Sun Valley Recap
March 10, 2010 – Sun Valley, ID
Snow may be on the ground and ski season may be in full swing, but last Thursday night our community was all about mountain biking. Thanks to Rebecca Rusch and Specialized more than 250 guests were treated to an evening of socializing, story telling, inspiration and an amazing raffle. The local premiere of Race Across the Sky, featuring Lance Armstrong and Rusch in their conquest of the Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race brought the cycling community out in force. Not only did the film get this community excited about getting out on the trails again, it also served as a platform to launch a membership drive for the Wood River Bicycle Coalition (WRBC). More than $5,000 was raised on behalf of the WRBC, which will translate into the enhancement of human powered transportation and recreation here in the Wood River Valley. An amazing raffle, made possible by the Mountain Town Movie Tour sponsors: Specialized, Ergon, Buff, Adventure Medical Kits, Hammer Nutrition and Red Bull, raised a majority of the money and helped make this movie tour a reality.
Rusch will now continue on to 4 more mountain towns to show the film and raise money for local IMBA chapters. Shows include Missoula, MT (Mar. 11), Carbondale, CO (Mar. 16), Park City, UT (Mar. 18) and Jackson, WY (Mar. 25). To learn more about the movie or to see a short trailer go HERE.-KD
Fresh Media Coverage
Good Morning,
I would like to thank everyone for their help and it is a honor to be in both Fitness and Shape Magazines this month. And to top it off I made the cover of the largest cycling magazine in Argentina as well, BiciClub! I am back into my heavy training regimen with both gym and roller workouts everyday. My coach Matthew even told me that this month was going to suck. The first stop of the movie tour went incredibly well, and it was great to see all of the town come out and celebrate and win some sweet prizes as well. Without my sponsors this tour could not have happened and just wanted to say thanks again. The next stop is Missoula, MT so pack the car and take a little road trip, it’s going to be fun.
Ride with Rusch
Hello,
I am pleased to announce that together with many local shops, the Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce, and my sponsors we are presenting the “Ride with Rusch” sweepstakes. All of the details are listed below in the flyer or can be seen at Visit Sun Valley. Tell your friends!
Tour de la Patagonia
Overall Time: 9:16:10
Placing: 1st Open Women, 23rd Overall
By Rebecca Rusch (courtesy of singletrack.com)
Stage 1: Feb. 12
Route: San Martin de los Andes to Hua Hum, along the shores of Lago Lacar
Distance: 49 km
Time: 2:31:51
As with most South American races I’ve been to, the start resembles a dance party with pulsing music and a chaotic energy. The race was a mass start with 700 people, broken into two start groups: open men followed by everyone else 15 minutes later.
With that many riders, it was a good way to start the field to avoid unnecessary congestion. The controlled start rolled through the picturesque town of San Martin de los Andes, but within minutes turned uphill as the lead motorcycle peeled off. The hill was a wake up call, and all the mixed teams started pushing and towing just minutes into the race.
My teammate Heidi Volpe’s anxiety was high and she started really, really fast. I had some initial pangs of insecurity about my winter season fitness, but we quickly found a rhythm on the first climb and settled into a good race pace. We entered the singletrack with the top mixed teams and got really excited about the technical terrain. Our flow was disrupted when we quickly came across the back of the men’s field. Our clean, unrestricted lines near the front of the pack vanished and the rest of the stage was a video game of passing and dodging traffic. It made for some interesting riding and even more interesting communications.
Heidi and I were skirting around people and moving through the field quickly. I have to admit, it does make you feel ultra fast to pass hundreds of people in a bike race. Neither of us speaks much Spanish, so we threw around Spanglish phrases and added lots of “gracias” for good measure. For the most part, all the guys were extremely nice about letting us pass and were somewhat astonished as two female riders ripped by. There are some great athletes in Argentina, but the ratio of male to female racers is still quite disproportionate. Much of my inspiration for racing in South America is to act as a role model and encourage the local female riders to develop their skills and get out on the trails.
For our first ride EVER together, Heidi and I fell into a smooth rhythm quickly. She hammered hard and we communicated about pacing, passing, and strategies to work the course. We worked the drafting, did a little pushing and got to the finish line sandwiched between the 1st and 2nd place mixed teams. At a time of 2:31, the stage was super short for us, but we were laughing and passing tons of people on the sweet singletrack sections that day.
Stayed at a picturesque lakeside camp with 700 other racers and our friends from San Martin who are following the race. Their kids even made special flags with our names on them that they waved at the start. After the stage, the bike and body maintenance began. We washed our bikes and bodies in the frigid lake, got a great massage (a gift), the Specialized dealer, Adventure Store, had mechanics on hand to dial in the bikes so we could just relax, drink mate and refuel.
