USARA Nationals

 

Team Dragon's Back

Several months ago, I was approached by John Eichler and and Jeff Glassbrenner, who were looking for a female to round out their team for USARA Nationals, being held in Bentonville, Arkansas.  He had touched base with Susie Farmer, who had given him my name.  We set up a Zoom meet and greet in May, which went well, and then I rode with them in Little Rock, when I was on my way to the Maah Daah Hey 100.  These guys were super cool and super chill and definitely not "man-babies" as Lisa had mentioned looking out for 😂.

Blaze, my trusty adventure race steed

On September 12 at 6 am, we loaded buses for an hour ride to an undisclosed location.  At 7:15 am we were given our course instructions and maps.  That left 1 1/2 hours to plot our route.    The first leg was a trek with 15 CP's.  During the pre-race briefing the night before, the race director told us that we needed to be finishing the trek to TA1 and starting the paddle no later than 2 pm in order to make the cut off at CP 17 and therefore be able to continue the paddle to TA2.

The race started at 9 am. With 77 teams of 3 starting, it was a conga line to the first 3 check points.  The teams then thinned out and we were able to motor on at our own pace.  John's nav skills were spot on and we had nabbed 7 of the 15 in 2 1/2 hours. We continued on to get 4 more as the day was beginning to get hotter than damnit.  Both John and Jeff had started out with 3 liters of water and I had 2 liters.  Having been so dry leading up to the race, there was nowhere along this first trek to filter; all the creeks were dry as a bone. We all ended up without water for the last 1 1/2 hours.  And we still had 5 miles along a gravel road to TA1.  

John began to struggle in the heat and Jeff had a mechanical with his artificial leg.  The tread came unglued to the carbon plate and would repeatedly slide off.  Between our slowed pace due to the heat and Jeff's leg issue, our forward progress was significantly hampered.  We weren't the only team to seriously underestimate the time it would take to get to TA1.  What should have taken us 60 minutes to get to the TA ended up taking 90 minutes.  

We arrived at TA 1 at 2:22 pm.  No water was provided by the race, but we had 1 gallon in our paddle bag and I had a full 50 ounce bladder in my PFD.  Jeff was able to find some medical tape at the TA and temporarily fix his leg issue. We ended up getting on the water at 2:35.

Transitioning to the paddle

The second leg was an 8 mile paddle on the Illinois River with 1 CP midway.  It was a meandering river with a lot of strainers so we had to be on point.  It was also shallow in a few spots, where we had to get out and drag the canoe a short ways.  Although it was flowing roughly 3mph and we were paddling as fast as we could, it still took us 2 hours to get to the take out and CP17.  The final 100 yard stretch had some man made class 2/3 rapids. We made it down the first, but took in quite a bit of water and ended up sinking after clearing the second set of rapids.  Fortunately there were a couple of spotters in the river who grabbed our "yard-saled" items, including Jeff's hydration bladder.

We missed the 4 pm cut-off by 28 minutes ... meh.  We were then short-coursed, causing us to miss the second paddle leg and a trekking leg.  22 teams ended up getting short-coursed, including a few of the big names (Rootstock Racing, ThisAbility, TanZ Navigation).  

From TA3, we were on bikes to TA4 at Siloam Springs.  We transitioned to foot for a Photo O course. There were 6 CP's.  And once at each CP, we wrote down the number of the photo that was taken at the precise spot indicated on the map.  There were 12 photos to choose from, 6 of them being decoys. During this leg, Jeff noticed that his shorts and prosthetic liner were sopping wet.  It ended up being that his hydration bladder got a hole in it during the canoe fiasco at take out.  Fortunately he had an extra liner and a couple of smaller hydration flasks. 

We nabbed all 6 correctly and quickly transitioned back to our bikes. This next leg had us biking on pavement and gravel, collecting 5 CP's along the way (all of which were right alongside the road, no need to hop off the bikes and do any bushwhacking). Leaving the nicer side of town, heading into the less nice side, we got to witness a police versus toothless woman in a night gown and flip flops, similar to an episode of "Cops."  Now, that was funny!

We made it to the TA5 on the University of Health and Performance campus at 9 pm.  This was the "chuck wagon TA"  where a hot breakfast was being served (pancakes, bacon, and sausage), while individual team members would tackle a portion of the 0-relay course.

