Chapter Closed 09/11/2010
 
To keep in line with my order of priorities; family, work then training, it has taken me longer than planned to summarize my experience in Edinburgh Scotland and the big race.  Since leaving and my return, life has been a whirlwind of events and catching up.  I’m doing my best to keep up, recover and enjoy this time following accomplishing the goals I set out to do early this past winter. 
        In customs my last questioner asked me, “So what was your business in Edinburgh.”  
“I was in a race.”  
“Did you win?”   
“No, I was 32nd in my age group.”  
“Any prize money?  Nothing, say …in the range of $10,000 or more?” 
“Nope... just a great experience. Now I’m ready to be back to see my wife and kids.” “Alright Mr. Carrier. Welcome back and congratulations. You can proceed through that gate.” 

The sight of my kids after getting through customs was something I will never forget: Picture two girls screaming and doing the victory-daddy-is-home-dance while on-lookers chuckle.  I only wish I had my camera ready to get them running toward me but the vision was clearly pressed into my memory.  After a flurry of hugs and a rapid exit to the minivan we were on our way.  Within minutes both girls were asleep; their journey of daddy being gone for 6 days was finally over.
        So, how was the race and trip???  Well, I arrived to Scotland on Thursday afternoon after a long flight and taxi drive ~14 hours with little to no sleep.  Getting my bike up the stairs left me sweaty and starving.  The “Athletes Village” was essentially a dormitory for a local university that rents rooms out for events.  The place was alive with very fit international athletes and numerous bike boxes being dragged around the campus, each of us trying to find our beds.  Once in my room, I assembled my bike and then left for the dining commons to eat with the other athletes for our first meeting.  The food was simple, nothing outstanding but I was able to pick through the options to find what I needed.  I was happy enough to find a cappuccino/espresso machine to use in the morning.  As is most typical during sudden large mass gathering of strangers, most quickly grouped themselves with their nation, something familiar, but there were also some mingling, mostly the experienced age groupers that knew each other from past competitions.  During my stay I became aware of this duathlon-worlds cult group of age groupers, some of them having competed for the past 20 years!  They often had old “Worlds” team USA jackets, patches, tattoos and of course plenty of vibrant stories.  Some of the athletes seemed bent on the attitude, “If I can’t win at this age group, maybe I will outlive the others.”  Still, it mostly seemed like a chance to meet up with old friends and repeat that excitement for competition in a foreign land and to show off their fitness.  
        Friday was a flurry of registration, pre-race massage, eating, riding the bike course and a meeting with Team USA to learn of the rules in the event.  Oh yes, rules, plenty of them from ITU; No drafting (of course), no taking your helmet off when touching your bike, no throwing trash other than the designated locations, tri-suit must be zipped at all times, and our numbers (which were enormous and covered my team USA logo) could not be folded when pinning to allow viewing of the sponsor; GE.  If we were to commit an infraction of any of the above we could be penalized by sitting by the course for two minutes.  We were informed that disk wheels were likely to be banned due to some cross-winds on the course.  Ugh, I had only brought one set of wheels, a heavy aero front and heavy disk.  After riding the course later in the day, I realized that I brought the wrong bike and wheels.  This was a very technical course with plenty of turns, narrow roads and fast descents with ~70% of each of the 5 laps spent climbing with grades as steep as 15%.  A TT bike appeared to be a disadvantage to me; approximately 95% of the bikes were road rigs with light climbing wheels.  Apparently, I  (we) did not evaluate the course well-enough but still I hoped it would not hinder me significantly.  I only had one bike and one set of wheels so I was relieved when ITU proclaimed they were allowing disks.
        The night before the race, I lined everything up, did some reading, put my legs up, meditated and kept sipping water.  I thought the excitement might keep me up but I eventually went to sleep.  More importantly, I was able to get in 8 hours the night before.  I awoke to fresh legs and a relaxed mind (maybe a few nerves).  I ate breakfast about 4 hours in advance and my start time was 12:45.  At the course, we were quickly corralled like sheep into a gated area which fit about 10 runners across.  I put myself in the back knowing the first run pace was going to be fast and furious. I thought many of the fast runners were used to being at the front of races and would aim to do so to get any advantage.  After the gun went off, I thought, “Nice and steady, hold back, hold back.”  The 4 laps of ~1.5 miles were an out and back up a gradual climb that had a brief steep section with a quick turn-around and then fast descent back to the flat section.   I was able to pass a few runners in laps 3 and 4 but there were some very fast runners well into their bike ride as I entered T1.  I was quick on my first transition (for me) about 1 minute and there was plenty of distance to cover to get on our bikes (all the practice helped).  Immediately, I encountered my first hill and grinded my way for a few minutes before a down hill section of out and back with a return climb and then a right turn up the steepest part of the course which was a mile climb that topped out at 15% grade.  Once over the hill we descended a narrow technical 8 foot wide Tarmac path with bails of hay on the turns where I reached 50 mph on some sections.  We repeated the loop 5 times and my legs felt the climbing by lap 3.  I was able to pass a significant number on the bike some of  them were in the 30-34 age group which started at the same time as our group, the 35-39’ers.
        Quickly off the bike into T2, I realized there would not be much speed in my legs after the challenging bike leg but I also knew everyone was in the same boat.  I gave it my all to keep moving and I was able to pass a few. My breathing was fine and not the issue but my legs wouldn’t turn over any faster.  Eventually, the finish came into sight and I crossed it, totally spent from the effort, but feeling so great and exhilarated.   My goal had been accomplished; 2010 Duathlon World Championship, finished, safely, in the middle of the pack and feeling good.  
        Looking over the results I believe, yes, I may have been able to do better with more training, the right bike and more race experience but I am in fact very happy and satisfied with my result. For me to be at this competition with limited training time, two young kids and working full-time away from my house 50 hours a week, this accomplishment is what I am most proud of.  I am willing to make some sacrifices to train but I’ll only go so far and keep my family and work balance intact. This trip and experience was well-worth the sacrifices I made during the year.  I could not have done this without the support of friends and my wife Sarah.  I would also like to give a special thanks to Roger Young, Marti Shea, Joe Tonon, Shawn Gavin and Crystal Anthony for their extended support with funding, training advice and a bike travel box to get there and back.  Time to relax… for a bit ; )
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I am Ready 08/31/2010
 
