Creativity Class

Dear Readers,

My apologies for the radio silence this week. For some strange reason I thought it would be a good idea to take a week long class. The class met everyday of the week from 4-10 and as my professor said was 5 days, 3 Credits, 2 papers, and 1 presentation. That was tough stuff.  The class was on Creativity, and Creative Problem Solving in Business. While really intense, and I was forced to be really focused this week, the class was outstanding. I worked really hard, learned  a ton.  I start my final class next week, I'm glad I took this class with the professor I did, and the classmates I did. It was outstanding...

My wife, is far more creative than I: she dances around the house like no one is watching, she plays guitar, and sings in the shower. It's  a pretty amazing thing...  It's one of the things I love most about her... That said, she said she'd kill me if ran video of her singing or dancing...

Nature Break

In class, the professor asked does anyone sing? dance? or write? none of us raised our hands. Professor then asked, if you were 10 how would you have answered? We would have all likely said yeah to something... Kids are totally in touch with their creativity. They have fun. My goal: keep in touch with my inner child, have fun and try to be more creative...

Eddie Fought Super Hard- Guy Rode Great Today...

After a week of not riding a bike, and Mother Nature continuing to kick our asses,  I met some friends for a a nice ride. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the loop, it's actually kind of bleed out the eyes boring, but it is good for getting in some base miles, and frankly catching up with some friends... all in all, I'll call it a win, and at no point did my eyes feel like they were going to bleed.

One class to go, starting next week... Keep Moving Forward... Be creative... have fun...

thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon

not nice, but ice out...

Dear Readers,

I was super stoked for my ride this morning, as Shane, Travis and I planned to noodle around the hopefully sweetly snow covered, yet completely packed and totally rad snow trails of Middlerun. I was super stoked to try out my new custom made bar ends too:

yes, I still run bar ends...

Come to find out, the hill I live on this morning has become an ice rink. There was no way I was making it out. Low and behold, my peers had similar issues:

So instead, I watched the World Cups, drank a second cup of coffee, and made snarky comments on twitter...

Thanks for reading.

respect
vanderbacon

SNOW MUCH FUN

Dear Readers,

I will admit, I kinda hate snow. I don't ski or snow board. It kinda throws a monkey wrench in most aspects of my life. That said, nothing beats a good snow mountain bike ride.  One of those rare opportunities to really make the bike slide, test your technical skills and rip around. Trails I know and love, become brand new trails with different corners, different angles and different lines. Like a totally muddy cross race where you can really showcase technical skills, or as I like to call them "deception and guile"

In short, SO-  SNOW MUCH FUN.

I did totally get cocky and lay it down on a totally unassuming snow covered root...

totally rad. Just hope I get to ride trails again, you know this month... maybe...

Brian set a great pace...

Thanks to the brave group dragging me around: Brian K, Todd (El Presidente), Joe B, and Shane.
Todd not pictured... other pictures stolen from Joe B.

thanks for reading...

respect
vanderbacon

Happy New Years!

Dear Readers,

Monkey and I spent New Year's Eve with some friends for the early serving at Two Stones in Newark. This has become something of a tradition for us, and while most of the crowd isn't as dressed up as we tend to be, its New Years Eve- go big or go home!  We tend to go on the early side, because well, we are pretty  lame and old, and frankly we all like to be in bed by ten to make early morning rides/runs/commitments.

Hubba, Hubba, Hubba

We clean up alright.

I'm not huge on New Year's Resolutions but this year I'm gonna try to follow this guy's strategy:

Prefontaine

We had a killer group out this morning for an early New Year's Day "Commit to the Frozen Rut Ride"  over at White Clay and Middle Run.

Todd Forrest put on a bit of a clinic today and reminded everyone why he is the El Presidente!

It was like the one thousand and first time that Todd has dropped me at Middle Run, but I'll also say, it was beautiful to watch unfold, you know until I was dropped... Dude was flying today...

Here's wishing you and yours a great 2014 from all of us here at Vanderbacon Enterprises, a subsidiary of Fatmarc.com...

best to you.

respect
Vanderbacon  

that was nice...

dear readers,

This is the MAC's 3x Junior Women's Champion. Her father sent me a note and this picture thanking us (the MAC board/promoters) for all we have done. Kinda made my day, on this the last day of the year. Good Stuff For sure.

be safe out there.

respect
vanderbacon

Photo Blogging

Dear Readers,

Electric Lemonade to kick off the weekend

Shocked  and Pleased to hear this dude wanted to ride on the road this weekend...

Rode out to meet the Willowdale ride with these guys (Eric, Dennisbike, Jeffy and Nick)

Ryan and Garvey too..

nice camel back dude...

no comments

respect
vanderbacon

Riding Brings Smiling Faces...

Dear Reader,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. Once I went out with some friends to get a slice of pizza and a beer, and the Iowa/Penn State wrestling match was on TV. It was awesome.

You know what is even more awesome? Diane got to ride a bike outside this weekend! First time since Providence CX. Knee is still not right, but slow, very slow progress. Riding a bike outside is a pretty amazing thing,  I hope I never forget that...

these two have been pretty beat up this year. Riding outside is always brings the smiles!

Monkey went sexy jeans ride to not overdo it.

24 minutes, not long, but today a victory...

Saturday, I rode one of my favorite local rides the Turkey Point Loop. Now, I will say that I only do the full Turkey Point loop a couple of times a year, which I always question why. Then when I do the Turkey Point loop I remember why. ITS REALLY, REALLY HARD.

