MG100 2021- Luck + Momentum

Marji Gesick 100 - NTN South Trails! 📷: Rob Meendering

Not even sure where to start with this- I'm still processing. I left this blog post unpublished a couple of days as the experience continues to sink in. I think I'm a fairly average person. I'm 37, have 2 young kids, work full time, struggle with my weight, my house is in a constant state of complete disarray, I stink at making plans though say yes to most invitations, and am passionate about mountain biking- a sport/ community that I've been part of over 5 years now. I've met the best people through mountain biking and have gotten very involved in trying to grow and improve mountain biking in our local area through Capital Youth Cycling, the Mid-Michigan Mountain Biking Association and EPIC Mountain Bike. I couldn't have imagined what a major part of my life this would be when I started. I may not have fully known it then, but I desperately needed the confidence, mental and physical health, and community that I gained through riding my bike in the woods. While it may not be for everyone, I know what it has brought to me and I want to share it with anyone, of any age, who wants to try.

 

I was never a particularly athletic kid growing up- I attempted middle school track one year (there was only one race where I didn’t come in last) and soccer one year in high school. The consensus among my coaches was that I wasn’t very good… but I tried really hard. I’ve also had people tell me that I try too hard. That may be true, but it’s just who I am. I didn't exercise regularly until college. After my Grandma passed away, I discovered that long-distance running really helped me process the loss. Running also helped me take off the 70 lbs I gained having baby #1 and I got into mountain biking when I still had 30 lbs left to lose from baby #2. I’d also dabbled in longer-distance road biking as part of my accounting firm’s MS 150 team right after college and a couple of DALMACs.

 

I didn't expect to be particularly good at mountain biking, but got into it because I loved biking and, after kids, riding on the road scared me way too much. After a few months at the back of the pack at EPIC group rides, something clicked and I started to get stronger, faster, and gain skill. I’ll never be an elite racer, but I love the challenge of longer distances and seeing what I can do. A blessing of getting older has been appreciating more what my body can do vs what it looks like. This body is strong and has served me so well. I think having two daughters watching also motivates me to love my body more; I want them to love theirs. It's hard to not be self-conscious, but usually I'm too busy having a blast on the trails to care about what I look like doing it or whether I'm at the front or back of the pack.

 

 

On the left: Skirts in the Dirt 2016 - my very first MTB race! On the right: MG50 2019

 

 Down to the Marji Gesick 100. I’m still in a state of disbelief about finishing. This journey started when I first heard of it back in 2016 and followed dots in awe. I was a brand new mountain biker then. I wondered if someday I would ride the 50. That day came September 20, 2019. After my friend, Dawn, added me to the Women of Marji Gesick Facebook Group, I started to think I could actually give it a go. I spent January to September that year methodically cutting weight, challenging myself on technical trails, and staying fairly regimented on what I thought I would need to do to finish. That race went exceptionally well for me and left me wondering if I could do more, though it wasn’t until my friends Bob and Rei said that they were signing up for the 100 at our EPIC Mountain Bike MG sign-up event in October of 2019 that I decided to take that leap. At the back of my mind, I figured that if I didn’t feel trained enough, I could switch back to the 50.

 

Fast forward to 2021. A lot had changed since that sign-up. The 2020 race had to be deferred due to COVID and my summer season was now crammed tight between busy season at work and the Capital Youth Cycling Adventure Bike Club program. We launched CYC, with help from Todd and the 906 Adventure Team, to great success in the midst of the pandemic in 2020. Let’s also throw in working from home while also caring for kids when daycare had to close due to a COVID outbreak (we all fortunately stayed healthy!). I felt like I was constantly trying to get my training plan back on track and I really wasn’t sure if I could salvage it enough to make a go at it. I kept losing and re-gaining the same 10 pounds and knew I wouldn’t be close to goal weight. Some days, the best I could do was keep a semblance of sanity and eat a pound of tortilla chips (my snacking nemesis).😬 I got some awesome long rides in, but really lacked on any challenging technical riding. Fortunately, I was able to make it to Marji Camp in June, which helped tremendously being able to see some of the hardest pieces of trail with the help of our amazing coaches. I HIGHLY recommend attending camp. You meet awesome people and learn a lot about what it takes to tackle a race of this level of challenge. Thank you Coach Chelsea, Coach Lisa and Coach Kristy!!!

