Happy New Year...With A Plunge

2011 LJCSC's Polar Bear Plunge and Chili Potluck

What better way to bring in the New Year than with a plunge in the Pacific at the LJCSC's Annual Polar Bear Plunge and Chili Potluck!  There must have been 200-250 people in attendance.  It was a beautiful, clear, sunny, crisp morning; not a  cloud in the sky...though rain is anticipated tomorrow.  The conditions posted were 53F air temp and 57F water temp (though if that was 57F, I'll eat my goggles!).  My (very accurate) body thermometer prevails in my mind.  You see, my face was tingling with that pins and needles feeling...the kind I only get if the water dips below 55F.  If it had been 57F, only my toes would be numb...today I had both.  Ergo, 54.5F! 

Another tradition has become evident as well...the annual "I see my cousins in the group photo but not in the flesh" event!!  That's right, Shasta and Hilary were present again though I never saw them LOL.  In 2009, Shasta was interviewed on TV.  In 2010 Hilary was front and center on the cover of the San Diego Union Tribune paper (with Shasta and Dan Ruiz, their step-dad)!  Let's get it together next year and maybe add a few more Gaughen swimmers to the mix...the Beccarelli boys are all swimmers.

Winter White Chili

Not as many participated in the potluck as in previous years it seemed.  My seasonally appropriate  Winter White Chili was gobbled up in nothing flat!  I created this recipe 2yrs ago for this event and it was a hit.  Note to self:  hold out a little extra for when I finish my swim...there was nothing left again this year!  You see some swim 1-2 miles and some just dip their big toe in the big blue..."to the victors go the spoils!"  Because the club Big Chill Winter Swim Challenge affords double mile points on event days, I take full advantage.  I swam to the Cove and back (2.0mi x2 = 4.0mi)...no hot food or drink for me.  Let the diet begin.

Another New Year, another great club event...May all your New Year's dreams come true. 

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Here's the UT video of the Polar Bear Swim: http://bcove.me/n2pqu2tr