Trip to Monterey

Allison, Isabella and I all went to Monterey, CA for my friend Freddy's retirement from the Army. His family is all from Monterey and when you have the connections that Freddy does, you can pull some strings to make things happen so he was able to have his retirement ceremony in his hometown.













Freddy and I met at Ft. Bragg when I had just come back from Korea and he had just returned from DLI (Defense Language Institute) out in Monterey where he had learned Hatian Creole. As a linguist, Freddy speaks 6 languages fluently and is teaching many of them to his kids. We've been friends ever since we met in May of 95. We've both been through a lot of changes and I've seen him through some rough times since then, but there have been many great times as well. He's one of those low maintenance friends that you can always count on and lives a great example of how to love others unconditionally.














The trip was short, but we were able to get to see a good bit of Monterey, Carmel, and the surrounding area. It's a beautiful part of CA and seems to be largely unspoiled by over development unlike the rest of CA and much of the US. Even so, it's not a cheap place to live by any stretch of the imagination.














Isabella did great on the trip. She slept through the night every night were were there in the hotel room and she was a perfect angel on the plane ride there and back. She is such a good baby. She was even happy amongst all the chaos of his family and the retirement party and tons of overstimulation. She took it all in stride her mommy and daddy were happy to have her along with us on the trip.

WARNING! Stupidity ahead.

Yesterday (Sunday) I had planned to get in some good training in the morning before taking Allison to the Home and Garden show in Denver. Lee and Monique were going to meet us there too. I headed down to Waterton Canyon and had planned to run the 7+ mile dirt road up the canyon and back and then bike it. Since I started out running, I took 2 bottles of Accelerade with me to stay fueled for the run and bike and paced myself easily.
The uphill run didn't take long or much energy so since I was feeling so good, I decided to hit the single track trail at the top of the canyon. This trail is the beginning of the Colorado Trail but it has a loop that comes back around to the canyon road. The single track loop is a little over 3 miles of beautiful scenery and I knew the way having biked it before. The first mile was great, but steep and I was still feeling good.
Most of the snow I encountered on this 45+ degree (in the mntns.-60 in Denver) day was packed down by hikers and there were little patches of ice that were easy to avoid. I was wearing my Continental Divides and shorts with 2 shirts and my carried water bottles. As I got to the trail split where it leads on to the Colorado Trail or circles back around to the road, I took the loop since that's what I was familiar with. All of the foot traffic that I had seen up to that point had abruptly stopped so apparently everyone had been doing an out and back instead of taking the scenic loop. Wonder why?
After a little more climbing and some muddy sections, I hit the back side of the mountain where it stays shaded and the snow was still pretty deep on most of the trail. The wind and sun had caused it to crust over making it a thin shell of rough ice on top of deep snow. I was making fresh tracks and not minding the first section of 6-8 inches of untrodden snow when I came upon a section wherein I sank up to my waist! Not only that, but the crust on top had cut my exposed legs once my foot broke through the top layer. It cut me going in and again when pulling my leg out. This was a little uncomfortable, but I was not to be deterred from this picturesque training opportunity. It was a minor annoyance, but anyone who knows me knows that little cuts and scratches mean nothing to me. As I continued forward, I kept thinking, "This deep stuff probably won't last for long." Each step, I lost more skin and was beginning to bleed pretty steadily. I was still fairly warm although my skin was starting to get numb from being encased in snow from the hips down. It's an odd feeling to have good bloodflow and to be warm despite being soaking wet and covered in ice. As long as I kept moving forward, I knew I'd be ok. The deep stuff continued. Then got a little better for a few feet, but overall I stupidly forced myself through about 1.25 miles of that painful experience. A couple of times, I was unable to maintain my balance and toppled over into the snow at which point I'm sitting (in shorts) in a snowbank up to my neck. My first thought was to sit there for a moment and catch my breath and take a short rest, but the reality of my situation kicked in quickly and I realized that was NOT a good idea. 10 miles away from civilization and being on foot is definitely not a good place to tempt hypothermia. It transitioned from being an amusing novelty at first, to being an annoyance, to being an uncomfortable test of will power, to being an slightly frightening challenge from which I have quickly learned.
My original plan was to run 12-14 miles and then bike the same, but my curiosity got the better of me and it turned into the hardest 17+ I've ever done. Besides the snow fiasco, the mountainous terrain was a little steeper than I was prepared for at that distance.



















In the end, I toughed it out and made it back to my car in 3 hours and 40 mins missing some skin and a little blood. What doesn't kill you, only makes you tougher.... right? I realized when I got back to the car, that I had only drank 1 and 1/3 of my 2 bottles. I don't think I was dehydrated, but I'm going to have to start paying better attention to my fueling, my surroundings, and learn to keep my sense of adventure in check.

Groovy blisters and a selfish daddy?