 

On the last day for transfers, I debated hard on whether it would be better to switch to the 50. I decided to stay the course and go as long as I could. I was feeling pretty strong mentally, I just wasn’t sure how it would go physically. I also knew that making cut-offs could really pose a challenge. My speed would be slower this time around, so I had to be careful about stopping time in order to make it. Anna, who I met at Marji Camp, messaged me to see if I would want to team up. Having done the 50, I knew how difficult it would be to ride the entire thing with a partner, so we agreed to start together and stay flexible. Anna is an extremely strong rider and has an exceptionally positive attitude, so I looked forward to seeing her at the start.

 

The race itself is kind of a giant blur! After a night of restless sleep, we got ourselves to the starting line. Even though Steve, Frank the Dog, and I were running behind schedule, we lucked out with an awesome parking spot and were greeted by some friendly voices (too dark to see faces 😂). Danny (the designer of this brutal course) said that he would see me halfway through the last lap. I wasn't sure that would be true, but I really, really hoped I'd get that far! We battled some Garmin issues and then lined up for the running start. Anna and I set ourselves up towards the back and before we knew it,  the electric guitar was wailing the National Anthem and then rockets blasted us off with a unicorn lead-out. As we rode out of Forestville to Harlow, we stayed within the pack for the most part, making occasional moves around people on climbs. Top of the World came way faster than I expected and we were greeted with the most beautiful sunrise and bag pipes. So, so awesome. *** Side note – after some initial concern in the 10 day forecast about rain- the weather ended up being absolutely perfect – high of 70 and no rain.***

 

 

Anna and I at a little back-up, laughing about getting an awesome walking/ hydropak chugging pic! 😅                                                                     📷: Ryan Stephens

 

We made our way back to the Forestville trailhead uneventfully and started on the North Trails. Steve and I had pre-ridden most of this part, so I was feeling really good. I even rode some things that I normally walk, so I was feeling extra awesome. I also laughed to myself when I remembered how the first time on Wildcat in 2018, I told myself I would never ride Marji if the trails were all like these (I walked pretty much every single rocky part back then)😅. We passed Bob and Rei on the Lowes trail when they were just finishing wrangling with a chain issue, they waved us through and I knew we’d probably be seeing them again soon. I’d done some calculating about when I’d need to be at certain points in order to make the cut-offs, so I was still feeling ok about it when we rolled into our first SAG stop right after our slog through the sand after Lowes about 15 minutes behind my goal time. After we did a quick stop to swap out hydropaks and eat, we were off to the South Trails.***My calculations were based on the average times of  people who finished in the 20-24 hour range in 2019. I had 11:30am for Lowes, 1:30pm for South Trailhead, 3:30pm for Mt. Marquette and 6pm for Jackson Park #1 and no later that the 2am cut-off for Jackson Park #2.***

 

I felt like we were riding pretty well and making good time through the trails when I felt the dreaded twinges of cramps. Even though I knew better, I was about an hour off on the fuel that I had in my hydropak (had 3 hours loaded for about 4 hours of ride time) and had failed to make it up with other supplements along the way (which had been my plan). This is the hard thing about nutrition. It’s hard to take the time to do it right when you’re feeling good. It will DEFINITELY come back to bite you. I knew this, but I still messed it up. When we rolled into the South Trailhead, I took my supplements, topped off my hydropak with water and hoped for the best since this wasn’t our real SAG stop yet. This changed my approach from trying to make up time on grindy climbs, to babying my legs and avoiding anything punchy. I made it through the Mt. Marquette climbing without completely locking up (holy moly Mt. Marquette Rd!), so when we met our SAGs at the bottom of Mt. Marquette I slammed a few pickles (this is a big deal because I HATE pickles!😝), switched to Endurolite Extreme (thanks Rei!!!), and asked Steve to start adding 2 extra scoops of Go-Far to my hydropak.

 

From here on, the 50 and the 100 are the same, so I knew what was in store from 2019. I knew if I started full-on cramping at this point, I’d be done. I was hoping that I could adjust and get through, but it was far from a sure-thing in my mind. It was so early in the day. I also knew that sooner rather than later, Anna and I would need to part ways to ride our own rides. She was riding extremely strong and had the legs and technical ability to ride things much, much faster than I was walking them. I was able to catch back up to her on the pedal-y sections and the Iron Ore trail to Jackson Park. By the time I got to Jackson Park, my legs were feeling better but I knew that the hardest parts were still ahead. My goal had been to get there by 6pm and I was rolling out to the first RAMBA loop at that time, so still on track.

