The Yin and Yang that was 2012

December 29th, 2012

Another year draws quickly to a close. 

Thank heavens.

I, like many, many of my friends, am plenty happy to see 2012 end.    It was an "interesting" year for many of us.

While I have to say that the good stuff outweighed the not-so-good stuff, I am glad to be closing the books on the year, and I'm nothing that hopeful and excited about 2013.

The great things that happened this year:

• I finally, finally, FINALLY became an Ironman.  The third time was definitely the charm and I got to finally cross that finish line in Madison at 11:06 pm last September 9th.  I had a great year of training and participated in a number of new and fun events to help me prep for the big race.   These included the five-hour Y rides, Hillfest, the Nature Valley Grand Prix spectator crit, Tour De Tonka, Timberman Oly tri, the Madison mini marathon and many, many, many visits to Madison to ride that bike course.  
• I had the support of some great people, including my Hubby, who ran a lot of late night long runs with me.  My friends Marcia and Gary, who also joined me for a lot of runs.   My best bud, Natalie, cheered me on from afar (aka Lisbon, North Dakota), and I had a lot of other friends from my old running club and from work that encouraged me along the way.  That made the journey (and the long hours of training) a lot of fun.
• I went back to work with my first 1/2 iron coach, Greg Rhodes, which was a very, very smart decision.  He knows and understands me and my abilities; he sets up workouts that challenge me and encourages me. I can't recommend him enough and I'm looking forward to working with him in 2013 as he helps me become faster and stronger with Olys and 1/2 iron distance tris.
• I was very lucky to have been able to take some great trips with my Hubby.  We were lucky to take not one, but two cruises (January and December).   We both just R E L A X when we are at sea.   We were able to do some fun stuff on those journeys:  golfing in Cozumel; biking in St. Maarten; snorkeling in St. Thomas.   We hit New York for the Marathon that wasn't; we celebrated our anniversary in Las Vegas; we spent Thanksgiving with my family in California.   We are very, very, very fortunate to be able to travel and we've stored up lots of memories from these trips.
• Hubby and I have both been blessed with health.  The biggest gift of all.   Without it, all the rest is bupkis.
• Hubby had a great golf season this year.  He won a number of his tournaments and moved up in his rankings.  He played in the Golf Channel Amateur Channel's national tournament again and had a blast.
• Our kitten Oscar, who was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and given two months to live back in November 2011, is still here and purring loud and proud every day.  He has to take medicine twice each day, but we are so thrilled that he is doing so well.   We are thankful every day that he, and the other three furry friends we live with, are all doing well and are happy cats.
• We got to attend some happy events in the lives of our friends:  weddings, graduations, birthdays and more.   We are lucky to be able to take part in celebrations and to give lots and lots of hugs.

I did make some dumb decisions, though.  One in particular was very short-sighted.  I made a move that, in retrospect, I'd make differently if I had the chance to do it again.  It may not have made the best decision, but it is one I've learned from. 

Dumb decisions aside, here is the thing about time and life: unlike golf, we don't get mulligans.  

We do, though, get to make other decisions. Make next moves.   Turn another corner.   Change direction.  And that remains the beauty of January 1st.   The proverbial "new leaf". 

I enter 2013 with a lot of resolutions and goals, including work with an nutritionist specializing with endurance athletes.  I already have lots of fun triathlons and other events on the calendar and paid for, including some new ones for me:  SuperiorMan (what fun it will be to jump off a boat in to Lake Superior!) -- Ironman Racine 70.3 -- the Point to LaPoint swim -- just to name a few.  

While I'm really looking forward to my 2013 race calendar, I'm more importantly looking forward to my LIFE calendar and to finding ways to REALLY take the road(s) less traveled.

I also have high hopes and wishes for all of you:  That 2013 will be better than 2012 (even if 2012 was your best year ever).  That we won't fall off the fiscal cliff; that the economy will continue to rebound;  that you and yours will find health and happiness and love and PRs (if that is your thing). 

In short, happy new year everyone.