2024 Marji Gesick Out and Back
Alright.
I think I’ve put this off long enough. Long enough to forget about everything that hurt, but not so long as to forget the few things I actually remember from that 31.5 hours of my life that I seem to have lost.
The Marji Gesick Out and Back, which shall henceforth be known as the dumbest thing I’ve done (on a bike anyway).
Let’s start 6 years ago. The first O&B was announced, I was intrigued, but not enough to throw my hat in the ring. At that point I’d ridden the Marji twice; earning a buckle on my first go and getting a DNF on my second after some very mean rocks took a large bite out of my rear wheel. Shortly thereafter I promptly forgot such an awful thing existed and focused my attention on another buckle. Unfortunately for me it was not to be. In 2019 I basically failed at my nutrition plan. I finished, but I have never been such a wreck in my life. In 2021 I had a great race, but at 12:48 I just wasn’t there. I learned where I needed to put more effort and came back feeling amazing for 2022 but somewhere between the two Jackson Mine Park stops a horrible pain in my abdomen put an end to my day. Turns out getting a hernia mid-race isn’t fun. Who knew. Surgery, recovery then it was time to get back at it. And back at it I got. Focusing more on my bike handling, riding stuff that fuels the nightmares of most and hitting the gym. 2023 came and I was even more prepared, but that buckle remained just out of reach - 12:08. Eight of the longest minutes on a bike. I was still so happy with my performance; I rode the best race of my life to date. Pacing was on plan, nutrition and hydration were spot on. I just came up a little short and with a little more motivation.
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| This is what happens when you stop drinking water |
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| This is how a good day ends |
I could make excuses about what cost me that 8 minutes, but that’s not who I am. Instead, I used it as more motivation, and let’s be brutally honest, more motivation is not something I really need. Time for a glimpse into my mind (a scary suggestion). Call it having a screw loose or a few wires crossed, but the process of training is as enjoyable as racing to me. Getting on the trainer and crushing a super hard workout is an amazing feeling. Making a plan and making it happen, even when life throws in a wrench or two, is a feat worth more than having one good day on the trail. Don’t get me wrong, I love the thrill of getting on the start line and testing myself against others, but that’s just one part of the total picture. More harsh honestly, if you don’t enjoy the training, getting ready for something like the Marji O&B may not be much fun.
I know what you’re thinking, let’s get to race day. I’m just about ready.
3…
2…
1…
Just kidding.
It’s time to talk about the lead up to race day. I made a plan based on the course from last year, hoping there wouldn’t be too many changes. When the final course was released, I looked over the few small changes and knew my plan and schedule would still be good to go. I packed all my nutrition in zip lock bags for each place Laurie would meet me. This would make life easier for her and it would make sure I took in what I planned/needed. On race day, trying to make any decision is a bad idea so I try to set everything I can up beforehand.
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| Fuel Preping |
We got to Marquette late Wednesday, just in time to get set up at our VRBO and go to sleep. Thursday morning came very quickly. I got out for an easy ride of the first 6-7 miles of the course. I knew the normal direction pretty well, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t make any wrong turns while going backwards on race day. It’s a good thing I went out too, I missed the correct path coming down Jasper Knob, then tried to go on the wrong road immediately after. Once I got that cleared up and made it onto some trails, I was pretty good. My legs were good and I was riding well. I did make the decision that when I came to features that required much in the way of mental thought, I would walk. I was going to need all the brain power I could muster later in the race. I finished up and relaxed for most of the rest of the day, other than heading to packet pickup. Up next, a final check of all the gear, an early bedtime and a good night’s sleep.
It's really time now!
5:48 am – Race Day 1
I woke up feeling refreshed, after all, I slept nearly two hours later than I do most days, had some breakfast and was ready to head to West End Sports for the final check-in and riders meeting. All was good.
7:50 am – Race Day 1
They had all racers meet inside the store for a quick chat, turns out they wanted us all inside because that was the technical start of the race. At 8:00 am sharp they opened the doors and told us to go.
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| Time to get the party started |
8:01 am – Race Day 1
I put my Garmin on my bike, made sure it connected to my power meter and hit the road roughly in the middle of the pack. I didn’t really have a plan or goal for how I would place, but I knew I wanted to be near the front for the first bit, mainly so I wouldn’t have to worry about being behind many people when it got technical, and this would give me a chance to get the legs warm and allow me to settle into my pace. I can’t say I rode hard through town, but I quickly made it to the front and was riding in 4-5th wheel when we turned into the trail heading up Jasper Knob. It may not have been a Le Mans start, but it sure was a good way to get the day started. I got to the top and quickly turned around and headed right back down. Most people were still on their way up so there was a little bit of playing chicken, but I think we all made it safely. Although, once we split off the two-way section the guy in front of me clipped a fence with his bars and went down, slowly sliding off the side of the trail. He was fine and said he was glad to get his crash out of the way early, and not on all the rocks.
Time for a slightly unpopular opinion: I think the trail between the finish and Jackson Mine Park is a lot of fun. After 15-20 minutes a small group of us had pulled off the front and I decided it was time to find my groove (beware the grooooove). I got passed by a couple guys, but they were of no concern, my goal was to finish, whatever it took.
10:24 am – Race Day 1
Jackson Mine Park #1. I was feeling good. I met Laurie, swapped my bottles and headed out to RAMBA land proper. I may have seen a person or two at some point, but I don’t have any good stories from the section. I rode a lot, walked a bit and only missed one turn. But I didn’t actually miss my turn, I thought I did, looked around for a minute or two and realized I was on course and kept moving.
11:42 am – Race Day 1
Last Bluff for another bottle swap. You may notice a bit of a trend as the day goes on, but I wanted to carry as little as possible as much as possible. When it comes to rides of this length, efficiency is king. Well, efficiency and being able to turn off that part of your brain that says “This is stupid, just stop now”.
1:39 pm – Race Day 1
I rolled back into Jackson Mine park just over an hour ahead of my plan. I wasn’t pushing overly hard, in fact I thought my pace felt great. I decided I should probably try to dial it back a little bit anyway, thinking if I still had legs in 24 hours I could use them then. The only real memorable part of this last section is when my Garmin told me my power meter battery was low. It worked for another hour or so after that then died. So I am going to estimate my average power for the day at 1 million percent of FPT. Time to head towards South Trails.
I should mention I really don’t like the trail Above Grade. I made it there with no issues and did my fair share of walking while on it. It was just after this that Brice and Nathan caught back up with me. I thought they left JMP before me, but I guess not. The three of us rolled into the Mqt Mtn parking lot together. I stopped to swap bottles yet again. Brice had Laurie fill a bottle for him and was quickly underway while Nathan did not stop.
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| Laurie and the SAG pup enjoying a few minutes of calm |
3:19 pm – Race Day 1
My plan had me getting here at 4:45. I kept beating my estimates for time between SAG stops by 20-30 minutes per leg. Even with that I felt like my pace was good but told myself I’d back it down just a little more. Not too much though. My stopped time at this point had been roughly 9 minutes, all was good.
3:54 pm – Race Day 1
I had just finished coming down Zuegs when the perfectly clear sky turned dark as dark could be and let loose a torrential downpour. I’m not talking about hard rain. I mean as I was pushing my bike around Scary Trail the trail was actually a river. The entire trail had water running down it. River. Not an exaggeration. I couldn’t see through my glasses or read my Garmin, so I had to hope I was following the course. Luckily for me I was.
4:24 pm – Race Day 1
The rain stopped just as I got to the end of Scary Trail and turned to head down Mt. Marquette Rd. I was really looking forward to blasting down this section that so many times before I had cursed while climbing. Blasting is not what I did. I rode the brakes and tried not to slide around in the freshly graded mud, so fresh I passed the grader that was still working while I rode down. It wasn’t as fun as I wanted it to be. Doctors, Gurly, then the South Trails trailhead. And some very pleasant news, the sun was back out.
4:49 pm – Race Day 1
South Trails trailhead for another bottle swap and some chain lube. The forecast assured me it was going to be nice the whole time, so I was running dry lube. It all got washed away in the rain.
