The Mid South Double: March 10 & 11, 2023

Hot on the tail of the Marji Gesick, driving downstate from the UP last September, I googled "gravel bike races with ultramarathons." I vaguely remembered seeing pictures of runners slogging through the snow and mud at an early-season gravel bike race, and I wanted to know more. Cue finding the Mid South: "A weekend endurance festival celebrating hard challenges and the beauty of Oklahoma dirt roads." A couple of clicks revealed that THIS was the race I remembered -- runners trudging through a good old southwestern March snowstorm. My family lived in Oklahoma City for four years when I was a kid, and I remembered clearly how brutal and volatile the weather could be. Then I saw the event I knew I would be signing up for: the Double. The Double is a combination event for the truly sick: a 50K gravel road run on Friday, followed by the crown jewel event on Saturday: a 100 mile gravel road bicycle race. Results are determined from the summation of both finishing times. Just like that, my winter was planned: time to get back in bicycle shape! 

Race website: https://www.midsouthgravel.com/

Registration: BikeReg

Registration notes: Registration is handled through BikeReg. In October, the "randomizer" category opens. Athletes register for the randomizer, and no money is collected at that time. 1-2 weeks later, a second email letting athletes know if they were accepted into the event will go out. At that time, the credit card provided at initial registration is charged for the event. 

Location:  ★★★★☆

    Stillwater is a college town in Northern Oklahoma -- home of Oklahoma State University. It happens to be fairly large as Oklahoma towns go, but at a population of 50,000 it maintains a small-town atmosphere. The downtown area was essentially the race hub. 6 city blocks are taped off at throughout the weekend for the expo. There are plenty of public parking areas, and a map was emailed to attendees outlining what parking spaces were up for grabs. There are plenty of coffee shops, breweries, and a few restaurants within walking distance of the parking areas. Bonus: most of these shops extended their hours for the midsouth weekend! 

Van life with two bikes and two dogs

    Van camping is available right in the downtown area. There were about 4 total electric hookups, so for most vans/rv's, camping was primitive. There were portapotties very close to the parking area, which was convenient. There was not running water. Additionally, you're parking in a downtown area, so don't expect silence. I can't say it was the best sleep I've ever had, but it was free and it was convenient. Additionally, it was a bit too cold for the road shower after the run. That resulted in me running a 50K and then wiping off with wetwipes. Not necessarily my best self -- sorry to everyone I hugged!

Organization: ★★★★★

Post 50K with Bobby Wintle

    The Midsouth (formerly known as the LandRun 100) has been organized in the Stillwater area since 2012. Directed by Bobby Wintle (co-owner of District Bicycles in downtown Stillwater), the race has a different vibe from most big gravel races. This race is very much a: "everyone is welcome, everyone is honored, everyone is loved" type of event. While some races do pay lip service to radical acceptance, the vibes don't always match up to the marketing. Midsouth was different. I noticed while signing up that they have had a nonbinary registration option for a few years now. They also have several para categories. On the day of the 100 mile race, they had a team following not only the men's leaders, but also the women's and nonbinary category leaders. During our pre-race speech, Bobby Wintle said he'd be waiting at the finish with a hug. I thought that was a figure of speech, like when the RD hangs out and hands you a medal and a beer. Nope. He stood at the finish line for literally the entire day both races to make sure each competitor got a hug after. Let me note that these weren't quick professional side hugs. These were like real hugs, like those big tight bear hugs you share with a best friend you haven't seen in a year. That type of hug was shared with each and every salty, sweaty, red Oklahoma dirty runner and rider. 

    Now that I've waxed poetic about the ethos of the race, let's talk about the actual concrete organizational parameters. Communication leading up to the race was great. Not too much, not too little. We received emails starting in January outlining travel, parking and accommodations. The expo was well-organized, with a strong mix of gear, nutrition, and cycling booths. I hung out at the Stillwater Humane Society booth (of course) chatting with the shelter director for about a half hour. Freckles, the puppy that came out with her to get some attention for the booth was adopted by a competitor!  

    The portapotties were cleaned EVERY DAY. I have never experienced such clean and well-stocked portapotties for the duration of a multi-day event before. 

    I really don't have any complaints about organization, the Midsouth team did a fantastic job.

Course:★★★★☆

    The Midsouth courses were released about a week before the event. They tend to utilize many of the same roads year to year, so you can get a fairly good idea of what you are signing up for in advance. This year, the run course was the same as the 2022 course: following the initial few miles of the bike course, then turning and running more of the early bike course in reverse going back to Stillwater. The first 2.5 miles are paved and a nt downhill, which make it very easy to go out FAST. Once you hit the gravel, the steep climbs and descents start to add up and really take a toll. The climbs and descents are so frequent, it really becomes difficult to find a good stride. I felt like I never really got comfortable in a pace, and my watch was really upset about the whole thing and was not able to give me a real-time pace either. One thing Michigan gravel did not prepare me for was just how rocky the southwestern gravel would be. Even in a fairly cushioned road shoe, my feet were incredibly bruised by mile 20 and I spent quite a bit of time running in the sand, uneven edges of the road in an attempt to get some relief. The run course is quite exposed, traversing past miles of flat open farmland. There is no protection from the sun and wind (or snow if it's that type of March). There is one water crossing, but since it was a relatively dry year, we were able to keep our socks dry by sticking to the logs on one edge of the creek. 

