All the
athletes who attempt/complete the Marji Gesick are remarkable. The people who
support these athletes are equally impressive. A lot goes into being a support
crew member, and I often wonder if people know what it’s like. I have never
considered posting anything like this, but this was the most
complex and detailed SAG I have ever done.
Support
Crew/SAG Experience
- 2017
- TRI-State 200
- Waterloo Gravel 107
- Mohican Trippple
- 2018
- RAIN (Ride Across Indiana)
- ODRAM (One Day Ride Across Michigan)
- 2019
- 2020
- CrusherEX – (One Stop at L’ance)
-
2 Local MTB 100-mile Rides
- 2021
-
Marji Gesick (100-Mile MTB)
- 2023
-
Marji Gesick (100-Mile Run)
With all
the above experiences, I know how my husband likes his stops and what to do.
When he asks me to be somewhere with items, I know that it is crucial that I am
there waiting for him. On my very first SAG with the Tri-State 200, I was not
at the first stop. I had plugged the wrong stop in on the map and was not where
everyone was expecting me to be when everyone was expecting me to be there.
This caused them to wait for me to get there, delaying their progress
substantially. I never have done that again! Often, I think that people might
perceive me as antisocial in these situations. However, I know that if I’m not
where I told him I would be, there is a possibility that I will miss him, and
he will be without critical supplies. We did have one mishap on the 2021 Marji
where we did not scout the stops, and I was parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot
and unable to get to him due to a route/elevation difference. We learned our
lesson with that one!
This is
my 2023 Marji Gesick Experience:
Wednesday
9/13:
I was up
at 6:45 a.m. for the 8-hour drive to the campground to start this crazy
adventure. Went to bed at 10:36 p.m.
Thursday
9/14:
Woke up at
7:38 a.m., worked for about an hour, and then we were off to scout our SAG
stops. We started at the start line and drove around to every stop that my
husband had initially planned all the way through to the finish. While we did
this, I took notes as to what he expected he would want so that I could have it
ready as well as where I needed to be with said items if not at the truck.
There were several locations that I had to pin in maps as the original
locations mapped out weren’t quite right, or there wasn’t a safe place for me
to park and wait. We had 15 SAG stops, not counting start and finish lines.
After scouting all the stops, we decided not to have me go to the first stop
due to a lack of cell service, so we had 14 total stops. After all the notes
were completed and I had all my stops plotted out on the map, we headed back to
the campground. I worked for several hours there and relaxed until bedtime
because tomorrow was…Go time! I decided to take extra melatonin to fall asleep
early and get great sleep because we were about to be up for a while! Went to
bed at 9:30 p.m.
Friday
9/15:
Woke up at
2:38 a.m. due to a wind storm. The wind was blowing hard, relentlessly
shaking and banging our awning. I heard this through
earplugs, and my husband slept through it like nothing was happening. I knew
how important it was for him to get good sleep and I wanted him to be well
rested before he ran for hours, so I climbed out of bed and went outside and
put the awning up. This is usually a two-person job, but I managed to get it
done with a little struggle which resulted in hurting my hand.
Pic of the awning:
With a
hurting hand and all the excitement going on, I was awake. I played on my phone
in bed and eventually got up and had breakfast while I waited for my husband to
crawl out of bed. When he gets up, we get ready and head to the start line. See
his blog for his race day perspective: Marji Gesick Run. I didn’t realize that the bike
start was only a half mile, and I was heading to the end of the bike portion to
let Chris Marquardt know that I was heading to the other side of the start line to get
a photo of my husband running through the start. The next thing I knew, my
husband was the first bike through the finish, barreling at me so he could hop
off and start running. He did start running away with his helmet on when Josh
began to yell “helmet” at him. Suddenly, the helmet is off and rolling at me
like a bowling ball, and he’s off… (Total Time: 00:00:00)
Before he
started the race, I told him I would take as many photos as possible when he
was running up to the stops and that I wanted to get a picture of his watch at
every stop. Then, after seeing him, I would take a few minutes to upload all
the photos and a mini update to Facebook. I wanted to ensure he had enough
pictures and information from each stop to help him write his blog about the
run later.
Since we
skipped going to the first original planned stop, I just sat at the start line, waiting for him
to return, as this was our new first SAG stop.
