Objectivity

Dear Readers,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I remember when I was doing my undergrad, taking a class on the bible. The professor introduced  the class stating that we were going to study the bible as a piece of literature not a religious work. He continued that we would discuss the origin of the stories, the historical context, and possible authors. The professor finished his opening saying that he respects  religious beliefs, and acknowledged that some students cannot study this text in this fashion. If that was the case, this might not be the class for them. I also clearly remember a couple of born again Christians in this class who stated after the professor's introduction that they were born again Christians, and the bible was god's word. I can remember them saying "amen" or "Praise Jesus" after passages that the professor read that night. After getting the stink eye from the professor, and frankly many of us in class, they continued the practice in a whisper...

It was a little surreal. I'll admit I kinda thought at first it was a joke, or they were putting us on. In hind-site, they were not, and after the second meeting of class I think the kids realized, this wasn't going to be a good class for them. They couldn't separate their beliefs from the class and focus on the literature.

Fast forward 20+ years. Outside of my exciting cyclocross career, I actually pay the bills as a Human Resources Professional. I like to think of myself as being a strategic partner, and frankly in our organization I believe the value of HR is appreciated. In school, I'm currently taking a Strategic HR class as part of my program. While I am learning a lot, and enjoying the class, a lot of the time there's material and discussions around issues and topics that I have some real world experience with... It's been a struggle to not share all my experiences, or thoughts on issues... I recognize I  may be one of three people in the class that work in HR...  I'll admit there have been sometimes when I squirmed a little in my chair or found myself looking at my role and my team's role in our organization. There are some real world learnings for me.  I've also heard a few things that frankly I felt like were just bullshit. Needless to say, this experience brought me back to my Bible class in undergrad. Now, my HR beliefs and practices surely are not on par with these guys faith in God, but I do have some very deeply held beliefs about culture, development, and human resources' role in a company. Having those beliefs examined and poked  has been an interesting experience. One thing is for sure, it's changed how I look back to those kids in the bible class. As an adult, I find it challenging to have my deeply held beliefs that I have had 40+ years to develop questioned, I can only imagine how tough that could have been as a 19 year old still trying to figure out things out. Odd. Anyway, just something
I was thinking about.

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon

Crossasaurus Awesome

Dear Readers,

My name is Fatmarc Vanderbacon. I like to ride and race my bikes. I have a new puppy named Logan. Yes, that is a reference to Wolverine. I have two other dogs as well, Potter and Layla. Potter of course for Harry Potter and Layla for the Clapton song.

In cycling circles, when someone has a particularly good day they will often refer to it as " it felt like riding without a chain." As a cyclist, we hope for maybe 1-2 of these days a year.Truth is they happen less often than that for me. Maybe it's on a hard training ride where you get to lay the smack down on the local hometown hero. Maybe it's on a race day, and finally everything comes together. These are always great days. These days are very rare, and frankly all the hard days, all the times you pedal squares, push yourself until you get dropped, get pissed off pulling the group in the headwind, only to have them attack you once your are out of it, all the times you suffer up one more climb are all validated on these rare are wonderful days.

At Crossasaurus Awesome,  I had one of these days.

The narrative of my season has been chase to the group of guys I lovingly refer to as my group. The narrative has had me hang on back of the group, or get popped off the group and battle my way to the finish.

Today, I started in row 3 of 5, and by the end of the first lap found myself at the back of my group. I kinda knew how the story would end if I stayed on the end of my group. So I moved up. It stuck. The race was a 7 lap race, and with 3 to go, I thought to myself, "self, this is going really well. I feel good. really good, don't eff this up".

 I had by far my best ride of the year. I was stoked.

So look this race was called Crossasaurus Awesome, here are somethings that made it extra awesome, you know besides, feeling freaking rock star on the bike today:

• Monkey and Potter came for the race. Potter's first race in over a year. And yes, he has grown a lot in a couple of years. No, he hasn't eaten Logan
• Gorka? in the hammock on the run up hill, casually saying hello every lap as I came by, "hey fatmarc how are you? would you like a donut?" 
• Bob Joos in the pit giving me updates and cheers
• Nick battling at the front of the race,but cheering me on across the switch backs. 
• Our master class is just a good group of guys, my group specifically was cool. Trevor, Johan (birthday boy) Matt, Werner, and Greg (who chased me down going into one to go) all had kind words after my race. Community rules. Class acts all the way...
• The course is so fun, fast and hard corners, and the gorilla suit... it was awesome...
• Thanks to Bob P for hooking me up with a sweet parking spot too...

