Fatmarc Rolls... (see below)

This shot got me sued by Bibs the Michelin Man.

I had a fantastic ride tonight. Fairhill was superhero fast. The loop I rode tonight hit a bunch of trails that are off my beaten paths. That's kind been a theme of mine lately, change up the loops. Funny I rode the section where I flatted during the fairhill race. I've ripped down that hill 1000x, and the only time I flatted was the day of that race. Fuck fate. My star will shine. I will have my day. Really, I'm not still too bitter. The ride was short tonight, but sooo fun. I felt I was flying through sections, but then again I was riding by myself. Todd the destroyer probably would have had a different opinion of my ride. The leg breaker would have laughed at the brevity of my ride. Just an hour? Silly boy...

This weekend is Ed Sanders Cross. This is the race that made me fall in love with cross again. I hadn't really raced cross since 2000. Oh yeah I dabbled in it. I was the jackass showing up on a single speed mtb at Granogue, but that was just cause Tom would let me race for free for working. Yeah, I'm Tom's bitch, so what. Kinda on a whim I showed up to Buckey's town on Ted Logic's single speed town bike, which became "not a spot". I had a great race, one of my best all season. I couldn't believe how much fun I had. At that race I also met Wes the Conqueror, Alyssa and Mayhew, who had a hulk hogan mustache at the time. Those guys were really good to me, really nice. Okay, Mayhew's mustache did scare me, but he was really friendly. So despite the fact that I didn't own a cross bike I was back in. A month later I had jacked up my bike racing my SS mountain bike with drop bars, and I had to call it a season. I spent much of this mountain bike season waiting to get back to cross. Despite starting late, I had a hell of a mountain bike season. Now I want the same for my cross season. I want to savor every moment of this cross season this year. I don't want to let a moment slip away, because I remember all to well laying on the couch hurt. Anyway, I got my new ride all pimped out. I ready to rock and roll.

I don't have a Belgium names like Byron or FortJames, so I'm gonna go eat a Belgium Waffle. That's cross baby. That's cross. Sven Nis loves Belgium waffles. That fucker eats chocolate ice cream with gummy bears and whip cream on 'em. Read it on cyclocrossworld.com. Really.

respect
fatmarc

Bibs is one litigious bastard.

"hey Jeb, that's a mighty nice bike you got there...: 

Yoink ! Thanks for the bike kid ! See Ya !
(thanks to Dennis and Linda for photos)

Charm City Cross...

Slick Rick, eventual winner, leads the front group of Pat C, Mike H and John L...

Saturday night, I went to bed early, hoping the morning would come sooner. Like a kid before Christmas, I tossed and turned. I couldn’t sleep. About 2:00am I moved to the couch. The Dogs joined me soon. Shortly after that I went back to the bed at 5:00am.
I love cross. With baited breath I have followed Bryon/Dieter’s count down to this race. I couldn’t wait to get back to this game.

7:00am finally comes around. I fly out bed and start loading the toaster…

FortJames pitting for both Mike and Rick during our race, FortJames had a nice ride today himself...

Jeb over the planter...

The 35+ race went like this for me:
Laps 1 and 2
Got a good start. First two laps went really well. Maybe my 2 best laps of cyclocross in my life. Stayed in the front group. I had hoped that if I could hang with Slick Rick, Kelly, Jon L, and Mike H, I could set myself up pretty well for a good finish. There was definitely a point when I was on Rick's wheel when I said to myself, "self, you've never been on his wheel this long in practice... hmm should I be concerned ?"

Me and my Spot...

Laps 3 and 4
Let the bleeding begin. There was a split in the lead groups. Mike and Slick Rick have a couple of guys with them, and a gap back to my group. I was sitting on the front of my group, and said to myself, "self, you can't pull this group up to the leaders..." You see I've watched all the world videos, so I know these things. So I kinda sat up a bit. Then I realized that the group was passing me, I tried to jump on Mark Gwadz's wheel but to no avail I was in trouble. 4th lap was ugly. I said to myself, "Jesus man, when are you gonna stop the bleeding?" End of the fourth I hear the bell for the final lap and I start to get a 2nd wind...

