New Sponsor: SPYDER OPTICS

Well I got a new sponsor, a sunglasses sponsor. Spyder Optics, they are mostly still in Asia but they are slowly making their way to the US market. You have probably heard of them, affiliated with snowboarding, skiing, BMX biking, etc...now triathlon-ing! I wore their glasses on Saturday in Oklahoma to race and they were awesome. I will put up some pics once I have them from my dad, I used the Lithium to race in (see pic on left)...nice and small frame, fancy lookin' red iridiscent lenses and a very comfortable nose-bridge so that they did not come close to fogging up. Definitely one of the most comfortable pair of sunglasses I have ever raced in! Another nice pair for wearing around, running, etc is the Magma. Looking forward to working with them and helping them become a big name in the triathlon world! Check them out.

Photo by Mario Cantu

Redman Half-Ironman

I just returned yesterday from Oklahoma, where I raced the Redman 1/2 Ironman on Saturday. This was truely a 'low key' race, as I imagine there were maybe 500-600 participants total, the full Ironman and half Ironman included. It was very different than most of the races I have done this summer, but it was a very welcome change. I feel most in my element in small, local, laid-back races. I feel like all of the hype and intensity just makes me nervous, and I spend energy 'trying to' remain relaxed. Unfortunatley those are the races you 'have to' perform well at, but I loved every minute of this one. I have a full race report on my website, all in all it was an excellent day. I dropped my personal best 1/2 Ironman time down to a 4:27, which is very exciting to me as I now feel that a low-4:20 is possible. The good thing about this one is, it was not all the swim and the run...the bike was also a personal best split at a 2:30. I guess that I also won the overall race, men and women. The women started 15 minutes back, so I did not actually cross the finish line first but I believe I was the overall winner. Which is cool! I did not expect that. My Aunt Sandy, Uncle Del, cousin Megan and her husband Doug all think I am the best in the world...I said, "Just wait until the Dallas US Open in a few weeks. Check out the results...you'll see, there are a ton of women much much better than I...!" But, you never know, right? I'll spend a few days recovering from this one, and then try to train hard for about a week as Derick and I will head to South Carolina on October 4th for his sisters wedding. Until then, I will most definitely enjoy the good feeling from this race! I am so happy that things finally seem to be 'coming together'. Take care and thanks for stopping by. :)

...Why?

I was just reading over Lance's 'race report' on the 3 Stories blog. He raced a half-marathon about 6 weeks (?) out from his Olympic Trials marathon. While he was somewhat bummed about his result (albeit a tough course and I am guessing in the midst of a heavy training load), he found himself wondering the infamous question, 'Why do I do this'? I wrote a nice comment to him and then well, it disappeared. I found it interesting he was talking about this because this past weekend, on a long run I was doing, I began thinking the same thing.

I have often been asked, "Why do you do it?" Which is a completely understandable question...often days I do 2 workouts, often weekend days I am up by 8:00 or so to spend 3-4 hours riding or 1.5 hours running. Not that it 'really' seems all that amazing or impressive to me, it is just 'what I do'. But Sunday I was feeling particularly good and I got to thinking, the reason I do it is for that ever-so-rare moment that you cross the finish line, smiling, and raise up your arm, thinking, "Finally! I KNEW I had that in me!", usually followed by stopping, resting the hands on the knees, and then walking, with that elated and 'everything is good' feeling. Now this does not happen often. As a matter of fact, at least for me, this happens very rarely. Usually it is a 'solid effort on the day, decent race, not perfect and a lot to improve upon.'

But that is precisely what makes these moments so unique, so sought after. They shouldn't come easily. And I know I may not always say this, but, I don't WANT them to come easily. I'd rather work my tail off and see the results than just breeze through it, never appreciating any victory. And since these 'zone' days do not occur often, yes, we work hard to achieve them but in the process, all of the expriences, the day in/day out dedication, the ups and downs of what we go through, this is all what makes us who we are. It gives us character. So even though we never know the end outcome, while I hope it is that elated feeling that I work so hard for, well...even if it isn't I know that I put it all on the line, did so honestly and I am a better person for what I have endured. As cliche as it sounds, ultimately it really is all about the journey.

Back To School.

Well, not for me but for my nephew Jack. Jack is...um,...I think Jack is about 3. Yes, that sounds good. (Sorry Cori, I love him and all but I cannot keep track). Jack had his first day of pre-school and here is a picture. I guess that he jumped out of bed with his PJ's and backpack on ready to go. And while all others were crying, he was already taking out his toys. Classic. Guess he's ready to flee the nest, eh? That is all for today. Just had to share this very cute picture.

Oh, it is raining in Austin. Which is fine with me. Granted I cannot ride outside, or I guess "I won't' when it is raining a lot, but this is a sign of fall coming which is very exciting! I am ready for 50-degree nights and football games. Well, I know I'll have one of those 2 things...this ain't Colorado, after all. I hear we have a cold front moving through and it will be in the 60's tonight. Well, I have to take what I can get.

A Good Dinner, Some Solid Training & A Little Whine

This was a good weekend. Friday I decided that after 3 consecutive nights of Quesedillas, Pizza and Nachos for dinner (Tues-Wed-Thurs), we NEEDED real food. Nourishment, if you will. So Derick went to Whole Foods and got us some Ahi Tuna Steaks. He seared them and we had some asparagus, olive loaf bread and of course VINO to accompany. It was an excellent dinner, to say the least! I was already feeling healthier.