The title of today's blog is likely to be my last entry before I leave tomorrow.  It summarizes my state of mind at the moment, with little left to ponder or discuss.
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A Week to Go!! 08/27/2010
 
Besides work and family life being busy, last week was the most challenging training block in my training plan.  I’ve been following a plan that was provided by Fast Cat coaching, an online coaching service, free for USAT athletes attending the duathlon championships next week.  I spent most of this summer training more like a triathlete yet a few weeks before Gloucester, and once my knee was feeling normal, I replaced my swims with more running and biking and followed the plan more closely.  The difference in the focus was that it reduced my typical hard track repeats at just below 5K pace and instead had me focus on intervals at relatively slower speeds 5K to 10K pacing and he workouts included more volume, less rest between intervals and more frequent track days during the week.  On average I have been doing 2 track workouts and two bike interval sessions for the past month.  Last week I completed the most volume of quality work to attain super-compensation, targeting two weeks ahead.  Since last week, the workouts have been focusing on speed but reduced interval duration and number of repetitions.  So the legs are still a little tired but each day I am gaining strength and my mind is feeling more balanced and focused on the task ahead. Rest day tomorrow and time for some ice baths, high quality foods and massage.  

Last Friday, I received my triathlon USAT-logo racing suit, socks and the opening ceremony shirt and hat.  To order the racing suit I had to take measurements of my legs, waist and chest.  Just to be safe I ordered one size bigger than my measurements figuring it would be less risky to have some room rather than appear as if I am trying to tear through my gear like the hulk.  Upon arrival I tore open the box like a kid waiting for his new decoder pin to view all the gear and my suit with a USA and my name branded on the front and back.  Later in the day I attempted to put on the suit and struggled with getting the straps over my shoulders. The darn thing was so tight and the zipper would not stay closed!  I felt like a bride that had her dress fitted before gaining 10 stones (there is a zipper in the back that Sarah had to close for me).  When I say tight, I mean really tight! Every vein or crinkle on my body was clearly defined and some other regions left little to the imagination fop any onlooker.  Hopefully, it will be a warm day!  Of course, I had already proudly shown off my gear to some friends that stopped by earlier and I even remarked, “Hmm, watch it not fit me.”  Supposedly the technology is compression wear which aims to help reduce fatigue.  Granted, that might be the case if you can actually move your body.  Well, I hope to lose another pound this week and I found a way to pull up the legging part to make the upper less constricting.  "No returns after the 19th of August" was emphasized on the ordering site. 

