Ironman: Cd'A police officer to patrol 140.6 miles Sunday

Running to red-in-the-face exhaustion has been both commonplace and a necessary evil for Ashley Caiafa.

As a sweet-shooting forward at Adelphi University in New York, she dreaded sprint-heavy conditioning. She wasn't keen on the run-heavy portion of her 10-week police officer standardized training, either.

Not that the 27-year Coeur d'Alene Police Department patrol officer doesn't have gravel in her guts.

Caiafa has always kicked through the requisite cardio and now welcomes the inherent pain that comes with competing in one of the world's foremost triathlons.

After completing Ironman Coeur d'Alene 70.3 in June, Caiafa is doubling down for the full edition Sunday, including a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.

"It's a big move for her," said Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Jana Alleman. "She hasn't done (the full Ironman) before. But she's very enthusiastic and a great officer. She's great at everything she does."

But for Caiafa, currently in her fourth year with the CPD, her hours-long effort Sunday will serve as more than an opportunity to earn the coveted Ironman tag.

As a tribute to fallen police officers, namely Sgt. Greg Moore who was shot and killed in the line of duty in May of 2015, she will be donning a blue and black triathlon suit with a matching K27 wristband.

Nationwide, 37 on-duty officers have been shot and killed in 2016.

"Ironman is a challenge, and in this line of work we face challenges everyday and never know if and when we are going home to our loved ones," said Caiafa, who has been training for since January. "I saw this as an opportunity for myself to remind the community that our fallen heroes, especially Sgt. Moore, should never be forgotten.

If I could wear my work uniform (while competing), I would.”

Caiafa is one of more than 1,600 registered participants and the lone member of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department in the race.

"I feel honored for her to go out and represent us," Alleman said. "She'll represent us well. She's been a great addition to our department and has a huge heart. She's not out there doing it for herself."

It wasn't until moving to Coeur d’Alene after college in 2012, that Caiafa — a Massapequa Park, N.Y. native with a degree in physical education — learned of Ironman.

Working on a special response team a couple years ago for Ironman Coeur d’Alene, she said, she was able to take in and gain an appreciation for the event.

The more Caiafa looked into it, the more her interest was piqued. Living in the wide-open spaces of North Idaho compared to congested New York also helped push her toward a hobby of marathons and triathlons.

Her friends were skeptical that she would pursue something as rigorous as an Ironman, though.

"They'd say 'Yeah right, you're not going to do it,'" she said. "And now I am."

Consider it another challenge for the lifetime athlete. Caiafa was a three-year starter at NCAA Division II Adelphi and an all-conference commodity. Her competitive nature hasn't wavered.

She isn't just trying to just finish — she wants to flourish.

"I'm too competitive," she said. "In my head I want to just finish, but I'll force myself to go fast. I'll want do well in my age group."

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Ryan Collingwood is on Twitter at @RyanCDAPress and can also be reached at rcollingwood@cdapress.com