The hardest single day (bike) race in America...

Thought you guys might get a kick out of what I’m training for, the Marji Gesick 100. It takes place right here in Ishpeming and Marquette, covers 112 miles, and 13,000 of climbing (2019). Jeremiah Bishop has stated its more difficult than Leadville. Tinker Juarez didn’t even finish last year.

Wish me luck! If you have any questions about it or about mountain biking in Marquette County, feel free to ask!

That's really cool, Motown. Sounds awesome (and way better than that Jobbi Nooner event WBH is training for).

DWags wrote:Well fuck, you've obviously never raced your in shape teen daughters around Mackinaw Island while one of them secretly let most of the air out of my tire. Sheeeeeet, that race you're in is easy compared to that.

Nonetheless, good luck, wear your Spartan gear, kick as much ass as your old butt will allow, and god speed. Nice going man, I know that aint easy.

Thanks man! My daughter is catching up FAST!! She’s almost 11 and we’re doing the Ore 2 Shore this August, which is 28 miles. The goal for her for the O2S is to finish. My goal for the Marji is not to die.

In case you want more info.

Marji Gesick

And the amazing mountain biking program in our community that also hosts three monster races.

906 Adventure Team

The fatty race we do in February.

906 Polar Roll

225 mile gravel race we do in July.

The Crusher

Turtleneck wrote:That's really cool, Motown. Sounds awesome (and way better than that Jobbi Nooner event WBH is training for).

It’s a pretty awesome event. This is my first year racing in it. I usually volunteer for 36 hours to work the start and finish lines.

Good luck Motown.

I'm too old for that shit. I wish I had gotten into biking 20 years ago instead of when I was pushing 60. On a good day I can do 50 miles on relatively flat trails, maybe even push it to 75. But over 100? Not a chance.

Motown Spartan wrote:Thought you guys might get a kick out of what I’m training for, the Marji Gesick 100. It takes place right here in Ishpeming and Marquette, covers 112 miles, and 13,000 of climbing (2019). Jeremiah Bishop has stated its more difficult than Leadville. Tinker Juarez didn’t even finish last year.

Wish me luck! If you have any questions about it or about mountain biking in Marquette County, feel free to ask!

very cool - keep us posted on things.

Awesome tune up ride for training the next two days. 11 miles of single track, 1000 feet of climbing, 1.5 hours. Best I’ve ever felt on a ride.

That’s some hardcore shit Motown. Good luck and don’t die!

And here I thought Nordic was the baddest motherfucker on this board. This looks fucking intense dude. Good luck.

Nordic is so yesterday, bro.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:And here I thought Nordic was the baddest motherfucker on this board. This looks fucking intense dude. Good luck.

Yeah I always pictured Motown as some soft ass MFer. Not anymore. Huge respect.

the Motown Spartan maniac.. a melted conglomerate of metabolic miracles and muscle-bound machinery.

22 miles of gnarly singletrack today. 5 hours on the bike. 2100 feet of climbing. Way under hydrated and the temp shot up to 87 this afternoon. And there’s no let up or place to stop other than just stopping and catching you breath. But then you have a punchy climb up rocks and roots followed by a short downhill you might be better off walking. Exhausting day.

Hoping for 40 miles tomorrow.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:And here I thought Nordic was the baddest motherfucker on this board. This looks fucking intense dude. Good luck.

Yeah I always pictured Motown as some soft ass MFer. Not anymore. Huge respect.

Thanks for the respect! But I’m still a soft ass MFer. Well, at least I was a soft ass MFer.

Not sure I could have done 112 miles on flat road back when I was a biker. That ride looks positively brutal.

I like the part in the vid where the guy is showing all the blisters on his hands. Use to wear cushioned gloves and get them on much shorter rides.

Motown's a badass. Whoda thunk?

The Pantry wrote:Not sure I could have done 112 miles on flat road back when I was a biker. That ride looks positively brutal.