I am totally wearing my Crossasaurus awesome shirt to work today...

It was a good day... I'll remember this one for awhile

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon

Star Rock Cross or Meet Logan...

Dear Reader,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I am pleased to welcome Logan, our newest puppy to the family.

Our friend Laura volunteers at shelter a little north of allentown. She had posted some cute shots of a new puppy at the shelter on Thursday. Diane and Laura had been swapping emails about the new pup. Diane and I have been thinking about a new pup for a little while, and with Diane's injury and season now done, she was stoked to make it happen.

Now, I will admit I thought we'd work this out sometime next week. That said being that Logan was at a rescue, there were no holds, no guarantees. On Friday night we decided we wanted him in  our family. So we made a plan.  So the plan was set:  I'd race Star Rock Cross and then we head out from Lancaster to the rescue North of Allentown. We wanted this dog.

I was up early, loaded up the car and we were off. On the trip to the race, I started doing math. Driving times, venue to the rescue weren't good. Then also realized if we made it to the rescue and some other family had adopted Logan just an hour before... Well, It'd be totally a bummer...

So on the way to the race, car fully packed, bikes on the roof, I realized that, we might not make the shelter in time... So I did what any sort of rational person would do. Maybe I have to turn in my cross card, but I decided to not race and head out to the shelter.

Of course I went to the venue because I had to meet up with the director. I had to swap a shifter with him, and pick up some stuff for a teammate. I saw him, I explained my situation to him. The director is a kind man and a good friend. He was sad to not have me racing, but completely understanding of my choice. I am lucky to ride for a kind and understanding man.

So Logan is home now. He and Potter are wrestling in the center of the TV room, and Layla is reminding them who the boss really is...

thanks for reading...

respect
vanderbacon

Whirlybird

Dear Readers,

My name is Fatmarc Vanderbacon.  I am that dude that loves racing in the mud. So I will admit I was quietly stoked as a Nor'Easter dumped on the region Thursday and Friday. I will also admit I was shocked at how not muddy the course was when we arrived at Bensalem High Saturday morning. With the exception of a couple of corners, and the one off camber section, the course was really fast and dry. Frankly, I blame Ryan Leech. Yup this guy:

Leech has been one of the guys in mid atlantic cross since I started racing cross. He's always been very kind to me, and always offers a smile at the races. I am happy to see him racing in the region again.  But I should have known when Leech posted this

That the course was going to be dry and fast. It was. I'll also say the course was really fun, twisty and raced really well. Hell, they had a spiral of death, I usually hate these things, and they totally jumped the shark, but this one was placed between 2 big power sections, and was frankly a beautiful piece of course design.

My race was fun. I was really happy with my ride. Had my best start of the year, made my group. I was stuck on the end and eventually got popped off the back of my group. I was out in no man's land for a bit and finally got on a nice couple of wheels. I collected myself and made a mad dash at the end of the final lap to pick up a couple of spots. I was pleased. My best ride so far this season...

At the end of the day, I won't complain about the lack of mud, I mean, the course was fun, and day was really fun, and heck, I got my take home final exam down Saturday evening...

thanks for reading.

respect
fatmarc

The Gift

Dear Readers,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I have been heckled a few times this year that "you're racing too seriously." I will admit that frankly, I do take my racing pretty seriously. I love to race. Especially cross, it makes me really happy. It is one of the passions of my life. I don't fault folks who approach cross differently, but I know how I care about it, and frankly how I want to approach it.When I ride my best, and leave it all out there regardless of result, I feel like I'm getting the most out of this. That's the enjoyment for me at this point.