Stage 2
Route: Hua Hum, Argentina into Chile for a brief time and ending in Lago Verde in Argentina
Distance: Approximately 70 km broken into two stages
Time: 3:59:02
This stage was 12 hours of logistics and travel for four hours of racing. The pre-dawn start was a neutral 16 km rollout to the ferry launch for a 90 minute ride across Lago Pirehueico. The entire ferry was jammed with bikes and athletes trying to stay warm and snoozing before the start of the real racing. After disembarking, we lined up for another mass start, this time with the top 50 percent of the field.
It was a high-speed roadie start on sketchy gravel roads with about 350 people jockeying for position. We’d been up for six hours already and people were jonesing to get on their bikes and pedal fast. The group was moving along rapidly at about 40 km per hour and Heidi and I were just mainlining position and being super alert. Rocks were flying around and the traction was a bit like surfing around the corners.
Add into the mix occasional bridges with broken boards, tire sized slots, no guard rails and you have a recipe for disaster. About 15 minutes into the race, we’d already had numerous close calls when the crash happened. A couple of riders near Heidi got squirrely, touched tires and took out about five other racers, including Heidi.
I was in front of her but heard the mayhem and pulled to the side to see if she was involved. Hundreds of other racers and most of the field flew by and when the dust cleared, I could see Heidi’s red Specialized kit rolling towards me. She was upright, but not uninjured.
We rode on and began working to pass people back and get onto a train for this mostly dirt road stage. Her elbow and knee were dripping blood, her team kit was torn and there was blood on her race number. She’s incredibly tough, so we just kept riding and worked through the field. We never regained our position with the top peleton, but we got through the first part of the stage in decent position.
This is where the South American culture came in. The 70 km stage was broken into two separate race sections with a mandatory 90-minute break in the town of Liquine so racers could have the traditional giant mid-day meal. It was the strangest thing I’d ever seen and I’m not sure why we did not just keep riding, but it was part of the rules.
People were splayed across a park area, buying plates of pasta, eating chips and socializing. I used the opportunity to clean Heidi’s wounds with my Adventure Medical Kit and take stock of our situation. She was bruised and her shorts and jersey pockets were full of gravel. Most of her injuries were not threatening, but the cut on her elbow was deep, wide and would require stitches. However, she could continue the stage.
Some of the other riders in the crash were not so lucky. There were multiple injuries including a broken hand, ribs and shoulder dislocation. I cleaned her up as best as I could and put butterfly bandages on the wound to keep it from stretching wider. We wrapped it and then put her arm warmer over the injury to keep the bandages in place.
The second stage for the day was about 40 km, mostly uphill. Heidi and I did really well with the multi-hour climb and finished this stage just behind the top mixed team. Our camp spot was another beautiful lakeside setting on Lago Verde with volcanic rock and black sand beaches. Our group of friends all went to work on Heidi’s arm cleaning while we waited for the doctor who would be able to stitch her up to arrive.
We had some really qualified mountain guides and outdoor professionals among our group and we did a decent job of getting it clean and prepped for her stitches. Heidi never once flinched as we scrubbed and pulled at her skin. She got three stitches from the doctor and the green light to race for the last stage.
Stage 3
Distance: 67 km
Time: 2:45:17
Stage 3 started in reverse order of placing in groups of 25 teams at 5 minute intervals. We were ranked 23rd in the overall, so we started with the last and fastest group.
The start was a beach run through the black sand and out to the road. The small start group was a joy for about 10 minutes. That’s when we started catching the slower groups and for about 90 minutes, we again spent our time working through the field and eventually passing about 650 people of varying skill levels.
It was a fairly wide dirt road, but packed side-to-side with racers and also sprinkled with those sketchy broken bridges just to keep you on your toes. We spent most of this stage again practicing our Spanglish words for passing. Heidi took a few risks and threaded the needle a couple of times. The dust from being behind so many racers was gathering in our lungs and on our faces. You can see from the photos how much Argentine dust we were really eating.
After most of the passing was done, we fell into a good peleton of about four teams for a long road section. It was difficult to try to get the group to work together and swap leads. In fact, it was impossible, so Heidi and I just sat on the back of the train for about 30 minutes to eat and recover. On all the uphill rollers, each team would split from the group and begin towing and pushing their teammate. Heidi and I were doing the same. We had a great rhythm down and I was more than happy to do the towing. She thanked me about a billion times for helping her out. I finally had to cut her off and tell her that I am the one who should be thanking her.
I came to Argentina for some hard training and these uphill pulls and sitting with my face in the wind is exactly what I wanted to be doing. Those efforts will absolutely pay off in the height of the season in July and August. Once the road turned downhill, Heidi and I cranked into the big gears and dropped our little peleton. We rode the rest of the stage alone and finished with about 5km of fun singletrack as icing on the cake.
I let Heidi lead for this last part because she rips on descents and because she had been breathing my dust all day. I have a great mental image just before the finish of her riding in her bright red Specialized jersey through a giant field of purple wildflowers. I took a mental picture and was sad to see the race come to a close.
We had a great time riding together and an even better time connecting with the cycling community down there. I will miss hearing “vamos Chicas, vamos!” when I’m riding.
