064: seriously

Decompress.

Season is over for me. I have high hopes for my friends as I watch with baited breath for information coming back from Bend. Been weird not squeezing in work outs, or stretching or eating or frankly packing my bag again. This week. I fully expect withdrawal to hit me soon. I have to admit, it was totally awesome sleeping in Sunday.

This week I have been cleaning bikes, transferring the cross bikes to the basement, moutainbike to the garage.

The plan for this week is simple, And as my Mayhew said repeatedly:
Seriously, for Dec I'd say only ride on the weekends or with your wife.
Seriously, take a damn break.
And finally:
Awesome job. Keep in touch, seriously. But don't ride. Seriously
Seriously, no riding this week.

My coach is serious about me not riding for a few weeks.

As is generally the tradition around here, I reveal my 2009 goals for cross, and how I made out with them. So here I go:

1. Maryland State Championship
Failed.
MABRA Champs/State champs was a bad race for me. I didn’t even sniff a medal. Had fun on the course, took 24th overall, 7th for MD 34-39. Good news my teammates swept the state and the age group (Auer, Nystrom, Lilibridge). Next year I move up to the 40-44 class. New folks to battle against, again I will strive for the elusive second state championship.

2. Earn a prize from the Suit Case of Sausage.
Success.

3. Top 20 Overall in MAC Elite Masters 1/2/3
Failed.
I can pinpoint when I knew this one slipped away. It was at Beacon when I was in 20th and hurting, and then needed a bike change and threw my bike right into Diane. I was sick, but should have come away with some points this day and did not. My race was pretty much over as I finished 30th, and the next day 37th, getting shut out of the points and essentially lost my opportunity shot at this goal… I knew I had to score in at least 6-7 races to have a shot at this. Getting shut out in New Jersey killed me.

4. Top 15 IN a MAC Race
Success.
2x: Granogue 11th, Wissahickon 15th, and hell I’ll throw Charm City in here at 16th…

5. Score points in each MAC Race I entered.
Failed.
Rolling a tubie at Nittany killed this one before the season really got rolling.
This was all part of my master plan that went to hell in a hand basket in New Jersey See #3

6. Earn Seat at the Master’s Table.
Incomplete:
Early in the year I remember sitting on Fergie's wheel and at some point during the race I was freaking out "holy shit, that's Fergie's wheel, I'm in a group with Fergie, holy hell..." I really shit the bed after Granogue/Wiss. I think part of that is learning to race with the masters, that the intensity is just higher. An analogy for me was like a college player who starts strong in the NBA but as the longer, more intense NBA season goes on, the college kid fades out. I have to get better at that. Now look, when I look at my nemeses and victims, these are all very good cross riders, so that's cool.Sven, Jan and Auer are teammates. I don't really count them on this list.
Overall, for next year I know that I have done well in the mud, but I need to improve on my consistency across the board. I need to get better at pack racing, and faster legs. definitely faster legs. Am I respected as a racer by my peers? 26th in the MAC, 27th in the MABRA and 15th in the PA. Not the most stellar rankings ever. I can do better. I will do better. Maybe it was a bad goal to start with... But I certainly hope to continue to earn my spot in the elite master's class.
I’ll also admit a lot of the formulation of these goals, I kept a square eye on 2010. I had frankly hoped to put myself in a better starting position for 2010, and try to make some gains in my results.

In the MAC for the first 4 races I started in the 4th row at best. Scrum is a stress, but I did a bunch of it. Racing wise it was a lot of work to try and move up on the first lap. I often burnt matches that I would have loved to had at the end of the race. I admit the past few years I have been spoiled with front row starts in the killer B’s and even in the MABRA Series I never seemed to be further back than row 3, and had little trouble getting to the front pretty easily. (This year was a different story in the mabra). Ironically, my best staring position, 2nd row, for Beacon and Highland were my worst MAC races of the year. I almost think that I got used to the urgency of moving up starting in the 4/5 row, and when I started further up the rhythm of my race was thrown off.

Maybe I over think this stuff too much?

Based on my final ranking I look destined to start in the 4th row again next year for the first weekend. For what it’s worth the difference here is that going into opening weekend last year, it was a scrum to row 5, and for 2010, I’ve earned my 4th row starting position. I can live with that…

Okay, too much race thought. I’m gonna go eat a donut or something.