 

Once we got on the RAMBA trails, Anna and I had to part ways. I was feeling a bit punchy and needed to take the technical bits at my own speed (often walking). The RAMBA trails are super techy and there are so many parts that are way, way, way faster to ride than walk (Coach Lisa - is it still peg-leg riding if no one is there to see it???). At this point, I was walking and hoping to not turn an ankle and break a leg. While it was slow-going, I still felt pretty good and was happy to get through the staircase and Stoned Hinged before dark. My light set-up worked awesome (Outbound Trail Evo + NiteRider 1200 on my helmet). Got through Last Bluff much faster than trying to navigate on GPS 2 weeks before (Crusher 100). The MG course markings are AWESOME at night. Met my SAG crew at the bottom and kept moving forward. Holy heck some the Section 16 stuff was scary! I don’t remember the narrow, rooty, off-camber bench to rocky ledge from the 2019 MG50. This was seriously nerve wracking to walk at night and I can’t even imagine riding it- though I know people do! When I got to Sissy Pants and the Hamptons, I knew I was close to my final Jackson Park stop and it wasn’t even quite midnight yet! I was ecstatic!

 

I rolled into the stop to a really supportive crew. I was really surprised to see Laurie! I have ridden the Crusher 100EX with her the past 2 years and she had already SAG-ed her super fast husband to a strong MG100 finish with her two boys and dog in tow! After putting them to bed at their Air BnB, she was out in the cold at midnight to cheer me on!💗 I was oblivious to the cold aside from seeing my friends shivering, I was still warm from the effort and really feeling good that I had a couple of hours in my favor to make the cut-off. This stop was also extra memorable because the Wickhams and Dawn showed up after Dawn’s AWESOME 50 finish! I am so, so, so proud of her!!! The constant bike mounting and dismounting had my lower back feeling pretty tight and sore, but otherwise I was feeling ok. I took a couple of Tylenol which really helped.

 

While I knew the worst was still ahead, I was feeling good that I would be leaving Jackson Park for the last time. I plugged away and checked off the trails that I knew were coming- Dirty Mary- check! Luge climb- check! Flannel Shirt – check! Grandview, AM/FM, Carroll Jackson – check! I knew that the crew would be waiting at Lake Minnie and when I saw the reflection of the amazingly bright moon on water, I knew I was close. I enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich and a vote of confidence from Danny- so glad that I actually made it! I overheard him telling a couple of guys we were about 2 hours (11 miles) away from the finish. I ran the calculation in my head and knew it would take me quite a bit longer than that with the amount that I was walking, so I didn’t get too excited. I had also learned that Rei had to drop out due to knee pain and that Bob was somewhere behind me trying to finish and was riding with a group that he’d met.

 

I rolled out, feeling a lot more confident that I would see the finish line, but also remembering what was left. I took my time along the lake. It’s my favorite part of the course. It gets very close to Lake Sally (I think?) and it was so, so beautiful listening to the water lap on the shore, sparkling in the moonlight. In the daylight, you can see the ledged hill. A breath-taking spot. Once I began pushing up the hills after that, a super intense feeling of tiredness overtook me. The side of the trail looked very comfortable to curl up and spend the rest of the night… but I kept trudging forward. And trudging it was. I kept hearing the voice of my Marji Camp coach Lisa in my head telling me to move with purpose, so I really tried as well as a could. This section has hike-a-bike climb after hike-a-bike climb on rutted up, washed out jeep roads (for riders like me anyway). Even the flat spots that would be rideable were riddled with puddles of doom- unknown depth that had the chance of sucking a tire in. It was about this point when I was debating with myself whether this was the hardest thing I’d done- comparing to the unmedicated birth of my oldest daughter who was 9.5 lbs or the marathon that I ran with a bad knee. I would say Marji wasn’t the most painful, but it may have been the most physically and mentally exhausting. I would also say that pushing myself physically has been much easier than what it’s taken to get CYC off the ground- though that’s a completely different topic. I never felt like quitting the Marji once I was actually doing it. There are many kinds of comfort zones.

 

I met up with many people walking through .38 special (pretty sure I walked the WHOLE thing). We were all delirious. Each group that overtook me, I expected to see Bob, but I ended up playing leap frog with the same people most of this loop. This part was extra slow and extra hard- and it was also at this time that Steve messaged that he was waiting for me at the finish- I messaged back that he was going to be waiting a LONG time! With so much walking, my toes were feeling pretty sore and I kept stubbing them on rocks which REALLY hurt! I focused on not turning my ankles and not doing something really stupid. There were things that I really wished I’d been confident enough to ride because riding would have taken 5 seconds, where I swear there were some spots that took me 5 minutes to figure out how to slide down with my bike. When I got to Cry Baby I knew the end was close and I knew I’d actually be able to ride a lot more of the trail.