I was super inspired by the level of riders down there and also the strength of the women’s and mixed fields. We made some great friends and I’m already making plans to go back down there to help organize Argentina’s first 24-hour mountain bike race! Stay tuned for details.
South America Winter Training Camp
South America Winter Training Camp
Three weeks down, one to go!
I am in my final days of a month long training and racing camp in the lakes district of Patagonian Argentina and Chile. This is my first winter cycling excursion in this part of the world and it has been a fantastic way to get in some early season riding and connect with the ultra friendly and cycling fanatic community down here. I have honestly never felt so welcome in a foreign place and have never experienced such varied riding in such a condensed area. There are bike parks, jumps, sweeping single track and long adventure rides all around here. The scenery is a mix of Lake Tahoe and Yosemite Valley all wrapped into one. I have also been semi-adopted by a wonderful Argentina family who loves to ride, ski and be outside every day. It’s quite a paradise.
However, a month is a long time to be away from home and I am missing Idaho a wee bit. I’ll be home in the snow by next week, but first I have one more race to top off the training. I already did the Trans Andes and won the women’s division for that six day race. Next, I am racing a three day stage race called Tour de la Patagonia. By the time I leave here, I will have crossed the Argentina/Chile border 7 times! They are starting to question me at the border crossings about my wanderings.
I’m competing in The Tour as Los Chicas de Specialized (team #318) with Heidi Volpe from the US. Heidi and I have never raced together and she is not a pro athlete. But she’s fast and experienced and we are doing this event together as a media and training event. We’re both writing a few stories on our adventure and also hoping to keep spreading the enthusiasm for female cyclists in this part of the world. Heidi’s husband and well-known photographer, Michael Darter, is also with us on the trip so we’re getting some great photos and videos to add to the experience. It’s a long way to travel down here, but we all agree that it’s worth the effort.
There are rumored to be nearly 500 two person teams signed up for this race. It’s only the second year for this event, but it’s already one of the best attended and most prestigious mountain bike races in the country. The format of the race consists of three cross country length stages, interspersed with glorious lakeside camping sites, a ferry ride and two border crossings. The majority of the competitors compete for the travel and camping experience, but there is also a top echelon of serious athletes who will be racing for stage wins and the overall title. We are told that we will also be racing against a Giant women’s team and a Trek women’s team, so it will be the battle of the big bike companies!
The stages are relatively short for Heidi and me and I cannot envision 1000 people in a mass start trying to dive into a single track trail. However, we’ll just take it as it comes. We’ve discussed race strategy, dialed in our S-Works Eras and packed all of our camping gear for three days. No matter how prepared we attempt to be, there are still quite a few unanswered questions about the course, the terrain, the logistics, our competition and how the whole experience will unfold. Part of the excitement of these foreign stage races is the unknown adventure that lies ahead. Of course, we are both competitive and want to ride our best, but there is just no way to be 100% prepared in a situation like this. I think flexibility, a sense of humor, and a few phrases in Spanish will all come in handy.
Stay tuned for our day by day account of the Tour de la Patagonia! We will share our experiences and images from each day, but since we are camping in remote areas during the race, you might not get to read all of the results and stories until we finish on Sunday, so be patient! This IS South America after all. Tranquillo! (translation: take it easy, chill out!?
My Season is Shaping Up
This is the first race I will be competing in when I return to the good ol’ USA. Check out their site, and if you are in the area, come out and race!
Rebecca Rusch and John “Fuzzy” Mylne to defend titles at Spa City 6 Hour. USAC Ultra Endurance National Race Calendar Event.February 27 – 28 at Hot Springs Mountain Bike Course
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — Two of America’s top-rated riders — one male and one female — have signed up to appear at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Race Calendar event on February 27 – 28 at Cedar Glades Park.
