Reprinted from Endurance News, June 2011, Ride Managers’ Column, monthly publication of the American Endurance Ride Conference, www.aerc.org, 866-271-2372
Sometimes you just need a break.
After managing our Allegany Shut Up and Ride in the Northeast Region for six years, we needed a vacation. Perhaps trying to run the ride and add a 75 mile distance the year we were also acting as General Contractors for the building of our house was a teensy bit more ambitious than a sane couple would take on.
So we announced at our ride that it would be the last Shut Up and Ride. Some tears, lots of hugs, plenty of sentimental stories and thankful words from riders, but we were resolved. We needed some time off.
Shortly thereafter, no longer an acting Ride Manager, I felt it was prudent to give up Chairing the Ride Managers’ Committee — Randy Eiland, thank you so much for taking it on!
Two years gave me a chance to recharge my batteries.
Sometime over the winter, someone asked my long-suffering husband, Richard (trail-clearer and marker and supporter of all things logistic), if we might think of bringing the ride back. He turned to me with a smile and said “what do you think?”
“If you’re in, I’m in.”
So in we are, after a couple of dozen emails and phone calls to make sure that the key volunteers and staff members would also jump back in. I was humbled by everyone’s willingness to take it on again. We’ve had to tweak our ride date, but we’re jumping in again with both feet, planning trails, distances, vet checks, and all of the rides we’re going to ride around the ride we’re going to manage.
Over cocktails with a close friend I admitted, grudgingly, that we were managing the ride again.
“Childbirth,” she said, nodding knowingly, as though this single word explained everything.
“Childbirth?” I queried, having no concept how this word related to our endeavor, particularly since I’m childless.
“Sure, childbirth. Just like a woman who went through childbirth, with this ride thing, you must have forgotten the pain of having gone through it, so you’re willing to give it another go. Otherwise the world would be full of single-child families.”
Ahhhh, got it. Childbirth.
As if this weren’t enough masochism, I agreed to Chair the Ride Managers’ Committee again.
I am very excited about the Committee! We’re full of “old faithful” members – ride managers who have been running rides for years, but we have a handful of new Committee members, too, and good representation across the regions, types of rides (multi-day, FEI, big rides, small rides, all distances), and a bunch of Ride Managers who are, shockingly, full of opinions and willing to share them! I look forward to a great deal of lively discussion and consensus-building.
Take a look at the list in the Committee Directory, and get to know your region’s representative, or heck, drop any of us a line, or give us a call.
If you’re a Ride Manager, and you’re not already a member, please send me an email so we can get you on the AERC Ride Managers’ email list; it’s an active group which shares ideas, scenarios, rule interpretations and discussions of all things relating to being a ride manager.
It’s going to be a good year! Happy trails to you and yours …
–Patti Stedman