This is when I hit the real change in the course, Flow Trail. This has to be the most inaccurately named trail in the world. I’m pretty sure I walked 75% of it, that may be partially because everything was still soaking wet, but I think I would have walked most of it anyway. The rest of South Trails was good.
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| I"m not sure what I'm doing here, but it looks like I have to sneeze |
6:12 pm – Race Day 1
The America Mall parking lot. I lost a little time in the rain, but I was still about 1.5 hours ahead of my plan for the day. I felt good and was riding very well. My only real complaint, besides the rain, is the tongue of my shoes were starting to dig into my ankles a little. I don’t think them getting soaked in the torrent helped either. Anyway, I swapped my bottles and grabbed my lights because I wasn’t sure if I could make it to Forestville before dark. Laurie made sure I was all set and had everything and made sure I drank plenty of water. One of my requirements at each SAG stop, besides swapping bottles, was to take a very large drink of plain water. This was in addition to anything my bottles on the bike, dehydration is no joke.
5 minutes later I was back at it.
I had often wondered how bad riding Pine Knob backwards would be. It turns out it’s pretty awful. Especially when it’s still wet. Talk about hike-a-bike. And rocks. I know that trail is not that long, but it felt like it took forever. Strava says the section “Pine Knob…the difficult direction” took 18:05. I’m pretty sure it meant 18 hours, but I might have imagined that. From there the rest of the trail to Forestville is pretty fun, but it also felt like it was just going on and on. But I rolled into the Forestville parking lot for another SAG stop just before dark.
8:04 pm – Race Day 1
Only one more section of trail and I would be halfway done with my day, or days, or race. Off I went. I was feeling good, but it’s always a bit weird when it goes dark. Today was no different. My legs still felt good, but I was just getting a bit tired and my stomach started getting uncomfortable about the time I made it to Rickles. At this point Nathan and I were riding together. Which was good because I could chat with him instead of thinking about how my stomach felt. After scaling Top of the World and the long slog of a climb up Beagle Club Road and the Noq Trail we rolled back into Forestville.
10:22 pm – Race Day 1
Halfway there. All I had left to do was ride an entire Marji Gesick 100 and I would be done. At least I didn’t have to run the Le Mans loop. Perspective, right?
Quick stat time
Time: 14 hrs, 22 minutes
Miles (per garmin): 111.7
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| Halfway there |
Time to get back at it before I get too comfy. When I left, I was right back on my original timetable. I guess it’s a good thing I was able to get ahead while it was nice.
Heading back out I was riding much stronger and feeling way better. My first lap of FV took 2 hrs 45 min, this lap only took 2 hrs 5 min. Other things to note: it was dark and I did not see Bigfoot.
12:49 – Race Day 2 – Somehow it turned to Saturday mid-race.
Rolling back into FV for another bottle swap and helmet light. My bar mount light was running off external battery packs, I did change those out as the night wore one, but I didn’t really keep track of when or how often. I did trade my helmet light at each stop so Laurie could recharge one while I used the other. This is a good plan for anyone going for a long night ride. I never had to worry about the battery dying and I could run them nice and bright. Maybe that’s what scared Bigfoot away?
Time to head back toward America Mall. Pine Knob was drying a little, but at least I could ride just about all of it this direction. Lowes Trail was as rough as ever and the beach was still a long lonely sand road.
3:06 am – Race Day 2
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| This is actually at 3:06 am |
Rolling into the America Mall parking lot I saw Laurie sitting in her chair next to the car, all bundled up and nearly sleeping. I think her job might be tougher than mine. It’s pretty hard to fall asleep while biking but trying to stay awake in the middle of the night while just waiting, yuck. More of the same for this SAG stop and I was back underway in minutes.
From AM to the South Trails trailhead was pretty much smooth sailing. Until I got back to Flow Trail. It was just as horrible heading down as it was trying to climb. And it was still all wet. I made it through with some more handy dandy hike-a-bike and a few choice swears.