    The 100 mile bike is the principle event. It has a rowdy 6000+ ft of climbing, which is made up of steep climbs and steep rocky descents. Some of the gravel is fairly hard packed, smooth and fast. Some is so sharp and rocky that the road edges are littered with people fixing flat tires. This year there was the addition of a few miles of single track, in addition to the famous two-track sections. It really was a variable course, which made it so fun. It was also a really brutal course. On a good weather day, the whole thing is rideable. On a wet day, just plan on walking with your bike. 

    The red dirt is truly magical. During the race, several times I honestly felt like I was in a movie staring down this rolling road that was so brilliant in color, it couldn't possibly be real. 

    A note about the course: people line up EARLY. I'm used to ultramarathons where people finally put their toes on the start line 45 seconds before the gun goes off. I tried to line up 30 minutes early, and was forced to sit about 700 people back! People were packed so closely together there was no way to weasel my way up further. Luckily, I had my friend Jill Martindale to commiserate with at the start. We know for next time -- get to the start line even earlier than you think!

Start line with Salsa athlete Jill Martindale, one of those Michigan riders that merges the lines between heroes and friends

Food: ★★★★☆

    The run was pretty simple and standard: Scratch, water, and traditional ultra snacks like chips and fruit. Don't get me wrong, I love my traditional ultra snacks. But, average is average. The cycling aid stations really brought this up to an above-average food rating. Holy cow. The aid stations were a real party. Music blasting, costumed cowboys, and plenty of snacks. The winners for me on that particular day were the more traditional oreos, potato chips, cookies, and flat cokes. For those with hardened stomachs though, there was plenty of bacon and fireball to go around. The aid station energy really helped me power through. 

My race:

    I came into this race with the goal of winning the women's Double. This type of goal isn't necessarily the best, because while you can control many factors regarding your race, you cannot control your competitors. This isn't a criterium where the smartest racer wins. This is a combination of fitness, smart choices, and a whole lot of grit. 

    My husband (race buddy extraordinaire, Bobby Munro) and I started the drive to Stillwater Wednesday evening, stopping to camp in Missouri for the night. Along for the ride was our 6 year old American Bully, Nugget, and our 3.5 year old cattle dog/pit X, Desi. We finished up the drive on Thursday, and had our respective shakeouts: I went for a short run with Desi, and Bobby went for an easy spin. Friday morning dawned COLD. Cold enough that poor Desi required a fleece jacket to see me off at the start line! At the start of the race, it was a clear, crisp 35 degrees. It was slated to reach 60F later that day, but started out I opted to overdress. It's easier to rehydrate than to refuel, and I would have less than 24 hours to prepare for a long, hard bike race the next day. I didn't think I would be able to afford losing any extra calories trying to keep warm.

                                       

Running with Clara (left) and Sarah (right) who went on to go 2 and 3 overall in the 50K

    As noted above, the run starts off fast. I felt good clicking off the first few miles, but didn't realize how gnarly the course was about to become. My heartrate was a bit high, but I wasn't overly concerned given that this is essentially a road race. However, once the hills started hitting and the day st arted to heat up, I knew I was in for a rough time. I became extremely nauseous and any time I put water or a gel into my mouth, I would retch. I ditched my extra clothing at the halfway point, hoping that would help. My heart rate climbed and pace slowed down as I tried to rein in myself on the downhills to save my quads for the bike. At mile 22, my heart sunk as I realized that my run goal had slipped away and I was just trying to survive. I was able to hold down a half dixie cup of scratch, and just jogged in the last hour. As I looked through results, I had lost 30 minutes on the run. Now not only did  I have to rehydrate, but I had only consumed 60 calories on the run. I had some serious refueling to do in the next 19 hours. 

    The bike start wasn't as cold as the run -- at 47F, I was able to wear midweight gloves and armwarmers, which I would strip off as the day hit the mid 70's.  The first 2 miles were "neutral" and then we were off once we hit the gravel. I knew exactly what those rolling hills would look like from the run start the day before, and focused on keeping good control on the descents were line choice was paramount. The water crossing from the run was early on in the bike, although we approached it from the opposite direction. A few wild souls plowed through the creek, while the rest of us dismounted and carried bikes over the muddy walkway ridge. 