Look, I get that I'm not the fastest kid on the block. That I'm not really in the race these days in terms of placing. I'm your team's mid pack masters racers. I'm racing for a top 30 most weekends, and apparently with the juniors top 50. At the end of the race, if I suffered the entire time, if I rode clean, if I battled in my group- I'm happy with that. Somewhere along the line I saw this:

The gift is the ability to go out and train. The ability to pin on a number. The ego to get my face kicked in and come back the next day to do it again. I feel honored to ride for the team I do, I am proud of my teammates and to be associated with them. I am proud of the community and friends I have because of this sport.  I love this game. For me, frankly that's where I am. I just want to go out and race my best, as long as I fight, I battle, and I race smart, and leave it all out there... then I'm cool with that. Maybe I am too serious when I race, but I work really hard to be able to battle for 30th place. And frankly, I wouldn't want it any other way.

my brother Craig and I warm up last weekend

Note: this isn't a post against bacon suits or beer feeds or single speeds or anything else. Lord knows I have taken my fair share of beer feeds and participated in jackassery at cross races. I love that I'm being heckled. It's a wonderful thing. The beauty of cross is that on some level it offers something for everyone. It's truly the beautiful battle.

Two years ago, I lost a brother. From that experience/coping/healing/having a mid life crisis I've grown and learned a lot. One of those things that I keep coming back to is this if I'm gonna do something, I have to give my best. Either that or don't do it. I also learned that I don't always need to be the biggest jackass at the party either. That however, will be the subject of another entire blog...

So yeah, I'll continue to take it seriously and have fun and smile afterwards. Thanks again for heckling. I do appreciate it. I just want to leave it all out there.. For me, anything else is well... wasting my gift...

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon

Providence Cyclocross Festival

Dear Readers,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I am pretty stoked after a pretty amazing weekend. I also drank more beers last weekend than I have in the last month. My brother, skinny-craig vanderbacon believes that was his influence. That or the case of beer that Nick put in our cooler. These two factors probably align at some-point.

Really the weekend was amazing. Dinner Friday night with friends, and dinner Saturday night with some old friends from out of town.

The courses were amazing, and the fields huge and competitive. For me, for me watching Monkey get to race was by far the highlight of the weekend.

As regular readers of fatmarc.com know Monk has been battling a knee injury since early May. While she's not in any racing form and the knee is only maybe 75%, and she hasn't done an effort since May. She had an opportunity to do the Madison with Anne Rock and couldn't pass it up. She was amazing.

Check out this video from the weekend- Diane in green helmet, Craig and I make cameos too


In the course of her race, she was about to be lapped by the leaders. She heard Manny coming up on the left, and so into a wide corner she went right, to give him lots of space. Low and behold who should be on the right of Monkey, but Tim Johnson, as he was trying to squeak by on the right. So yeah, my wife took Tim Johnson to the tape. It was pretty awesome.

Craig and I, THOSE FABULOUS VANDERBACON BOYS,  had a pretty good day ourselves finishing 10th over all. We were all pretty stoked and that race was really fun.

Craig and I start together on Saturday... He'd drop me shortly...

Diane, feeling the high of friday's race toed the line Saturday because she didn't want to pass up the chance to line up with 130 women. She lined up near the back and fought a great race, having to help one of her rivals with a hand assist over the fly over...

Monk's hand assist photo by velocb..

I was pleased with my rides both days. The courses were super fun, super fast and flowy and technical... Really a good time....

we had a pretty packed and fun team spot

post race debrief- we're swapping recipes

Benny has no idea that Jimmy is behind him..

Now I will say, I left the venue very frustrated. Saturday we weren't told the juniors were being scored with us, then they were scored with us after the fact. Thank you dropping me back 5 spots. Lame, but not that big of a deal.  Sunday, well they decided to mix the juniors in with us, only they didn't use any rhyme or reason that I can tell of... All of the juniors were mixed in but seated together. In a field of 108... We were pushed back 4 rows from the previous day as all the juniors were seated before us. In the wet conditions, not only was this unfair, it was unsafe. I won't dwell on this too much, other than to say that it did but a damper on the weekend. I don't like having this juniors mixed into our field, but if they are going to do that at least stage us in some kind of fair fashion. Yeah, I'm a dicky masters rider, but I'm also a paying customer. I believe they'll get this worked out, and that they put on a great show. I'll also say that maybe I'm not the customer they want, I can understand that too...A good business model is always to keep your paying customers happy.  Don't worry Providence, I still love you...

Nick, Craig and I were totally stoked with change to the program Sunday.

I want to thank all of my great teammates and friends who came out and raced and hung out... really a fun time this weekend...

big time...

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon