NEWS/REC S TEVE S ILVA
REC TODD M EIER
QUEEN OF PAIN Taking an Owyhee County Historical Society field trip is like traveling in a time machine.
Sun Valley super athlete conquers all DEANNA DARR
OWYHEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY FIELD TRIPS As we start a new year, thoughts are often on the future. We make resolutions to change and better ourselves. But what if instead of a gym membership to help your future self, you signed up for a membership to the past? Owyhee County is well known for its wild and woolly histor y. The state’s largest county boasts a past filled with cattle drives, horse thieves and shady characters that covered its spectacular landscape. The Owyhee County Historical Society does its best to preser ve and protect this wonder ful legacy. To this end, the historical society oversees the Owyhee County Historical Society Museum and Librar y, a museum in Murphy filled with all manner of artifacts and exhibits, a bookstore and a librar y, all of which capture some of Idaho’s incredible past. One additional—and fantastic—service that OCHS provides is monthly field trips. These guided trips are open to the public and are one-of-a-kind, maybe even once-ina-lifetime, trips into the beautiful Owyhee country to explore and learn about special places, people and the area’s colorful past. The OCHS field trips usually begin with a meet-and-greet rendezvous, then visitors caravan to a predetermined destination (four-wheel drive vehicles are sometimes required), where longtime ranchers, land owners, miners or other experts are waiting to tell the story of the past from a first-person perspective. An informal pot luck lunch takes place after the trip. An annual membership to OCHS is $25 for individuals and $35 for a family. For more information, check out owyheemuseum.org. And since you’re sure to get a little exercise wandering through and learning about the Owyhee country side, this is one membership you might just use. —Steve Silva The museum is typically open Tue.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Owyhee County Historical Society, 17085 Basey St., PO Box 67, Murphy, 208-495-2319, owyheemuseum.org
In person, Rebecca Rusch looks like an otherwise sane—albeit ridiculously fit—person: no outward signs of any mental instability or psychosis hide behind her warm smile. But then you find out the nickname her professional peers have given her: Queen of Pain. No, she’s not a dominatrix, but she does dominate when she’s on two wheels cruising over the single track. Her nickname comes from the fact that she seems to be able to push herself through more discomfort, exhaustion Sun Valley’s Rebecca Rusch isn’t just the Queen of Pain, she’s also queen of the trail. and pain than anyone else on the mountain bike racing circuit, a trait that has taken her to the open class, but she doesn’t focus on it. hour barrier—and finished 22nd overall. the top of the sport at the tender age of 42. “I can’t change it, so I’ll embrace it,” she “Now I have a huge target on my back,” Just more than a year ago, BW sat down said. “You’re seeing it more and more, evshe said with a laugh. with the Sun Valley resident on the heels erywhere. You’re seeing older athletes doing Just as Rusch transitioned from advenof her win at the near-legendary Leadville better and training better.” ture racing to mountain biking more than 100—a race she did on a whim—to talk It’s a view Babbitt shares, adding that six years ago, she’s finding new focus as she about her multiple world championships in Rusch is a racer to keep watching. the sport of 24-hour solo racing and her past moves from 24-hour races to stage races and “Women and men are staying fitter longer shorter courses—although few would call in elite adventure racing. ... if you continue to train, and your body is 100 miles short. A racing season later, Rusch is celebrating better able to handle the training load, you “I have asthma, and the long efforts being named mountain biker of the year in the become smarter about it,” he said. “[Rusch Endurance Live Awards, an offshoot of endur- were taking their toll on me,” she said of is] smarter than she’s ever been and faster ance sports publication Competitor magazine. the day-long races. “I wanted to give my than she’s ever been. That’s a pretty good lungs a break.” It’s not the first time Rusch has been Her new focus has allowed her to compete combination.” singled out. She was previously honored as Unlike many other mountain bikers, in more races thanks to the shorter recovery an adventure racer, a multi-day, multi-sport team race. This second award makes her one time between events. It also meant that Lead- Rusch hasn’t headed to a warmer climate ville has become her target race, the endpoint where she can ride year round. Instead, of only a handful of athletes who have been Rusch’s winter training includes hours spent of her long hours of training. honored in multiple sports. in the gym, on the trails skate skiing and in Last year, Rusch went to Leadville better The Endurance Awards have been handed the hills backcountry skiing. prepared, better acclimated and with a clear out for 19 years as a way to showcase the “I don’t want to leave Idaho just to ride,” talents of athletes who often go unnoticed by vision. But as a defending champion, she was she said. “I would miss skiing and all those the mainstream, according to awards founder the focus of more attention from both fans other activities.” and competitors. Bob Babbitt, editor-in-chief of Competitor Next month she’ll head to South “Part of being an athlete is being able to magazine. America to begin her race training by comhandle that stress,” she said of the pres“While they might not know each other, peting in various races, including several in sure. “You can harness it and use it to your they share a common ability to hurt. It’s a Argentina. She said her focus will remain on advantage.” camaraderie built on pain management,” shorter races, including the possible addition Rusch’s ability to compete at the elite Babbitt said. “It’s a tough lifestyle. They’re levels of multiple sports testifies to her talent, of some Super D races—hard-core downhill not going to make the money, but they love cross-country bike races she categorizes as Babbitt said. it. It’s a passion.” “It has the ability to transcend her sport,” “pretty fun.” Winners are selected by experts at the pubIn the true style of great competitors, he said. lication who look at specific disciplines, be it Rusch is already planning two steps ahead, Much has been made of Rusch’s dominamountain biking, road racing or triathlon. tion of a sport with ranks filled with younger admitting that she’s toying with the idea of “She’s hands down the best female mounathletes, but age isn’t a factor for her. In fact, time trial road racing. So don’t be surprised tain biker around,” Babbitt said of Rusch. she sees her experience to see her turn up at the Twilight Criterium The award is the sometime in the future. as a benefit. cherry on top of “I’m not usually a road racer, but the time “I train smarter and another epic seaFor more about the Queen of Pain visit rebeccarusch.com. know more,” she said. trial is you, alone, and I think it might be a son, which included good race for me,” she said. “That’s sort of “I’m a better athlete Rusch’s repeat win at in my head—not this year, but next.” now than I’ve ever the Leadville 100—a Regardless of what race she turns up at, been. It’s just brains.” 100-mile race set entirely above 10,000 there is no question that she will be racing. While she’s happy she can be an inspirafeet in the Colorado Rockies. This time “I don’t feel old yet,” she said. “There will tion for other athletes, Rusch admits to being around, she not only won the women’s divicome a day, but I’m not there yet. I’ll do it as sion, but set a new course record—becoming a bit riled when some race organizers want long as I’m competitive and having fun.” her to enter the masters category rather than only the second woman to beat the eight-
24 | JANUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 1, 2011 | BOISEweekly
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