Stop 1 - Now, one thing I
will say was a blessing on this adventure was that I could track him fairly
consistently. This first section, however, was a little rough since there was
no cell service, so I couldn’t track him until he got closer. I collected his
requested items and met him at our predetermined spot. He was looking good! I
updated Facebook, and I was off to the next stop. (02:50:33)
Stop 2 – He was looking good still. He
told me he had fallen but didn’t look to beat up. I was parked next to the
trail, so I ensured he had what he wanted/needed to refuel and get back out
there. (05:29:17)
Stop 3 – He looked a little rough. He had
fallen an additional two times, and had given himself some bonus miles. His
spirits did seem to brighten when he saw the whole gang at this stop. He had
some dried blood on his knee but didn’t seem concerned. He refueled and got
back out there. (08:17:41)
Stop 4 – So, this stop was essentially at
the campground. It was misting and cold out there, and I had to walk to where
he would be crossing, about a 5-minute walk from the camper. Although I could
track him, I didn’t want to miss him if it wasn’t working correctly, so I
walked over to where he wanted me to be and sat in the chair with my umbrella, waiting
for him. He then called me, told me that his watch wasn’t charging correctly,
and asked me to bring a different cord from the camper. So off I went, walking
back to the camper. I left everything there so he could sit, just in case he
made it before I returned. I got the requested items and heading back. Josh and
Sarah walked with me so they could see him, too. When he arrived, he refueled,
and Josh, Sarah, and I cleaned up his knee the best we could, and he was off.
By this time, MANY people were cheering him on on Facebook. (11:21:40)
Stop 5 – At this stop, he informed me
that he was tired and looked particularly worn out. He informed me that he had
walked most of this section and was thinking about maybe taking a small nap at
some point to help with his fatigue. I told him to do whatever he needed to do
to finish. He thought the Jackson Park stop would be a good place to nap but
wanted to wait and reassess the situation when he arrived. (14:08:50)
Stop 6 – Due to how he looked at the
previous stop and the fact that he mentioned possibly taking a nap, I started
looking around this area to see if there was a quiet, dark spot where we could
stop. I did find one right around the corner (within walking distance) from
this stop. When he showed up, he had told me that he had gotten sick and that he didn’t want to sit or anything. He just wanted to get
to Jackson Park. I told him I found a place and pointed it out, and he said no,
he wanted to at least get to Jackson Park before stopping and then got back to
it. He had 5 miles to Jackson Park. I decided that because he had gotten sick that I would be nice and get him some mouth wash from a gas station so he didn't have to finish his run with that grossness in his mouth. (15:45:33)
Saturday
9/16
Stop 7 – At 1:14 a.m., he strolled into
Jackson Park. To say he looked rough would be an understatement. He had decided
to take a little nap to recover a little bit so that he could finish the race
in the morning. He asked if I would be able to take a nap...Keep in mind that I
have been awake for 22 hours and 36 minutes at this point. I told him that I
would do my best. Little did I know that this would be a MASSIVE challenge.
(17:12:58) By the time I fell “asleep,” it was 2:15 a.m. I felt every time my
husband moved around in the truck bed. As other races came in, their support
teams were cheering them on and helping them refuel so they could keep going.
It was 3:53 a.m. when I felt my husband moving around again, and when I looked
into the truck bed, I saw that he was getting up and getting ready to get out.
I hopped out of the truck to ensure he was okay and see what was happening.
Apparently, he had gotten enough rest to get back at it and asked me if I was
okay to drive to the next stop. My watch showed I had gotten 1 hour and 28
minutes of sleep, so a little cat nap, if you will. I told him that I would be
fine and that I would stop and get myself some energy drinks to help me stay
alert. At 4:21 a.m., he was off again.
Stop 8 – When he arrived, I asked him how
he was doing, and he responded, “I’m alive.” I suppose that is definitely
better than being dead, lol. Got him refueled, and he was off again. (23:55:46)
Stop 9 – This stop was a little
interesting. When he got to this stop, he informed me that he really, really
wanted Little Caesars pizza at the next stop…if it was possible. If not, if I
could get him something like a hot ham and cheese sub at Subway, that would be
fine, too. Anyone who knows my husband knows that pizza is not something that
he requests…ever. I googled it and found that Little Caesars didn’t open until
11 a.m., and it was 10:30 a.m. I told him I would wait around and get him
pizza, and it would be at his next stop. He seemed very excited to hear that
news. He changed into his “Do Epic Shit” socks and was on his way. I thought
the socks were extremely fitting for the occasion. (26:12:34)
Stop
Pizza –I got online and ordered 2 large pizzas and
a crazy bread right as Little Caesars opened. 20 minutes later, I picked up the
pizza and went to the next stop.