John (Fuzzy) Mylne of Arcata, Calif., will ride in the Hot Springs event. Mylne rides for the Niner Cycling Team and last year set the Hot Springs Cedar Glades Parkmale course record of 80 miles in 6 hours and 20 minutes. At 35 years old, his resume includes a National Championship and many other top finishes.Rebecca Rusch of Ketchum Ida., is returning to defend the course record she set in 2009 of 70 miles in 6 hours and 10 minutes. Her resume includes three Solo 24 Hour World Championship titles. She has ridden on multiple continents and won the prestigious Leadville 100.“I am extremely excited to see these two exceptional riders return to Cedar Glades Park here in Hot Springs,” said Fred Phillips of DLT Event Management, the event director. “For 2010 we are part of the pre-eminent USA Cycling Ultra Endurance National Race Calendar. We will be offering a $2,500 prize purse attracting professional athletes from the four corners of the United States. This event is great for age group racers as well. We will be offering awards within the age groups on both the Male and Female sides. How often in sports do you see world champions and age groupers side by side on the starting line, I love this sport! .”The course itself is contained within Cedar Glades Park that Garland County created seven years ago.“The early-February ice storm that we just had has dropped several trees and many limbs on the course,” Phillips said. “One of Hot Springs’ main volunteer groups, Teen Challenge of Arkansas, is assisting park workers in clearing the debris and preparing the trail for the race. These Teen Challenge volunteers are a blessing to be associated with.”Last year’s events attracted 220 competitors and more than 300 spectators attending from 14 states, according to Phillips.“I expect this year to increase in participation and attract spectators from even more states,” Phillips said. “We received very favorable feedback from those who attended last year and also received excellent post-event publicity through several of the top pro riders who participated. They, in turn, talked about the excellence of the location, venue and over-all quality of the event via their Internet blogs and newsletters. Last year’s over-all winner, John Mylne, was featured in a cycling magazine interview, which contained extremely flattering comments about Hot Springs and the Cedar Glades Park courses.”For entry information, visit the DLT website at www.dltmultisport.com/Spa_City_MTB/index.htm.The racers in the endurance division will compete on a 10-mile mountain bike track and will work to complete the most number of laps in six hours. The race will have categories for individual riders as well as two- or three-person teams. Additionally, those competing in the age group solo divisions will be awarded three-deep on gender and age brackets. Team divisions in male, female and co-ed will also be awarded three- deep.
Argentina to Chile and Back: 6 Times
Buenas,
This week in San Martin de los Andes has been an awesome week of rest, training and the time honored tradition of having the locals show off their home trails. I’ve had a sweet cabin all to myself and the opportunity to catch up on sleep and emails. Every day consists of a lazy morning drinking coffee and communicating with the world, then some bike training in the morning, a group ride in the afternoon and home made cooking in the evening. Yesterday I did a great workout and rode up to the base of the ski area called Chapelco. There was a dusting of snow on the top of the mountain. I did two 20 minute sub-lactate threshold intervals with the Kings of Leon in my ears for motivation. In the afternoon, I did a 2nd workout with the local riders during siesta. It was a mixture of ages from 15 to 45 and a huge variety of downhill and XC bikes from brands I have never heard of to carbon Enduros. 
The ride was a complete maze of cow tracks, hand built jump trails and dirt roads. There is a complex network of trails here that are shared by the cyclist, the local Mapuche, horses and hikers. It seems to work pretty well. It’s sort of like the streets in the town. There are no stop signs, stop lights or any sort of traffic controlling measures. However, the flow seems to work and everyone just moves fluidly around each other in cars, on bikes, on horseback and on foot. I have not seen one altercation yet. It’s the mellow South American vibe, I guess.
The other day also included a trip to the local fire station to check out their equipment, say hello and see how the emergency services function here. The fire community is a family just like cycling. You can go anywhere in the world and have an instant connection due to a shared passion.
This weekend I went to Chile for a marathon mountain bike race around the volcano in Osorno. It seems every town has their local volcano. There were supposed to be a bunch of riders from San Martin heading over there, but the weather forecast was for high winds, rain and 40 degree F temps. Most people bailed, but my coach put this on the training schedule so I begged a ride from some locals and went for a good dose of suffering. I figure that’s why I’m over here anyway, so I might as well get in as much training as possible. We drove for 5 hrs, stayed in the Bates Motel, stood in the rain for 3 hrs, then they cancelled the race! To top it off our normal 5 hour drive home took 8, as we were stopped at the border for no apparent reason. It wasn’t a total loss though as I did plenty of EMT studying in the car. It’s a good thing I’m doing all of this riding because this area is famous for three of my favorite things: red wine, beef and chocolate!
Reba
Final Report: Trans Andes
The adventure of the Trans Andes stage race has come to a close. Jenny has left to head back to Colorado and I have been chilling in a cozy cabin in San Martin de los Andes with the Specialized dealer and his friends. The damp stench is finally washed out of my clothes and sleeping bag and the Era is all tuned up and shiny again. I’m relishing in long, hot showers and casual mornings where I can eat my food at a relaxed pace. The 6 days in the Patagonian wilderness were a fantastic experience and the riding was the best I’ve done in a multi-day stage race. The organization really did serve up some of the best trails they have to offer. In contrast to the thousands of racers in the Cape Epic, the small, multi-national field in this race made for a homey feeling around camp and the ability to get to know some very interesting people from around the world. We all bonded in our suffering and compared stories each night at camp.
Jenny and I got through the week with a pretty clean slate. Jenny had a flat on day one and a mechanical problem with her hub on day 5, but nothing that was race ending. We both went through a set of brake pads each and did the changes and maintenance on our own. Well, we did have a little help from Mike Broderick, our camp neighbor! We each had one rough day physically, but this was also nothing that was race ending. For early season miles, we were both really happy with how our legs performed and how quickly we slipped into pedaling again.
