This Makes Me Happy...

road rides in the rain and cold are not always fun, but I always am happy when they are accomplished.

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vanderbacon

A Blog about Tires.

Dear Readers,

I recognize that I have a tire problem. I like tires. I like to see the different treads, and I like finding ones that work really well for me. I have to admit one of my favorite things about cross is the geekiness that goes into what tires to run during a race, and when to change during a race.

I'll admit that to some extent I have transferred this to my mountainbikes. My bike came with a set of  specialized tires. They rolled well, especially once I had a chance to break them in, but I never could get the to corner they way I wanted. Todd (El Presidente) has said many times, the most important thing is to trust your tires. I never had that relationship with theses Specialized tires... (FTR I love my Specialized bike...)

Over the years I have developed some goto mountainbike tires. My favorite all around tire, and when conditions require a little more traction is the Maxxis Ignitor. My favorite "fast" tire, or what I usually run day to day here in the mecca of Newark is the Hutchinson Python. Yeah, it's an old tread, but it works really well. Rolls fast, and you can really lean on it in the corners. Hutchinson didn't bring this over to 29er right away, but let me tell you I was at the shop to pick up a set the day I saw them! I'll admit this last couple of years I have been a huge fan of the Geax AKA- large volume, fast rolling and I've enjoyed really leaning on them.

Last weekend, I knew I would be racing soon, and wanted to get the specialized tires off my bike. At the end of the ride when I tore the sidewall, it cemented the deal. I debated a bit about what I wanted to run for this spring season. Again, leaning back to cross the Clement tires have quickly become my favorites. I found myself gravitating to the PDX and MXP. They are  hands down the best cross tires I have used. They held up well, rolled fast and... they just worked. When I saw that Clement was doing a mtb tire, I'll admit I was skeptical...

I read that the tire has the PDX side knob, and a fast rolling newly developed center tread. I told myself to walk away, but I couldn't, my newly developed Clement obsession was too strong, and I found myself hitting "BUY NOW"...

Damn, lack of self control.

Mounted up the Clement LXV last night... Will likely bomb it around some fire-roads tonight, and with any luck put it through it's paces at the 4hrs of Patapsco this weekend.

Anyway, after reading that you probably need a second cup of coffee, because you know this is a blog about tires... I am giddy to try some new treads...

thanks for reading

respect
Vanderbacon..

That thing..

Dear Readers,

There is this problem at the gym that I have been working on for a couple of weeks now. It's a level higher than I'm comfortable with, and a real stretch to my abilities.  Yesterday, I made it through problem to the last move. The final move is a big one to the top of the wall. I went for the final move probably 10 times. I'd throw my left, I'd throw my right, and every time I'd come off and crash to the pad on the floor below.

I am lucky to have so many great folks/people to ride with... 

I was a little frustrated: on one hand I was climbing above my pay grade; on the other other hand I was so close to finishing the problem, but might as well have been a million miles from the finish. I'll also admit, while I was never hurt, the fall started to get into my head. It was a little exposed, and frankly I started to get scared. I walked away from the problem.

the guys I ride with sometimes call me sweetie...

Today, we went back to climb, and I'll admit I was pretty shattered. I had been a total hot mess on my ride today. While it was wonderful to be back in the woods, I was really tired and struggled to tread water. At the gym, I laid around a bunch and rested. I watched some other guys work the problem and they were falling off on the same place I was. Watching them fall back to the crash pads, I felt myself getting more scared. I had decided to just let that problem go, the risk was not worth the reward.

Then I watched Diane, who is a much better climber than I am, work a problem that she's been struggling with. While she didn't finish it, she continued to make progress and move up. I was feeling beat up, but felt inspired. I went to my project problem and worked through it. I made it to the final move. I started to think about falling,  I started to get scared. I thought through how I could finish. I stalled. I was starting to freak myself out a bit. I had to go with a big left. I said to myself better to fall and walk away then not try because I was scared. I went for the finish, and much to my surprise I made it. I stuck the move and finished the problem. I hung on the top of the wall for an extra second or two, still amazed I finished this one.  I was so stoked. I was punching above my weight class for sure there, every once in a while you get to steal one. Today was my day.

I then spent the rest of the afternoon laying around and watching Kita and Diane climb. It was good times.

