Happy 2013!

Well, here we are...2013!

Otherwise known as the year in which I will have been writing on this blog for 8 years.  EIGHT YEARS.  Yeah, I can't believe it, either.  Is anyone still out there that's been with me since the beginning?  Can I hear it from my O.G.s in da HIZZOUSE?

Anyway, a lot's happened in 8 years.

But one thing remains the same: on New Year's Day, I shall taketh the ridiculous Polar Plunge into Lake Erie.

I mean, it's seriously less than a mile from my house.  How can I pass this up?

Although I have to admit that this year, I thought about it.  The air temp was 25F with a wind chill of 11, and the water temp was 38.  Not to mention the copious amounts of snow we had on the ground.

But man up, I did!  And although this was probably the coldest/most miserable Polar Plunge I've done (I think it ties the other really cold one) it was still fun.

Me and some of my other equally bat-$@#t crazy friends

I'm pretty excited about what 2013 will bring.  First off, remember that whole thing where I was trying to drop a few pounds?

I'm down 12.  TWELVE POUNDS!  Yippee!  I feel great and my clothes feel much better.  I am almost to the point where I may need some new pants.  Mostly it's just good to be a little leaner.  I am at a weight that I don't think I've been at since maybe 10th grade or so.  Hopefully now I can work on adding a little muscle.

Someone needs to PUMP ME UP

Mostly I'm just so darn happy NOT to have a huge running race on the horizon.  After two rough injury-laden springs where I've pretended I'm a runner, I decided to stick with what I do best.  Training has been fun and I've really been looking forward to workouts.  I am definitely a triathlete at heart.  I hope to hit June raring to go this year instead of hobbling around and swearing a lot and saying "has anyone seen a pool lately? cuz I haven't" and just in general kicking lots of triathlon ass this year.

Happy 2013, everyone!