 Also on Wednesday my passport arrived (close one!) and a friend offered to lend me their bike travel box which I picked up yesterday. I’ve been receiving emails from USAT and ITU regarding race details; schedule, pasta dinner, race start times, the opening and closing ceremonies and post race party on Sunday.  I went to the ITU site and saw my name incorrectly planted in the 40-45 year olds.  A quick email to USAT’s Amanda Duke, our race organizer, corrected the mix-up at first but then I checked today and I was back in the 40-45 year olds.  So looks like more pesky emails to be sent on my part. 

Thanks for reading and your support!!
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In my line of work, I'm surrounded by scientist from all areas of expertise, from biochemists to biologists.   Yesterday I talked with a colleague about the importance of rest and recovery and my strategy for going to bed earlier over the next few weeks and preparing for an early race. My goal is to be ready for a race that will take place at 3:30 AM on my circadian rhythm  (actual race start is 8:30 for my age group which would be 5 hours earlier in the States.   

I only arrive two days before the race, which is little time for my body to adapt, therefore, my plan while here for the next few weeks is to head off to bed once my kids are asleep and get used to being up early. Last night I hit the pillow at 9:15 PM and I awoke naturally at ~4 AM.  Of course more sleep is good for me at this point so I fell back to sleep for another 90 minutes.  

Eight hours of sleep is a rare night for me so I take it when I can.  After a week of this I'll start to add more frequent early workouts which may require using my bike light.   This colleague suggested that I of include plenty of foods which contain Tryptophan, an essential amino acid which helps our body produce precursors  necessary for Melatonin production.  Melatonin is hormone that will help you fall asleep.  After a hard race or training session try including foods such as turkey, chicken, dried egg whites,  yogurt or vegetables such as soy bean or legumes like peanut butter.    

Workout of the day; easy 90 min spin this morning on my TT bike, no hard efforts.  I was a bit tired from yesterdays track and swim workouts so I made this morning an active recovery session.   I followed this workout with a shake consisting of 2 scoops of whey protein powder, 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, one scoop of Trader Joe's Super Red, 1 banana and two cups milk.   Then I had an egg and cheese croissant about two hours later.   Butter = tasty.
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"Poets talk about "spots of time," but it is really fishermen who experience eternity compressed into a moment. No one can tell what a spot of time is until suddenly the whole world is a fish and the fish is gone." - A River Runs Through It

Its mid August already and this past weekend I happened to find the only available workout window was on my indoor trainer.  During this sessions I ended up watching the somewhat enigmatic movie “A River Runs Through It”. 

Maybe it was the heat or the fact that I was riding my bike in the basement and going nowhere; physically speaking.  In either case, I somehow found myself wandering in thought to a place I'll call: Zen and the Art of the Athlete. 

Maybe you are powering up a hill or running on the road at a steady clip; where every movement is near effortless.  While your breath remains shallow and steady, you find that you've slipped into the zone, a familiar rhythm (maybe a high).  Just as a fly-fisherman,  surrounded by towering mountains and natural distractions, has to disconnect in order to 'connect' with the inner rhythms of the river; finding our own inner rhythm is not much different.  Its like the ultimate in being present and I believe we all get their predictably, yet differently.

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.'  

Finding that inner rhythm and becoming the river flowing, requires knowing your prose - in my case it would definitely have plenty of bass kickin'!  The poetry is being in that moment when we share in that experience both with ourselves and maybe those around us.  It could happen at a race, out on a training ride or in your basement, alone. 

'No one can tell what a spot of time is until suddenly the whole world is a fish and the fish is gone'. 

Take time to discover your river and enjoy those moments of time!
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Thought you might enjoy the race course profile summary for the run and bike legs in the duathlon;http://www.edinburghduathlon2010.com/uploads/Course%20Maps_Competitor%20Versions_Approved.pdf 

Apparently there is over 2000 feet of climbing for the 41K bike course and there is a steep technical descent which could stir things up a bit for less experienced riders.  Also the run has a steep hill that we run up and down a few times.  Therefore, I need to tailor my training a bit over the next few weeks to include more rolling courses both for the bike and run.
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As Fall slowly transformed into Winter last year, I had more time to reflect on my race season and to formulate my goals for the coming year.  I had placed 7th, 5th and 2nd overall in some local duathlon races and I surmised with another Winter of run and bike development I could aim for a more competitive duathlon event.  I set my sights on the national duathlon championships in Richmond, Virginia this past April.   I thought about how Crystal had competed there a year earlier and placed 2nd overall in the women's field and Marti was a former Duathlon World Champion. Living in a strong cycling community I knew my biking would be challenged plenty just from riding with the group.  Being surrounded by such fine company I felt if would be easier to receive guidance and inspiration when I signed up for Richmond.  Winter training went well, there was plenty of consistent running and even indoor bike time trials to boost my power.  I even took up swimming to attempt my second goal of competing in 3 triathlons over the Summer.   I was able to work with Marti starting in March and not only my running improved but also my understanding of the importance of recovery, to avoid over-racing if your race goals are more lofty and how much work it actually takes to improve!
           
