Kris Auer and The Magic Skinsuit

Dear Readers,

I am really excited to be flying the Deluxx Bikes Cyclocross Team Colors this fall. I think that the change of venue for me has added an additional  sense of excitement for cross. I am honored for this new opportunity and excited to be apart of this new team. It's gonna be an awesome season.

That said, without a doubt the best years of my racing "career" were as a member of the C3 team. I'll add that I will always look back on my time with C3 with great pride. Kris Auer is a good friend. I was stoked to work with him as a coach, and as a team director. I learned a ton from him. I count myself lucky to have him as a friend. He was the kind of guy that could make a mid-pack guy like me feel like a world beater. A number of times, I know he coaxed my best rides out of me. Rides that frankly, I'm not sure I believed were possible. He taught me to believe.

then there was this one time...

A few years ago, I came into Charm City pretty cooked. I was in school, work was hard and I wasn't so stoked about racing the Charm City Weekend. Auer gave me the ole "fatmarc the team needs you to race this weekend." which I always suck up. I could never say no to Auer.

That weekend of Charm City our new kit also came in. The new skinsuits were bad ass. But, I'll admit it, I just wasn't into racing that weekend. I was tired, I was busted. I wanted to do my stuff for the race, and go home and sleep.

As I kitted up, Auer noticed I wasn't wearing my new skinsuit. As we warmed up and rode together, he commented, "it's a tough field today, gonna be a hard one, make sure to race your race, and make sure you wear your skinsuit."

In my mind, Auer knew that I wasn't mentally into racing. I reasoned, that if I wore the skinsuit it would mentally trigger me to bring my best. This was our race, Charm City- regardless of how tired or cracked I was, it was my job to bring my best. It was my responsibility to the team to race my guts out for the team regardless of how I felt. Auer was once again tricking my best out of me.

On Auer's advice, I put on the skinsuit. And I threw down during my race. I finished 21st that day in a nasty deep and hard race that was one of the deepest field I'd see that year.  Looking back, that race was one of my best races of that season. I was super stoked.

After the race, all of the C3 guys in the 35+ race gathered and shared stories. I hugged Auer and thanked him for once again coaxing another ride out of me that I wasn't sure I had in me. Auer looked at me puzzled. I explained, "dude, telling me to wear the skinsuit, you knew you'd get the best from me. It was a stroke of motivational genius. Well done."

Auer laughed, and said, "man, the new skinsuits look rad- I just wanted everyone to wear them."

Sometimes I just need to get out of my own head.
fucking Auer.
ruined short sleeve skinsuits for me that day.

thanks for reading.

respect
fatmarc