New Beginnings

Wow. Another year has come and gone. As I look back on 2009, I realize that it was a pretty good year for cycling (for me anyway.) I accomplished some things that I never thought I would do. I did the Tree Shaker 12 Hour Mountain Bike Race (which was my first foray into endurance racing), the Catawba Riverfront Classic (which I actually won), and I even did my first off-road triathlon, the XTERRA Uwharrie. I did another off-road tri over the summer, placing third. I finished tenth overall in the Summer Series, even gaining an actual sponsor in the process. I bought a road bike and rode in a half-metric century charity ride, and I found that I actually enjoyed riding on the road. I did all of these things without any major injuries, save a dislocated shoulder I suffered a few weeks before last year’s Winter Short Track Series.

Something else I accomplished was starting a chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol, and that has been going pretty well. It has allowed me to provide services to our local trail users that was missing before. I hope it can grow and flourish in 2010. I’ve also been handed the reins to our weekly Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Rides, and that has been a great experience. It’s really nice to see more people getting on bikes. I am proud to have been a part of our local mountain biking community here in Charlotte, and I hope to build upon that in the years to come. I doesn’t take much to make a difference. All you have to do is get off your ass and do something. Enough of me patting myself on the back though; it’s just sickening.

I have a few goals for this year, starting with the upcoming 2010 Winter Short Track Series, which starts in less than two weeks. I’ve been trying like hell to get more time on the bike, and the weather has been cooperating (sort of.) While we’ve been spared some precipitation during the last few weekends, it’s now really cold outside. That does not make for prime training weather. I did however get outside this past weekend to ride, so I am happy about that. Join me tomorrow for a recap. Pretty please?