    At mile 20, the road switched from gravel with rocks to just straight up deep shale. As we hit it, I went down hard. My bottle holder cracked and both bottles went flying. My chain had been dropped and my front wheel skewer popped out. I chipped paint off my beautiful prissy road bike! I apologized profusely to the bike for using her for this type of rugged riding. A very sweet competitor, Kristen, held my bike for me as I popped the chain back on, and off we went. By that point, I was feeling bonky. I was so hungry but wrestling my narrow road bars hard enough on the gravel that I couldn't take my hands off long enough to dig around for snacks. My legs felt like lead, and I was angry I had crashed. A few miles later, my husband (who had starteed ahead of me, but flatted) caught up to me. I told him that I felt terrible, but knew he couldn't ride with me without it looking like I had a male domestique. He rode off and I wallowed in my self pity. 

    When I hit the first aid station at mile 36, I got off my bike, tightened up the front wheel, and limped dejectly up to the snack table. As I refilled my bottles that had spilled, I started eating. Everything. I grabbed handfuls of cookies and a bag of chips and mashed them into my mouth. In some cases, rage eating is the healthiest thing you can do. This was the point where I reminded myself that I am not fast. It's been years since I won a race on speed alone. My best races are those where grit saves the day. 

                                        

    After my 7 minute aid station pep talk, I rolled back out. I never got to ride with a pack, but would have a nice little doublet or triplet group for a few miles before it fell apart. Most of the time it was me alone, starting down the dirt roads, with a Britney Spears soundtrack in my head. After the 68 mile bonus aid station, I realized that I was feeling so strong. As most people hit their wall, mine was over and done with. I'd scaled that fricker and was on a mission. I giggled like a maniac through the single track section and practically sailed through the last 15 miles. I blew through the finish line and into another Bobby hug. As I chugged the Midsouth signature IPA, I sat and watched the athlete tracker. In a half hour, it was official. I was the women's Double champion. 

 

Gear: 

50K: I ran with a halfway full 2L Nathan hydration pack. Unfortunately, I really didn't drink much out of this. For navigation, I utilized the Garmin Epix. I ran in Hoka Cliftons. The course was so incredibly rocky I almost wished I had trail shoes just for a little extra protection, but road shoes were the most sensible choice given the speed of the race. I started out in a thermal long-sleeve, hat and gloves. The hat and gloves were gone almost immediately, and I was more than happy to take off the long sleeve when I saw Bobby at the half-way point. 

100 mile: This is such a fun one! I don't own a gravel bike. When I did the Moran 166 in 2021, I rode 166 miles of flat gravel roads on my mountain bike. Same thing for BWR last year. Its comfy and squishy and such a fun time. Less fun is getting dropped on flats because I get spun out at anything over 26 mph. So, I pulled the road bike out of retirement. I have a lovely 2018 Liv Langma that I bought just before my extended break from road cycling. Because I really only rode it one season, almost everything on her is still stock! We squeezed some 33 mm slicks (challenger strada biancas) onto the stock wheelset. I also switched over to a slightly smaller chainring to facilitate steep gravel climbs. That was my gravel rig. I got a lot of compliments on being the "road bike girl" during the race. I did suffer some gnarly carpal tunnel symptoms for about a week afterwards, but otherwise I was quite content with my setup. Navigation was with the garmin 530 head unit. 

    The weekend finished with me in 3rd for the double women on the run, but 1st on the bike with a big enough gap to secure the win for the double. Midsouth was such a cool event and I am so grateful I got the chance to experience it. I'll admit, I didn't particularly enjoy riding the trainer all winter to be in shape for an early season bike race. It was worth it, but only time will tell if I make that comittment again!

Recognition:

    As always, giving credit where credit is due: my husband Bobby Munro, who supports me through every one of my races and helps me with the bicycle gear selection. My coach, Erin Young, and team Athletic Mentors, for guiding me through my endurance journey. This race was made possible by the team of people, especially my mom and my coworkers, who cared for my deathly ill foster puppy and sickly cat while I was away. 

Bandera 50K Race Report, January 8, 2023

The Bandera 100K is one of those big ultramarathons that you hear about fairly early on in the sport. As one of only 7 races offering golden tickets to Western States, and an early season 100K, it is easy to see why this event draws a competitive field. 

A quick look at their website tells you straight up what to expect in Texas: "No whiners, wimps, or wusses. A trail of rugged and brutal beauty where everything cuts, stings, or bites". The 100K is two loops of a 50K course. This year, I elected to race the 50K to get a nice taste of the Bandera ethos while having time to recover and switch to a cycling focus in time for the Midsouth Double in March.

Race website: https://www.tejastrails.com/bandera

Registration: Run signup

Location:  ★★★★☆

Bandera is a small 1,000 person town in the Texas Hill Country. It is located about 45 minutes northwest of San Antonio. Bandera markets itself as the "Cowboy Capital" of the world. The town itself has a nice old-timey western feel. The brunch we had at the Hen's Nest was great down-to-earth homestyle breakfast. 