Stop 10 –
Jackson Park 2. This stop had me absolutely panicking. Yes, I managed to
get the requested pizza and was ready to wait where he told me only…I couldn’t.
We have a LARGE truck, so it is extremely hard to find parking that the truck would
fit into, and Jackson Park was utterly packed. So, here I am, driving around
town trying to find a parking stop, and I just couldn’t. So I pulled up the map
and saw a parking lot on the opposite side of where I was supposed to be
parked. As I drove there, I saw a spot to park right by an area taped off for
the race. I parked there and pulled up his map, and it appeared that he would
run by this spot (not even 100 feet away from the truck)…but what if that is
wrong? What if that is not where he comes through, and it’s somewhere
else…TOTAL PANIC MODE. So I hopped out of the truck and walked around to where
all the people were standing, and I asked this lady if this is where the
runners come through, and she looked at me like I was stupid…as there are only
cyclists coming through at the moment. I told her that my husband was running
100 miles, and she said, "Oh yeah, I think I saw one go by earlier. But,
I’m not sure.” So I walked back to the truck and waited. Freaking out that A.
I’m not where I said I would be, and B. I would have to call my husband and
tell him there was a change of plans. I decided to wait to call and eat some
breadsticks and pizza. I saw a runner pass right in front of me…I went to the
website to check and see if the person passed the checkpoint, and BOOM, there
it was! My husband will pass right in front of me. I relaxed substantially, but
I still had to call him. My watch decided that it had had enough and needed to
be charged, so I pulled my charger out, plugged it in, and then it jumped out
of my hand and landed right into the tiny cup of butter garlic dip. UGH! I get
it out, clean it off the best I can (it still smells like the dip), and charge
my watch. Well, that’s enough dip for the day. I tracked my husband and saw
that he just added some additional bonus miles to his run, so I thought now was
as good a time as any to call him and tell him of the change. Gave him a call,
and he sounded a little worried that he wouldn’t be able to find me and that it
would be a long walk to the truck. I told him I would be right by the trail as
he came by and would direct him. Needless to say, when he came through, I was
able to get him, and the relief on his face when he saw how close the truck was
was priceless. He sat down, ate pizza, refilled everything, and went back out.
(29:32:07)
Stop 11 – At this stop, my husband hit 100
miles! I am so proud of him. He is pushing through like a champ, and while the
race is 107 miles, he’s not that close to the finish. Stupid bonus miles. I
don’t care what anyone says. Bonus miles are not good, lol. Got him a battery
pack for his watch, fueled up, and on his way. (31:43:30)
Stop 12 – Super quick stop. I grabbed the
battery pack, and he kept going…he looked, meh. (32:48:34)
Stop 13 – What the hell…where did he come
from…he just snuck up on me out of nowhere. I scrambled to get everything
organized for him. Got him organized and situated and on his way. The one time
I get sucked into Facebook Reels, instead of stalking him on the tracker, he
sneaks up on me. This was the only stop I wasn’t fully prepared for him. But I
pulled it together and got him on his way without delay. (33:25:36)
Driving
to Stop 14 - (I
would like to preface this by saying after spinning off the road after hitting
a patch of black ice and getting rear-ended, I have massive anxiety when
driving in some situations…this is one of those situations.) So stops 11-13
were on what they call Suicide Bowl, and when I tell you there were people and
vehicles everywhere…that is probably an understatement. Anywho, I roll my
window down, put the mirrors in, and start driving down this road with vehicles
parked on both sides and people, kids, runners, cyclists, and vehicles moving all
around me. I’m going at a snail's pace. I don’t want to hurt anyone or mess up
the truck by getting into an accident, in turn, preventing me from getting to
the next stop. As I come around this corner, a cyclist stops off the front
driver's side of the truck and then yells at me to stop. So, of course, I stop,
and suddenly, a cyclist comes flying like a bat out of hell down a hill and
across the road…I could have killed him…probably not cause I was going like 3
mph…but still, I could have hurt him. So, my snail’s pace becomes even slower,
if that’s possible, which it is. I’m pretty sure the speedometer said 0, and I
was inching down the road. So I get down the road a little farther, and there
are vehicles lined up one right after another parked on the left side of the
