Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I just got my phone installed (three cheers for Egyptian efficiency 
everyone!) after a wait of four months in time to hear all of this 
nonsense about Lynne. I've never met Lynne (though we have friends in 
common) or gone to one of her rides or anyone's rides for that matter, 
but I CAN tell you something about ride management.

My introduction to endurance was having the management of a 120 km ride 
sponsored by Sheikh Maktoum of Dubai thrust upon me, and I personally 
believe that the day on which a ride occurs is as close to a day of 
hard labour of the gynecological variety as anyone is going to get 
without actually being knocked up.  ANYTHING AT ALL that a ride manager 
says on that day should be discounted entirely or taken with a grain of 
salt, much the same that women in the throws of labour pains are likely 
to make some truly extraordinary assertions about their male partner 
that should usually also be discounted.  Been there, heard 
that....naturally, I NEVER would say such things, but I did throw a 
water bottle at a real live Egyptian Army general at our ride.  
Everything at our ride was sponsored and paid for by His Excellency, 
including plenty of things that never existed, and I still ended up 
significantly out of pocket.  So much for making money.  Nope. This has 
been a silly thread and everyone needs to go have a beer.

Ride management is exhausting, exhilarating, crazy work.  If you've 
never done it, don't bitch. If you have, you wouldn't dream of 
bitching.  One of these days I'm going to stand in the sun too long and 
volunteer to do another ride without His Excellency's blessings, but 
until then I'm going to have to settle for providing equine actors for 
the History Channel. That's right, Nazeer (Jackie's mount while she was 
here) and Bunduq (Tracy's) are going to be in a History Channel episode 
as the mounts of the (total-equine-novice) narrator and his faithful 
Ayrab guide, our own Morad.  We shoot next weekend at Sakkara Pyramid 
complex. Should be a complete hoot.  And oddly enough the production 
assistant who arranged this got my email from a friend of a friend of a 
friend (messages went from the US to Europe and back) who were involved 
in endurance.  Her main requisite was a horse who could carry someone 
through the desert without killing him.  Bunduq's good at that, as 
Tracy can attest.

Have fun with the crickets, Steph. Sounds utterly yucky.

Maryanne

On Friday, Jun 25, 2004, at 18:22 Africa/Cairo, Stephanie Teeter wrote:

> To unsubscribe from ridecamp, go to http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp
> and use the subscribe/unsubscribe form.
>
> I'm pretty amazed at the number of nasty posts, and keep thinking
> (hoping) folks will stop on their own. Those of you who are so free 
> with
> scathing comments, and so angrily self-defensive: chill out, go ride, 
> or
> have a glass of wine, or come up to Idaho and help me stomp out the
> billions of mormon cricketts that have invaded. Nothing like a good
> stomp and squish to make you feel better. It's also great fun to flush
> them down the toilet. Or practice your aim flicking them off the deck
> railing. Takes out all your aggression :)
>
> Steph

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There is something really special about getting to ride all day, and all
night on your horse. I know that a lot of people like to get finished, and
get it over with. Yes, it is a lot of work. But, realize that each ride,
especially a 100 is a really special gift and savor it for all it is worth. 
~  Karen Chaton

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

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