For the past few weeks, I've been doing some weight training and riding my bike on the trainer in between runs. Haven't been able to be very consistent on the runs, but every one has felt good so far. I've had to incorporate some road running back into the routines due to necessity, but that's ok for now. Surprised myself and did a 15k route in 1 hour and 18 mins with some BIG hills the other day. Since I've had to take so much time off running because of the surgery, moving, new baby, and numerous other reasons, my feet have lost the callouses and become tender. This has led to blisters where the callouses used to be and now I'm left trying to figure out the best way to manage them until I can get the base/regular mileage back up again. I've found a few routes that I can get in some long runs on the trails and will hopefully get to those soon.

Allison also started running again lately and I gladly take my turn keeping Isabella occupied while she gets back into the swing of things. She's aiming for the Denver Half marathon in June and I've just about got her talked into doing the Leadville heavy Half in July. It's cool because I can tell she's doing it because she wants to and not because she thinks I want her to. That's an important distinction for anyone who knows us. She continues to make me proud!

Being a daddy gets better every day. The little things that only mommies and daddies get to be a part of are becoming more and more special all the time. Parenthood can be such a soul searching task sometimes. I've thought to myself that I should have had kids sooner and not wasted so much of my life on myself. When I go running though, I realize that the act of running is for me only and that makes me feel a little selfish. This leads me to wonder how much and at what level I should train and indulge my love of competition as well as my love of activity in the outdoors. How do you balance/reconcile selfish desires with the selflessness of parenthood? It hasn't been much of a direct conflict yet, but I can see that it might be one day. I just want to avoid regret and bitterness if at all possible, but I'm sure that some is inevitable. Just thinking out loud.

feeling the need

Last weekend (12-13th) I got in back to back runs on Sat and Sun. This past weekend, I got back to back couch sits with the littlest lady. Today, (Monday) I went for a frigid 5 miler in the light snow/freezing fog. Was a little under dressed for it, but I made it ok. The route I took was 2.5 miles uphill and back down for another 2.5. I was surprised when I got back in 43 mins. Although it's a very gradual climb, (500 feet total) I felt very slow on the way out and only moderately consistent on the way back. Still, I felt good and cold, but energized and glad that I made the effort. My Continental Divides did great in the snow despite the lack of additional traction. Hoping to start picking up the mileage again soon. I really miss running with the Trail Nerds! They are great company, motivation, and a good source of accountability when you need it.

lately...

training hasn't been going very well. It's pretty much been non-existent. I've been running twice in the past 3 weeks and I'm feeling my fitness leaving me by the day. The lack of sleep, family visiting, and various other things have all been taking priority instead of getting in some exercise. That really needs to change.
Recently, I've been given a pair of the Salomon XT Wings to try out on the trails. The pair I have are very red and I like the sensifit lacing system initially. We'll see how they fare on some runs. They're also comfortable upon initial wearing, but once again, we'll have to put them to the trail running test.





























Allison and I were at the Columbia outlet the other day and noticed that they're carrying Montrail shoes now. We each picked up a pair of trail runners (not that we REALLY NEEDED them) for $10!!! That right, I said TEN (10) bucks! Couldn't pass that deal up! She picked up a pair of CTCs and I got another pair of the venerable Hardrocks.
The plan is to start back with low to moderate mileage within the next two weeks and gradually work my way up from there. I NEED to get back into it for several reasons. Not the least of which is my health. I've got a cold or sinus infection which has hung around for WAY too long and it's frustrating because I haven't been sick in over 2 years. I'm pretty sure it's due to the lack of exercise.














The hand is still healing ok I guess. Rehab is off and on and it's my fault for not being more on top of it. I just hope it's fully functional by spring time. The baby is starting to sleep a little better so I think I should be able to find some time and energy soon to get back on track.

stuff about stuff

Matt Hart just recently posted a link to this site about consumerism. Be sure to watch The Story of Stuff when you get a chance.
Unfortunately, our country doesn't have a good track record when it comes to consuming less. Our capitalistic society has glorified consumerism because of our collective love of the almighty dollar and it's coming around to bite us in the butt.
It reminds me of this:

Big Box Mart | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Much of Western culture takes the path of less resistance or the path of perceived greatest pleasure. This is evident in our rising obesity epidemic, the constant commercials for more luxurious cars, and the current market conditions in the housing/mortgage sector. People get in over their head because they're convinced that they NEED more luxury or more space. Why do we allow this to go on?
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for progress and technological advancement, but it has to be SUSTAINABLE progress. Newer and better gets shoved at us so fast now that we don't have time to fully utilize and appreciate what we currently have. When is the last time you repaired a hole in a pair of socks or mended something on your clothes? We've become so accustomed to everything being disposable because the price of consumables is low enough we don't give it a second thought. This also speaks to our lack of discipline. We seek the quickest or easiest way to achieve what we think we want. Instant gratification is rarely productive in the long run.
Have you noticed that the quality of most things has dropped substantially in the last 20 years? Computers/parts/peripherals, etc, don't last as long. Cars aren't driven as long as they used to be. Phone and/or cable service gets changed every few months now because we can save money by switching to something else, or because the service sucks. How many of you would rather go get another new printer or just buy new ink cartridges which cost almost as much?
Why don't we wake up and see that our love of money (corporate greed/ personal wealth and perceived status) is what is driving this? We need to start shifting our values to more substantial ones which will HAVE to start with taking our focus off of ourselves.

