I started this blog on April 13, 2012. I had been writing a few race reports and gear reviews for a team blog and decided I wanted to try establishing a place of my own. At the time I expected to continue posting race reports and do a but more writing about my own training, eating and anything else remotely related to the sports I participate in. Along the way, things have changed…

As you have likely seen, the bulk of my posts are gear reviews. Unexpectedly I have developed a network of folks in the running and cycling industry and have been fortunate enough to receive a ton of stuff to test and write about. Not only does this satisfy my gear geek needs, it also provides content that people seem to want to read.

I have managed to open myself up a bit in some of my personal experience posts. While the Internet offers anonymity, I have chosen to be transparent about who I am and what I do. It’s a bit of a balancing act since I know the bulk of the site’s traffic comes for specific product reviews and most could care less what I did last week, but there are a few that like to read it (at least 2: Mom and Dad!)

The coolest thing about runbikerace.com is seeing the places all over the world that its visitors are from. I remember the early days when I would check the stats everyday and see each country that visited that day (I still keep an eye on this but it’s a little harder to keep up!).

runbikerace.com visitors’ countries

Before I sign off, I want to thank everyone that comes to my blog and takes the content I write for what it’s worth. In my reviews, I try to give an honest, objective description of the products I use. I highlight the good stuff that I notice, and also point out any issues I experienced. I try to mix it up with some content on my experiences, hoping that it will answer questions people may have, or help them out in their training.

runbikerace.com has had over 45,000 views of its 188 posts in this first year – this is a relatively small number compared to a lot of sites out there, but it is a lot higher than I would have predicted a year ago. I am grateful for that and hope to keep it growing.

Thanks to everyone who reads the blog, follows on twitter and Facebook, and says Hi at races. I love the opportunities and people this blog has exposed me to, and I work hard to keep it going. Keep reading and sharing your thoughts.