There were 3 parts:  one had you getting 1 CP (of the 6 possible), one had you getting 3 CP's (of the 6 possible), and one had you getting all 6 CP's.  But each part was only worth 1 point.  John went first on the 3 CP course.  Meanwhile, Jeff worked on his prosthetic leg, having secured 3 feet of duct tape.  I ate some sausage, drank a Coke, popped a 200mg caffeine tab and then tended to my gear, getting my hydration ready for the next leg.  I was gonna nab the 1 CP once Jeff got back, so I studied the map. The map had a satellite image, making it extremely difficult to pick out any trails due to all the tree cover.  

Once John got back, he told me about a trail that went down to the river and then from there I could walk the river bed to the CP.  That made it so much easier, as you could not see that trail on the map.  I quickly acquired that one and headed back to the TA.  Since Jeff had never navigated before, we opted out of  the 6 CP course.

We left the TA around 11:00 pm on the 20+ mile biking leg.  There was only 1 CP on this leg.  At one point about midway through this leg, we came to an intersection where there was another team.  They went left onto the gravel and having briefly talked to them thought they were taking a different route than us to TA 6.  So we continued on the paved road, but after about a mile, John realized we were off course heading south instead of northeast.  We quickly backtracked and got back on the gravel road where the other team had headed.

CP 34 was a little tricky as there were several hard lefts and rights on the course, with the CP being at one of these corners.  In this area we came upon a few teams having difficulties, but John managed to get us right to it, without any wandering and wondering.  His nav skills were close to impeccable. I was very impressed as he was suffering the most, yet still had enough brain power to make good choices.

Arriving at TA 6, we were greeted by the enthusiastic crew of volunteers.  We were in the middle of nowhere but could hear I-49 traffic to the east.  We were told that this was the seed tick trek ... wonderful.  There were no trails here so all CP's would require extensive bush whacking. I had pre-treated my clothing earlier that day, but was pretty sure it was all washed off when our canoe sunk. They had DEET spray/wipes so I sprayed my shoes and that was it.  I did not want to melt my clothing with that Deep Woods Off shit.

The witching hour

Shit's beginning to get real!

, 

We attempted CP 38 first, but the undergrowth was insane.  We managed to get into a clearing , but when we continued onward, we hit a second patch that was even worse.  To me it looked like a wall of concertina wire, with a million ticks just waiting to ambush us.  It wasn't hard to make the decision to turn around and try nabbing CP 37.  That one was way more doable and without the tick infested undergrowth.

We decided to call it after 1 CP and move on to the next leg. We were also out of water once again and the TA as well was bone dry.  One volunteer had gone to procure some, but we knew that once we got to Little Sugar trail system, there would be water there. It was an 8 mile pedal to the CP40 and the beginning of Tunnel Vision single track. We only made one slight nav error on the pavement as we were following Glasgow Road and missed the left hand turn on to Glasgow Lane.  

At the trailhead (CP 40), we stopped and filled with water.  Then we decided to go after 3 of the dog bones.  A dog bone is where you have to get a pair of CP's before moving on to the next one.  So we were going after 6 in total.  The Tunnel Vision trail is not technical, but demanding with its short punchy climbs and descents, and loose over hardpack tread.  It is like riding gravel single track.  John was so ready to be done; I don't think he ever fully recovered from dehydration on that initial trek.  I took over navigating, with an occasional redirection.  I was just having too much fun zipping along.  With the sun coming up, I got a second wind.  Actually, anytime I go from riding pavement/gravel to single track, my spirits rise, and the legs shine.

Once we got the 6 CP's, it was a easy pedal on the Razorback Greenway from Bella Vista to the Ledger Building in down town Bentonville. The nav was a little tricky once we got close to I-49 (I had not ridden the greenway since all the improvements were made).  Fortunately John knew which way to go and we nabbed the final CP 42 and then booked it to the finish.  Of course, the last 2 miles had a pitchy 200 foot climb, including the 6 story climb up the Ledger.  This building had a bike lane built on the outside of it ... super cool!

The Ledger climb

We finshed at 11:36 am with 34 CP's, out of a possible 56.  We ended up mid-pack in the short course. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure.  It was super fun to race with these outstanding fellas. 6 months ago, I was questioning my decision to sign on with them, but so happy I took the chance.

Love these guys!