The race itself is actually another 15 minutes west of Bandera, out in the Hill Country State Natural Area. The minute you turn into the natural area, say goodbye to cell service. In Michigan, especially in the UP, I'm used to spotty coverage at events. However, this was more than spotty. Even crew members sitting still in the parking areas had absolutely no cellular signal. It's not a huge safety issue given that the course is completely contained in the park, with dirt road crossings every couple of miles, but if you break your femur tripping over rocks, be prepared to wait a while for help. 

The natural area does have plenty of space for tent camping/van camping. Since we flew in and didn't have the van, we stayed in an air bnb instead. There are minimal water and electric hookups present at the camp, so if you do want to camp, plan ahead.

Note that the group camping area is typically used by equestrians. There is lots of horse manure. If you bring your city-slickin dog, be prepared for them to scarf that up and vomit it in your car on the way home. 

The park does have a $10/per person CASH ONLY fee for access during the event. Make sure you have cash!

Organization: ★★★★★

Tejas Trails organizes a large race series in Texas, and they are a well-oiled machine. There was really no stone left unturned. We received three pre-race emails. Each was well organized and gave participants basically everything they needed to know. 

The course was extremely well marked. You would have to be trying to go off course. Not only were there reflectors every couple hundred yards or so, but at every trail intersection there were either "Wrong way" signs or caution tape on the ground that you would literally have to step over to go off course. 

The 100k pre-race briefing was Friday evening, and it was recorded and then posted to Facebook Saturday. So, if you were in the 100k and didn't make the briefing, you wouldn't have time to watch the recording. However, the briefing was fairly redundent given the informative pre-race emails. Missing it wouldn't ruin your race by any stretch. 

My only complaint was that we did have ankle chips for timing. I don't love having that additional item on the ankle as it can lead to another area of chafing. Honestly, it was a very comfortable band and I forgot it was there, but I haven't always been so lucky. 

Course:★★★★☆

The course itself was technical and challenging, but beautiful! As mentioned above, it was hands-down the best marked course I have experienced in over a decade of competing in endurance sports. 

The 100K is two loops of the 50K course. The course can be summarized as: 8 technical miles with rocky climbs and steep loose descents. 19 miles of rolling, but very runable terrain, followed by another 4 miles of rocky climbs and technical descents. Being a midwesterner, I'm not necessarily well adapted to technical bomber descents. I lost a lot of time in the first 8 miles but had a ton of fun! The first 8 miles are the worst as far as the sotol plants go. Everyone gets fairly cut up in this segment. 

There are 6 aid stations along the way in the 50k loop, in addition to the start/finish area (a 7th aid station for the 100K loop). The 100k can leave 2 drop bags in addition to the one at the start/finish. No drop bags for the 50k. Most were 4-5 miles apart. The farthest distance between two stations was 7 miles. 

The reason I can't give this course a 5 star rating is because of the weird little lollipop around mile 6. Basically, they have you do a lollipop up to a nice scenic summit, then back down. This is the only area where the course is bidirectional. This is a weird spot to be bidirectional, as it is during a technical climb/descent. You have runners climbing while others are sescending. The rocks are loose and there is quite a bit of sotol in the area so you really don't want to go off course. I think there is enough real estate in the park that you could have a similar climb without having the congestion of two-way traffic. 

Food: . ★★★★☆

Typical ultra fare: cookies, chips, fruit, tailwind, water, coke. The ginger ale saved my life at that 5th aid station. For the 100K there is also some hot food options: breakfast burrito makings, mashed potatoes, etc. The aid station volunteers are what makes this beyond average, everyone acted like they were stoked to be there. Volunteers spend two days out on course and were still so encouraging and attentive to everyone's needs.

My race:

This was my first "big" ultra with a competitive pro field. Obviously most of the pros are in the 100k looking towards those golden tickets, but Lucy Bartholemew and Lotti Brinks lined up just in front of me for the 50K. Initially, Alexi Pappas had been registered for the 50K but she switched to the 100K Friday night (who does that?!). This was also my first time racing in the southwest. I knew I was in for a treat when I was tripping my way down the rocky descents apologizing to the guy behind me, and he just chuckled and said "welcome to Tejas."  

You know that old adage about "don't do anything new on race day?" While spectating the 100K on Saturday, I was struck by how warm 68 degrees in Texas is. It's sunny and humid. Prepping for a start of 44 degrees with a high of 65 on Sunday, I had packed tights. Only tights. I had one pair of loose shorts with me, and they didn't have a liner. Certainly not something I could spend 5 hours running in. I typically race in tight crossfit shorts, or occasionally a baggy short with a nice liner. So, we had a Saturday afternoon dash to San Antonio to buy a pair of shorts and hope that they didn't chafe.