4:46 am – Race Day 2
South Trails
My stomach was feeling a little funny again, so it was another Vernor’s. I got new bottles, a helmet light and some encouragement from Laurie before I was back at it. I want to say I was glad the worst section of Gurly was removed, but I’d take that over Flow Trial any day.
Doctors. Climbing Mt. Mqt Rd. Sliding around on a still very slippery and wet Scary Trail. Not So Scary was good, then it was time to climb Zuegs. The climb went well, but the rock work at the very top was more slippery than I’d ever seen it. More hike-a-bike before heading down Easy Rider. It was about this time I figured out what was going on with my stomach. Nature was calling. Badly.
6:19 am – Race Day 2
The very first thing I said to Laurie when I got to the Mqt Mtn parking lot was, “Is there a toilet around here?” She let me know the closest one was in JMP. That was not going to happen. So I did what any self-respecting Marji Out and Back rider would do. I grabbed the pack of baby wipes we had so wisely packed and headed to the woods. Emerging a few minutes later I felt like a new man. Life was better. I was now roughly 20-25 minutes behind my plan, but I was happy with that. Riding at night is always a bit slower and I had left a two-hour cushion for a buckle. I should also mention I had no idea what place I was in, nor did I even think about it. Pedal, turn, don’t crash were about the only things my brain was capable of thinking.
Time for one more ride on Above Grade. I still don’t like this trail, especially in the dark. Yes, it was still very dark. I remember riding down Pipe Dreams and some of the forest roads, but other than that, this section of the race was largely unremarkable. Until I got on the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. The sun was coming up and it was getting cold. It probably wasn’t really that cold, but I felt like I was freezing. I knew once the sun crested the trees it would feel great, I just had to suffer through until then. That’s when I actually started thinking about time.
I was trying to do math in my head based on the time of day. It was around 8:00 am. I was 24 hours and 177ish miles into my race. Here is my disturbing thought process: I’ve been riding for 24 hours, the buckle cutoff is 34 hours. I still have 8 hours to make that. Wait, no, that’s 10 hours. Okay. I have 10 hours, but it should take me less than 8 hours to finish from here. I only have 8 hours left to ride, that’s not bad. Wait a minute. 8 hours is a long time.
That’s when I gave up mathing for the day. The sun was up so I would just enjoy that instead.
8:34 am – Race Day 2 (or 17 I can’t be sure)
34 minutes behind my plan.
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| Mmmm, cookie |
JMP. Time for breakfast, and by breakfast I mean some cold brew coffee and more Perpetuem. As I was getting new stuff from Laurie and dropping lights Laurie said “I know you’re not going for a place today, but you’re in 4th right now and 3rd hasn’t left yet, if you get moving you’ll be in 3rd”.
What I should have done was nothing, what I did was jump on my bike just at Mike Kaldy, who’d been 15-20 minutes behind me most of the day and riding in 5th was also heading out.
Not wanting to be caught and feeling slightly refreshed by the sun I started turning the screws a bit harder. Until I got halfway up Fence Line Climb and had to stop for a token, what a spot. I walked the rest of the climb and got back after it through Panorama and the rest.
Then it happened. Just before starting the climb up Broke Back, my Garmin beeped to let me know my AXIS battery was low. How on earth was it low? I’d only had it on since around midnight and it was fully charged then. I had no desire to spend the rest of the day riding single speed, so after a few minutes I stopped and sent Laurie a text asking if she could meet me somewhere very soon with another battery. For a few minutes there was nothing. I kept riding but tried shifting as little as possible. Then I told myself that alert was supposed to come on at 20% remaining, there should be plenty of life in it. But it should also last 20+ hours. So… I stopped again and called Laurie. She had been away from her phone for a minute, but she was looking at a map and figuring out the best place to meet me.
Thankfully I was just about to cross Malton Rd and she was not far away. A few minutes later I had a new AXIS battery and life was good again. She’d even started my first one charging and was going to give it to me at a later SAG stop, just to be safe.
10:52 am – Race Day 2
I dropped out of Last Bluff for another quick SAG stop. I was slowly starting to gain back some of the time I had lost through the night, I was now only about 30 minutes behind my goal time. Better yet, I had passed Nathan and was now sitting in second place. No time to waste.