Me struggling to hold someone's wheel...

Final Lap:
I started on the move again. I had a couple of NCVC guys around me. The group I wanted to get into was now shattered. Wes the conqueror and Diane had been moving about the course giving me encouragement, Wes and Diane were really pushing me hard on this last lap. In fact I heard lots of folks calling my name. So much so that after the race the NCVC guy says to me, "how many people do you have here cheering for you?" I had a pretty good gap on the fella behind me, but still some space to the NCVC dudes. Through the last set of barriers I gave it some gas and caught the 1st NCVC dude. Believe it or not I had half decent technique and got back on the bike quickly opening just enough of a gap for me to finish up ahead of him. Wow, my technique is usually pretty damn shitty.

Tom through the barriers...

In the End, Slick Rick the ruler took the race. Yeah boy. Not sure who was second, heard Rick caught the leader who took an earlier flyer on the last corner, they bumped, and the other fellow came out of his pedals. Slick Rick poured on a little sprint and came away with the victory. Yeah boy.

As for me I was 11th out of the field of 62, and 9th place for 35+. I was pleased with my ride, but I also know the best of me is yet to come. I will get better.

Full results will be found on www.midatlanticcross.info

Dave and Kurtee tackle a sandpit of doom...

Return of the Jedi?
Good to see Tom Mc, Kurtee and Dave "Droopy" M racing again.

Weird...
After a season of wearing mostly wool, my skin-suit really made my nipples hard. I mean they were totally rocking out and almost through my suit the whole time. Weird. Anyone else have spontaneous skin-suit nipple syndrome?

Diane takes a little nap on the way home. Today was our wedding anniverary. How cool
was she to come to a cross race wiht me ? How do I repay her. Yup a picture of her sleeping on the way home. Thanks for being a great wife. I'd be lost with out you, you're the best.

On the way home Diane and I stopped at the Red Brick Station Brewery in White Marsh. I had avenue ale, a cup of crab soup and the Cuban, a wonderful sandwich with ham, cheese, pulled pork and nice pickles. Top Notch I tell you. Diane rocked with a whiskey sour, a cup a crab soup and a buffalo chicken wrap. The soup was spicy and gave her a touch of heartburn. Surprisingly the buffalo chicken wrap helped to alleviate it. Must have been the RANCH. RANCH. GET ME SOME WENDY's RANCH.

It was so good to get cross rolling today, what a great course, so much fun. Great to see so many folks that I haven't seen in a long time. That's one of the things that I love about cross, it's social. Sad and demented, but social, and it brings folks from all kinds of disciplines into one nasty melting pot of suffering. yup, that' all right in my book Man, I love cross, it's by far not my best game, but damn is it fun.

respect
fm

B race- Wayne "erik zable of cross" and Mike K's arses...

slick rick get ready, Ted Logic cools off. Ted Rocked teh C race with Fort James and Fitzy boy today...

Dennis on the other end of the camera...

cross practice be better than burried treasure ya lily livered land lovers.

For got to mention that Monday was National Talk like a pirate day.

Here are the top 10 Pirate pick up lines:

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlin', I'm 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?
1. Prepare to be boarded.

Peg Leg Jeb enjoys his treasure... 

Fort James shows the goods...

Cross practice was dynamite tonight, really strong group, lots of good work. That course at skyline is one of the hardest cross courses we see all year. Frankly I haven't seen a cross practice as good as the ones we used to have at Wi-High, then the school got all uppity and became the Charter School and kicked us out. Rat Bastards, but I digress, tonight's practice was one of the best I remember in the past couple of years. Sometimes I enjoy cross practice more than cross racing. Hell one year, I did all the practices but never raced a cross race. I loved the Wi-high course. Anyway the group was Dan the Man, Slick Rick, Mike K, Biddle (tye domi of cross) Mike Cz, Henry Rock Star, Lisa V, Paul I, Tom (the patron saint of cross), Jebbagger, Fort James, Kurtee McGee and Fitzy. (hope I didn't miss anyone). Practice was delightful. Thank you all for a good time.

