I first started working out with Kristina in 2009 when I was 53. I knew that if I wanted to remain physically active for the rest of my life and minimize injuries, I needed to develop better physical conditioning. Tennis was my main sport, a sport that is very hard on your joints.
I found Kristina to be a very knowledgeable and focused trainer. During her sessions with you, you can expect her to be 100% attentive to what you are doing and how you are doing it. She also listens very well and helps you overcome any issues you may have with any particular exercise. Her programs are tailor made for you and will develop as your skills and conditioning develops. And she is also great fun to work out with.
Sadly, my husband and I left Vancouver in 2015. We now live on the east coast. I was very sad not to have Kristina as my personal coach any longer. But earlier this year, with the Covid lockdown, I learnt that Kristina was going to start training on Zoom. I immediately signed up for a weekly group class and a weekly personal training session. Recently, I also signed up with her weekly half hour stretch and mobility class.
This could not have come at a better time. I had been having issues with my hips. I felt I had lost quite a bit of mobility and strength, most likely from primarily exercising on my stationary bike and not enough functional strength training. But now, most of my strength and mobility have come back, thanks to Kristina.
Once we had started our workout sessions, we both said: “Why had we not thought of this on-line training option before?” I love our Zoom sessions. I have some basic things – a mat, some bands, a handful of free weights, and, of course, my own body weight! Kristina is very creative in creating an effective workout session with what you have.
With zoom, I can work out with Kristina in the convenience of my own home. We were even able to continue our personal sessions when Kristina was traveling through BC! I also enjoy being part of the group class since you do feel and feed off the energy of the other participants.
I feel very lucky that I have Kristina back as my trainer. Once the Covid lock down is completely over and we can safely go to the gym again, I hope Kristina will maintain some time for zoom clients. I may be on the east coast, but my favourite trainer is on the west coast!
I’ve been training with Kristina in the group virtual sessions since the onset of Covid and it has been such a blessing! With my busy schedule, working out at home but feeling I am part of the group every week has been effective and motivating. What I like the most is that she personalizes the exercise routine based on the group’s specific needs (injuries/limitations) which allows me to actually do the full workout. During the sessions, Kristina pays close attention to each individual, offers corrections to ensure you get the most out of the exercises and follows-up directly with you (after the session) if she notices something you may need help with. Her enthusiasm, encouragement and expertise is so appreciated, thank you Kristina for really caring so much about your customers!
My son Tim organized this multi-generational bike trip to celebrate my big birthday this year! Ranging in ages from 18 months to 70 years, we all rode the Galloping Goose on Vancouver Island together and had a brilliant time.
In past years, I could never have envisaged biking with my grandchildren, children, daughter-in-law, husband and friends – all surely made possible by joining Kristina’s awesome bike-training group five years ago where I conquered (some of) my fear of riding and gained some useful skills as well.
Thank you, Kristina! This was a very special day for me and my gang!
In the spring of 2017, my husband, Dean, and I finalized our travel plans for a fall trip to Europe, which was to include one week at the Belvedere Bike Hotel in Italy. We had both been involved in long distance running for about 15 years and had a fairly solid cardiovascular fitness base. Over the years, we had completed several bike touring trips around BC. However, neither of us had much experience riding in a larger group, we didn’t have road bikes, and I had never used clip ins (the mere idea of clip-ins freaked me out a bit).
So Dean suggested we join the Spring Kits Energy beginner cycling course and were so fortunate to have Kristina as our trainer. The beginner course provided me with the support and encouragement I needed to get into clips and conquer my fear of falling. The course structure, which involved weekly instruction on a specific topic, followed by a group ride, provided just the right combination of education, practical skill development, and fun.
By the time September arrived, I felt confident in my emerging road cycling skills, but the real test was still to come. The highlight of the trip was my sense of accomplishment upon riding to the top of San Marino, which is a tiny little country within Italy set at the top of a “little” mountain. As I dug deep and used the numerous hill climbing techniques Kristina had drilled into me (yes, she can be a task master), the full extent of what she had taught me, sunk in.
I don’t know whom to attribute the quote to but I agree wholeheartedly that “A coach is someone who always makes you do what you don’t want to do, so you can be who you’ve always wanted to be. There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory”.
Thank you for all the good luck wishes for my 30th marathon! I don’t usually write a race report for (just?) a marathon, but since it was my 30th and a destination race, I thought I’d shared a little about my day….The weather had been quite cold leading up to race day. But the day promised to be perfect running conditions and didn’t disappoint. Having not run a big city marathon recently I prepared for security checks, long porta-pottie line ups and a lengthy wait in my corral to reach the start line. So, other than being a bit cold while I waited, everything went fairly smoothly and 23mins after the race started I crossed the start line and my marathon began.
The crowd support was amazing and the volunteers were fantastic – they really did the city of Philadelphia proud. Because of the wave starts which were three minutes apart, initially we had lots of room to run. But since the half and the full marathon ran together for the first 13 miles the course became quite congested at times. In some neighbourhoods the roads were quite narrow and the spectators were gathered on the road so it was challenging to find my pace. In my mind I was really hoping to finish sub-4:15 so when I reached the halfway mark at 2:08 I was a little worried. As the half marathoners broke off for the finish line, the pack dispersed and I was finally able to find my groove. As it turned out, the slower pace in the first half paid off for me as the miles in the second half clicked by easily and I just kept feeling strong! My pace picked up and I caught the 4:15 pace group. Once I passed them, I never saw them again:)
When I reached the 25 mile mark at 3:59, knowing I had only 1.2 miles to go, I knew I would finish sub-4:15, but didn’t think I would be so close to my personal best. I ran strong and happily into the finish. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see a sub-4:10! I couldn’t believe I was only 12 seconds off my PR!!!! I had to ask myself, Could I not have run just half a second per mile faster?!?
In the end, I had a great day on the course. I felt strong the whole way and enjoyed a world-class marathon here in Philadelphia. What more could a girl ask for?
The city of Philadelphia has been an amazing city to visit! The history here combined with some unbelievable collections of art has left Brian and I with too little time to see it all. We’re plotting out a strategy for our last couple of days….so we’re off to see a bit more before we head home later tomorrow.
Thank you again for supporting me in my marathoning adventures!