Marji Gesick 50 (really 64)

 

After reading everyone else's Marji experience, from the pointy end with 3 women buckling (Syd Schulz, Kait Boyle, and KriSSty Mcbride) to those who fought many battles both on the course and in their minds to #finish in the dark deluge of pouring rain, to the Lanterne Rouge Kristen Wade who fought for every pedal stroke and foot step to cross the finish line in 25:00:14 and receive the green dot, I feel my race report is going to be boring.  Why you ask?  I had no struggles, no mind games, no screaming body parts.  Once in a blue moon, everything aligns perfectly and my legs have that sparkle.  And on this day, September 20, 2025, I had one of my best races ever.

Of course, it helps that the weather was perfect:  slightly overcast and 55-65 degrees.  The trail conditions were perfect:  hero dirt and no mud (if you finished before 8 pm).  And the companionship of riding with Lisa was magical. 

I had been nervous about how my body would do, since just the past weekend I had spent 27 hours racing at the Adventure Race National Championships in Bentonville. In the week leading up to Marji, I had done nothing more than a few walks with the dogs just to keep the legs loose and hopefully recover in time to have a decent race.

Lisa's daughter, Jayden, was also racing the 50.  We all lined up close to the start, about 50 racers back or so.  The first 2 miles was on a mix of greenway and paved road.  Nothing makes me more nervous than rolling along with hundreds of others at break neck speed, praying they hold their lines. Only minutes into the race, just feet away from me, someone f*cked up, sending a half dozen or so racers and their bikes crashing onto the tarmac ... complete carnage! I suppose that dude did not listen to Charlee Marie pre-race speech in which she said that you are NOT going to win the race in the first 2 miles.

Once we hit the Marquette Mountain gravel road climb, I could breathe easier (well, mentally anyway) as the pack broke up over the next mile.  Jayden put the hammer down and pulled away from Lisa and I.  My legs were happy turning the pedals and passing people.  Turning onto the single track, I was in a rather large group of racers, but all were riding well and at my speed ... yea for a fast moving conga line.  Which ... suddenly came to a slow down on Above Grade, a 1 mile techy uphill trail.  Fortunately most had skills to maneuver through the rocks and roots.  And when I came upon a slower racer, I was able to put my mad HAB skilz to work and get around them quickly and cleanly.

I was able to catch back up to Lisa on Pipe Dreams and from here followed her wheel. We made quick work of the next 5 miles of trail before popping out on the double track section around Lake Enchantment. We ended up grabbing our first token, a dum dum, somewhere along this stretch. I was amazed at how hard packed this stretch was, only a few deep sandy spots.  

Once on the Iron Ore Trail, we hooked up with a nice fella riding an Ibis Exie, who towed us along almost the entire stretch.  Thank you; sorry I forgot your name. We were halfway expecting to see Jayden at some point, but she was long gone. 

Chris and Lisa's Mom were at Jackson Park and helped us make a quick pit stop.  We both opted to drop our empty bottles and put on hydration packs for JP1 --> JP2, a stretch of 24 miles. Jayden was up ahead ... somewhere. 

I let Lisa lead out; she is a bit more familiar with the multitude of turns, so it was nice just to focus on her lines and not the arrows.  A couple of fellas were behind us.  One thing I just gotta ask. Why do dudes feel compelled to ride up your butt?  I mean, I know I have a cute one, but shouldn't you be focusing on the trail?  Put a little space between us; there is no drafting advantage in RAMBA land.  I even got my tire buzzed once ... jeez!  Fortunately it did not last long as Lisa and I slowly pulled away over those techy miles.

The first hard effort was on the Fenceline Trail climb.  Holy smokes!  The legs were on fire ... in a good way. And then we had to stop for the checkpoint 1/2 way up; ended up being a decoy.  Damn you, Todd! Short little HAB until I could hop back on my steed and finish the climb.  I was most impressed by the trail work done on StoneHinged.  That fall line tricky ass descent was now sculpted with flowy switchbacks.  Lisa remarked, "Now we will never catch Jayden."  Apparently she had some troubles earlier in the season with this section.

The miles kept ticking on by effortlessly.  I suppose when you don't have the earlier miles of the hundred in your legs, they tend to be happier.  Last Bluff got a little spicy steep and knowing it was more efficient to HAB, we did on several sections.

