Good to see Tom on an expensive bike again..

On the final lap, coming off the beach, Bob attacks, and puts it down pretty hard up the climb to the top of the course, I follow, and glance back hoping to have opened up more of a gap on the group, we didn't. Over the top, Bob sits up just a little and I attack. I figure the group will come around me before the barriers but to my surprise when I get to the barriers I have probably 10 yards on the group. I jump back on and keep the pace up as I head to the sand pit of doom. I hit it hoping to roll petty deep, but bog down quickly. I run and jump back almost expecting to be passed. I look back and there appears to be some kind of tie up in the pit as someone has gone down. I attack the little hill, and hit the amphitheater of pain with aggression. I have a nice gap and have been making up time here all day. My gap from the group grows a little. On the final stretch of road I stand and sprint for practice, it was pretty horrible and roll across the line. Good for 11th in 35+, I think 13th overall. I am pleased. This was a hard race, a lot of tough guys in town for this one. Damn the Macs are rough. Up front Rob Campos from Long Island took the W, Slick Rick and Eric Slaugh duke it out for the final 2 podium spots. Rick 2nd, Eric 3rd. And shit, I think I finally scored some MAC points!

Paul and Dave...

For me it was a good day, rode well, and felt good. I still am confident that I'm getting better, but frankly I know my best cross is still ahead of me. I will continue to work hard.

The beacon guys are incredibly nice. Wade, Brian and all the Beacon guys are incredibly cool. This course is really fun, and the weather was fantastic. The masters results got all balled up, which kinda sucked and made me 2 hours late, as I rode with Slick Rick, who walked away with some coin. Ms. Fatmarc was a little sore at me for being so late. Sorry babe. All and all a really good day, fantastic venue, very fun racing.

Props to FortJames who put up his best ride thus far this year. Good work brother. Good work. Finally saw Mayhew today for the first time, his new nickname is scrum master. Cheryl and Fred looked very good today too. Blair looked sporty in his emperor's new
digs.

Special Thanks to Dan the Man, who noticed and complimented my new haircut.
Dan you are the man. thanks for noticing

fatmarc in portland.

Luxisms:
At I walk towards the porto lets, and John comes out:

"Jesus I hate porto lets, luckily I got in before someone tried to piss out of a skin suit and all over the damn seat."

After the first corner of the start:
"this start is like god damn NASCAR... rubbin's racin' folks"

To me after I passed him in the first half lap:
"what are you doing, you know your gonna fade, come on!?" (he passed me at the end of the lap)

Not the Luxurious one but should have been to LK at the start.
LK gives an eloquent "everyone be careful speech"
To which 3 guys behind me yell, "pay your bills"

Chris Allen, I really wanted to steal your Wawa Sandwich today.

Thanks to Dennis whose pictures I ripped off.

Respect
fm

Coffee anyone ?

Heff and the ladies circa 1968. Not quiet as scary then as now...

Good cross practice in the rain. 15 of us in a misty field. Pretty sensational.
still really tired from traveling last weekend. Freaking red eye is working me over.
Tom sandbagged the first efforts and killed me on the last. bastard.

Watched a cool documentary last night on Gator. You know the skater who went crazy and brutally raped and murdered a woman. The movie was really good, and followed him on the rise and when he just lost it. It's weird as a former skating yute, it was odd looking back at some of that old footage. I can remember watching it when it was new. For the record I thought it was stupid to have dancers in a skate video then, it's still bad now. In other movie news I saw Fantastic Four on the plane- it was disappointing, and Batman Begins, which was really well done, you know if your like me and a comic book nerd.

anyway, sleeped through my roller ride this morning. Have to get out at lunch. Going to see foo and weezer tonight. That should be fun, but not too good for getting rest. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow... Well you know...

respect
FM

US Grand Prix of Cyclocross, Portland, OR

Friday, 3:30 in the morning, I groggily wake to the sound of my alarm, lunge out of bed and reach to the floor for my manpri's which are balled up at my feet. Thrown on a HUP UNITED T-shirt (thanks Kerry) and my SPOT BRAND jacket and head for the airport.
I'm headed for the first round of the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross in Portland, OR.