The first mile was really just loosening up, and I got the chance to chat with a few other runners. Around 1 mile in as the climbing ratched up, the pack thinned out significantly. At that point I was basically focused on controlling the chaos of me, a Michigan girl, trying to descend without falling. I did feel a little bit better when the guy I ran about 6 miles with told me that everyone wrecked their ankles. It's not just me! 

After the first 8 miles of challenging terrain, we were on to the rolling runnable middle segment. The extra challenge was that the clay was pitted out by horse hoofprints, so the ankle mobility drills continued. This is where the day really started to heat up. Something I wasn't prepared for as a midwestern trail runner: when I hear a course is 100% trail, I translate that to mean that it's protected. Not true in the southwest! We had about 1.5 miles of tree cover, and that was quite early in the day. The vast majority of the trail was exposed. Shorts were definitely the right call!

The early-season heat really got to my GI tract, as well as the gels I ingested. I don't know why I still think one day gels will do right by me. It's been 11 years and it hasn't happened yet. Fortunately, by the time my stomach lit up I was within 90 minutes of the finish. 

The last 4 miles were a real struggle with some very steep climbs and descents, but the flat run in to the finish gave me enough time to get my run form back together to look pretty for the finish.

 

Gear: I ran with a full 2L Nathan hydration pack. The aid stations were close enough I probably could have gotten away with handhelds, but I hat having things in my hand and prefer the weight on my back or chest. This race did encourage me to start looking at the packs with small chest holsters for handhelds. I ran in Hoka Speedgoats and had no complaints with them. Started out with airwarmers and gloves but ditched them by mile 8. 

The day finished with me in 4th for the women, 19th OA in the 50K. I'll be back someday for the 100k!

As always, my supercrew of one, my husband, made the whole dang thing possible!

Big thanks to Team Athletic Mentors/coach Erin Young for the support as well.

Race Report: Marji Gesick 50 Mile; Sept 17, 2022

The Marji Gesick was definitely the highlight of my 2022 season, and quite honestly, this race will be hard to top. An event that started as a very indirect mountain bike 100 mile race from Forestville to Marquette, Marji is "The toughest race you've never heard of" per their website. If you want to get an idea of the culture surrounding the race, just hop over to their website: marjigesick.com. Warnings immediately jump off the page: "Self-supported ethos." "You're on your own -- in an emergency call 911." "This course is designed to break you." "Blame Danny and Todd." "80% of folks will never see the finish line." The race is one of those events that your crazy endurance mountain bike friend probably did once, but with relatively few slots between the 50 and 100 mile bike and run events, it's tough to register and lives on shrouded in mystery for most of the Marji-curious. 

I was scrolling through facebook last October and saw the alert that registration would be opening, and 666 slots would be up for grabs. On a whim, I hopped over the ultrasignup and entered my credit card number. I was in for the 50! I had read exactly 0 race reports. 

The race report search came in January. I train in the west side of Michigan on trails the likes of Merrell, Cannonsburg, Luton, and occasionally Saugatuck Dunes or Yankee Springs. I quickly realized that Marquette trails were going to be a challenge. Not only is there much more elevation gain and loss, but the trails are quite rocky and technical. What I somehow missed in the excitement of trying to figure out how to optimize my training, was that the 50 wasn't 50 miles. 

During Ode to the Hoff, I overheard some of the guys talking about running Marji the year prior. As I started to ask them their experience, one mentioned that the 50 was 63 miles. Naturally, I assumed he missed a turn and added some distance. I was very wrong. 

My race stats: Finish time: 14:01:15. Distance: 64.1 miles. Elevation gain: 8,205 ft. Average heart rate: 151 bpm.

Let's look at the breakdown:

Race website: https://marjigesick.com/

Registration: Ultra Signup

Location:  ★★★★★
Marquette (or Forestville for the 100) to Ishpeming, Upper Peninsula of Michigan
I'm incredibly biased when it comes to the UP. I am absolutely in awe of the rugged beauty of the trails here. I loved starting in downtown Marquette. We camped just a few miles from the start line at the Marquette tourist park, and were absolutely thrilled to find a youth mountain bike skills park attached to the campground itself. Shakeout runs were so convenient along the north country trail. Packet pickup at Blackrocks Brewery Friday night afforded an opportunity to experience downtown Marquette. The finish in Ishpeming was so much fun. It felt like the entire downtown stayed open late to see us finish. Although the race is point-to-point, which can be tough logistically, the driving distance between Marquette and Ishpeming is really only about 15 miles/20 minutes. 