Hunting down Jayden

Once we were back on pavement passing by the finish in downtown Ishpeming, Lisa let me take over lead.  As we began the climb up Deer Shit, I saw a familiar face just up ahead.  Jayden's climbing style reminds me a lot of Lisa's.  And I could pick up on that before I could actually see her racing kit and blonde hair.

By the time we got to the drop on Deer Shit, I was right behind Jayden.  I had never ridden this drop in before.  Thank You Jayden for towing me in and giving me the confidence to clean it.  Way easier to ride it than butt slide down it with your bike.

At the camp ground, Chris was waiting just in case we needed anything.  Jayden stopped, but I was golden.  I was kinda sad to pass her by, as I was having fun watching her ride the tech incredibly well.  And only 16!  It took me years to develop the skills I have today ... her, only 3 and awesome fitness to boot!

Rusty Bike had a few more bikes lining the trail this year, the Cheese Grater was so much fun in the dry, and when I hit the Hamptons, I knew I was just minutes away from JP2.  Transition time was less than 30 seconds, long enough to drop the pack, grab 2 bottles, and swap gel flasks.  

I was on my own now, as Lisa was riding with Jayden, having made a little longer pit stop at JP2.  I purposely took in all the sights and sounds.  It was truly a fall day, what with mild temps, the trees beginning to turn, and a light covering of leaves on the trail.  I kept telling myself just how blessed I was to be able to do this, feeling fantastic not being on the struggle bus, which is usually what is happening by now (on the hundred).

Flannel Shirt, which is usually where the wheels begin to fall off, was pleasurable, even with all 1000 roots.  The Grinder was grand and Grand View even grander!  AM FM still sucked, tho'! RAMBA cleaned up the entrance to Carol Jackson ... super sweet. I stopped and grabbed the token on Carol Jackson and continued to feel the flow, something that is difficult to find on The Marji.

The climb up Coy Hill went by in no time and I soon found myself zipping through Angeline and 38 Special.  Old 56 is still mean, even on sparkly legs. I made it up the loose steep climb on Cry Baby.  Thank you to the women who cheered me on up that!  There were quite a few Mini Marjers out there and I made sure to motivate each and every one of them.  It was especially cool to see all the parent-kid duos pushing through perhaps the hardest part of the whole course.

Popping out on the pavement, it was a short ride up Jasper Knob, made even better by the throngs of spectators and their air horns.  I grabbed my final token and sped back down.  I got stopped by the crossing guards on Division Street as they let cross traffic pass through.  I joked with them how mean that was and hit the finish at 3:52 pm.  First woman with a time of 7:52.  I was even more stoked that I knocked 20 minutes off my 2021 time.

Jayden and Lisa rolled in a few minutes later, claiming the final podium spots.  It was so awesome seeing them finish together. I know Lisa's was so proud of what Jayden had just accomplished.  But I also know that Jayden wants redemption!  And with the proper training and mental focus, I have no doubt she will get a dollar one day.

A rare sighting of Jayden smiling at the finish

A Southern Sweep

Having a stellar day and PR'ing a 3 mile longer course was icing on this old woman's cake.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can say age is but a number.  But having experienced my 40's and now more than halfway through my 50's, I don't have that upper end fast and powerful fitness that I did 15 years ago.  And I am 90% ok with that. So when I do have a great performance now, it is definitely a "WTF just happened?!?" moment.

I am here to tell ya ladies, you are never to old to start doing hard things ... menopause be damned! Finishing the Marji should send you all over the moon.  It IS the hardest single day race in America, no matter what the distance.  I was overwhelmed with feelings of joy and camaraderie seeing so many women in the hunt for their green dot.  When I shouted out to them words of encouragement, they shouted right back ... every one of them.  Some may have been in a world of hurt, but they prioritized positivity in their support of one another.

It was also cool to see some of Group 11 of 2024 Marji Camp.  Jen and Haley crushed their previous Mini times.  I saw Matt at the start.  Joshua and Adam screamed at me on course and then showed up at the finish to say hi.  They were supporting their wives who were running the Mini.

I cannot say enough about the community of support out there.  You all are phenomenal!  Although I had my own crew, I am pretty sure I could have finished just as fast by taking neutral support from the hundreds of mini aid stations set up all along the course. One day, maybe after my 1000 mile buckle, I will come up and be a part of the suffer crew.

Now to start training the fingers for October 17 at 9:06pm.