Tuesday, December 31, 2013

A New Year

If I'm honest, I am very happy to see the back of 2013. This has not been a great year for me. I probably should have been clued in when I spent this time last year ringing in the new year with a ferocious stomach bug, expelling everything inside my body for 12 hours. At least this New Year's Eve is a vast improvement over last year.

2013 Highlights:

-I ran 305 miles.

-I biked a bunch, but I didn't keep track of the mileage, unfortunately.

-I completed my first half-marathon (The Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon, here in DC)

-I completed the Police Unity Tour Ride for the 2nd year.

-I participate in the Law Enforcement Ride & Run and had a blast.

-I participated & competed in the promotional process at work, and did very well.

-I rode the entire length of the W&OD trail.

-I've lost nearly 20lbs and feel much better about myself.


2013 Lowlights:

-Canceling my wedding plans

-Being a giant ball of anger & resentment for most of the year

-Dropping from the Climate Ride

-Learning my father has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.


I'm hesitant to make any sort of firm resolutions or plans, because I've learned that's when the Universe likes to step in and say LOL NOPE. I had big plans for 2013 and most of them crumbled away. I know that 2014 is going to be a year of big changes for me, though. Good or bad changes? That's the question.

For those of you not on twitter/facebook, I will be starting a new phase of my career next week. I am being promoted to a supervisory position and will be assigned to a new district (5th, for those of you interested). This is exciting & scary. I've spent almost 10 years working at the same place with the same people. I lived in the same neighborhood, so most everything was familiar to me when I started. I will be going to place that I am not familiar with at all, with people I've never met, so it will be a steep learning curve. But it is a clean slate as well.

I am not sure what my new role will involve. Most likely I will have to put the bike up, at least for awhile. I will be turning in my patrol bike this weekend, since it belongs to my current district. I'm a little sad to see him go-I spent more years patrolling on my work bike than I ever did in a car. This will be a week full of good-byes, actually.

I will have an actual, real bike commute. Currently my "commute" simply involves a short ride (or lately, a short stroll) three blocks down a hill. Now I will have to travel half-way across the city. Like a real commuter. It's funny, but my coworkers keep asking me how I will get to work now that I'm headed to a different district-"by bike, of course" is my answer. Not sure why they think that would change.

Things I'm looking forward to in 2014?

-My father beating cancer

-Completing a full marathon (my first one since 2003) in March.

-The Police Unity Tour in May

-My brother's wedding in September.

- Celebrating The Boy's year of sobriety in February.

-Maybe this is the year I actually hit my goal weight. I'm already on track- I just need to keep going a bit.

-Who know, maybe even getting married?


I will be spending New Year's Eve tonight making sure the citizens of the District of Columbia are safe & secure. Be safe & be kind to each other.


A look back at 2013…