The Woman Behind the Man

The Woman Beside the Man.

They say behind every good man is an even better woman ... at least that’s what I’d like to believe. Though for the next week, I will literally be ahead rather than behind my man.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I made an impassioned decision to go “all-in” in supporting my husband – rather than meeting him at the finish and lounging for a week after the race, I signed up to be with him in his epic journey as a support crew volunteer. I figured I can step-up to the multi-tasking challenge of handing out bacon strips(?!) while ringing my cowbell for every mud-covered racer. And if I’m lucky, Jeff might actually remember to give me a kiss this time as he exits the aid station! So I signed up and got more than I bargained for – the only volunteer spot left is on the Tent Crew. I’ll be packing away and setting up tents for the entire week, with a smile of course!  Here’s a little taste of the exciting days that lay ahead of me (courtesy of the Tent City Manager):

"On Tent Crew we rise at dawn when the rooster crows, smiling like sunny-side eggs. In synchronized ballet, we take down a field full of some two hundred tents. Like circus clowns we then jaunt over to the ferry for a beauticious channel crossing, traverse to the next scenic Coastal destination, and immediately set those BC Bike Rider's tents up again. Duties elegantly, possibly sweaty, performed, we cheer bikers to the finish line and socially mingle with the throngs of like-minded positive, upbeat BCBR personages!!"

But what really got me jazzed up is Jeff’s minor request – to inflate his sleeping pad and fluff his sleeping bag so he can take a nap after I massage his legs after each ride. I guess I can’t be the princess all the time.

So that’s who I am - a woman who stands beside her man. It’s both my burden and my pleasure. I'm crossing my fingers that the “positive, up-beat, great woman” in me will last a week in tent city!