Forever Paisley

Where my idea of a challenging workout is an hour of Advanced Pilates, my husband is on a whole different level. Climbing, surfing, biking, etc … he’s always looking for a new way to push his limits. That adrenaline. It drives him.

Insert, the Marji Gesick 100. Upon moving to the Upper Peninsula Dan took up mountain biking. But, not in the normal way where you go out for a couple of rides per week, burn a few calories, and shoot the shit with your friends. Dan approaches things a little differently. He pushes himself in a way that I will never quite understand. He goes all in.

So, naturally when Dan decided he wanted to start racing competitively in 2016, his first instinct was to sign up for the Marji Gesick 100. Not familiar? In summary, it’s 100+ miles in the woods, 12,000+ miles of elevation gain, and requires at least 12 hours on your saddle {and that’s if you are super human}. Did I mention this was his first bike race? Like, ever?

He trained, and he trained. He studied the course, constantly. And he brought his POS used mountain bike to Quick Stop Bike Shop on the daily to keep it functioning. When the day came, he was as physically prepared as he would ever be. And, mentally, the finish line was within reach.

Nearing mile 60, sadly that POS mountain bike pooped out on him. Even in defeat, he was all smiles. After all he knew that now his wife would see the value in spending a small fortune on a new mountain bike. And when she did, he could get the Marji in 2017.

September 23rd, 2017. The big day. The Marji Gesick returns to the UP. It was 90 degrees. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. And, it was sticky as hell. Blame Danny for partnering with mother nature to make this race as painful as it possibly could be.

But, there was no turning back. Time to rally the support team and get this party started …

Despite the heat the first forty miles were a cake walk. Dan was making good time, his bike was cooperating, and most importantly … he was in good spirits.

As I made my way to the ski hill, his last stop in 2016, I was a little nervous. Would history repeat itself? A fair amount of racers had already dropped out, but as I saw him roll in, I knew that this year he’d be making his way to Negaunee.

Just after mile 50, I got a call. Flat tire. Off to Quick Stop Bike Shop for tubes, and then all the way up Mount Marquette to get him back on track. It was the first point in the day where I saw a hint of discouragement. But, after recruiting some fellow racers with tough hands and a reliable tire lever, he was back on track.

Mile 81. Shit. The Marji was starting to take a toll on number 273, rough terrain laid ahead, and head lamps were now required. When I asked him how I could help, his response was “take me home”. Luckily for Dan, I don’t give in that easily and encouraged him to shoot for just one more stop.

That one stop turned into three, and despite another flat at 1:30AM, Dan kept pushing. All the way to the finish line, where Matt, Erin, and I greeted him at 3AM. Mission, accomplished. Marji, taken.

So proud of you Woogs.