smcmahan@corporatevisions.com

I’ve been hearing about the Trans Rockies Run for years as my husband Ross has raced it 4 times.  It’s been one of my top 10 goals for two years.  So after missing the 2012 race to have knee surgery I finally took the plunge and teamed up with Ross this August for the experience of a lifetime.

I felt ready, sort of.  It’s hard to know what 120 miles over 6 days with 20,000 plus feet of climbing will feel like.  Add to that Ross is much faster than me and pushed us hard every day gunning for 1^st place.  Several times we had the 1^st place team in our sites….which only encouraged us to go faster.  I had to take it one day at a time and mentally prepare for just about anything –  24 miles with rolling hills, or 14 miles with a steep climb up to 12,500 ft followed by a rocky technical downhill.  I will lose two toe nails from the down hills.  We always started at an elevation of at least 8,000 ft and it definitely helped coming from Tahoe.  Every day was different with its own challenging terrain.

Fortunately the scenery of the Colorado Rockies was so breathtaking it helped distract me from my fatigue, oxygen deprivation, and sore muscles.  Not to mention I had something to prove to my husband who had always raced with a male partner and had 1 partner drop out.  I’m a tough wife, and I never quit.  Many people had asked jokingly before the race “is this going to be good for your marriage.”  Although I knew they weren’t really joking.

I’m glad to report we took 2^nd place in our division of 80 + mixed (ages combined) and we were among the top 8 teams overall.  The experience was awesome with a killer course, beautiful camping spots each night, a cool relaxation zone to hang out, plenty of food, massage, and the coolest, most extreme people you could ever meet.  Every time I think back about our journey I’m overcome by a sense of accomplishment.

So will I do it again?  Ross and I have already signed up to compete in 2014.  We have a 1^st place finish to achieve.

I was just thinking I needed to find a cool new charity to donate to.  Then out of the blue, someone from Wipro sent me a connection request on LinkedIn.  On his profile was info on a charity he volunteers for and rides his bike to raise money for.  http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/Page.aspx?pid=471 summer camps for kids with serious illnesses like cancer, hemophilia, etc.

Growing up I loved summer camps.  Meet new people, explore new hobbies, have fun and be a kid.  I can’t imagine not being able to go because of a disability or because I needed special medicines on a daily basis.  This camp makes it all possible for the very children who need a break from the painful lives they are living.  How awesome!

In little old Incline Village, there is one locally owned ice cream shop connected to a toy store with an old fashioned barber shop in the back.  Yep, you can get your hair cut and enjoy a cool treat.  Very strange, but the ice cream shop and toy store are popular among locals.  Spring has sprung early in Tahoe and 60 degree weather is almost like summer here.  Time for some ice cream!

Last week I tried to pay $100 for ice cream so the next however many people could have theirs for free.  The young high school girl behind the counter just couldn’t figure out how to do that and said she would need to ask her boss if that was ok.  Ha!  Even good deeds are hard to pull off sometimes….they are just so far out of the norm.

Yesterday I stopped back by the ice cream shop and the owner was in.  I was able to purchase $100 worth of ice cream and put a lot of smiles on kids (and adult) faces.  The message to customers was “someone bought your ice cream for you – have a great day and pay if forward!”