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon

then there was this...

so damn sexy

Started to write this long rambling and unorganized post about training philosophies and comparing and contrasting Chris and my routines, and then I started talking about group rides, and how if they are done right they can be awesome, how I know "Angry Man Weekly World Championships" have their place, but why I'm not a fan, and really the benefits of riding with good people, and how riding with good groups helps everyone get better. I started to talk about ego too.... It was long and rambling and not really getting back where I want it... So I kinda trashed it... I kinda liked the ego piece, still want to write about that a bit... Anyway, here's a picture of Diane vacuuming...

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vanderbacon

I can't help smile...

Final grade report came out yesterday.
I gotta admit, I can't help but smile when I look at it...

yup, I did it again. Still smiling.

now to try and find my legs...

respect
FMVB

Incremental- a day at Elk Neck

"Josh Waitzkin, a chess prodigy, wrote a book called the art of learning, and in it he describes the different types of chess kids he was teaching. He discusses at length the "entity" versus the "incremental" forms of learning, as classified by developmental psychologists. "Entity" kids think their chess skill is born and natural and innate ability, a pure talent, while "incremental" kids think they have learned chess incrementally, step-by-step, and that hard work pays off.

been Chasing Dennis around for 20+ years...

Josh would give his students impossible problems-well beyond their level, that no one in the class could solve. So all the kids would fail that problem. But then, when he gave them other manageable problems afterwards, the "entity" kids would struggle, they had broken mentally, and were unsure of themselves. The "incremental" kids would just go back to work, slogging away. the "incremental kids, who believed in the power of labor, would keep digging in the trenches, even if faced with insurmountable problems."

-Sam Sheridan

I'd say that these guys were cracking the whip, but actually I think everyone took their turn at the whip today...

Started reading Sheridan's a Fighter's Mind this week. Pretty interesting, kinda had me hooked when the first chapter was about Dan Gable. I liked that passage and figured I'd share. I'd add that I don't think everyone is all "entity" or all "incremental" but most a combination. I'm sure I could draw some analogy with racers who sandbag, being "entity" kids and when they can't rely on only talent they quit the game, unable to figure out the next level... but I'd rather think about how I'm probably 98% an "incremental" kid, and frankly that's what's kept me riding and racing bikes. I feel like each year (with the exception of two years) I have gotten better, and learned more about this game, kept it fun, kept learning and doing something new- that's why I think for 20+ years now, I'm bombing in the woods, or around town dressing in lycra... 

There was another passage about ego in Sheridan's book but we'll save that for another day...

Slimm and Joe B

This morning I met a group of guys that were killer mix of talent and hard work. It was an honor to be riding with them. I was a little under the weather Saturday, so I expected it would take everything in my suitcase of courage to stay in on this day. I'm not sure that on my best day I could have done anything differently. 

Jason T flying on his new rig today...

There were two particular climbs, two climbs where I knew I was at the limit, and I had to just back off a little... But with this group, any time you took the foot off the gas the group was all over you. It was a hard, but very fun day...  As Waitzkin would say, I was facing impossible problems, but I also know that while today I wasn't my best the efforts are in the bank, it was good work, and that will pay off in the future. Just keep moving forward. It felt good to be out and to be trail riding...Elk Neck is a magical place in the winter, and while I think conditions today were the best all year winter, my hope is that the weather will allow for trail riding more locally...

thanks for reading...

respect
FMVB

Fatmarc Vanderbacon-MBA

Dear Readers,

I have a very clear memory of my final undergrad class twenty years ago. I was not such a great undergrad student. I didn't love school, I hated it. I probably cut more classes than I attended. That last semester I was working over night. Eleven at night until nine in the morning and then off to school each day. That last class, Latin IV, was at nine-thirty on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I didn't have a car, rode my bike from work, and usually showed up to class in a rush at nine-thirty five a sweaty ball of mess.  I remember that last exam, I had to pass to graduate. I had spoken to the professor, he knew my situation. I had studied as hard as I could. I took the test. I got a C-. I graduated. I was on the C's get degrees program for sure. I remember walking out of Smith Hall and hitting those doors walking out into the sunshine throwing my hands up in victory and saying to myself, "fuck yeah, that's over. I am never going to school again in my life..."

My mom always told me to never say never.

Twenty years later, I started my Grad program at Goldey Beacom College-  MBA program with a concentration in Human Resources. It couldn't have been a different experience. Smaller classes, which I looked forward to, and I never missed a single one. I developed relationships with my professors and classmates, even if I was usually the "old guy in class".  I studied on average 10 hours a week for the past two years. And today, today I finished my program, took my final final exam. I expect to graduate with a 3.9 or 4.0 GPA. I look forward to walking in May. I AM STOKED.

