Troika 70.3: Ironman administrative body of 70.3 miles

THE 34th TROIKA LONG DISTANCE TRIATHLON

An administrative body of three or more simply a group of three the Russian derivative Troika embodies the swim bike run trifecta that is the sport of triathlons. The 34th annual Medical Lake Troika Long Distance triathlon was my first attempt at the long distance course of the Ironman 70.3.

On Saturday May 31, 2014 at 8:05 am I hoped into the murky lake waters of Medical Lake for my first attempt at the IM 70.3 distance.  For the past year my focus had been on the Olympic distance as Age Group National Championships  continues to steadily loom in the distance.  


Yet there I was on Saturday May 31st with butterflies in my throat and my family taking pictures behind me.  Due to it being my first one I had no clue what I was getting into and merely prayed that I would cross the finish line in one piece.

My Goals going into the race

Me and my number one supporter: Brandon

1. Finish the 1.2 mile swim in 45 mins
2. Successfully get out of my wetsuit without falling over myself
3. Make up time in the bike by completing it in 3 hrs
4. Maintain/do whatever I could to make it through the run
5. Finish the race in 5 hrs 45 mins

The Swim

Swimming is not my strong suit.  It seems as though whatever I do I end up in the back of the pack and after previously barely finishing 1500m at HITS in Napa Valley in under 35 mins I realistically did not expect much out of the swim.  I merely put my head down and kept my eyes on the yellow caps in front me, next thing I know I am emerging from the water, ripping my wetsuit off (succeed in not tripping over it) and hearing the timer yell out 38 mins.  My fastest swim time ever!  I guess the last month of open water swimming in the 50 degree ice cold water of Lake Couer d'Alene paid off.

The Bike

Despite coming in with my fastest time yet I was still in the back third of the pack and knew I needed to really push it in order to gain during the bike.  One of the biggest struggle during races for me is eating.  I either forget or can barely stomach whatever I try to force down.  It is something I have been working on and when I heard my stomach grumble I was forced to choke down a chocolate GU and rip into my Probar Bolt chews.  I am not 100% sure what went through my head while on the bike I merely put my eyes on the person in front of me and kept my legs moving until I passed them and repeated the process.  

Coming into the dismount I saw my dad and sister standing on the corner, as my family had gotten up at 2:00 am to make the 5 hour drive from Hood River, OR to come watch, and my dad yelled at me that there were only 8 women in front of me. 

The Run

Big thank you to the Bowker and Lloyd family
for all their support

So now it was time for me to do what I do best, time to take charge of the third and final group of three: the 13.1 mile run.  Putting one foot in front of the other I tried to shake out the ache from my hip flexors and quads and took off down the three loop course around Medical Lake all the while hearing my dad's words in my head: "only 8 women in front of you, go after them Kayla." So thats what I did.  Averaging 8:14-8:30 min miles I slowly but surely went after every racer out there.  It didn't matter if they were a man or women I was going to over take them.  Upon rounding the corner at after lap two and having caught three women putting myself into 5th place I came to the realization that I was going to break 5 hrs and 30 mins.  

The final push

At this point I was hungry, dehydrated, and my knees and ankles were screaming at me; all I could think about was wanting to be done.  Not really thinking I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and urging myself to continue doing so a little faster each time.  With a mile to go I was averaging 8 min flat per mile pace and begging myself to keep going to the end, then all of the sudden the finish line appeared and the announcer yelled my name and I crossed with a time of 5 hrs and 13 mins way under the goal I had set for myself.

Learning Curve

Each race provides you with the opportunity to learn and grow.  Participating in my first IM 70.3 really afforded me a chance to take a step back and find my strengths and weaknesses.  While it is not the distance I am going to be focusing on for the rest of the season it really helped me to get a better gauge of what I need to do in order to prepare for Nationals in the Olympic distance.

1st, 2nd, 3rd place award ceremony

Goals for summer training

Speed, Speed, and more Speed.  It is time to increase my power and force output, across all disciplines, which in turn will increase my speed.  So how will I go about this?

1. Introduce more interval, and lactic threshold workouts into my running program
2. Similarly introduce tempo, interval, and lactic threshold workouts into my biking program
3. Continue with brick sessions
4. Utilize swim practice offered by Team Blaze in order to help build strength in my swimming
5. Get a better understanding of fueling and nutrition for training and racing.

Participating in the IM 70.3 taught me that despite being an individual sport being a triathlete wouldn't be possible without the support, care, and love you receive from your family, friends, and fellow athletes.  The journey isn't one that you can do on your own it takes a village and a team.  I am blessed to have such a caring family, friends, and boyfriend who's belief in myself has taught me that I have the strength to keep pushing the limits.  

Being new to the triathlon circuit I am still learning a lot; how to fuel my body properly, train most effectively, and my biggest obstacle when to rest.  The process has been a blessed and amazing one so far and I look forward to what the rest of this season and future seasons has to offer.