Warming Up

It’s finally warming up after a bitterly cold week. We had a bit of cabin fever and decided to get out for a hike. We bundled Eli up in a newborn onesie and nestled him into his LÍLLÉbaby. He only weighs about eight pounds, but the extra weight is noticeable. Not only that, but the freeze-thaw cycle during the last 24 hours made the trek treacherous at times, especially with my new precious cargo. If there’s ice the next time we do this, I think I’ll opt for some additional traction and put on my Yaktrax. We made it about 4 miles and I struggled to keep up with a recovering Morgan, but the good news is, we can do this; we can still get out and enjoy our favorite trails together, it just takes a bit more preparation and planning.

Eli's first hike. He slept most of the time.

Cyclocross Escape

Braving the cold out at Boulder Reservoir.

The cold continues and we’ve all been holed up inside. I half-excitedly, half-reluctantly got out of the house for a frigid cyclocross race out at the Boulder Reservoir. My parents are in town to meet Eli, so they came along to watch. It was great to see my friends at LTD Cycleworx, but equally nice to have an excuse to get back to the family and escape the 10 degree temperatures after the race.

Despite the adventure of riding skinny tires through the snow, I felt guilty for leaving Morgan home alone with a one-week-old baby. We’re quickly seeing the value of teamwork and it was nice of her to volunteer to take on the challenge of being a solo parent for a few hours while I got my adventure fix. I hope to be able to return the favor soon.

First time racing cyclocross in the snow.

Frigid First Day Home

We had a high of 70 degrees the day Eli was born and the proceeding three days were beautiful, but today—the day we brought Eli home from the hospital—it was snowy and 10 degrees. The first three days in the hospital were a new experience. How do you continue to do the things you love while devoting all of your energy to the people you love? I managed to get out for a few nice runs while Morgan (Dirt Mom) and Eli were napping, but I’m wondering what a cold winter will be like with a newborn and a recovering wife. How can we all have fun together? How’s Eli going to do in the cold? Will we still be able to get out and ski? There are a lot of unknowns at this point!
 

Home for the first time and getting settled in.