My Little LadyBug

After spending a beautiful October morning at the Westfield Halloween Parade, it's pretty apparent to me that all of us new parents have A LOT of fun dressing up our little ones and taking an inordinate number of pictures. We had a lot of fun trying to capture the "perfect" moment...hoping the little ones would hold a particular pose or place in line (or on the ground) just long enough for a picture. We learned that Abigail is quite a little lover, literally, as she spent a good part of the day kissing nearly every baby she laid her eyes on...that's all I need, my 11 month old already has a reputation.

My daughter's risque behavior notwithstanding, it was a really great day. Kira's mommy group is a great crew of girls and it's always nice to see them all together. It seems to be going by so quickly, this first year...it's hard to wrap my hands around the idea that Abigail is almost one. We're waiting for those first few steps and the incoherent mumblings are starting to take some shape. We catch ourselves wishing we could slow things down just a bit, but we're enjoying every minute.

Changing subjects...Kira and I made a few changes to the flickr page with regards to privacy, but we realize it might be more trouble than it's worth. Let me know if you guys are having any problems checking out the pics and we'll do our best to take care of it. Thanks again

Back at it

Wanted to say thanks to everyone for being so supportive in my week of self pity following the Zof...I'm over it. It's really remarkable to have friends and family who are able to offer kind words from so many perspectives.
So, after a week of nothing...no bikes, no runs...nothing...the offseason training has officially started here for Team Theesfeld. This year is a bit different than last, as there won't be another little one arriving in a few weeks time (hard to believe that Abigail is almost 11 months old already). Kira and I are both trying to find a way to keep things rolling along...no big rides or runs or races, just getting outside and enjoying the effort. Slower runs, easy rides...I took the powermeter off my bike, it's nice to be free of the numbers for a bit.

(I'm about to inject some personal feelings with regards to the economy and what I think is going on...nothing real specific. They're only my thoughts, I'm no expert...and I'm totally apologizing ahead of time if anyone thinks I'm full of it...)

I think it's just as important to try and recover from all the other efforts as well. I've admittedly spent too much time getting sucked into all the fear mongering that's out there with regards to the economy. I realize, of course, that part of it is my job to stay informed in order to make good decisions. But there's a difference between being informed and inundated with opinion, conjecture and just plain BS. I wonder if it should still be my job, I wonder what else I could do. I want to be less affected by it...I wish I could just trade the numbers and not constantly wonder what they all mean, where it's all heading. But I also feel so fortunate to wake up with my daughter each morning, to have coffee with my wife. I feel so lucky to have spent all this time with Abigail and Kira from the very beginning...I don't want to miss a thing. At the end of the day, I just want to do what's right...and I think we all feel the same way, regardless of how we go about it.

Sorting it out

Found this on Jordan Rapp's blog...

We tend to celebrate risk only after it has led to great things, which means we rarely celebrate the risk-takers who haven't yet been rewarded for their efforts. The paradox here is that we are often unwilling to embrace ambition and originality until it is safe to do so - in short, we're unwilling to take risks ourselves.

Gotta keep on keepin' on

DNF

The following is an email I sent to my friend Geoff Clark, who was checking in after he hadn't heard from me these past few days after the Zof. It's not as well written or clever as some of my usual posts, but clever and cute doesn't seem as easy right now.

Haven't been able to put it into words yet...3 simple letters, DNF. My first ever. Got off the bike after 5 hours, started the run, my right knee wanted nothing to do with it. Walked a bit, tried to run again, same thing. I was tired, upset , didn't want to fight, frustrated..pulled off my number belt and called it in.
I've spent the last few days trying to figure out what went wrong..still trying to figure it out. On paper, I was ready for a big day, all the numbers looked good. But numbers aren't results and now I've got some time to ponder all the hard work with nothing to show for it. Tough to finish the season this way.
Kira did great, finished the short course in 3:41, easily beating her goal of sub 4 hours. She's going to have set some goals next year other than simply finishing these races.
Thanks for all the encouragement and support Geoff, it's really meant a lot. Fortunately, it looks like the 2010 Zof is in May, so I won't have to wait too long for another chance. Full details...and some discussions, perhaps, on where things might have gone wrong...to follow.

Thanks again to everyone who offered their support these past few months...and particular thanks to Kira, who is now dealing with a husband suddenly questioning his ability and mental strength. I wish I could go out and give it another shot tomorrow, just to erase some of these doubts in my head. Instead, I'll try my best to sort out the good and bad and figure out what went wrong. It makes for a far less satisfying end of the season, but it makes me look forward to erasing these thoughts from my mind when 2010 gets rolling

Just One Day

6...Months of focused training
4000...miles of riding and running
Nearly 300...hours of time on the bike or pavement or trails
All for one day
Tomorrow is the Zof, finally. We dropped Abigail and Luna off at my folks house last night. Our first night away from our little girl, and we miss her so much. Kira is in tears at the kitchen table and I'm trying to keep a strong chin. It'll get easier, won't it?
Kira is battling a stiff neck which will make the ride a bit uncomfortable, but she's ready to suffer thru it. I'm ready to put it out there and see what happens. The forecast is for a chilly start but a sunny, 60 degree day. A fine day for some suffering...so Bring It On