December 2013 Blog - Off-Season Part 1

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It's been a long time since I've submitted a blog entry, but I'm back writing again after about a year and am ready to commit to a monthly story for the rest of the off-season and through the 2014 AMA Pro Road Racing series.

2013 is just about in the books. It was a tough year full of learning experiences and injury, but I'm ready for 2014 and the road ahead. It's always about mid-December when I really start getting stir crazy, trying to hold back the itch for more racing, but after the season I had that feeling has never been stronger than it is now.

Since the close of the season I have been living in Leeds, AL with my girlfriend, Elena Myers. We've been training, riding and traveling all over! Going to Sportbike Track Time track days, coaching with the DiSalvo Speed Academy and also attending Colin Edwards' Texas Tornado Boot Camp have most notably made up our off-season so far.

Instructing at Colin's camp was probably the most fun of all. Who could pass up four days of riding, guns and bonfires? Not me. I couldn't believe the compound that he has built out there in Texas. There was a giant pack of students, close to 30, and we rode ourselves into the ground (quite literally). I'm really a flat tracker on the inside, though I rarely get to strap on my steel shoe anymore. After four days we were completely shot with all the riding. I couldn't imagine going out there for the 7-day racer camp in January, even though I'd jump at the first opportunity. If you ever get the chance, be sure to head down there for a camp. You'll even get to shoot a .50 cal rifle...

I've also been doing a lot of cycling lately, mostly mountain biking! Although it was the cause of my mid-season broken wrist, I've found my time on the MTB to be rewarding both physically and mentally, and I've kept at it over the past couple months since the season ended to get stronger and try to feed that itch to go racing. I entered a 50 mile mountain bike race in mid-November called the "Oak Ass." I only knew what the name meant once the race was over and I sat down for the first time (if you know what I mean). 50 miles of singletrack mountain biking in the mountains of Alabama sounded like a nice little Saturday, and it sure lived up. I'm hoping to enter some more races in January - the mental strength needed to complete those long races is a great training tool.

Being off the race track is only part of it my itch lately, but the feeling of not knowing what 2014 has in store for me could be the hardest part of all. Luckily I've had great support from my sponsors and people that are behind me, and plans are starting to come together for next year. I'm looking to get back out in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson series again, running an effort under KWR for a third straight season. It's been rewarding being a team owner, most notably from 2012 when we won the overall Harley-Davidson series championship with my teammate, Michael Barnes. I have so many great memories from that season, but my goal for 2014 is to go get that championship again, this time as a rider.

I feel that the culmination of the past three seasons since 2011 have brought me to this point, and not by accident. On paper it may not look overwhelmingly stellar, but I have become a stronger rider and businessperson as a result. From branching out on my own for an XR1200 effort in 2011 to putting together a Daytona Sportbike effort in 2013 with Triumph, every weekend of every year has brought new challenges for me. This coming season will be my next test, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with everyone, every step of the way.


KW

 

Good stuff Kyle :up: