Name?
Troy Stram
Age?
21
Number of years competing?
5
Athletic Goals?
Qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kona Hawaii
Notable events completed?
Placed 23 out of 1650 in the Providence, RI 70.3
Any future events coming up?
Two races with the Penn State Triathlon Club on September 18th in New Jersey (Buckman Triathlon) and October 1st in Mantauk, NY (Mightyman Triathlon)
What’s your strength — run, bike or swim?
Running
Why triathlon over other sports?
Triathlon is something that is a constant challenge and a sport that I can do the rest of my life. There are so many different strategies and ways to train for triathlons because it involves three different sports. I would become bored way too easily if I only swam, biked, or ran, but doing all three gives me the variety in my training that I need to keep things interesting.
Best competition experience?
My best competition experience was at Collegiate Nationals in 2011 in Tuscaloosa, AL. Besides Tuscaloosa being an amazing place with extremely hospitable people, the race itself was absolutely awesome. I didn’t PR, but had a solid time and finished third on our team. Doing a race with all collegiate athletes was what really made it a great experience. Throughout the whole weekend, people were wearing their school colors, doing cheers, and getting pumped for the race. It was an awesome experience to be surrounded by thousands of triathletes who are trying to balance school and training just like me.
Worst competition experience?
My worst competition experience was at collegiate nationals in 2009 in Lubbock, Texas. Besides the fact that Lubbock was the absolute worst place to host a race, was a 30 hour drive from State College, and had a freezing temperature of 42 at race start, I also flatted four miles from T2. This was just two weeks after flatting in another race in Florida. For some reason I decided to ride in on my flat front tire instead of taking the time to stop and change it. Needless to say, it wasn’t a very fast ride, nor one with much control over my bike. I nearly went down several times since I had basically no way to steer because I was worried my tire would slip off of the rim.
If you’re not training or competing, we’ll find you doing what?
In the fall you will probably find me sleeping in a tent outside of Beaver Stadium. I am a huge Penn State Football fan and camp out in Paternoville before each home game in order to get front row seats. I am also extremely passionate about THON, the largest student run philanthropy in the world. This 46 hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon raises money to help support pediatric cancer research and to ease the costs of families with children undergoing cancer treatments. Some other hobbies of mine include playing soccer, snowboarding, hunting, and fishing.
Best piece of training advice you’ve received?
“The only easy day was yesterday”. I’ve received so much training advice and read so many magazines and articles on training over the years that it is hard to pinpoint what the best advice was that I ever received. However, I often remember this quote because it reminds me that the only way to really improve in this sport is to push your physical and mental limits as far as you can. Simply going through the motions of training won’t make you a better triathlete. You need to really maximize your efforts in every workout, especially during speed workouts in order to improve.
How do you incorporate Push Recovery into your training?
When I am riding, I always have a bottle of Push with me. I drink a bottle about every 90 minutes on the bike, so when I am out for a 7-8 hour ride, I’ll pack some Push in little baggies and buy water to mix it with as I go. I also drink a bottle after my rides to initiate the recovery process. After long runs or hard speed workouts I will drink a bottle of Push and I always drink a half-bottle while lifting and a half immediately after.
How has your Push Recovery affected or improved your training?
Push Recovery has completely changed the way I have been able to train. It basically eliminates the need for extra recovery time. Before, I used to feel sore for two or three days after long rides or hard brick workouts. Now, after using Push, I can barely even tell I did a hard workout at all. Push also helps me stay focused during my workouts and ensures that I am putting absolutely everything I have into each and every training session. On longer rides, I used to get complacent and find myself just cruising along, but now with Push I am crushing my rides from beginning to end.
Penn State Triathlon Club
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