I like the part in the vid where the guy is showing all the blisters on his hands. Use to wear cushioned gloves and get them on much shorter rides.

Motown's a badass. Whoda thunk?

I kinda thunk. And those that played in the “other board” basketball tournaments back in the 2000s prolly knew.

Motown Spartan wrote:

The Pantry wrote:Not sure I could have done 112 miles on flat road back when I was a biker. That ride looks positively brutal.

I like the part in the vid where the guy is showing all the blisters on his hands. Use to wear cushioned gloves and get them on much shorter rides.

Motown's a badass. Whoda thunk?

I kinda thunk. And those that played in the “other board” basketball tournaments back in the 2000s prolly knew.

Please post pics of your bike and equipment. Been outta biking over 10 years and like to know what new stuff looks like.

Motown Spartan wrote:22 miles of gnarly singletrack today.  5 hours on the bike.  2100 feet of climbing.  Way under hydrated and the temp shot up to 87 this afternoon.  And there’s no let up or place to stop other than just stopping and catching you breath.  But then you have a punchy climb up rocks and roots followed by a short downhill you might be better off walking.  Exhausting day.  

Hoping for 40 miles tomorrow.  

I did 42 miles today on cement, asphalt and crushed limestone. Climbed maybe 200' and I'm

This is my Ibis Ripley full suspension.

My Salsa Mukluk rigid frame fat tire bike.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Motown Spartan wrote:22 miles of gnarly singletrack today.  5 hours on the bike.  2100 feet of climbing.  Way under hydrated and the temp shot up to 87 this afternoon.  And there’s no let up or place to stop other than just stopping and catching you breath.  But then you have a punchy climb up rocks and roots followed by a short downhill you might be better off walking.  Exhausting day.  

Hoping for 40 miles tomorrow.  

I did 42 miles today on cement, asphalt and crushed limestone. Climbed maybe 200' and I'm

Hey man, that’s a great day! Killing it buddy!

33 miles so far today. 3,000 feet of climbing. 7.5 hours on the trails. Hoping to get 7 more tonight but I’ve had a few beers at this point.

Fuck yeah. Get after it.

I’m dead today.

Motown Spartan wrote:I’m dead today.

I'm surprised you could lift a finger to post this.

Atta boy Motown.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Motown Spartan wrote:I’m dead today.

I'm surprised you could lift a finger to post this.

Very restless morning night sleep after the first few hours. Spent about 4 hours very nauseas and sweaty. Out on the boat now floating in the lake.

A slight change of plans and one wrong turn was rewarded by this view.

Just a pic from my ride this weekend.

Pull them outta your teeth or off your ass?

Motown Spartan wrote:Just a pic from my ride this weekend.

I hate those fucking things

Anyone in southwest Michigan know of any good trails? I’m going to be in South Haven next week and looking for places to ride.

Motown Spartan wrote:Anyone in southwest Michigan know of any good trails? I’m going to be in South Haven next week and looking for places to ride.

I have a couple of places I use for research. This is one of them.

https://mitrails.org/

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Motown Spartan wrote:Anyone in southwest Michigan know of any good trails? I’m going to be in South Haven next week and looking for places to ride.

I have a couple of places I use for research. This is one of them.

https://mitrails.org/

Thanks Floyd. I’ll check it out!

Anyone ever watch the EcoChallange?  600+ km adventure race. Mulitiple checkpoints. A lot of hiking, mountain biking, paddling, traversing flooded rivers, etc. Eat and sleep as you please. No electronics (GPS, heart rate monitors, etc.). Top teams will do it 10 days and rarely stop. Half the teams will abandon or not make a time check and be eliminated. Old school reality TV, pre-Survivor.  I think this is the first race since 2012. They up'ed the production value with Bear Grylls, but they are doing a good job keeping it about the teams and race.

Amazon Prime. It's a good watch. I really wanted to do it twenty years ago.