to Endurance Training
About the Author
Elizabeth Waterstraat | Founder and Head Coach, Multisport Mastery
Elizabeth Waterstraat is the founder and head coach of Multisport Mastery, with 20 years of coaching experience and 26 years as an endurance athlete. A USA Triathlon Level III Coach, she is a five-time Kona qualifier, five-time Ironman World Championship finisher and 12-time National Champion. She has coached athletes from beginners to professionals and from first-time finishers to world champions, helping them develop the fitness, skills, and confidence to pursue ambitious goals through consistent, purposeful training.
Her coaching philosophy is built on communication, education, and partnership, with an athlete-driven approach that emphasizes the process as much as the outcome. She believes effective coaching requires understanding the individual, maintaining focus on meaningful goals, and finding balance between athletic ambition and the demands of everyday life. Through her coaching and writing, Elizabeth encourages athletes to take ownership of their development, build confidence through knowledge, and create a positive, sustainable relationship with sport.
Read more about Elizabeth, or book a fit call to talk about your goals.
