Quarter...

Dear Readers,

I rode 20 hours or so in the Month of February. Just over 5 hours came from last weekend. It was glorious, mind clearing, and now I am destroyed. I need coffee badly.  Photo Blog Starts now:

Sound and Color...

good to pedal some this weekend. Now I can't walk. Perfect.

Sitting in a waiting room...

Naked Mole Rat that comes to visit from time to time...

thanks for reading..

respect

vanderbacon

went to see my friend...

Dear Readers,

I went to see my friend...
He said "hi Marc" when he saw me. He didn't need to say anything.
He was very tired. He has fought very hard.
I was happy to see him.
I told him thank you for everything.
Thank you for helping me to be who I am.
Thank you for the lessons and the laughs.
I told him he couldn't understand the impact he had on my life and so many others.

He was tired. I hugged his wife and wished her well.
I went down stairs and thanked the his brave family for allowing me a chance to thank him.
They are all amazing and strong. Beautiful.  I was grateful they provided me this opportunity.
"stay cool, stay cool" I said to myself. I wished them all well, shook hands and shared hugs.
 Hold it together.  they don't need to see me bawling... keep it together... They are carrying so much already...

I made it out the front door and probably 20 ft before I lost my shit...
I drove around the corner and stopped the car...

I...

respect
fm

bad coffee is a bummer.

Dear Readers,

This week has been a coffee struggle.

I drink a lot of coffee. I drink it black because I like the taste, and that it has very few calories that way. That and it matches the color of my heart. Black.

Let me preface this by saying that in no way am I a coffee snob. Diane and I have a little two cup/paper filter coffee pot. While from time to time I'll splurge on nice bag of coffee, on a daily basis we use a simple Starbucks breakfast blend. Our little coffee maker is basic, but I am consistently impressed with how good of a cup of coffee it brews. This week, it has been my savior. Here at the office, we have Wawa coffee, which is generally pretty good. This week, for whatever reason it has been awful. Like I can't finish a cup awful.

went on an incredible urban ride with my buddy Karl this week. Wrapped around an
old abandoned  golf course. It was rad. Still stoked!

So, I ventured across the street to Starbucks. I don't usually like Starbucks regular brewed in the shop coffee. To me it normally tastes burnt.  I find the veranda to be a better option for me- read less burnt. So I tried a cup of that this morning. Blech! It was awful. Worse than the office supplied Wawa blend. It was a long afternoon without coffee...

Yup, It's been a bad week for coffee in Jennersville.

never underestimate the value of good coffee. never.

thanks for reading...

respect
fatmarc

It was just a few seconds...

Dear Readers,

Saturday, a small group of us headed out to weave our way around White Clay and Middlerun. The group was Buddy, Dennis, Bothell, CONsorto, Michael, James and I. It was really cold.

Racing down the Whitney Farms Trail, Dennis took the high line across the first field section and rolled to the front of the group. Diving into the single track, we all filed in nose to tail. In the woods, the trails were pristine. Frozen, tacky and fast- yeah they were pretty much perfect.

The Whitney Farm Trail twists and turns its way down the hill towards Pleasant Valley Road. The single track dives in and out of the woods and threads together the fields.  While the track in the woods was pristine, the fields were still snow covered in many areas and with the high winds  the fields were much more susceptible to snow drifts...

We blasted out of a wooded section with Dennis still leading the way. Frankly, I was struggling to hold his wheel. As the track headed across the field, I could see where it was obstructed by drifting snow. I watched as Dennis, never letting off the gas, guided his bike off the track and up the hillside into the snowy off camber. At the peak of his arch he was 10 feet off the trail and in the snow, but he never slowed. The trail turned and wound around the hillside, Dennis drifted down the snowy off camber and right back on to the trail on the clean side of drift. He quickly opened up 10 yard gap on the group.

I led the rest of the group through the section cleanly, but with neither the smoothness, momentum or mastery that Dennis displayed. I didn't get the arch right, and even caused CONsorto to groan as he grabbed a fist full of brake. Dennis was poetry in motion and gaped us immediately. As I cleared the snowy drift I stood on the pedals struggling to get back to Dennis's wheel. Wasted energy on my part, inefficient buffoonery...Rookie mistakes... That's why he's the master.  The professor taught the class, gave the test, and emailed the grades. If Dennis was a rapper, he would have just dropped the mic and walked off stage.

That subtle move was glorious to behold. While I have a number of amazing memories from fun riding this weekend, watching this move was the headliner...


thanks for reading.

Try to stay warm out there...

respect
FATMARC VDB

names redacted to protect the innocent

Dear Readers.

A quick non-bike racing related memory from nationals:

Standing in the parking lot outside of the Antler Village, my brother and Consorto were busting my ass pretty good. They were ripping on my "skinny jeans". I'll say, they had some good stuff. I was flustered.

Not Skinny Jeans-

In my defense I'll say that they aren't skinny jeans- maybe a little tapered, but my legs seriously aren't fitting into skinny jeans... And really, while Diane can't take responsibility for skateboard t-shirts or cardigan sweaters, she does direct my jeans purchases, so if she digs 'em I dig 'em.. see rule #1 (happy wife, happy life!)

but I digress:

We stood outside of the Antler Village and my brother and Consorto did a great job of giving me some what for... I was defenseless!

Then a buddy of mine, an attractive female buddy of mine, who shall not be named to protect the innocent, walked by and witnessed the abuse I was taking, and she threw me a life saver!

"I don't know, I think those jeans look pretty good on him!" she commented as she continued to walk towards the Village with a smile on her face.

Jaws hit the ground, and your favorite mid pack master thrust his hands in the air like he just won a training race! Victory! I might have even said out loud- "FOR THE WIN!"

We all laughed.

Later, that afternoon I shared the story with Monk. She laughed and said, "you know you totally owe her a beer. She saved your bacon- Vanderbacon!"

Indeed, she did. In an effort to protect the innocent, names have been redacted, but beer credits have been logged!

thank you for the save.

thanks for reading.

respect
fatmarc
Vanderbacon

Photo Credit: Kevin Dillard.

Season for all things...

Dear Reader,

Into the heart of winter- cross has been done for a few weeks. Those race weekends have been replaced with long steady winter riders: replenish the soul, refresh pack riding skills, reconnect with friends and non-crossers (gasp!). Weekly rides out of the People's Plaza, and loops called Mr. Belvedere Hates You, Sound and Color, and Rombach's Revenge- it's been wonderful to spread the wings, and stretch the legs again, each week looking to add a little more climbing, a few more miles...

Perhaps not the most interesting blog fodder, but there is a season for all things...

Jenn and Diane discuss the recent Wout/Vanderholeshot battle at worlds!

exploring the roads of southern chester county

Dennis and BK. Yes, BK on the road! great to have him out...

VDP! VDP! Jen and Monk rolling strong today!

No, not as eloquent as David, but similar deep thoughts.... didn't want this one to die in the draft bin...

thanks for reading.

respect
fatmarc