Thanks for reading.

respect
fm

063: going out with a bang

Fairhill/Tacchino was my first race back after illness. A stake in the ground. Solid rides, but I faded a lot at the end, and frankly was not at my best. I made the decision to skip the USGP's in favor of a hard 10 day block of training to send me into the final month of the season flying.

Mayhew and I talked it over. Mayhew is a great coach, and frankly knew my penchant for riding myself into the ground, and he does a great job of keeping me out of that. In planning my mini training camp, Mayhew cautioned,"we need to make sure you recover well, and don't over cook yourself..."

I trained hard, and focused. I did not recover as well as I had expected. I could probably give you a list as long as my arm as to why, but not really so important right now.
Coming into the Howard County Double Cross, I expected to be flying. But clearly I didn't recover enough, Schooley Mill was awful, I contemplated call it a year.

Auer, my wife, my teammates, and my Mayhew talked me down. Rockburn went better, but I still wasn't right. States I was awful. Still not recovered, I kept saying to myself, how could I have done all this work, and feel this horrible? To say I was frustrated would be an understatement.
The Rockbridge classic was shaping up to be a smaller event, as the finals of the PA Cross Series. The Master's class was 20ish riders. Looking at the list, there wasn't anyone in the class that I had not beaten this year. That was encouraging. I also knew that since mid October there were 5 guys that I haven't beaten: teammate and fellow sideburn affcionado Joe Lilibridge, respected rivals/friends Kelly Cline, Joe Piccalo, Sean Mealy and Joel Moats. I also knew Don Kessel was riding well, and doing very well in the PA Series, although I don't think we raced this year.
However this shook out, it was going to be a close race. I just hoped I could stay with those guys.

We gathered at the start and the scrumming began. I snuck my way on the front row. It was my first front row start this year!
Hebe and Kuhn were the race announcers, and were talking about the strength of our field, and how evenly matched our race would be. Then Hebe said this, "If I was betting, I'd put my money on Fatmarc Vanderbacon." Everyone looked at me. My stomach sank. I offered up this, "come on guys, have you seen me race recently?"

A minute later the whistle blew and we were off. The start was open, and then went into a technical, slick off camber section. I wanted to be in the front group through this section. I didn't count on getting the hole shot.

As we came by the pit, I looked back and noticed I had about a 15 yard gap. I stood up and pressed the issue. "maybe I can win the first lap?"

Three Saturdays ago I was ready to call it a year. Through the support, and guidance of my wife, my friends, my team, Auer, Lauri and Tom and my coach, I adopted the mantra " I've done the work, I just need to rest, keep the faith, and believe. It will all come around. "
I told myself this each time I warmed up, each time I packed my bag, each time I practiced starts with Jeff and Lauri, and each time I started to feel my season was going to end on a disappointing note.

I secretly wished for conditions that would conspire and give me one last solid ride.
Saturday at Marysville, one of my all time favorite courses, amongst the snow and rain and slickened technical conditionals, fortune smiled on me, and Saturday I finished my race, finished my season with my arms raised in victory.

fuck yeah.

thanks for reading
respect.
fatmarc

thanks to Joe Mallis for the fine shots.

62: TWO

I clearly remember last year following Reston loading my beloved cross bikes into my car.
Reston was my 20th cross race of the 2007 season, and I had moment of Zen thinking about the love of my cross bikes.

Over three years I had raced these bikes almost 50 times. And the further truth is that both of these frames were passed down to me during my year on the Fort Factory team. These were the very frames that Ryan rode to a 12th place finish in Elite Nationals in 2005. One of the Frames was the very frame that Wes used to win his first MAC championship in 2006. In all likelihood these cross frames had seen close to 85 starts.
Hell, after being under Wes and Ryan, my frames must have really felt like they were slumming under my fatass!
I lamented the undoubted retirement of my cross frames following the 2008 season. I was a little sad, because I love these bikes so, but also understand that they have been beaten, they deserve to be retired. I look at most bikes as a tools, as something I will use until I destroy, and then replace them. But my cross bikes, well I feel differently about them. Frankly, I have raced more on these bikes than probably any other bike I have ever owned. They are the bikes which I am most comfortable on. And although one is black, and one is blue, if I was blindfolded and jumped on them, I couldn’t tell you the difference between the two.