 In Richmond, I made some mistakes with my pre-race meal and spent too much time in the car two days before the race resulting in heavy legs and a cramped stomach; lessons learned.  I was passed by multiple competitors in my age group in the last few miles during my second run which was nearing to a crawl.  Upon seeing the results I realized that I was 21st in my age group and only the top 18 automatically qualified for Worlds but the roll-down went up to the top 25 in each age group.  I left the race to get a jump on the drive home with my dad figuring to wait until next year.  In the car and well into the drive, I realized I probably should have waited around to see if I had made the team.   I am an endurance athlete and persistence and enduring is our strength compared to many other sports.  Besides the relaxation and escape that I find on easy training rides and runs, there is the challenge of pushing myself to news limits and a little hope for improvement.   In racing, for me, the goal is mostly to have fun but also there is the goal of outlasting the rest and to see where I end up.  These challenges keep me interested.  The moment I arrived home I emailed USAT and informed them of my interest in representing the team if a spot became available.  Two weeks later I received the exciting email and reserved my spot.  Marti helped in me in this decision to pursue a spot because she emphasized the opportunity to be racing at that level would be a wonderful experience.   Though I barely made the team, I STILL made the team and now I had the opportunity to race with people from all parts of the world in a foreign place that I might never get to venture to again.  A challenge and chance for personal growth.
 
Almost 1 month ago I was preparing for the ECV time trial in Hamilton and I accidentally crashed into another rider and came down hard on one foot spraining my formerly injured knee (nearly 12 years ago).   I tried to shake it off, partly in denial and raced the TT with some moderate discomfort.  Once I stopped, the knee swelled up and stiffened.  I immediately thought "There goes my chance at worlds" and I was quite disappointed.   After a few days of feeling down and still having a sore knee I began to have a perspective change.  This race had been putting too much pressure on me and my family and trying to fit in so much intense training was getting to me.  Or to put it better, I had allowed it pressure me.  I realized that I could not treat this race like a god and slowly my perspective improved back to how grateful I am just to be able to get out for easy rides with friends and to show up for local races and see familiar faces.   I started running 5 days later, every few days I would add a mile then gradually I could run longer.   Then a little speed work again without pain, then  two days in a row, followed by long runs at speeds in more familiar territory.  Last week I trained harder than in previous months, two solid track session and so on.   The race up in Gloucester was my the first test and though I probably had not absorbed all the hard training I put in the past few weeks, it went well enough.   Yesterday, I went to the track and performed 800's at times where I was before the injury and 10 seconds faster than just last Thursday.   Last night, after my solid track session and some thinking, I booked my flight and reserved a small room at the athletic village in Edinburgh, about 20 minutes from the course and the epicenter of where the other athletes will be staying.    

So my goals for the next few weeks;  Rest plenty by going to bed early, putting my legs up when possible, ice baths, massages and eating and drinking healthy and of course getting out for some solid and easy training sessions with friends. There really isn't much more intense training that I need to do in the next few weeks, particularly after next week.  Fitness gains will be marginal at best in that time, therefore, it becomes more imperative to aim for full recovery and go into the race hungry.  Though the talent there will be deep, I plan to be the best prepared Scott at the race... there is my pun for this note.  

I never achieved much athletically as a youth.  I attempted bike racing twice and both times was quickly dropped and stripped of all glycogen getting totally dehydrated, so badly in fact that I had to sneak behind an unknown person's house to drink from their water hose and then when finishing I devoured two peanut butter sandwiches probably leaving half on my face.  Wow, those tasted remarkably good.  If you have ever bonked, you know exactly what I'm talking about.   I joined the track team in high school but was too slow to be a sprinter and didn't lack the endurance to run long, therefore I did a little of everything, javelin, long jump, high-jump and the 400 relay (only when we had a big lead) but I really enjoyed being on a team and competing.  I also joined the crew team in college which helped develop my base for what I'm doing now.   My point is; keep at it, if you want it, set goals and if you endure long enough you may achieve your goals and you may also find every experience along the way is what really matters and the final goal or end result is just a celebration of your journey.  Thanks to everyone for helping me in achieving this vision quest.  I've learned so much from all of you, definitely more than I let you know but hopefully you all do in fact know... that I know ...that you know...  ; )

-Scott
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