The Polar Bear Swim

I just got back from the gym to discover my lovely wife, Claire, had prepared a week's worth of chili for my lunches.  When I offered to put it in containers, she insisted on doing it.  She said she wanted to see the project through to the end.  Isn't she great?  Also, the chili is super healthy.  Find the recipe here.

I kicked some serious butt at the gym tonight.  I actually ran on the treadmill.  With every footfall I could feel the fat in my upper body slam down.  Oddly enough, I didn't really experience this in the spring when I was running on a regular basis.  It must be because the fat on my body is looser now and freer (that word looks weird) to bounce up and down.  Gross.

A few days ago, a friend of mine from college texts me out of the blue and asks me if I want to do a Polar Bear Swim on Saturday.  For those of you from warmer climes than Minnesota, a polar bear swim is where a bunch of idiots jump into a frozen lake in the middle of winter to raise money for charity.  Around here, the charity is the Special Olympics.  I had to inform him that you need to raise pledge money in order to take the plunge.  Luckily, there are a series of Polar Bear Plunges in different places in Minnesota on different weekends.  The one in Minneapolis is on March 6th so we're considering that one.  That gives us over a month to raise money.

 

I've been on the fence about doing the Polar Bear Swim.  I really want to do it, but I'm an enormous chicken.  So I'm leaving it up to you.  Now I could have just asked for a yes or a no, but I want you to put your money where your mouth is.  I've created a poll.  You may notice it at the top of the side-bar on the right.  The poll will only be open until 8:00pm on Thursday, so vote now!

If I end up doing this, I want to raise a good chunk of money.  I work with kids with special needs and the Special Olympics is a fantastic cause.  It's great for the self esteem of people with special needs and it promotes fitness.  Hey, I'm trying to promote fitness too!  I'm going to try to raise at least $400 so here's what I'm thinking.

If I manage to raise:

$75, I'll take the plunge and blog about it later.  $75 is the minimum cut-off to enter.
$150, I'll post pictures of me taking the plunge on my blog.
$300, I'll post video of myself foolishly jumping in a frozen lake to my blog.
$500, I'll wear a silly costume
$800, I'll let you vote on the costume
$1000, I'll take suggestions for a silly costume and let you vote on each and every suggestion (they have to meet regulation of course, I'd prefer if I could make or find it for cheap, and they have to be feasible, so no assless chaps please.)


If you have any other ideas for strange things I can do at different dollar amounts, I'd love to hear them.  Also, I'll be writing up a bio of anyone who joins my team right here on 100 pounds in a year.

So please vote.  If the results look encouraging enough to convince me to jump in a frozen lake when the poll closes, I'll go from there.


For more information on the Polar Bear Plunge and the Special Olympics, please visit the Polar Bear Plunge HQ.


Let's go make the world a better, healthier, and happier place!