Although the prospect of new bikes is always exciting, I must admit on some level it was a bitter sweet…
In the midst of my search for new whips, my comparative shopping, my excel spreadsheets full of useless but albeit too important stressing of measurements, weights, prices, and good guy prices that all make up the ritual of a new bike purchase, the economy tanked and Monkey got laid off.

No New Bikes for Fatmarc in 2009.
Almost a year later, I come into the final weekend of the Mid Atlantic Season having another 16 cross races on my beloved FORTs, and prepping for a 17th. I rode around town chasing shadows the other night, all the while I thought about how good it felt on these bikes. As I chased the shadows I lamented to my friends that no matter what time of year it was, whenever I threw my leg over the top tube, the cross bikes felt better than anything I ever ride. I do love these bikes.

As I stand on the precipice of the off season, I know I have one more great ride waiting to be uncorked. One last time where I can throw a leg over my favorite bikes, battle my peers and rivals, finishing off the year with a beer and a smile.
Awesome.

Thanks to Greg Dionne for the generosity he showed me passing me these frames,
Thanks to my bikes for giving me so much joy.

respect
fatmarc

61: Four

It’s been a fun and long cross season. Good Days and Bad Days. I’ve learned a lot, and look at the final weekend of the season for me with some joy and some sadness. My mountain bike has moved up from the basement to the garage.

I kinda realized that the end was getting near when the Maryland Department of Transportation sent me this:


It would appear on my way to Rockburn, I flew through the EZ-PASS lane at 61 miles an hour. I can only guess this was the toll before the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Whoops.

When Diane asked me about it, I had no recollection of doing anything weird, or out of the ordinary. I have been on the I95 pretty much every weekend since Puma Cross back in September, heading off to a race each weekend morning. I must have confused one of the normal EZ pass lanes for a “high speed” lane. Like I said, “whoops”

I love Bad Andy, Your 4 time PA Cyclocross State Champion, but I also will admit that in this victory salute, where BA is holding up four fingers to represent his fourth title he kinda looks like he is having a seizure. Just a little.
Despite my legs that still felt a little heavy from the beating I took at the MABRA champs last weekend, it was my Tuesday night with Jeffy and LWeb. Fun as usual.

Spent the day listening to Damn Crooked Vultures. It’s like Queens of the Stone Age or Eagles of Death Metal with a real live shot of Led Zepplin. Yeah, that’s about it. I like.

Thanks for reading.

Respect
fatmarc

60: SIX Days

Black Friday was the Faticus Family gathering at my parent's house for Thanksgiving.
It was good to see my brothers, my parents and the kids. My brother Craig and family are still in New England and were unable to make it down for the holiday.

So we did a web camera conference call. This was my first experience with a web cam. It was pretty cool. About half way through the call, I got my youngest brother, Bryan, to slip off camera with me.

We stripped off our clothes, except for our boxers (there were kids in the room after all). We slipped back on camera standing just behind our wives, but fully visible to my brother Craig in New England.

About a minute later, Craig burst into laughter as he realizes that Bryan and I are standing there, almost naked. "what the freaking hell!?" He yelled over the camera, as our wives now realize that we are standing there in our skivvies and everyone is laughing, even my parents...
I comment to Craig, "Oh, I'm sorry first time with the web camera, I thought you were supposed to take your clothes off..." Laughter continued...

The MABRA Series final/ MABRA Championship/Maryland/DE/DC State Championships were this weekend. States weekend. For me, State Championships are important, something I usually really get up for. I started racing cross in 1997, and over the years captured a number of state medals and perhaps one of my proudest moments on a bike, winning the "Killer B" Delaware championship in 1999.
My teammates know what regard I hold the state championships, as do they, and graciously for much of the year, the rough plan was to work for me, and see if I couldn't earn a Maryland Championship. About a week ago, I told the team, that as much as I was honored that they would consider working for me, my recent performances didn't really give me any claim to be a team leader, and that honor was probably better set for someone else. Heck, I'm not even the 5th fastest master's rider on my team...
With that, I came into today's race pretty excited as it was fairly muddy, peanut butter style, and had some really sweet running sections. Running sections are good for me. I'll also admit that when I comment that, "my runs were really good today..." That usually means that my riding was not so hot. This blog has been way too much whining lately, so let me say this, I love racing cross. I didn't race all that well today, I did have fun, the course was good, and I did score a couple points today finishing 24th.