I was really happy that Jenny and I ended up being compatible race partners and camping companions. I can relate to her Kiwi sense of humor and we both have the racing maturity to get through multiple day events. It takes a lot of planning, patience, teamwork and self-preservation to come out the other end of one of these events unscathed. I am a little scathed from a high speed gravel crash on day 6, but otherwise all that remains from the race are some great memories and hopefully some killer fitness.
We both went into this race with the intention of some awesome early season training and a bit of adventure. We got both. Although some of the route information seemed inaccurate, courses changed during the event and my odometer died on day 5, we rode somewhere around 500km this week and an estimated 30,000 ft of climbing in approximately 25 hours of racing. Not bad for 6 days of training in January! I have no idea how we finished in the overall rankings. The race results that are posted do not add up, so it’s difficult to tell. I can tell you that only 18 teams finished day 5, including us, so technically less than ½ the field completed the whole course. It was not an easy task and I feel really good about our achievement. The Virgo in me would really love to see accurate race results and exact mileages and be able to compare our performance against the other athletes, but I’m practicing my patience and just chalking it up to a great travel and training experience.
I would recommend this race, but would caution anyone interested to come with the intention of being self sufficient with bike maintenance, camping comforts, route finding and bring plenty of travel and race experience. This is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world and getting to see it on your bike is the best way to travel.
I have two more weeks here of training and racing. The next stop is the Tour de la Patagonia, a 3-day stage race in this same area! I have created a set of photos on Flickr for all to see as well.
Cheers
Reba
Stage 5 in the words of Jenny Smith
In the words of Jenny Smith,
Stage Five of the Trans Andes challenge was held today in Huilo Huilo national reserve. The stage was shortened and changed from the original route because of the weather and difficulty of the riding. It was a good idea to change it as we woke to rain and started in the rain, but maybe some details where missed due to the last minute decision to alter the course. Such as course marking and sufficent marsheling. So while we where riding we came upon, yesterdays course, todays original course, todays modified course and tomorrows course.
It created a good dose of chaos! Riders ended up everywhere from here to Argentina. Literally.
Rebecca is a survivor and an adventure racer so for better or worse we THINK we rode the correct course and our predicted 3 hours took 5 hours 30. We are worked over, so are our bikes, and equipment.
With such a late finish its been very hectic to try and get everything in order for the last day tomorrow.
Tomorrow we hope to cross into Argentina with our top ten position still in place. We believe we are in 9th. Fingers crossed for us all. Here are some funny pictures to showcase what our race has been like.
Cheers
Reba
Trans Andes Update
Sorry for the silence. The internet and the facilities are less than desirable. The “media center” usually consists of a card table in the middle of a field with a generator and various foreign plug adaptors. There are two phone/internet plug ins for ALL the media and the race directors (and me!). Right now I’m trying to send pics and updates, but I’ve been sitting here for 25 minutes with a “good” connection and it’s still working on sending. That’s just the deal in the middle of the country in South America.
The race is going very well, and it has been such a great experience being here camping with everyone. A very “family” type environment where everyone is sharing/talking etc. You can check results and photos on the Trans Andes website. I will do my best to put together a full report soon!
Reba
Final Tour Dates & Locations Announced
Race Across the Sky
FILM TOUR LOCATIONS AND DATESALL SHOW TIMES ARE 7:30 PM, EXCEPT IDAHO, AT 8 PMAdults……………………………..$10Kids 12 & under……………….$5
SUN VALLEY, IDAHO Thursday, February 25, 2010Sun Valley Opera House1 Sun Valley RoadSun Valley ID 83353Elephant’s Perch
280 East Avenue
Ketchum, ID 83340
208-726-3497
pre-party..6-7:30pmMISSOULA, MONTANA Thursday, March 11, 2010The Roxy718 S.Higgins AveMissoula,MT 59801Big Sky Bikes
809 East Front Street
Missoula, MT. 59802-4704
406-830-3195
pre-party 5:30-7pmCARBONDALE, COLORADO Tuesday, March 16, 2010Roaring Fork High School2270 Highway 133Carbondale,CO 81623Ajax Bike & Sports
571 Highway 133
Carbondale, CO 81623
970-963-0128
pre-party..5:30-7pmPARK CITY, UTAH Thursday, March 18, 2010Jim Santy Auditorium1255 Park AvePark City, UT 84060White Pine Touring
1790 Bonanza Drive
Park City, UT 84060
435-649-8710
pre-party 5:30-7pmJACKSON HOLE, WYOMING Thursday March 25, 2010The Pink Garter50W.Broadway, Jackson WY 83001Hoback Sports
520 West Broadway #3
Jackson, WY 83001
307-733-5335
pre-party…5:30-7pm
Las Diosas
Morning,
Just got up from 10 hours of sleeping in a bed! I arrived yesterday at 7am and was pretty much going all day building my bike, getting checked in, going to the 10x offices (the Specialized distributor who is hosting me). I also did a great training ride (and FIRST time on the bike this year) of 45 km through the city with Carlos, an ex-racer and employee for 10x. We rode out to one of the new Specialized dealers for a poster signing and group ride. Luckily Carlos knew his was through the city and is an expert weaving in and out of traffic and finding all the good roads to ride on. Today is a bit more training to wake up the legs from the winter, another shop visit and group ride in Buenos Aires and then packing up for the flight down to Bariloche to get ready for the race.
