chapter 25: jobowaki

My name is fatmarc. I like to pretend that I am a bike racer. Oh, I work real hard, I love riding my bikes, and I love to race. A long time ago I learned that if I only based my success on my results, then I would be sorely disappointed with my racing. That being said, I do keep working hard, I do keep believing, and toiling towards those rare days when I get to feel pretty good on the bike, and things all come together. Today was definitely one of those pretty damn good days.

70 or so of the region’s killer bees or cat 3/4 cross riders toed the line today at Lilipon Gardens for the Ed Sanders memorial cross race. None of what I write after this line may be the real truth, but in a haze of oxygen debt and suffering this is what I remember.

Lap 1
The race takes off with a fury. NCVC dude on a sweet IF charges to the front, no one else is chasing so I set up my tempo a bit and come around him after the barriers. I expecting a deluge of riders to pour around me, but that doesn’t happen. We get through the first section which was really kind of a grinder, and on to the open fast roads. Brewer is the first to attack, he comes around me with great vigor. I don’t want to let him go up the road, so I stand up and cover. Just then Todd and Morgan counter and open a gap, taking Fife, and E-town with them. We get to the run ups and there’s a bit of a cluster with Morgan and Todd off the front slightly. I’m in 6th right now, and up the hills attack hard, quickly I make my way back to 3rd, and as I crest the final rise, Todd and Morgan are 10 yards ahead of me. I just need to stand on it, but I’m pretty redlined right now. I miss the gap.

Lap 2
Todd and Morgan have a big lead on me, I figure they are gone. O’hara bridges up to me and is on my wheel. He’s fast and strong, and makes me really nervous. I want to settle into my own rhythm. Out in the flats, I know I’m not the strongest, but over the run up and the steep quick climbs I seem to get some space. I get into my grind mode and set tempo thankfully O’hara doesn’t attack me; I make to the hills, and get a gap.

Lap 3.
I’m on my own now, riding my own race, I like it like this at this venue. A nasty chase group with Campbell, Fife, Nystrom, Ohara, and Brewer is nipping at my heels. I don’t want to dice it up with that group. Through the open section Campbell is putting his head down and dancing on the pedals. He’s getting close to me. I make it to the run up, and the hills, and again I open up my lead on this group. I look up and it appears I’m making time on the lead duo, I block out the vicious group chasing me, and look forward to the leaders, through the hills I get as close as I would to them this late as Todd attacks, Morgan appears to slip out on top of the final pitch and is gapped.

Lap 4
I’m feeling good and I stop looking back for the most part and focus on getting the leaders. I see Morgan up the road, and I feel like if I can get close in the open fast section, I can bridge through the hills. I get in the drops and drill it with everything I have. Over the last pitch I finally make contact, but I am hurting, I attack hoping to drop Morgan. The kid is too good, too cagey as he jumps on my wheel. I hear him breathing hard, but so am I. We charge through the start finish, and ken the announcer yells, “that’s Morgan the races youngest rider, and Fatmarc one of the race’s oldest riders, Fatmarc is driving, but Morgan is not going away” I ask myself, “please go away, pretty please with sugar, go away…”

Lap 5
I want to be in front, I want to set the pace. I have to ride my race. I want to beat this 14 year old kid. He’s faster than me, he’s younger than me, he’s surely better looking than me, and clearly not as fat as me. I’m not sure I can take him. He’s tight on my wheel riding very tactically. He comes around me in the open section and starts to make tempo. I get a shot of adrenalin or maybe it was fear that I was cracking, so with half a lap to go, I attack Morgan in the open, clearly my weakest spot on the course. Surprisingly I get a little gap, but not much, I tell myself grind it to the run ups, and I got this, I’ve been fastest through here all day. Fortunately for me, it worked out. I got clear, and opened up a little more space. I raced home, and around the last corner Slick Rick gives me the thumbs up, I looked back, I was clear. I sat up clapped my hands and smiled. I have worked very hard; I have had a good race. Sun shines on every dogs ass once in a while, and today, my ass got sunburned. Todd was dominate today, I’m not sure I could have hung with him had I made the bridge on the first lap. Behind me Campbell and Morgan have a sprint finish as Campbell pips him at the line. Fort Teammate Zach Adams put in a wicked charge in his final laps to place in the top 10. Very strong weekend for him, taking 3rd in the hillbilly hustle cross race the previous day. Strong kid, glad he’s on my side.

Epilogue:
My favorite part of the race was as all the B riders finishing up, and we where high fiving each other, shaking hands, laying on the ground trying to keep from vomiting. Morgan’s mother came over and congratulated me. I wanted to shake Todd’s hand, but he was cooling down, he was a monster today. Congrats to everyone, this was a very tough, very hard race.

I got a podium, which doesn’t happen all that often, and I scored some beer as a prize! HOORAY BEER! The Delaware Cyclocross coalition of Delaware was very well represented today. As was the Fort team. I was super proud of monkey who really had a nice ride, and you could tell she had to bite her lip and grind out a great race. She came up just short in a sprint finish for 9th.

Working pit for our elite teammates Stephen, Greg, and Wes- Zach, Diane, Amy and I had a hell of a good time. Thanks to Dan at HVC for hooking Kyle up with a wheel. Those trek guys need to take better care of that kid…

Wes the conqueror, FFAmy, Diane (chunky monkey) and I loaded up the car, hit Panera bread where I enjoyed a fine turkey bravo sandwich, and we headed home. On the way home, the car was quite as we were all tired from a fun, and hard day. Although at one point we all pepped up as we sang U2’s “one”. A debate over what was the best U2 album occurred for about 2 minutes, then it was back to singing.

I recognize I am the product of my community, and the great support I get from my wife, my friends, and my wonderful sponsors (Fort Frames, Spot Brand, TwinSix, and Henry’s bikes.) I know E-town wasn’t happy with his race this week, but his voice of reason, his hard work, has helped me 2 weeks in a row now. Thank you my friend. I won’t start the I love you man’s, I haven’t been drinking enough yet but I also have to thank Professor X for keeping me on track too.

respect
fm