Riding from Last Bluff back to JMP was tough going as always, but I was spurred on knowing I was getting ever closer to that finish line.
12:19 pm – Race Day 2
28 hours and 19 minutes complete. 203.8 miles covered. Only 19 miles to go, in bike math, that’s less than 10% of the route. Less than 10% is nothing at all.
This stop at JMP was my last scheduled stop of the day, even though Laurie did plan to cheer me on along Suicide Bowl Rd the few times I crossed it. I didn’t know how far ahead of Nathan I was, but I didn’t figure it could be too far so I didn’t waste any time heading out for the final leg.
Climbing up Dirty Mary I started to get a little light-headed so I slowed the pace for a minute and drank a little extra water. I don’t know if I actually needed it, but I knew I needed something and that was all my brain could come up with. Happily, slowing the pace for a minute or two did the trick because once I got to the top of Luge Run I was back in tip top form. Or as tip top as one can be after 29 hours of riding.
The trail just seemed to be going on and on, but when I got to Lake Minnie and the party there I knew I was making good progress. One more massive climb then the fun that is the likes of Cry Baby and 38 Special. Laurie was waiting at the bottom of the ski jump climb, and wouldn’t you know, she told me 3rd place is only a few minutes behind me, ride hard. She was lying! But it worked.
I rode hard whenever possible, but I was pretty quick to jump off and jog when things got real punchy, but I kept the pace high and before I knew it I was on the Ishpeming XC course with only a few miles to go. No stopping now. I did have a brief moment when I was flooded with emotion. If you know me, you’ll probably know why. If you don’t, ask me the next time you see me; I’ll gladly share. However, I wasn’t done yet and one should never get ahead of themselves at Marji. That goes double for the double Marji.
I made it to the base of Jasper Knob. One last effort was all I needed. No holding back. Except someone put an empty token pumpkin halfway up. No matter. I jumped back on my bike and powered my way to the top to find another pumpkin full of dum-dums. I grabbed mine and set off on the home stretch.
3:33 pm – Race Day 2
I crossed the finish line!
31 hours, 33 minutes and 7 seconds.
223.3 miles
26,217 ft of elevation (or so my Garmin says)
2nd place
27 minutes ahead of schedule. My goal was 32 hours.
And best of all, the coveted Marji Buckle was mine.
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| Finish line photo |
Before I go into my thoughts on the day I have some big Thank-yous
First, to Laurie for putting up with and encouraging me to do everything it takes to get here. All the early mornings I snuck out of bed to ride. All the weekends I headed out to train. Chasing me around for 31.5 hours to keep me fueled and hydrated. On the list goes.
To my sponsors for making sure I have everything I need to accomplish my goals: Hammer Nutrition, ESI Grips, Maxxis Tires, Smith Optics, Osprey Packs, and Tannus Armour.
To 906 for dreaming up such a stupid idea and making it happen.
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| I think I'll need a bigger belt |
Takeaways from the race:
31.5 hours is a ridiculously long time to ride a bike.
No amount of training can truly prepare you for the Marji Out and Back, but it sure does help.
Everything had to go right to make this happen, but it is way easier for everything to go right when you’ve planned it all out. Fuel, hydration, stops, kit change, shoe change, and don’t forget a back up plan and a backup to that back up.
Knowing everything was going to hurt at some point, but being mentally prepared to hurt for a long time is necessary. Being comfortable and having fun all day isn’t going to happen.
There is no such thing as too much chamois cream
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| Out and Back Podium |
When I finished my right knee was very swollen and stiff. Thankfully the swelling went down quickly and there was not lasting damage. I may have bashed my right shin on my pedal more times than I care to mention while hiking. About an hour or two after finished this became extremely painful and I could hardly bend my ankle without serious pain. The evening after the race, while laying on the couch icing it I wondered if I’d actually done some damage to it. Rather than worry about that I chose to ignore it and limp around. The pain was pretty bad for about a week then it stated to lessen. It was a solid two weeks before it was 95% gone. Even now, nearly 3 weeks later every once in awhile it feels a little funny, but I’ll say it’s 99% better.
