Indeed it is that time of year. Oy. Sort of like when a TV show ends with a To be continued... ALWAYS a bummer. I've got all this restless energy still and not sure if I should do pre-work intervals or maybe just go and spin around and do wheelies on my single speed. I'm a bit lost. There's a race on the 3rd, but not even sure where I'll be at that time this January. This time last year, it was frenetic. Trying to maintain fitness between the last Colorado race and going to Belgium.

So with all this restlessness, I decided to reflect a little on the season. All-in-all, I can't complain. 8th overall and a enough top 10's to satiate, but I know that I have a couple of surprises left in the legs. The Firecracker 50 just isn't enough for training for 'cross. Ha! The summer was spent with my head far far away from bikes, and when I came rushing into the 'cross season, it was done so with a complete 'Hmm, let's just see where you end up' kind of attitude. No expectations, just flow. And so it was. I think that with the exception of my barrier clippings at Xilinx and Chatfield, the cleanliness goal was met. The racing was done with no technical issues...rolled tires, failures, flats, weak lines, bad technique....and I think I rolled as smoothly as I have ever. So, I had that going for me this season...

What's next? Each year....even after a decade of racing our sport...I strive for better. Each year I spend the first 1/2 of the year contemplating the changing of the leaves. This contemplation starts from the time I clean the bikes after their last race and hang up the tubulars for their winter/spring hiatus until mid summer when I start taking the bikes down of their hooks, re-fill the tires and just feel the bikes again. Each year I take 'em down a bit earlier. Each year I say to myself, can you go at this again? Can you get closer to hands in the air? Can you continue to balance?

I think it's longing that keeps me alive.