Now that I have time to sit back and reflect on my year it's the perfect moment to think about my goals for next year, the kinds of races I want to do, whether I want to stay focused on marathon distances or shift towards traditional XC races. Having had success in both worlds I'm leaning towards more XC races in the California area.
I don't have the luxury of traveling to far off races, but I've got my eye on a few. Leadville will definitely be on my list, having done it twice under 9 hours. My goal will be a sub 9-hour Leadville. I still need to qualify so that's a few races right there. I'd like to do a few of the NUE Series 100 milers, but we'll see how full my schedule gets. I feel like the competitive side of me is slowly becoming satiated with all of the success I've had the past couple of years. There's always room to improve and different race formats to conquer.
Everyone's hyped up on Cyclo-cross and Enduro racing these days. I can see myself trying my hand at Enduro, but then again I don't consider myself a gravity type, although I've made some significant improvements with my handling skills.
I'll go into the 2014 race season with a lot less pressure, making sure I have fun by getting to see the beautiful state of California, and maybe back up in my hometown region of the Pacific Northwest.