Then comes the good training. I got up on Saturday morning and decided to head out with a few 'roadies'. Dave Wenger, who works with Derick and is a total badass, was riding with a few other guys who were all racing a road race today. So, I knew the pace would be mellow for the 2 hours they were riding. And it is fun to ride with different groups, as I meet some new people and see different scenery. I wish I could remember the route, but I am terrible at know ing where I am until I have ridden a route at least 4 times. But I enjoyed having the company for about 2.5 hours, and then I fueled up on a black bean & potatoe taco (that Dave's girlfriend Emily had for everyone!) and charged on for another 1.5 hours solo. Completed my 4 hours! Check. The evening was great as we went to Opal Divines with our friend John, and enjoyed some burgers and beer (still healthy in my book!) and some live music. The night was completed by Derick saying he could do 20 pull-ups, and me making him prove it. Unfortunately, he only did 13. Fourtunately, we bet a 6-pack of 'winners choice' of beer and well, I am the winner. John matched him @ 13 as well, so there will be a re-match in the near future.

And a little whine...I decided to sleep in and make pancakes for breakfast. Thus, this meant that I had to do my 1.5 hour run at about 1:00, probably the hottest part of the day. HOLY MOLY....to say it was hot is an understatement. I ran with (behind?) Derick for 45 minutes 'out' whereby I turned back, and he kept going. I went out feeling somewhat good, and finished panting. And crawling to the door. Well that may be a bit dramatic, but it was h-o-t. Anyhew the weekend was nice, got in 2 very good long workouts and tonight we're off to have dinner at a friends house! Life is good. :)

Austin Triathlon: A Painful Win

Photo Courtesy of Mario Cantu

Well, The Austin Triathlon was this morning. I have a full 'report' on my website, www.kellyhandel.com, so check that out to hear all the gory details. Actually nothing gory about it but was a heck of a tough day! It started off awesome as Shawn Colvin sang the national anthem (only in Austin, right?) right there before the swim. The coolest part was she was just in her running clothes, totally low-key.

The swim was in Town Lake, A.K.A. Lady Bird Lake. It felt a bit on the long side, but hey we all swim the same distance so it was all good. I opted to go non-wetsuit since the water was 78 degrees and the air was muggy. I used my Zoot Speedzoot, not only does it make me fast but it looks cool too. I exited about 2nd overall which was cool. :) I heard someone yell out to Jason McMillan 'You got chicked!', which made me laugh (he dropped me quick on the bike). I felt strong, rode hard but got passed SWIFTLY by a woman who I had no idea who she was! I kept peddaling away (what else to do?) and came into T2 about 1.5 minutes down, so as I had my work cut out for me. I pushed the first of 2 laps as much as I could and I was slightly decreasing her lead, but it was not until about mile 4-5 that I actually passed her. She was a phenomenal cyclist. At that point, I felt good and a bit relieved but didn't count my chickens 'til they had hatched (doesn't the saying go something like that?)...I made the final turn, saw Derick cheering :) and then tried to drop whatever 'hammer' I had left. I pushed in to the finish hard, slapping peoples hands - which was so cool, the fans were a huge help today - and crossed first, happy and very tired too.

This was an extremely well organized event, and a ton of fun. Jack and Adams, ya'll deserve a pat on the back, a rest and a well-deserved beer or 3. Thanks so much for making the first Austin Triathlon a big success and a lot of fun! And great job to all the other Jack and Adams racers, as well the new town phenom Derek Yorek. This guy just moved to Austin, and he ran 30-min+ 10k. Once he learns to ride a bike and brings his swimming down, he'll be scary fast. Thanks for reading!

KITTENS!

Yes! We have kittens! By far the most exciting news in the past week. This morning, Derick went to his car around the side of our house to get something out of his car. He called me outside, "Kelly! Come here, quick! Quiet..hurry!" I came outside and saw him crouched down by the cars, looking alongside the house. And there were 4 adorable little kittens playing! There were 2 gray ones and 2 black ones, all about the size that can fit in the palm of your hand, playing in the grass. We noticed a small hole in the cement foundation of the house, which I am guessing they sneak down under and there is probably a little Cat House down there.

So, I immediately attended to Mommy Tripod on our back porch and gave her a Sunday Brunch of tuna fish salad. I mean, she is nurturing these little guys so she needs good food. Derick was right, about a month ago, he said she 'looked pregnant'. She then disappeared for a few days, whereby I guess she went under our house and popped the little guys out.

Anyway, I am off to the store for the weekly groceries. You know, bananas, spinach, pizzas, cat food, milk, and tuna fish. I have to nourish the little ones! I think we'll take one in in the next few weeks. Anyone looking for a kitten, let us know! We have 3 spares.

Oh, in other news, ...tomorrow is the Austin Triathlon. And, Friday was the Fila Relays. This is an event whereby each person ran a leg of 2.5 miles around Zilker Park (where Austin City Limits takes place). I ran with Gate Davis, Derick and Paul Pugh. We got 2nd overall, with a girl on the team nonetheless! Was a fun night until the BLACK SKY rolled in and ended it abruptly. Unfortunately, all we got out of it was some rain, no big storm. Let's hope that the storms hold off for tomorrow mornings race. Although, if they did roll in, it would fit the pattern from this summer (with Cap Tex cancelled and Red River Triathlon turned Duathlon!). We shall see! Until then, enjoy your Labor Day weekend. :)