The year that was
By Jonny Walker on 3rd Jan 14
Well, its time to start again. 2013 is done and dusted, 2014 is what its all about now! Its crazy to think that 2013 is over already.
It really does only feel like yesterday that I was getting ready for The Tough One last January.
Generally it has been a good year and hopefully this year will be better still.
With the exception of finalising a few sponsors and generally making plans for 2014, the last month has all been about SuperEnduro.
From the series opener in Liverpool it was over to Poland for round two, with a quick stop off at the Red Bull F1 end of year party.
Poland was a good race to me 12 months ago, as I won the night's second final.
This year things did not quite go as planned, but it was still a great night and a cool way to bring 2013 to a close.
I crashed pretty heavily early on in the night, while following Taddy in timed practice.
Luckily I didn't injure myself, but I hit the ground pretty hard, which was frustrating because until that point I felt great.
The track was pretty tricky, but there were about eight riders all capable of running a winning pace.
Frustratingly I didn't end up as one of the winning riders. I stalled my bike during the Hot Lap session, which meant I got eighth pick of the gate for two of my finals.
The best I got was third in the night's last race, but I honestly feel like I rode a lot better than my results show.
Looking back over the year it is easy to pick out the highlights – winning the Red Bull Sea to Sky and getting over the glandular fever that I struggled with during the first half of the year.
It's true I haven't ended the year with as many wins as I'd have liked, but I've ended it much fitter and much stronger than I started it.
And with a lot more experience under my belt, which in the Hard Enduro game is worth a lot.
I reckon that's got to be a good thing heading into 2014.
What I achieved last year, and what I'm planning to achieve this year, wouldn't have been possible without the help of a lot of great people, my amazing sponsors, and the support of my Facebook and Twitter followers.
I don't want to name anyone just in case I forget someone, but to everyone who has helped I just want to say a massive thank you.
Here's to a great 2014. Stay safe, ride hard, have fun, and see you at the races some time soon.