Organization: ★★★★☆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LHU_tuXrbQ

The race is organized by 906 adventure team. Their philosphy: " 906 Adventure Team is a 501c3 Non-Profit based in Marquette, Michigan. Since 2014 we have been creating outdoor adventure experiences for youth through Adventure Bike Club and events like Polar Roll, The Crusher, and Marji Gesick. Our take on life is pretty simple - it’s an adventure. In life (and adventure) stuff doesn't always go to plan. Things go wrong. Bad things happen to good people and you don’t overcome it by complaining or pointing fingers. The truth is adversity brings out the best of us - by taking us down unknown paths to find it. 
906 Adventure Team uses revenue from the events to support trail organizations and create more youth Adventure Teams. The Marji Gesick will donate $27,000 to local trails this year, bringing total trail donations since 2015 to $216,000." 

Please watch the above video for an idea of what is going through the race organizer's minds in the creation of this event. Overall the race can feel rather disorganized (see notes regarding course below). However, I honestly think it's all part of the ethos. My one complaint is the timing of the race starts. The 100 mile run starts Friday at noon in Forestville. Saturday morning the 50 mile runners start at 7 am in Marquette. At 7:30 am, 100 mile cyclists and duathletes start in Forestville. Then, the 50 mile bikes start at 8:00 in Marquette. This is problematic because then the bikes are catching almost all of the 50 mile runners while we are still on singletrack. Giving another hour or so would allow the majority of the runners to hit rail trail before the cyclists catch up, making passing much easier. Of course, the daylight is limited even in the summer in the UP, so my thought for a happy medium would be to get the runners out at 6 am. 

Parking in downtown Marquette does look like it could be limited, but being in the first crew to shuffle through the start line, we had no issues getting our monster of a van situated. 

Course: ★★★★★
This is such a subjective scale. This course is five stars for achieving its goal: to break you, mentally and physically. First of all, the "50 mile" is actually 63+ miles depending on the year (I missed a turn and added about 0.5 mile) and the "100 mile" is really around 112. The course is well marked, but you have been warned time and again not to depend on course markings. GPS is required. However, the GPS file was not made available until WEDNESDAY before the race! Then, there was an issue with that file so I wasn't able to download the true GPS file until Friday morning. The race cue sheet indicated 8 miles between downtown Ishpeming and Jackson Mine park round 2, where you would get to see your crew again -- but in reality it was more like 13 miles. The GPS file indicated that the course would be 60 miles with 4000 ft of elevation -- and you see my stats above. All of this could add up to make a 1 star course, but, given the race ethos, this course is exactly what it should be. 

The course itself is also absolutely terrible in the best way possible. We started at the docks in downtown Marquette. It was still dark at 7 am. The initial 2 miles is pavement and sidewalk heading south before the course jogs west towards Marquette Mountain. The first climb is about 3 miles in, still on the road. Then there is a fairly staightforward trail section before you hit the rail trail for the fastest 6 miles of the race. However, that's about the last fast section as the course then meanders for 40 miles through RAMBA mountain bike trails. The trail is rocky and technical, with loose downhills and steep climbs. There aren't really words for the level of torment that last 8 miles of RAMBA is. The best I can provide is this video from Bike Life with Rob: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5lwKVCoa4

Food: N/A
I can't technically grade the food, as the race is very clear about not organizing aid stations. However, "trail angels" are out en mass to support the race. All race support is neutral, meaning that while you may have crew supporting you, they must also offer the same assitance to all competitors. At every road crossing, both major and seasonal, there was at least someone there who would offer water or snacks. Jackson Mine park was essentially a city of support tents with plenty of food to go around. Since all food is offered on a volunteer basis, I did not want to depend on it and stuck to the food I had stocked in the van. 

The afterparty goes on all night in downtown Ishpeming, and there are multiple food trucks and a beer garden available for competitors and support crew. Important note is that these are at an additional cost, so don't forget your credit card. 

My race:

The morning of Marji Gesick was perfect: 63 degrees with the sun not yet up. It had rained for the past 2 days, and while the mud we were likely to encounter was on everyone's minds, it was a clear morning. The race started at the docks in downtown Marquette. It was a very quiet start, just a quick pre-race briefing before the horn sounded and we were off. No unicorns or LeBike starts, they save that nonsense for Forestville!

The first two miles of the race were paved. I quickly settled into a pack of about 8 folks and we chatted as we loosened up.  At the first climb, I reminded myself to powehike ever climb in the first half and then think about running more uphills if I had it in me during RAMBA. I felt like I was taking the pace pretty chill through the pavement and first chunks of singletrack, then finally pushed the pace a bit on the rail trail from miles 14-19. I knew this was likely to be the most runable section and wanted to capitalize on that. Plus, the sun was getting more intense and I was anxious to get back into the shaded singletrack.