The Trans Andes is first, a 6 day stage race with an insane amount of climbing. I am racing with Jenny Smith (Xterra specialist and mtb racer). She rides for another large bike company that shall remain nameless, so we have chosen the neutral team name of Las Diosas (the goddesses). I am not one to regularly call myself a goddess, but this is what all the locals were calling my mostly female Eco Challenge team in 1999 when we raced to a historic 4th place finish amongst mostly male teams. This is the first time I will be returning to the Lakes district of Patagonia since that Eco Challenge. It is one of my all time favorite places in the world, so I wanted to honor the name I was given so many years ago by the locals. Also, Jenny and I agree that no matter what bike we’re riding, our collective goal is to encourage and inspire women in all parts of the world to ride, race and explore on a bicycle! So that’s how Las Diosas came about!
The 2nd race is a local marathon near the town of San Martin de los Andes. Just a four hour tune up during the 10 day break between the stage races. During this time I am being hosted by the Argentina Specialized Distributor. I will be sharing a house with the National team coach and some of his riders.
The second stage race is Tour de la Patagonia (3 days) and I am racing with the super fit journalist, Heidi Volpe. I met Heidi at 24 Hours of Moab and she writes for Outside Online as well as other various publications. She’s bringing her a cycling photographer with her, Michael Darter, so we should come away from that race with good pictures and stories in addition to the great training experience. You can check the sites for race updates, but Jenny, Heidi and I will also be submitting race reports to CyclingNews.com and Singletrack.com among others.
Whirlwind Weekend
The last six days have been incredibly busy. I have been backcountry skiing, packing for South America, and even made a day trip to Chicago from Idaho, and don’t forget the layover in LA too! I am finally on the road for Argentina and sat down in the airport to catch up. We spent three days in a cabin with a great group of friends skiing and relaxing. Outside of Stanley, ID is Copper Mountain which had a great safe snowpack, and some incredible skiing. Even though it wasn’t cycling, hiking up mountains all day is still great exercise, and a good way to get my mind off of racing for a bit. I’ll post all my photos to Flickr, and keep this post simple.
When we returned back from skiing, it was time to load up the bag once again for a whirlwind day of travel. I left at the crack of dawn for a day of power meetings at SRAM with the higher ups of the company. It was great to put some names to faces and discuss our future together. They have been incredibly helplful over the years and am excited to continue down the road with them.
When I returned at a lovely 1am the same day, due to inclement weather. I love that term…which usually means, “Ms. Rusch, we apologize, but we are going to have to bus you home instead of fly.” I ran to bed and crammed as much sleep as I could into five hours. It was time to head off to Argentina.
So here I sit, bags are checked, bikes are shipped, and I am off to South America for what is sure to be an epic adventure. Stay tuned for pictures and results of the racing as the scenery down there is going to be insane!
Backcountry Here I Come!
I’m heading out this morning for 3 days of backcountry skiing in Stanley. The snow’s still grim down here, so we’re heading North for Greg’s B-day weekend with a small posse of friends, including my coach, Matthew. We’re staying at the Sawtooth Hotel, which is a newly restored historic hotel, with gourmet cooks running it and cooking for us. It’s the last getaway weekend before I leave for Argentina for a month of racing and training and the start of the season. It’ll still be great training walking up mountains all day for three days and way more interesting than sitting on the trainer in front of the TV.
I take a red eye flight Sunday night as soon as we’re back and head to SRAM World HQ in Chicago for power meetings with a couple of the marketing guys there. It’s my first time to their offices and I’m only in the city for 10 hours before heading back home to pack. Kind of a crazy schedule, but it was the only time to meet with them before heading to South America. So, this weekend is the last bit of relaxation for a long time! I’ll be back in touch Monday with some photos as well. Enjoy your weekend!
Reba
Mountain Town Movie Tour Dates
I will have the official venue list up shortly. But you can at least mark your calendar now!
Official show dates:
Sun Valley ID, Thursday February 25
Missoula MT, Thursday March 11
Carbondale CO, Tuesday March 16
Park City UT, Thursday March 18
Jackson Hole WY, Thursday March 25
Last Minute Planning
I am a busy lady right now! Planning a trip with two races to South America is nothing I am new to, but for some reason it never gets any easier. This time I will be racing in two separate stage races in Argentina, which if you get the chance to visit, take it. The intensity of the weather and the rugged landscape are a photographers dream, and I am stoked to get to race down here again.
