FEATURES

They Kinda Like Each Other...

Monday, 02 April 2012 03:30

(Photo - Itinerant tri-couple, Scott and Andrea Myers, doing Sydney.)

When they left Minnesota nine years ago, Scott and Andrea Myers were on the verge of national stardom, status they achieved during their decorated stay in Ohio. Well, they're back and it was totally cool catching up with them.

Q - You left MN almost a decade ago, and now you're back. What's up with that? Why did you split? And why did you return?

A - We moved to the small town of Wellston in the rolling hills of southeast Ohio for Scott's job (engineer with General Mills, moving to a plant) for a "three year assignment". But it was a great place to live (although a very unique culture), we enjoyed our jobs, winters were more mild, and the biking was outstanding. We were there 9 years before Scott's career dictated our move back to Minneapolis. So we are back, and we really do like it here. We are amazed at how bike friendly the Twin Cities are now. If all works out well, this will be our last move until we retire....

Q - You both were rising stars when you left. Scott had even made Team Minnesota and Andrea was on the verge of doing so. Shortly after you arrived in OH, you both established yourselves as among the best athletes in the Ohio Valley region. Talk about your success and what you feel are your 3-4 best performances.

A - Once we figured out our training routine in Ohio, things clicked for us pretty well. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that there wasn't much else to do where we lived. The biking was stunning, and we got in good sprint training trying to get away from dogs (Andrea was bit by a pit bull and Scott was knocked off his bike by dogs twice while we were there). Best performances for Scott included a runner up finish at Best of the US Champs in Florida (2007), 5th place age group at Ironman Louisville (qualifying for Kona), and multiple top ten finishes in USAT Tri and Du Nationals. Best performances for Andrea included 5th place age group at Ironman Louisville (also qualifying for Kona despite a flat tire), multiple Solo division wins at Triple T, and an Amateur win at Steelhead.

Q - During your absence from MN, you did a lot of national and international travel to major events. Can you share some of your competitive highlights? And what was your favorite racing destination?

A - We have had a lot of fun traveling, and it is hard to name a favorite. Scott has been in the sport over 20 years, and St Croix has always been a really special race on the international calendar that he had heard about for years - a unique combination of great competition (anyone remember Lance racing there?) and the beauty & challenging course ("The Beast" ring a bell for anyone?). That was a fun race and a phenomenal destination. Hawaii also comes to mind - both the ITU World Championships in Honolulu and of course Kona. When we went to Worlds, we spent over 2 weeks exploring Oahu and also Kauai (which is an amazing island!). The energy of Kona is truly amazing. The Best of the US champs have always been special trips for us - both for the different locations (Lake Winnipesaukee, Cypress Gardens, Phoenix, Mission Viejo) and for the one-of-a-kind race experience. We also have done a lot of traveling with no racing, but where we bring our bikes or do a lot of running to really explore the area. Maui is probably our favorite biking destination - the trio of rides of the West Maui Loop, the Road to Hana, and climbing from sea level to the top of Haleakala (photo R) is hard to beat! We did some epic running and biking around Vieques Island in Puerto Rico, which is famous for its bioluminescent bay, but also has some of the best beaches imaginable. We just recently got back from Australia and had a blast especially biking in Melbourne and running along the coast near Sydney. Scott was there for work, so Andrea got to have most of the fun on that trip!

Q - You guys are inseparable. You seem to do everything together? What's up with that?

A - You know we are married, right? :) Well, we kind of like each other. Living in southeast Ohio, we were pretty much the only triathletes for a 40 mile radius - this whole "exercise" thing has been a little slower to catch on there. We train well together on the bike (Andrea can draft off of Scott and hurl insults at him to get him to ride faster). Even run workouts work pretty well - we have a number of tricks for hard runs to push each other yet stick together. We're currently remodeling our house, and we do need to split up projects so we aren't always working together...Scott is too messy when he works, and Andrea is too controlling.

Q - Andrea, you sustained a serious injury not too long ago. Can you tell us about that? Have you recovered 100%?

A - July 2010 I had a nasty bike crash (hit a pothole riding to work at 4am with a crappy headlight), but mostly just tore up my face. A plastic surgeon stitched me back together, but it did inhibit the rest of the 2010 season. 100% now, except the scars and I can't whistle well. Now it's just the usual hamstring issues.

Q - What races do you plan to do in 2012?

A - We were amazed at the number of races here- no temptation to travel this year! We are very excited to have so many so close to home. It was really hard to chose, but MTN has been invaluable (unpaid plug). We are planning on doing the Oakdale Du, Gear West Du, Buffalo Tri, Manitou Sprint, Lake Waconia, Minneman, Lifetime, Twin Cities Tri, Maple Grove Tri, and we'll probably add another in Aug and/or Sept. Things have been pretty hectic with moving and everything else going on, so this year might be more about getting back into the swing of racing and having fun (especially for Scott). We hope to run into familiar faces from years ago and meet a lot of people this year!

MTN - Thanks Scott and Andi. We're glad you're back and look forward to watching you kick some butts this season.

Photo - The Myers doing China.