The New Year started out with my 3rd Annual Polar Bear Ride and Plunge.
The plan was to ride from Yorba Linda to Huntington Beach, jump in the ocean with some other people and ride home.
Besides my guy and me, I had 5 other people say they were going and 8 "maybe"s.
We (Robert and I) got up early and I checked my phone....
.....not making it because....
....don't feel well, staying home....
....partied too much last night....
Robert and I looked at each other figured since it was whittled down to the two of us we weren't really on a time schedule....so we had a cup of coffee....
and then we had a second cup.........
We left our house about an hour later than we would have if other people were going.
Sorry you all missed the ride and the fun....happy to spend the day alone with my guy.
Everything works out for a reason!
We put the bikes in the BIG car and headed out.
Brrr...it was 45 degrees, but weather.com called for sunny and 71 degrees at the beach.
It was sunny when we started in Yorba Linda. We pedaled easy and talked.
And stopped (calls from his work, call from my daughter).
The ride started out sunny.....but by mile 13 the weather had changed.
It was foggy.
It was cold.
I had dew droplets dropping off my helmet and nose.
I was having second thoughts.
When we got to the Huntington Beach Pier it was starting to clear up. It was starting to warm up.
And I still had time for breakfast before the plunge.
$20 for a tshirt, having men cook me pancake breakfast and a lot of fun! Worth every penny!
Robert and I joked how this was going to be the most unhealthy meal of our year...and it was our first. Robert asked me if I wanted more high-fructose corn syrup on my pancakes. NO! But I would have loved some REAL maple syrup.
Almost time to take a dip.
I have to stop here and tell you that at this point I was thinking maybe I wouldn't take a dip. I was on the fence. Yes, it had warmed up, and yes, I had paid. But, I was not looking forward to riding home with wet tri-shorts and a wet sports bra. Everyone around me has been sick and I've been staying HEALTHY, but I've been tired....and I didn't want to push myself over the edge.
But when I sat down at the table to post a picture on FB of Robert and me, I was hit with news that a friend had passed after her battle with cancer. I don't want to or won't go into a lot of details, but I had the privilege of knowing her through her children. Her son spent some nights at our house when he was playing water polo with my boys. Her daughter went to the same school as my daughter.
We weren't the best of friends, but I liked her.
She was around my age.
And now she was dead.
But I was alive.
I am alive.
And last year when I did not take the dip at the New Year's Day Plunge because it was freaking cold, well, I felt some regret afterwards.
I don't want to feel any regrets about my life when I come to the end.
I don't want to look back and say, "Gee, I really wish I would have stripped down to my tri-shorts and sports bra and run into the cold ocean water on January 1, 2014. Why didn't I?"
So I did.
First, I promised the lifeguard he would not have to save me.
Then I gathered with the other 300 crazy people.....
and ran into the Pacific Ocean.
I ran out far enough to easily dunk down to my neck and then I ran my wet hands over my face and my hair.
I'm the one walking out of the water, almost in the middle of the picture.
I rejoined Robert who was given a "Certificate of Sanity" for avoiding the waters at the 14th Annual Huntington Beach Surf City Splash.
He should be proud!!!
I was wet and little chilled when we started our ride back to Yorba Linda. I did have my handwarmers that I stuck in my shoes.
I love these things....
The ride back was quick.
Before I knew it we were at the car and the bikes were loaded.
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