chapter 100: the end of fatmarc?

P1010281
Originally uploaded by realfatmarc.

Did you ever feel like you took it as far as you could?
That something you started to do for fun, has gone too far?
Have you ever felt like maybe, just maybe you jumped the shark?

Maybe it was the idea of my parent's and in laws reading about my eurostyled pubic hair. Maybe it was that I read another blog that is really nothing more than a self centered whimsical philosophical jerk off, and saw too much of myself in that toxic mess. Well folks that's where I was with fatmarc.com last week. Maybe it was because I wasn't eating, maybe it was because I felt like it became something I never intended it to be. Has fatmarc become my doppleganger?

I shared with a few folks my thoughts of killing fatmarc. No one agreed with me. Can bruce banner kill the hulk? Can hal jordan stop being green lantern? Some suggested that I write some story, with a horrible ending and some staged pictures. Some said I should put something up that there would be no blogging for a month, and then quietly delete the blog.

I am pretty lucky, my site software tells me that some 350 people stop by each day to see what is going on in my life. I wonder how much productivity companies have lost because of me?

Those people could be anywhere in the world, but for whatever reason they decided to stop by and read about my life, my friends, my bikes. I greatly appreciate that. That is pretty damn cool. Thank you.

In the beginning I wanted this to be a vehicle for all of the silly emails I sent to my friends on the wooden wheels list, or to my friends Michael and Jessica at Spot. Then Gwadzilla started me on the blog path and I stopped sending the emails; all my energy was on the blog.

Early on I had a formula that I followed:
Talk about a ride, a movie and food.
Use nick names so as to not use anyone's real name on the site : protect the innocent kind of stuff.

Slowly that changed. Some where along the line, people started to recognize me, and my friends. Blog Famous is what Slick Rick called it. That was a little weird, although I admit nothing is cooler than traveling to a cross race and having people cheer "go fatmarc" when really I don't know anyone at the race.

Last week, I felt like it was time to end this, to just walk away. Maybe I'd start a new anonymous blog, with no pressure to post, only a venue for me to express some thoughts, and talk about some rides or not talk about cycling at all. I love spankys blog for all of those reasons. I am always intrigued by the guys who blog secretly. I think that my blog has painted a picture of who I am, I hope my friends think that my blogself and my real self are pretty close. I hope my potty humor is easy to enjoy. I think I like that...

One buddy suggested that if nothing else keep it for the sponsors. I'll be honest I never intended for it to be a vehicle for sponsorship, but I'm also not naive enough to think that it didn't help me. Fatmarc gave me a chance to introduce who I was, what I liked, what I thought was funny, where a resume or a quick phone conversation can't display the same, "this is what you get with me" feeling. It also gave a direct link from a some dude, a mid pack never was, directly to some super cool brands.

Knowing my sponsors like I do now, I know that if fatmarc ends today, they would still back me. If they dropped me, then they might be even cooler than I thought. "sir you are not promoting enough potty humor in the world."

I want my sight to be thoughtful, I want my site to be funny, I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul. I want you to notice...

well we all know how that goes. In the end, I want fatmarc to be, fun. Fun for me to write, fun for you to read. I know no one wants to read about the 100 base mile ride I did today, one mile at a time. At the end of the day, I want this to be about the great experiences I have sharing my passion for racing, training with my community, eating too much of the wrong stuff, watching bad movies and having as much fun with monkey, my dogs and all my friends.

Maybe that is what this is all about. Maybe not. Maybe I just need to go eat more fish tacos. Some days I don't want to be the jackass. Alas, the sun will shine tomorrow. Wasn't that just a wonderful exercise in jabberwocky. Jason and Freddy never stay dead. I doubt this monster will either.

thank you, and good night.

respect.
fatmarc
your spotbrand-twin six whore
your fort frames factory rider
your proud secret henry's team bandit
your #2 of the Delaware Cyclocross Coalition of Delaware (we are all # twos)