road, and there is a red truck stopped in the middle of the road in front of me
and isn’t moving, so I stop. Again, I have a large truck and don’t want to hit
anyone. So the woman finally moves up as a woman next to my truck yells that
there is a parking spot right there. So, she comes up and parks, and I start
inching forward. Children and people are walking all around when suddenly…I’m
getting screamed at. There are two older women “directing traffic,” if that’s
what you want to call it. They were flailing their arms like the wacky waving
inflatable tube man and screaming at me, telling me to “hurry up” and “drive
faster.” I’m sorry, are you going to pay the bills and deal with the lawsuits
if I hit someone because you told me to do those things?!? I think not… So my
inching snail's pace moved to about 5 mph, which I honestly believe just pissed
the women off even more because the flailing got crazier, and the screaming got
louder. So I endured the screaming, flailing, and crazy-eyed looks I received
from them and drove right along. Once I passed them, I saw a gentleman in his
truck going in the opposite direction; his window was down, and he was laughing
out loud. I told him he better be careful because they would yell at him next,
and he laughed harder. In all my years of dealing with cyclists, runners, and
support crews, I have found most of them quite pleasant, but those ladies were
a bit extreme if you ask me.
Truck to maneuver:
Stop 14 – This is it…the last SAG stop
before the finish! So the hubby came in, ate another slice of pizza, downed an
energy drink, and was off for the last two miles of the course…next stop, the
finish line! (37:17:07)
Finish
Line – This was
it…here we are, waiting at the finish line, and suddenly, I hear the announcer
yelling that a 100-mile runner is coming in after being out there for 37 hours.
She pumped the crowd up, and everyone screamed and clapped for him as he
crossed the finish line. It’s now 9:54 p.m., and he is crossing that finish
line. The excitement, joy, and exhaustion on his face were epic. He got his
finisher tokens, went and put his green dot on the board, saw Josh cross the
finish line for the 100-mile MTB, and then, sadly, had to walk about a half
mile back to the truck. (37:53:12)
We made it
back to the camper, and he went to take a shower…he left his phone in the
camper, and I was beginning to worry about him because he had been gone a good
hot minute. I went out to see how he was doing and he was hobbling back to the
camper. He ate some more pizza and then laid down for bed.
Sunday
9/17
It’s 12:01
a.m., and I am finally going to bed… I have been awake (minus my cat nap) for
43 hours and 55 minutes. I am exhausted and ready to sleep for a month. But I
don’t. I wake up at 9:05 a.m. thinking my husband is in the bathroom. I lay
there waiting only to realize I’m not hearing any noise…so I think he’s in the
back of the camper. I get up and look, and his bike is back there, but he is
not, so I look for his location, and he’s out in the middle of nowhere (on the
trail.) I poked my head out of the camper, and Stacy was standing there, and my
question to her was, “Where the hell is my husband?” She informs me that Rod
lost his watch on the trail, and Chris went there to help him find it. So, even
after running/ walking for almost 38 hours, he went out there and tried to help
his friend find his missing watch. (Rod did get his watch back.)
How Do
I Do It?
I had a
friend ask me around hour 40 when I get to sleep and how I can do it, and my
answer was this. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that my husband is
successful in his goal of completing this run. If that means I don’t get to
sleep, then I don’t get to sleep. Me, how I was doing, and my sleep was the
last thing on my mind. My main concern was ensuring that my husband had the
love and support he needed to be successful. Also, I did NOT want to do this
again. Many (including myself) would call my husband psycho, crazy, or a bit
much. But he’s my psycho and my crazy. I try to help support him as much as I
can.
I see
above that I seem to have failed him in 2022, but there was only one ride
(Marji) that I didn’t support, and I don’t remember why I couldn’t go. He comes
up with big plans and dreams, and I’m along for the ride. What did I do other
than drive to the stops and wait? I stalked him OFTEN like almost the entire
time except when those Facebook reels sucked me in. I did a little crocheting.
I posted every stop to Facebook with pictures and made sure I reacted to
(hopefully) every comment and responded if there were questions. What will the
next big adventure be? I’m not sure, but I do know that the hubby has already
booked the campsite for Marji 2024 (MTB not Running…he says he’s not a runner
anymore, lol)