What's this? fatmarc gone big time? Hardly, hell I can't make it to the top 10 in my own state, but I have a one day meeting in Portland on Sunday, and my boss graciously allowed me to go out a day early so I could race. So I turned business into pleasure and got to race the 35+ master's race at the GP.

I like his thinking...

The Race:

Well, it went like this. Of course all kinds of heavyweights are there, so you know I got no call up and was really far in the back. Field was 70 or so strong. First lap is furious, as I try to attack my way through the pack. The course is good, very technical, and then a long very nasty mud bog. Many in the early races would run these sections. I rode really well in the technical stuff, in the mud bog however I struggled mightily. The start is furious, faster than any start I have had this year, perhaps I invest too much in it. End of the first lap I'm in 16th place. I'm pretty happy with that, but I'm suffering. Through the technical section I feel like I'm making good ground, folks are crashing all around me. Out on the mud bog, I screw the line again. End of lap 2, I get myself gapped in the mud, and the group I'm riding with gets away, no worries another chasing group joins in. In the open sections they are racing very tactically rotating through. The catch me quickly. Lap three is tough, and mid race has been a challenge for me thus far. I latch on to the group I'm in. There's 8 of us, If I can hang I can move up. Lap 4, a couple of attacks from the group 3 get away, I can't cover. Through the technical stuff, many of these guys are fumbling. One dude belly flops on the barriers. This is good in my mind, the lap ends with the most technical stuff, and I should be able to attack the group here. Final Lap, I tell myself just get through the bog and then set 'em up. At the top of the bog, attacks start, I'm sitting in the back sucking wheel. I blow the line, take the worst one of the race, and instantly get gapped. I burry myself trying to get back on in the next open section, but it's too late. I missed it. I blew it. I listen to the Richard Fries. Dale Knapp has just won. Great, I just let 8 guys roll away from me. Fuck.

Adam Craig...

Tree Farm Kill 'em today...

I think I finished around 30th. I didn't post our results and frankly 2 days later what they are saying are the results are really incorrect. Frankly, that's a little disappointing. I guess the electronic ankle band thingy I wore wasn't up to par? Had a good start, but never really figured out the mud bog, and it jammed me up. I should have attacked there, maybe stirred up the others, and then taken them in the technical stuff? Frankly, I was disappointed at my fade, but worst of all I pride myself in finishing strongly and I totally screwed the pooch here. And insult to injury, I guess I pinched somebody off in a corner during the race, and he came back to give me a piece of his mind. Fuck you, Fuck you very much.

This was a little ridiculous...

The race itself was very cool. Venue was cool, 738 racers was cool. As much of a festival feeling that you get at home in the east, it was even more so here. They seemed to have more classes, which were all about 70 riders or so, more people racing. The had a beginner class, below the c class were tons of guys were on FS bikes, or just mountain bikes. We don't see that too much around here. The SINGLE SPEED CLASS had 68 riders as did the B's. This was some good racing. Registration as chaotic, which surprised me. Venue and racing wise these guys were on it. I admit, I am surprised at the lack of results and the chaos at registration. But I guess this is all part of the fun. Hats off to the promoters.

bad picture, but it was great to see Michael and Jessica again...
I ride for the greatest folks ever.

Overall the weekend was great. Jessica and Michael from SPOT BRAND came down to work pit for me, and even brought me a back up bike to use should I need it. They were super cool. I'm the luckiest some dude in the world to get to ride for them. Saturday Night we headed out with a couple of there friend so to a really good Mexican place call Dingos. The waitresses were all rock and roll. It was bad hair band metal night, and the play list included, motley crew, la guns, lita ford, and poison. We had a little name that tune game going on. Surprisingly, Michael knew his hair bands quite well. Hmmmm...