Sweet.

On to next week.

the team rode really well today. We pulled off the MABRA team championship, and Took the Gold/Silver/Bronze for the Maryland 35-39. (Nice work Auer/Sven/Joe)... Breyla-la had her best ride of the year, Lenore rolled, and Harlow rolled on... Jay continues to impress as well...

Layla digs the new couch:
thanks for reading.

respect.
fatmarc

059: Thanks

You know this year has been a little weird for Monkey and I.

I know that I haven't been racing as well as I would like to have in the last few weeks, and
basically I've been kinda whiny.

I also recognize that we are incredibly blessed, and have so much to be thankful for.

believe me, perspective is a good thing, as a professional amateur masters cyclocross racer sometimes it may appear that some times I lose sight of that.

believe me I do not.

so thanks for reading, and coming along on this weird trip with us.

best to you and yours, and have a wonderful thanksgiving...

respect.
fatmarc

058: Mixed Bag

Saturday was pretty awful for me. Got a good start, but after a lap just felt like I couldn't keep it together. Truth is, I just didn't have it. I pulled into the pit, and said to Wes and Monkey, "my season is over, I just don't want to suffer anymore. I just can't do this like this..."

I walked over to the car. Put my bikes in the car, collecting my DNF and figured my season which started with great promise, was now over.

Now Jay and Jan had "crossmos" and I had lots of fun working in the pit with Diane, and cheering for our friends and teammates.

On the way home, I'll was wallowing in my own mire. I was totally bad. Diane was a saint listening to me complain and whine.

Saturday night, I was pretty much a lame ass.

I called Auer...

Fatmarc:" Kris, I think I'm done for the year. Ever since I got sick I have been shit man. I am racing horrible, I don't want to; can't seem to suffer right now. My head is so far up my ass, I'm just an embarrassment. I'm an embarrassment to our team, what I'm doing out there... I'm horrible"

Auer: "Listen man, we've all been where you are right now. I know you aren't riding at the level you and I and Mayhew all know you are capable of, but you know I don't want you to end your season this way..."

Fatmarc: "I have just been awful, I'm so disappointed..."

Auer: " as far as embarrassing the team, there is nothing you can do on the bike that would ever embarrass the team. I mean I could see you doing something off the bike, but it would probably be really funny, and frankly I wouldn't even care then..."

Fatmarc: " thanks man..."

Auer: " Marc, here's the deal, I just don't want your last race of 2009 to be a DNF, show up tomorrow kit up and just ride around, just finish the race, don't worry about a result. Show up, race your race, and if you tell me after that that the season is done, well, then you'll get no argument from me."

Fatmarc: "okay you have a deal buddy. But as awful as I am, It could be ugly"

Auer: "no worries, just finish. I'll see you in am."

Monkey and I were hosting Bret, Mayhew, and Steevo, which was pretty outstanding.
So we had a Fun group, lots of skateboard talk, lots of bike talk. Highlighted for me by:

1. Getting a haircut from Diane.
2. Me drinking More beers than I really needed
3. Tacos from Homegrown, outstanding
4. Followed up the four of us watching skateboard videos, with my mouth half opened in awe the entire time. (bob e. what ever you do, don't watch this clip)

Brent won a pie Saturday. It was really tasty... Thanks for sharing.

It was an awesome night.

Sunday I showed up, and was somewhat lackadaisical with my warm up, and preparation. In fact, I was proud of the heckling, and cheering we were doing. The master's 3/4 got some of our best stuff. It was awesome.

So my race was good. I kinda surprised myself. Didn't start too aggressively, moved up a few spots after the first lap, rode with Mealy for a bit, and finished up with my best ride in over a month, not just my result (14th), just the entire race. Wow, I really didn't expect that...