After Jackson Mine Park, it was time to start the roughly 45 miles of looping through RAMBA. My pace was held back quite a bit in RAMBA by the cyclists actually. They would pass me on flats and descents, but then would have to unclip and hike-a-bike on ascents and technical terrain. Initially I could feel myself stressing about lost time. I made the mindful choice to use this time to stop and eat. Throughout the day, the same group of cyclists and me were leapfrogging and the banter with those people kept my spirits high. I honestly think that having that time and comiseration with those cyclists was a big part of me having such a good day!  I was priveledged to have runner company for the first 11 miles, then miles 20-26 but after that it was just me and my new cycling friends.  In the first 20 miles of RAMBA, I took care not to overrun the downhills and my IT bands thanked me later. However, miles 30-45 were so incredibly hot and supringly unsheltered by forest. This became a race of attrition. Having some cyclists around encouraged me to stay upbeat.

I was able to see my support crew of my husband and dogs six times during the race. He tracked my location throughout the day and at each meeting point, he would have a camp chair ready for me and all of my snacks spread out so I could decide what I needed. My training partner Desi was very upset that dogs are not allowed in the race, and she attempted to sneak her way into the event anyway!

One of the fun little quirks of Marji is that you have to collect tokens at undisclosed checkpoints on the route. I was in the dark for about two hours through the roughest portion of RAMBA. I was falling at least once every 2 miles. And, instead of being upset about falling, my biggest worry was that I was going to lose one of those frickin tokens and be turned around at the finish line to go collect another. I'm not really much of a finish line crier, but when I finally made that left hand turn into Ishpeming and started down the chute, I just started to sob. That's the power of da Marji.

Gear:
I wore road shoes for the whole thing. (Hoka Cliftons, wore two seperate pairs). I brought trekking poles but did not use them and left them in the van. 

Nutrition:
I stuck to mostly savory stuff: goldfish about an hour in. After the first bit, they were hard to get down but forced me to drink water which wasn't a bad thing at all. I was really feeling Pringles, and ate a few rice cakes along the way too. Good and Plenty's were the sweet of choice. Some oreos felt good towards the end. I ate about 3 larabars and 2 kind bars spread throughout the day as well. I prepackaged everything into small portions in plastic baggies which were stashed in my hydration pack. I had a little tummy trouble around 2-4 pm just as it was pretty hot, but I took a couple short walk breaks and it chilled out. I shockingly experienced no vomiting throughout the day! Drank water in the hydration pack and had a handheld with liquid IV electrolytes -- drank 4 of these throughout the day. This wasn't enough hydration as I only urinated 3 times during the day, but it was enough that I didn't end up with the crippling headache I've suffered after many events. 

    

At the end of the day, I finished 2nd overall in the 50 mile race behind Alisan Barrett. It was so incredible to have two women atop that podium! The Marji broke me physically and mentally, but rebuilt me to be so much stronger. While I won't return for 2023, I know Marji hasn't seen the last of me yet! 

Remember that I am recapping my experiences. Any inaccuracies regarding the course are likely secondary to me blocking out the trauma I endured in RAMBA!

Race Report: Ode to the Hoff, June 18, 2022

  Ode to the Hoff is a backyard style ultramarathon. Every hour, on the hour, runners embark on a  4.12 mile loop. You can finish in 30  minutes, or finish in 59 minutes, but the next lap starts at 60 minutes on the mark. The remaining time you have between your lap finish and the next lap start, can be spent any way you please. The last runner standing is marked as the winner, with the second to last runner taking the "assist". This style of racing poses a unique set of challenges, as well as some very distinct benefits. My overall takeaway was that I don't see myself personally falling in love with the backyard ultra in a competitive way, but I absolutely see value in hopping into one of these events throughout the season for a "supported long run". 

This was a first-year event, but was hosted by the Ode to the Laz race organizers. Ode to the Laz is a primarily east-side of Michigan series. It was nice to see a primarily east-side organization host an event here in beautiful West Michigan!

Race website: https://odetolaz.com/

Registration: Ultra Signup

Location:  ★★★★★
Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon, Michigan
The race was hosted at the State Park, with ample camping space at Hoffmaster and Muskegon state parks, less than a mile from the race start. There is a shower house and multistall bathroom with hot and cold running water located mere steps away from the start line (important for those middle laps!). If you've had enough of running through the woods, Lake Michigan (the greatest of the great lakes, in my opinion) is steps away for a quick dip. 

Organization: ★★★★☆
As mentioned above, the race was a first year event. However, the race company is experienced. The race organizers were very clear regarding course rules and what would and would not be provided at the race. My two complaints and the reason that organization is ranked as "good" and not "excellent": there was a relatively late date change for the race. As in, end of March, an email went out announcing a date change from June 11 to June 18. Maybe not a huge deal to some, but many of us have to request weekends off from work months in advance. The other complaint is regarding communication regarding parking. It was quite unclear where crew members were to park. We had planned to crew out of the van, but that appeared to be a no-go. It was fine, but clarification regarding whether people can crew out of cars or if they really need a tent, is a must for future. 