Last time I was in this area of the world was for the 1999 Eco Challenge when I raced with the first 3 woman 1 man team to ever place in the top 10 for an adventure race. We were 4th overall among a bunch of mostly male teams. I was really green as an adventure racer at that time and put this team together myself with the best adventure racers in the US. It was the beginning of my AR career. I remember the Argentina locals cheering for us at the finish and calling us “las diosas” (the goddesses!) This part of the world is still one of my favorite places I have ever been. It’s great to be returning for such a long trip, on a bike this time, but still representing female athletes and racing with other strong women.
I will be competing in the TransAndes Challenge which is a five day stage race from Chile to Argentina on some of the most beautiful singletrack in the world. Jenny Smith, an endurance athlete from the USA, who is also an Xterra athlete will be pushing the pace for us. Racing with her will make a great training race for both of us. The race starts in the town of Pucon, which is one the larger dormant volcanoes in the area.
The Tour of Patagonia is the second race on the agenda, and is a three day race back to Chile. I will racing with a journalist, who by all means is not slow! Heidi Volpe is a freelance journalist and mtb athlete from the USA, that will be writing a story for both Outside Online, and hopefully for other publications as well.
Although I leave next Wednesday for South America, I have quite the full schedule for this week. Between training and packing, as well as organizing the movie tour, I am going to a two day backcountry skiing retreat for Greg’s birthday. A cabin in the Sawtooths and doing some hiking will be a great way to have a nice active weekend. Then on Monday I do a 12 hour whirlwind business day in Chicago to visit SRAM. I always like getting back to Illinois since I grew up in that area.
I’ll keep you posted on the events leading into the race!
Cheers
Reba
Race Across the Sky Tour
Good Morning,
After seeing the success and enthusiasm for the limited showings of Race Across the Sky I have decided to put together a second tour that brings the movie to small mountain towns, where a lot of the core cycling community lives. Between sponsors and the PR firms I have helping me, I am extremely thankful for getting this show on the road! Yesterday, my best friend and production manager for the movie tour officially confirmed theaters in Sun Valley, Park City and Jackson Hole as stops on the Race Across the Sky movie tour! I just have a couple more towns to confirm and the tour route will be complete. Specialized has come on board as the presenting sponsor for the tour. Ergon, Red Bull and Adventure Medical Kits are also helping make this happen! Official times, locations and dates will be coming really soon.
I also came to the scary realization that in 2.5 weeks I will be starting a 5-day mountain bike stage race in Argentina, called the Trans Andes Challenge. I’m not proud to say it, but I have not touched a bike in about a month. I have been skiing, doing some off-season gym work and sort of staying active, but definitely not training. This race is absolutely a training race, but the thought of that much riding this early in the season is a little daunting. I vowed today that I will not watch any TV for the next two weeks, unless I’m on the trainer. Luckily, my teammate for this race, Jenny Smith, also lives in a really cold and snowy environment so we’ll both be jumping on the bikes for the first ride of the year as we line up at the start!
I’m going to watch TV and spin right now! Probably a bit of Grey’s Anatomy. I sort of feel like I’m studying my EMT stuff when I watch that show. At least I understand most of the medical terms they use. I also did a small photo shoot for Fitness Magazine yesterday with my friend Nate Galpin at the Fire Department, needless to say the other engineers were making fun of me! Check out the video trailer below, and I hope to see you at the showings.
New Site New Year!
Happy New Year to all! I am very excited to present to everyone my new website that I have spent a few months coordinating and designing. It is a work in progress of course, as we debug and tinker with photos etc but we wanted to release it starting January 1st. So let me know what you think!
Today, I coached skiing with the VAMPS, a group of women I work with and went to hot yoga. The word for the day in yoga was “grounded intention.” So, I’m going to approach 2010 with grounded intention. The instructor also said the times when we want to stop something are the times to keep going. The best results come from those things that are hard to achieve. I can definitely relate to that. Tonight, I’m going to a clam bake with some fire department friends and watch Travis Pastrana jump his car a ridiculously long way!
One really funny tidbit is that my friend Susan was late to yoga because she was rear ended by Clint Eastwood. She’s not injured, but her car is pretty crunched. She was quite star struck after the event and said he was very handsome and very nice about crashing into her! I guess that’s the holidays in Sun Valley! Our Christmas tree was pretty modest, since it is just Greg and I, but we did have some fun. Below are a few photos from our holidays for you to enjoy. I look forward to what 2010 brings!
The Silver Bullet
As I sit here moving into the hectic holiday season, I figured I would take a short break and bake some cookies, write a blog, and relax for a few. My Christmas present to myself is currently in transit from Portland, a little Audi A4 for me! I needed a car to drive on road trips, as the Bronco doesn’t really do the whole freeway thing to well. I must say I am eagerly awaiting the heated seats for the winter.
This weekend marked my first 24 hour shift at the fire department. I spent the morning washing ambulances and engines and mopping the floor at the fire house, not too glamorous but fun nonetheless. I drove engine 1 around for practice driving and fuel. Greg and I gave each other an IV for practice, which was pretty funny. It was a super slow day with only one call for an ice skater who hit his head on the ice, not exactly the dangerous day I was expecting.