And so after having Mayhew say, "nice job today, way to sack up. lets talk about the this in the morning, and plan out the end of the season, I knew you had it in you buddy.."
" You had a good ride..." Auer says, " good job we'll miss you next week" And smiles at me.

Fucker.

Maybe I'm not totally done yet. Hope springs eternal...

thanks for reading.
thanks to gwadzilla for a couple of pictures.
thanks to Mayhew for keeping me cool.
thanks to Auer and Wes for talking me down.
thanks to Monkey for being my psychologist and hair stylist
thanks to Steevo, Mayhew and Bret for making Saturday night fun, I needed that.
thanks to my awesome teammates for the lawn darts kid's course set up and just being awesome.
thanks to Connair, Fred W, and Gary D for their wisdom, and good words.

I love cross.
See you at the races next week.

These are the cards I am dealt for the next two weeks. Gotta play it out...

respect.
fatmarc

057: talking about sheets and skateboarding

I come to bed to find that Diane is in the process of changing/washing the sheets.

Monkey: "hey babe, the comforter is still in the dryer for a few more minutes, just get under the sheet and you should be good."

Me: "really!?"

Monkey: "yeah, the sheet will keep you warm."

Me:"let me ask you a question. How many times have we had folks stay with us this cross season?"

Monkey:" Oh I don't know 4-5 weekends?"

me:" exactly, and was it cold any of those weekends?"

Monkey: "yeah, at least 3 of them..."

Me: "so how, many times did you say to our guests, "hey, here's a pile of sheets, if it gets cold in the night, just grab one?"

Monkey starts laughing.

She replies, "never, we set a pile of quilts and blankets down there..."

Me (emphatically) "exactly, the sheet doesn't do shit to keep you warm, don't sell that stuff to me. sure it makes the bed comfortable, but warmth, no fucking way..."

Laughing out loud Monkey comments, "ah, you bastard..."

I roll over across the bed, and kiss her good night.

****

I have not ridden a skateboard in 20 years, but is still find myself drawn to skateboard videos.

Luckily, at the clog factory there are a number of skaters who are happy to share their DVD collection with an old guy, who rides bikes, but used to skate.

Last night I watched Enjoi's Bag of Suck. Seriously, this might have been the coolest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life.

Check out at little of Jason Adam's run here.

Dudes skate so fast, so much style, and the sickest lines ever...

I just kept finding myself watching with my mouth wide open...

Tom has told me that at my core I am still a wrestler, which i have to admit I agree with, but at some extent I would argue i am still a that skater kid too.

I watch these dvd's and I think about line choice, I think cross races. Much like old skateboard contests, cross races are highly competitive, but also as much about the competition as having a good time, the culture and really enjoying the folks around. When I ride my best cross regardless of my result, I am happy. I also recognize, that I'm always working to improve my cross, and never satisfied...

Much like how I looked at my skating when I was younger, I look at my cross as a craft, an artform as much as athleteics.

Like I said this was one of the damn coolest things I ever saw in my life.

For the record, my best cross this year, was pretty good, but my best is still ahead of me...

respect
fatmarc

056: guest poster

From the land of Californication:

Dear Bibs the Michelin Man,

Today I had the pleasure of changing a flat Michelin tire 3.5 hours into a ride. I'm not blaming the tire for attracting and holding on to 3 shards of small rocks, or the wet road conditions. However, every other tire manufacturer has somehow figured out the diameter of a standard road rim by now, except your engineering department.

Trying to get the last few inches of tire back on the rim while kneeling on the side of the road with cramping legs and almost breaking off both my thumbs in the process, all I wanted to do was PUNCH YOUR F***ING PASTY INFLATED FRENCHIE FACE laughing at me from the sidewall.

Kind Regards,
Jan.

Had me laughing out loud.

055: cross practice in my garage

Hoped to get out with some friends and ride around some fields in the dark, dressed in lycra like the dorks that we are. But then just as I was leaving the clog factory, the skies started pouring. So L-Web, Jeb and I had cross practice in my garage tonight.

That Mother/Son team tag teamed me the entire time, fuckers just half wheeled me to death.
exciting video time:




That last effort hurt a little bit.
how much did that hurt Lauri, see just this much...
trainer rides sucks, but is always better with friends.

respect.
fatmarc