Being "The Woman"

I would have to agree with my friend Joanie. My wife Janine is definitely "The Woman". When we first met she was competing in in-line speed skating. This is where you strap on rollerblades with 5 wheels and no brakes and skate very fast out on nice rough asphalt up to speeds of 30 MPH. Just before moving out to CA, she was in a race in Arlington, TX. It was a sprint finish so she was flying down this road, broke the tape in first place, but then realized the race organizers had not figured on a high speed sprint finish and had not provided enough room for the racers to roll out to a stop. Janine had a choice of going over an embankment and down a hill into a lake, crashing head on into parked cars, or laying down and letting the asphalt bring her to an abrupt stop. She chose the asphalt route and mangled her entire left leg. It looked like something out of a horror movie or maybe a hamburger factory. The next day we drove out to CA in a U-Haul. She could not bend her leg since everytime she tried the scabs would break open and start to bleed. Needless to say it was a long trip.

To further support Janine's nomination as "The Woman", I offer the story of our 7 day Colorado Mt. Biking adventure. We took an exteme Mt. Bike tour one summer riding from Vail to Crested Butte and back. The entire trip was above 10,000 feet on some very technical single track. We had a great time and managed to survive, but both of us fell numerous times. Janine managed to fall and scrape both elbows and both knees (all in separate falls). Even though she was bloodied and bruised, I have a picture of her showing off her battle wounds while laughing her head off.

And then there is the story of her dragging me to a day of "street luging".

And the story of her learning to ride a motorcycle and maiming herself on the kick start.

And the story of her crashing on her road bike after only 5 miles, but finishing the 60 mile ride.

And list goes on...