The word of the year for 2013 would be racing. I really pushed myself this year to both train and race in the TMBRA series. My original goal was a top 3 finish, but that turned out to be too ambitious. I could have finished in 5th had I done the optional Pay Dirt trail work, but I didn’t get my trail work in so I ended up in 9th instead.
In addition to racing the TMBRA series, I also managed to score a victory in a relay marathon race with Kirby at Reveille Peak.
As cataloged in my Strava log, I ended the year with 228 hours of saddle time for 2600 miles of riding, beating my 2013 mileage goal. I didn’t come close to my climbing goals, and a large part of that was due to not getting any big mountain riding in over the summer, instead opting for mountain biking in Arkansas instead.
I rode pretty consistently throughout the year with exception of July and December. Those 2 months were problematic for riding so I had far fewer opportunities during those times.
I started road cycling and found it easier and more convenient for training purposes. It is much easier to maintain steady efforts on the roadie, not to mention the ease of rolling out of the garage for 90 minutes vs having to drive to and from a trail.
This year Strava added Instagram integration. This has encouraged me to photo more and more of the trails I explore while riding. Below you can see some of my latest images from Instagram.
This year also saw an explosion of riding videos from me. My mountain biking YouTube channel has all of my videos. My vids seem to be fairly well enjoyed by the local riders who know me and/or the courses featured. I am still a novice when it comes to filming and editing, but I think I’m getting better.
I did end up getting a new bike this year. After destroying my chain stay at Mount Lakeway, I jumped on the chance at a 2011 Niner Jet9 frame to move all of my components over to.
The Niner fit me like a glove and I have really enjoyed riding it. Other than the aforementioned chain stay issue, I escaped any other major mechanical issues this year and also managed to avoid any major injuries.
All in all 2013 was a great year for riding!
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