My poor hands. They didn’t bother me while riding. The ESI Grips did an amazing job, but the next morning I woke up and had zero hand strength. Trying to grab anything was painful and hilarious at the same time. My left hand got better quickly, but the issue with my right lingered much longer. 2 weeks post race I would say my right hand was at 50% and three weeks I’ll give it a 90%. It’s still not right, but it’s well on the way.
My sit bones and undercarriage were remarkably okay.
The legs took a good week to feel okay.
After about two weeks I could walk up the stairs without feeling tired and I was actually feeling rested when I woke up in the morning.
I fully expected recovery from this to take a solid month. I’m sure to be back to 100% it will take every bit of that, but I’m back to riding, well, easy spinning any way.
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| Proof |
FAQ’s
Would I do it again? Probably not. Not because it hurt or was hard, but mainly because to cross that line everything has to go nearly perfectly and I think pressing my luck for a second time may be asking for trouble. I’ve proven I can make it, next time it can be someone else’s turn.
What was the best part? Besides finishing and earning the buckle, I enjoyed the sun when it came up Saturday morning and making a plan and making it happen. All day. And technically for the better part of a year.
What was the worst part? The rain on Scary Trail was pretty horrible. Also, not being able to tie my shoes for a week is up there.
What did it take to prepare? A lot. My training plan for this race started last October, that is if you don’t count the last 8 or so years of racing ultras. I did a number of races this summer, but I approached those as training for this. Most years my training plan is built to have the best day possible at each race, this year was a little less so. I did make sure to set myself up for success at each event but they were not the end of a specific block like they would normally be. Besides that, I typically rode 12-15 hours a week and tried to hit the gym twice a week (I was very good about this in the winter and spring, but it got tough in the summer). I ran 1-2 times a week through summer and did lots of core/trunk/shoulder work. There is much more, but this gives you an idea. Also, like I said earlier, if you don’t enjoy the process that is training, getting ready for the O&B is not going to be much fun.
What’s more impressive/important, the buckle or second place? I’m going to go with the buckle. Getting second is amazing, but let’s be real, the place all depends on who shows up. The buckle depends on me doing what I need to do.
Plans for next year? That’s a really good question. I’m still working my way towards the Lumberjack saw. Marji is out though. Laurie has been the absolute best SAG for all 7 of my attempts, 2025 is my year to return the favor. I’ll be there getting to watch, which I think will be a lot of fun.
What was the fueling plan? It is much simpler than you’d think. Roughly 200 calories of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem per hour along with a bottle of Fizz between each SAG stop. At each stop I had a huge drink of plain water. I also threw in a couple of PB and honey bagels to fend off any hunger pangs and a cookie or two because they are tasty. I’m rather lucky that I don’t really get palette fatigue, meaning I can take in the same thing the entire event and be okay with it. I had some cold brew coffee throughout the course of the night to help keep me alert and I snagged a Coke from some guys before heading into AM/FM because it sounded really good.
What was the setup? I rode my Specialized Epic Evo with Maxxis Rekon Race 2.4s and Tannus Armour Tubeless inserts. ESI Grips Fit XCs. I ran my rear shock with about 5psi less than normal for some added comfort. Other than that I didn’t make any changes to the bike. I carried as little as possible. For most of the day I had two bottles on my bike and that was it. For a couple of the longer stints I tossed a third bottle in my jersey pocket. I used two Outbound Hangover lights for my helmet (swapping them at each SAG stop while it was dark) and an Outbound Trail Evo on my bars. My helmet was a Smith Trace and my glasses were Smith Attack Mag MTB with photochromic lenses.
If you ever want to know more, just let me know. I am happy to tell stories on the trail and always willing to help with nutrition plans.
Why did I do this? I could list a hundred reasons why I wanted to, and they would all be true, but I wanted to be able to cross the line for someone who never had the chance, someone who would have wanted to, but is no longer with us to do it. I wanted to do it now because we never know what tomorrow will bring.
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| The proper way to display #13 |
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| Time for a day after race sunset |
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