First time away

alright, once again, the obligatory baby updates (pics and vid) can be found HERE! (http://ben-reeves.blogspot.com/)
Saturday night/Sunday morning I got in from Brian's wedding in Atlanta. We had a good time and it was a beautiful wedding and another eligible bachelor is off the market. I'm glad I was able to be a part of it.










































While there, Allison sent me pictures of Isabella from her phone every morning. That really made me miss them both even more. It was strange for me. I'm used to being self sufficient while on the road and this time, although I was glad to be spending time with Brian, I really missed holding my little girl. Maybe that means I'll be a good daddy.

getting more handy

I got a good report from my hand surgeon on my follow up visit the other day. Going in, I was prepared for a scolding. My last visit to him, he gave me a prescription for a splint for the thumb and more physical therapy. I never went to it or got the splint, but I did stretching and exercises on my own for the hand. The Dr didn't scold me and was sufficiently impressed with my progress. I'm still hoping to get full range of motion back to all fingers soon, but it's not happening soon enough for me.

Thanksgiving

First thing's first. More gratuitous baby pictures are posted HERE.

That being said, after a little cuddle time, I decided that I've had enough of the indoors. A little play time was in order Trail Nerd Style!

Cuddle time!

I'm in the process of moving blog entries over to my other blog (The stuph of life) and will be returning this one to running, biking, training, racing, and injury recovery soon.

Although I haven't been a daddy for long, I'm pretty sure this is one of the best things about it. My daughter is turning me into a giant softie (especially around the middle) but I'm loving every minute of it.














Note that the cast is off the left hand now. One surgery scar is visible.



































I'm currently trying to figure out how to (easily) move blog entries from one blog over to another. If anyone knows, please clue me in.

She's home

Yesterday (Wed 14 Nov) we checked out of the hospital and brought our baby girl home after her and mommy both received a clean bill of health. We've had help from my good friend Lee in taking care of things around the house while we get used to some changes. It's been an amazing realization so far because thanks to all of our good friends and family and their generosity, we have everything we need and it's so nice not to have to worry about not having anything to provide for our little one. I think it's really cool when I notice all the different gifts from various friends and family that added up together, complete the necessities that we need to provide. It makes us really appreciate our friends and family who are part of us welcoming Isabella into the world, even if they are not here with us. Here's a short clip of her that I took of her in her room after a feeding.


Thank you all for your compliments and well wishes. We look forward to Isabella getting to meet everyone who is such a big part of our lives.

Daddy's girl

Here's a short little clip of our new girl. She's sleepy because she has a full belly. And because it's exhausting having daddy kissing her all the time.

Meet Miss Isabella Marie Reeves

Our little princess arrived at 1:05 am on Monday morning November the 12th, 2007. Although she was 13 days early, she weighs in at 6 lbs and 15 ounces and is just over 18 inches long.

WOO HOO!!!

After taking about10 hours to get dilated, Allison only had to push for about an hour to get Isabella out at 1:05 am on Monday morning! Both Allison and baby are doing fine.



















I'M A DADDY NOW!!!

OWIE!!!

The contractions are getting closer and more intense. We're starting the epidural in a few minutes. It's currently 8:21 pm Sunday night and Payton Manning has just thrown his fifth interception!!! :-p
Stay tuned...

Here she comes!

So last night/this morning, Allison started having some contractions around 1 am. We're now in the L&D room @ Skyridge Medical Center and they've started a pitocin drip to help speed things along.














More to come later!

healing and dreaming

While the hand continues to heal and physical therapy helps me get it usable again, all I can do for the time being is ponder upcoming parenthood and dream of things like the videos below.

See more videos like this at Mountain Biking at YourMTB.com

See more videos like this at Mountain Biking at YourMTB.com

As much fun as biking is (especially since I'm in mtb heaven) I'm really looking forward to returning to running the trails. The scenery here is spectacular and it will soon transition from fall to winter running. FUN FUN FUN!!! :-)

on the mend?

So on Wednesday, I guess the surgery went ok. The Dr said that after going in there he decided he needed to use plates as well as screws to put the bones back together again. He also said that he feels good about re-attaching the ligament to my thumb. As much as I absolutely hate taking drugs, I'm pretty thankful for Vicodin right now. Lets see how well it heals in another month or so...

OUCH!!!

Wednesday morning I'm scheduled for surgery. The Dr. said he'll put in screws and possibly a plate to reconstruct the spiral breaks in the 3rd & 4th metacarpals and then he'll try to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament. The whole procedure should take about 2 hours and recovery will be around 2 months. This means I'll have to learn how to change diapers with one hand! :-(

DOH!

I just needed a little lower PSI in my tires & they probably could've held onto the trail. As it is though, I'm now looking at having some pins possibly put in my left hand to put it back together. Friday afternoon I was just going for a short bike ride at the trails by my house and instead of keeping my fun meter in check, I was going a little too fast and went down hard enough to break my left hand. Oh well, at least I can still run! The hand should be healed in time to hold my little girl when she gets here unless she decides to come early.



















Injuries suck!!