Fatmarc Vanderbacon, MBA.... I kinda like the sound of that...

Unlike when I finished my college undergrad, I do consider myself I life long student. Do I see myself getting another degree?  nah- but I'm also not ruling it out. There's also a really strong chance that I may be teaching a class or two this fall at Goldey. That's so exciting to me.  It's been a very tough couple of years, I worked really hard, I learned so much.  This experience has been good for my career, and good for me as a human being. Now, I'm not gonna say it hasn't been without it's costs and sacrifices. I've been grumpy, grindy, not slept, and sometimes a rat-bastard to live with or be around. For that, I'm sorry... but hell that's part of the joy of  who I am too...   Man, I'm tired...

It's been such a great experience. I am grateful for my friends, co-workers, family and of course Monkey who supported and dealt with me when I was losing my shit. (I did that a lot). I am very happy to be done, and frankly super stoked right now. SUPER STOKED.

my one regret? I didn't get to race collegiate cross nationals with Jeff, Gunnar, Kyle and Sam as a 43 year old college student... Hmm.. maybe my next degree? Maybe with Jimmy Rock?

Marc Vettori, MBA  - I really can't believe it...  so stoked... If you would have told me 5 years ago I would have been able to do this I would have told you that you were nuts.

thanks for reading, I'm going to shave this playoff beard!

respect
FMVB

Wrestling Related: read this on the internerd...

Dear Readers,

A few years ago one of my mentors told me that I approached life, and everything with a wrestler's mentality. Recently a couple of people who I hold in very high regard told me they were impressed with my drive. I was humbled by those compliments, but I'm not sure I'm so driven as much as hard wired to approach things a certain way. I never saw it when one of my mentors said it to me, but I do believe he was right about approaching things as a wrestler. I really feel it when things get tough and just find myself grinding, and I just want/need/have to keep moving forward...  Anyway, I saw this and thought it related to that so I figured I'd share... 

For what it was worth, I was a pretty awful wrestler, and Delaware is not Iowa...

"My son started wrestling when he was seven years old. This weekend he wrestled his last high school match, and although he had a very nice career he ended-up just short of his goals. He ended with 98 career varsity wins -- two short of what it takes to get his name on the wall in our gym -- and missed qualifying for states thanks to two excruciatingly close matches. It was even more painful because we had four meets that were snowed-out this year, otherwise his 100 wins would have been assured. And his bracket was loaded with returning state qualifiers, so he knew from the start that qualifying at his weight was going to be a big challenge. But nonetheless he came tantalizingly close to beating a couple of extremely high caliber wrestlers, only to see the matches slip away; which really only added to the pain. After his last match he ran outside and cried for about an hour. When he finally came back, and I saw him for the first time, the pain in his face was indescribable, and something I will never be able to erase from my mind.

It can be a brutal sport. And I won't lie, for the better part of the weekend I wondered if it might have been a mistake to get him involved in wrestling -- because I suspect this last day of his career will haunt him for the rest of his life. I wondered if anything is worth going through the pain he has gone through. You have to understand that he worked unbelievably hard to try to meet the goals he had set for himself. He wrestled 12 months out of the year, and between lifting, running, and wrestling he did some kind of training 365 days out of the year. I could see in his eyes a sense that life had betrayed him; that if you work that hard towards a goal, you ought to be rewarded.

However, I've also watched him gain confidence through the sport that I don't believe he could have ever achieved without wrestling. He carries himself with self-assurance that absolutely came from testing himself repeatedly, and from the many accomplishments that he did achieve. The last couple of years he helped coach the junior program, and by doing so he learned leadership skills and learned how to speak confidently in front of groups. To the young kids he is a rock star! I have truly been amazed at what a fine young man he has become, and I know to a large extent wrestling is responsible. And, yes, even the pain of failure has built his character and made him stronger.

I know this has nothing to do with Iowa wresting, but I can't say these words out loud to my wife and friends without breaking into tears. And yet I need to get the words out -- preferably to people who know exactly what I'm talking about -- because there is no pain more exquisite than watching your child hurting. In the end, I take solace that he will heal from the pain more quickly and more completely than I ever will.

I'm glad he wrestled. I've never been sadder in my life. But I am glad he wrestled."

Thanks for reading and allowing me a little lateral introspection and what not.

respect

Vanderbacon