Course: ★★★☆☆
The course was beautiful, but really was almost a weird long S shape with two out and backs. The single track is wide enough that it wasn't a huge deal, but I didn't love having that many sharp turnarounds. The course consistested of about 0.7 miles of pavement along the park road (minimal car traffic). The rest of the course was wide singletrack. There was quite a bit of elevation packed into a small out and back -- essentially, you climb from the park to the top of a dune/bluff overlooking the lake, then start to descend down towards the lake, then climb back up. The course is very rooted, which became quite technically challenging later on in the day as the shadows grew long. Additionally, there is a nice little set of 7-10 wooden stairs in there too. I imagine those could get pretty slick in the rain, but you could easily run off to the side of them if you're a confident descender. 

For the first two laps, the course was short by about half a mile due to a misplaced cone. This was corrected for further laps.

I will note that the night loops were 100% pavement on the park roads (no vehicle traffic in the park after 10 pm). I bailed after completing 11 yards (loops) and the night course didn't take effect until yard 13. Therefore, I really can't attest to this further

Food: ★★★★☆
Traditional ultra fare was available. Not much was really required since most people had their own snacks with their crew. However, the food rating got bumped up from three star "average" to four star "good" because Pigeon Hill brewing had kegs flowing all day! Additionally, there was plenty of sponsored corepower to go around. 

My race:

Not the ideal race prep coming into this. I worked overnights through the weekend, Tuesday-Friday was in Makinac at a conference, and jetted back downstate just in time to grab the van, head out to Muskegon, and get some sleep. The morning was chilly but clear. I started the day with my award-winning pre-race prep of half a white monster, kodiak cakes oatmeal, and some liquid IV. 

View of Lake Michigan -- one of my favorite parts of Muskegon!

The race started with a very informal rundown of the rules, and an airhorn to start us out. There were about 80 people at the start, but there were two categories: The backyard ultra crew, and the 3 hour adventure crew. So, the pack really thinned out after the third yard.

Starting out I had the tiniest little niggle in the right calf but otherwise felt great. I ran the first three hours with coach Erin Young and friend Joe Miles. Chatting with friends really made the yards fly by. Huge props go out to Joe for sticking with us for his longest run to date! The pace was conservative. I was shooting for 20-25 minutes of rest between yards and really nailed this throughout the day. The first 2 yards were short, so had more like 30 minutes of rest for those. Not a bad deal early in the day!

The singular image of me in the event. Joe (in red) of course looked great for the camera; I don't think I noticed it was there!

Joe dropped off on the fourth yard, and Erin on the fifth. On my own with the day starting to heat up, I started making some new friends. The most fun part of this event was that I was rarely alone, since everyone gets a "reset" to regroup for every yard. 

I started struggling with some stomach issues between my cycle and overdoing it on cold fruit (it tasted so good!) so the vomiting began around yard eight. Around this time I really felt the toll in the my right ankle and calf from running off camber on the trail for a mile every lap. I really wanted to push through to 10-12 yards though, so trudged on with a few extra walk breaks.

Refueling in the corepower tent between yards

After the 11th yard, I made the decision not to head out for another one. I had met my goal, and was ready to go to sleep. I had to wake up for work at 4:15 am the next morning and had an hour drive home!

Overall, I really enjoyed Ode to the Hoff. If you're thinking about dipping into the backyard ultra scene, this just might be the race for you!

Introduction

 Are blogs still a viable conduit for thought streaming? For those who still prefer words on a page over dancing videos, I think yes. My initial foray into blogging came into being in 2010, when everyone still had a webpage chronicling their life, diet, hobbies and careers. These days, most of the blogs I followed then have dropped off into obseletion. Still, I think there's a time and a place for blogs. Most readers (dare I say all except my mom?) care little about my day-to day life: what I had for breakfast, where I found my winter boots, and so on. However, I personally have re-engaged in the blogging space as a method of choosing where to spend my precious race weekends. Reading detailed race reviews has greatly guided my decision-making process, and my hope is that by copying out some of my training peaks recaps into this forum, I can help a few of you as well. If nothing else, feel free to hang out for some pictures of my dogs. They're cuter than me, and have nearly as many event photos.

Photo courtesy of: https://www.robmeenderingphotography.com/

In the first few weeks of the existence of this blog, I plan to review some of the events of the past two years. There will be a bit to work through as I catch up on the backlog. Feel free to message me with events that you would like to see covered, and I will do my best!

The events I intend to cover are the events I find joy in. These are primarily ultramarathons (my current passion) and cycling (my guilty pleasure). If anyone makes a good case for a different type of endurance event, I'm in. From mountaineering to backpacking/through-hiking, kayaking to climbing, and beyond; tomorrow isn't guaranteed, and I firmly believe that life without stretching my boundaries, isn't a life I want lead.