This seriously creepy dude was chilling at the top of Jasper Knob! 😱

I entered into a fog of disbelief as I pushed my bike up to grab tokens and get weirded out by creepy mannequin Todd at the top of Jasper Knob. I took a quick pic and sent it to Steve. I decided that I should probably call him since he was probably fast asleep in the car waiting. So, at the top of Jasper Knob I called to say that I was heading down to the finish… the finish. I was going to make it to the finish. I rode down the trail from the top of the Knob and Steve and Frank the Dog were waiting at the bottom! Frankie seemed super excited to run with Steve while I rode down the sparkly trail and into town. I’ll say that the crowd at the finish isn’t very big at 6:30AM, but the best people are waiting there. I was happy and sad to see Bob, since he'd had to tap out so close to the end. Though anyone who has ridden it, knows how long those last 11 miles are. He and Rei put so much effort and heart into it. I'm really proud of them and also admire that they knew when to call it to be able to be healthy and ride another day. I submitted my checkpoint tokens to Todd and finish line crew and got my finisher token. After hugs and fist bumps, I got into the car feeling reasonably good... though getting out of it 30 minutes later definitely did not feel good. 😬 

 

Steve and Frank Dog ran me into the finish!

My biggest feelings at the end were just shock and disbelief- I thought maybe I'd cry, but I was just too stunned. I’m still feeling that. The Marji Gesick 100 has been this huge, almost mythical thing on my mind constantly for 2+ years. I’m still processing what it even means to have finished it, but I know it was because of some excellent luck – being able to come back from cramping, not having any mechanical issues, no bad crashes, no injuries, perfect weather- so many things went right. 

 

It was also because of momentum. I drew heavily on the positive momentum that Marji Gesick has created in my life. After the MG50 in 2019, I got off the sidelines and became active in our local trail organization - the MMMBA. At the same time, Steve and I teamed up with Bob, Dawn, Kris and Charlsey to bring a youth cycling program to life. This summer, in its second year, we had over 90 kids and 40 leaders participate in CYC Adventure Bike Club. Each of these things took many, many efforts-small and large- over many months to see happen and continue to nurture. The end goal can seem so, so daunting- almost impossible. If you commit to start and keep moving forward, big things will happen. Not immediately and maybe not in exactly the way you imagine, but you will grow and you will be amazed at what you can achieve. Own your journey.

 

2021 CYC Leader Team!

 

 

 

Adventure Bike Club! 📷: Anne Grofvert

 

 

I could not do any of this without my incredible partner, Steve, two daughters, and amazing friends who that not only make it possible, but make the memories and experience, so, so, so much more meaningful as we share the good, the hard, and the gross together. In the hard times, I definitely pulled on their support and the support that was dinging my phone all day. Also huge thanks to the organizers. Showing up and riding a bike is so EASY compared to putting together all the tiny details that make the experience safe and fun and building incredible trails.

 I can’t thank everyone enough!!!🙌 Congrats to everyone who gave this thing a go- you rock!💪

 

 I wish I'd taken more trail pics - but this video will give you a better flavor of these awesome, challenging trails.

Scratching the Earth: https://vimeo.com/169748732

Even if you never do Marji, you should make a trip to check them out. https://www.rambatrails.com/  https://noquetrails.org/

 

Gear:

Bike: 2021 Specialized Epic EVO Expert

Chainring: 28 oval – Absolute Black

Cassette: 10-50 Eagle

Tires: Front – Vittoria Barzo TNT 29”x 2.35” Rear- Vittoria Mezcal TNT 29”x 2.35” 

Nutrition: Infinit Go-Far Custom Blend, many many Nutter Butters, plain rice, Border Grill Burrito, Coke, cold brew coffee, pickles, Cliffs Shot Blocks, Hammer Endurolytes, BCAA - Coach Chelsea from Marji Camp was in my head- her advice was eat, eat, eat and keep eating!

Shoes: Five Ten Freerider Contact

Pedals: RaceFace Chester

GPS: Garmin 520 

Hydropak: Osprey Silva 12

Lights: Outbound Trail Evo in the bars (plugged in for the last hour), NiteRider 1200 on the helmet (swapped at Jackson Park) – I ran both on low and had enough light for the speed I was going. I got at least 8 hours out of the Trail Evo before plugging it in- it can still run on low/ medium plugged in. This setup worked really, really well.

 

Long rides that I did in preparation:

Hanson Hills 50

Milford Trailfest Challenge (100 miles)

Lumberjack 100

Night Shift (107 miles starting at 8pm)

Crusher 100 EX

 

My best tip for getting faster and stronger???? HILLS!!! Make yourself love them. They are good for you. 😁💗