I traded Tom my seat for a front wheel he sold to someone else. Maybe not the brightest move I have made in my life. I love that guy anyway.

Anybody want to follow my treasure trail ? (by anyone, I of course mean my wife!)

Respect
fatmarc

The Greatest Cyclocross Pirate Ever. 

little people of the world unite...

a young fatmarc...

Okay, I am over the little person thing. I watched one of my favorite TV shows last night. You know Las Vegas, which is basically a 2000's version of the love boat. Anyway, they usually have some sort of popular band playing at some point during the show. Anyway, last night they had a country band play. not sure who it was, because of course I think country music is an abomination. But I digress, this country band had a little person dancing around on stage with them. I mean, come on, using a midget to get some extra attention? I thought Vern Shrower's, also know as mimi-me's 15 minutes of fame was over after the surreal life. What is this? Sad thing is, that a band parading around a little person isn't even original, anyone remember Joe C from Kid Rock's Posse? It was sad then, it's sad now. Frankly the only thing I have seen worse than this was that show, "the littlest bachelor" which was basically a rip off of the regularly awful bachelor, only with a dwarf bachelor in this version. I watched the first 10 minutes, and was sickened. Sorry to fire off on a rant, but really aren't we a little more evolved than parading member of the lollipop guilde across stage for ratings?

Okay, I had a nice lunch time TT. I beat my best. I try to do this every 2 weeks or so. Last time was just before my final mtb race, and I beat my best that day. Not sure what all that means, but I was suffering badly. I was also pretty happy. I planned to ride fairhill tonight but instead rode the couch as I took a lovely peaceful nap. I love to nap. I am now awake and feel re-fucking freshed.

Great, it's 9:00 at night and I'm wide awake. Working out a new england field trip. Yeah.

Respect
m

big mouth strikes again...

My asshole dial was turned up to 12 this weekend. I mean in Spinal Tap terms, most dials go to 10, and my asshole dial, referring of course to my behavior was turned up to 12 this weekend. Saturday, my family, all my brothers and wives and kids, and my parents got together and we celebrated my brother Tim’s graduation from college. Well, as is the norm in our family we sit around a big circle, talking smack and breaking stones. I think I stepped over the proverbial line. While my intention was to be funny, I ended up pissing off half of my sister in laws. That’s 2 for 4 folks.

jakes got new slippers

kids in my toaster... 

cute dog shot supposed to take your mind of my a-hole behavior...

A couple of reactions here. First, I could try harder. I mean with a little more effort I probably could piss of all of my sister in laws. Wait, that wasn't what I meant, like I said my dial has been stuck in 12 all weekend. Seriously, my intent was to be funny and if I upset anyone I really am sorry. I adore all of my sister in laws, and only was trying to be funny. My bad. Next family gathering, I'll wear duct tape over my mouth, or at least just keep it closed I promise. And as for trying to teach my 3 year old nephew to rip off his shirt and scream, "goala!!!" every time he kicks the soccer ball, I don't think it stuck, and if it did, I'm sorry for that too.

Had a really nice cross work out this morning. Mike C, Slick Rick, Fitzy and I showed up at the local park early, and quickly began dicing it up around the fields. We did some good work on jumping out of corners. It was tough but fun. I think I threw up a little pop tart in my mouth during the first set. I was please to hear that I was not the only one with a weak stomach, as Rick proclaimed, "I thought I lost the ability to train until I puked, I was wrong." Seriously, he workout was a lot of fun, and went well. I felt good on the bike for the first time since 7 springs. Yikes.

Anyway, got some leftovers in the fridge crying to be eaten, so I'm headed that way.

Respect
m

Mike C. ripping at last yeah's Beacon Cross...Photo by Linda L.