After the success we had with the showings of Race Across the Sky in Boise, I am coordinating a film tour for five mountain towns. The movie had a pretty limited release across the country, and most shows sold out. Most mountain communities would love to see this film and I strongly suggest you try to make it to an event. Here is the proposed list of towns: Aspen, Telluride, Bozeman, Sun Valley, and Jackson Hole. I’ve teamed up with IMBA to make each showing a fundraiser for their local chapters. They are stoked and will promote the tour for me through their avenues. I’m trying to pull this 6 stop tour together for late Feb/ early March. I’m going to do PR and media in each town and also host a party with the local retailers. Raffles and ticket sales will raise funds for IMBA so we can keep riding new buffed trails around the country! Stay posted for more info.
Later
Reba
Washington D.C.
Morning,
It’s been a great week here in Washington D.C. with the family. We did the early Christmas mumbo jumbo, and some birthdays as well. We also did the museums, ice skating, shows, and the typical tourist stuff. Being a tourist is great sometimes, and I needed a little break from training and the racing world! I am however ready to get some exercise when I get home.
I stopped by Conte’s in Arlington, VA again the other night to do some training talks, and am constantly surprised by the cycling community here in Virginia. They are super motivated, and don’t let the crappy winter weather get them down at all! Whenever I am in this part of the country, I will for sure stop into Conte’s when I get a chance.
I’m ready to get home today and get the skis out for good. I’ve had down time since Ecuador and am now ready to get off my butt and back into some activity again. Matthew, my coach, is already asking me what the key races are for 2010 and getting the training program going again. It’s still officially off season, but the groundwork for 2010 races starts to be built right now, so i can’t sit on my butt for too long.
I’m still trying to piece together a logical race season for 2010 and I’m finding there are too many good endurance races to choose from. I’m shopping the globe for the best ones and there basically is not enough time to do all the races I want to do. The biggest challenge will be putting together a realistic schedule that won’t kill me! On paper it all looks amazing, but I have to juggle travel, speaking engagements, training, and of course being ready to race. I am scheduled to be in Argentina for a month from January 20th-February 20th for two stage races and a bunch of training, which will be awesome. I am also eyeing the TransRockies race in British Columbia for the upcoming season. Either way it is going to be a great season again, and I can’t wait to get home and make some turns on the mountain.
Cheers
Reba
CrossFit vs. KFD
Morning,
I am currently in Washington D.C. for a little early Christmas celebration with the family. Flying here was a bit like the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. The stereotypical holiday travel image was firmly in place, plane de-icing delays, holiday mayhem, and general chaos across the country. I have to admit though, that my favorite part of traveling is people watching. All the jet lag and discomfort is easily outweighed by the things you see while on the road.
Right before I left for D.C. we did a fire department workout that was similar to CrossFit. Although I have done these tire flipping and explosive workouts before, I had never done them with my pullups on. Keith Potter is a KFD member and personal trainer and he’s been designing workouts that are sort of like CrossFit, but that mimic the weights and work we have to do on the fire ground. He has 5 different workouts. The one we did was “overhaul”. It’s only 20 minutes long, but I’m definitely sore! We did the workout in full turnout gear. Got some funny looks from other gym members, but it was really fun! I will check in soon from the road.
Cheers
Reba
Boise Media Love
Good Morning,
I am finally feeling a bit settled in at home after a long trip home from Ecuador and then a long EMT test. For those of you who don’t know, I am a part-time firefighter for the City of Ketchum as well. It teaches me all sorts of fun things, like river rescues and emergency extraction techniques, I love it! Anyways, now that the temperatures have plummeted I thought I would compile a cool list of media resources for you to read. The Boise area is one of my favorite winter training getaways and has a huge cycling community. Here are a few links to some good sites that have shown me some love. In the meantime, bundle up next to the fire and read a good book. It’s holiday season now, we can all be a little lazy.
I am going to get my XC skis ready now that winter is fully on it’s way!
Cheers
Reba
Short Vuelta Wrap-Up
Morning,
Whew! Back on the internet for the first time since the race. The race went great and we won the mixed team division by about an hour. I’m not sure of exact times, but we had about 25 minutes lead each day I think on the next mixed team. We were somewhere between 10th and 15th in the overall classification. Again, i haven’t seen exact results, but we finished pretty high up overall.
Settled and Ready
Morning,
We are racing today, but I thought I would fill you in on what I have been doing down here leading up to now. This place is awesome by the way, and if you can travel to Ecuador do it! Basic race facts for Vuelta al Cotopaxi: 2 day stage race that circumnavigates Cotopaxi Volcano. It is the most popular and best known mountain bike race in Ecuador that sells out in less than one hour. Teams of two with a maximum of 200 teams allowed in the race. (mixed/coed, male and female race divisions). Each day is about 65 km of double track and single track racing. All the racers camp together after the first stage and re-start again on day two.