While Diane was all smiles on the ride, I was feeling a bit more:

I was lucky to have a great group of guys to drag me around and make sure I got back to the house.
Our group was Dennisbike, Nick, Joe B, Scotty, Dave, Chris C, and I.

good riding for sure.

thanks for reading...

respect
vanderbacon

Pride and Chasing the Shark

Dear Readers,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I wrapped up my semester with a final exam last week. I did well. Ten classes done, 2 to go. Another A in the bank. I'll admit, when I first got an A in my first couple of classes, it was elation. These last two classes were really hard, I'll admit it was as much relief as joy when I saw the grade.

So it's been tough pulling the plug on cross season early this year, so with school in the bank, I approached the appropriation committee about racing this weekend.  Diane's response was very similar to Marcellus Wallus here:




She made the point that I haven't done an interval or ridden my cross bike since Fairhill, and that while the idea of racing sounds great, the actual execution would be- well horrible.  That and we do have a bunch of holiday stuff going on. I didn't put up too much of a fight, and didn't really have a good counter offer because- well she was right... Next year... Next year...

Saturday, I got out early, trying to avoid the storms. I wasn't sure who all would show up, but we ended up having a really nice group. Someone snow blew the trails over at white clay and middle run. I won't comment on that. BUT I will say that few days later the trails had lots of slick icy sections, and were well ridden in. They were really fun. Big group, solid pace and good day to get comfy with the new bike and sliding around.  But I'll admit, without Buddy the leg breaker, it wasn't the same.

Saturday afternoon was a shit storm of rain/snow, so it created a nice opportunity to ride down with Wiser and the crew.  Swimming with with sharks. We put in a solid ride, and fought a lot of head wind, I was pretty spent. My legs are hurting as I type this...

Water crossings on a road ride...

spent most of the day sitting in the back hiding

I'll also admit, I thought for sure my ride today would put me over the top on my team's strava club board. But alas, my teammate Jen Tillman, the Tillminator, took me out again, with a pretty damn solid ride of her own today. Damn, so close... Good on you Jen!

Busy week at the Clog Factory this week, so I'm guessing I'm not gonna get a run at Tillman next week. It's a long winter!

thanks for reading.

best to you.

respect
vanderbacon

Mr. Belvedere still hates you, but we love Buddy the leg breaker

Dear Reader,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I had the great pleasure of riding my bike with Buddy the leg breaker, Kid Chris, Nick, Shane, Rombach (toughest man on the planet) and Kurtee last weekend.

"big deal" you say. "you ride with those guys ALL the time..."

Yeah, well yeah, but after a few months of crushing souls minus an ACL, Buddy the leg breaker will have surgery this week to be made whole again. I'll miss riding with him, and he called his shot as we headed out for the "Mr. Belvedere hates you loop" for his last ride.

A few thoughts:

1. Mr. Belvedere hates you much more in December than in June. This was much tougher than I remembered.  We had two LONG peppy sections that stung my legs everytime I walked up the stairs the rest of the weekend.

2. We turned onto Old Elk Neck road and it looked like someone smashed 100 cases of beer all over the place. There was glass every where. Perhaps fitting, Buddy got a flat on his last ride for a while.

3. While changing the tire a kind woman drove by, slowed down to take a good look to, we assumed  make sure we were okay. Just then the kind young woman flipped us the bird and sped off. Welcome to cecil county.

4. As we rode into North East we saw lots of road closed signs. It became clear that the Christmas Parade was coming through town, and sure enough we rode right through it. We greeted the crowd with our best pageant waves. We were greeted by kind smiles all along this section of the route.

At the end of the of the ride, it was all smiles, as Buddy explained how much he loves parades, and we wished him the best of luck wtih his surgery. It was a pretty damn good day...

looking forward to riding with Buddy very soon...

thanks for reading.

respect
Vanderbacon...

losing things, riding a trainer in a parking lot, and stuff like that

Dear Readers,

My name is fatmarc vanderbacon. I lost my wedding ring this weekend. Ouch. In the scope of an otherwise incredibly awesome weekend, I lost my wedding ring. I'll admit that put me into my own sort of fit and personally inflicted havoc. But, at the end of the day, I'll say that it was all for a good cause. Now the good news is this: I have a friend named Benny da Jewlar. Benny is da Jewlar for cyclist everywhere, 

and Benny was able to help me out with a new ring. Thank you sir. BTW even if you aren't a cyclist, I would highly recommend Benny as a jewelry resource. 

"How the hell did you lose your wedding ring?" I'll get there...

Thanksgiving morning started out with a spectacular ride with these gentlemen. A couple of nice hours over at fairhill making a special spot in my belly for a lot of food later.

While Diane can't ride a bike yet, Blake, Consorto, and Kita also rode out of our place and we hung out for a bit and shared things we were thankful for... and few Fat Tire Ale's courtesy of Mr. Sean Mealy!

Cyclists are demented and sad, but social.

Everyone headed out to their respective festivities. Might I add I thought it was really one of the best ever from my brother and his wife at their sweet new house, and yes even from the outlaws.

"Great, now how the hell did you lose your wedding ring?"

Okay, on Friday Henry's Bikes was holding a CF foundation fundraiser. Essentially they were going to have people riding trainers in front of the shop for 24hrs. I had signed up to ride from 4:30pm-6:00pm. In the course of rushing there, and trying to find socks, and.. well I lost it. I scoured the Henry's Parking lot. I scoured my car. I scoured my sock drawer. It's gone. I'm quite sure an evil little gnome took my ring into some odd black hole. bummer

Good news is that the CF Foundation Raised just over $7000!
And frankly, I think the event could do more. Could get more spinners! We could do $10k next year. I look forward to being a part of this again next year!

That cute guy in the back with hi-vis booties and no wedding ring- yeah that's me...

So at the end of the day, I got to be apart of a pretty amazing event, got to see lots of friends, and have a really wonderful long weekend...

As Kelly Cline said, "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store, Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more. Happy Black Friday"

thanks for reading.

best to you

respect
vanderbacon