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Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk, & Triumph on the Path Less Traveled by Selene Yeager, Rebecca Rusch
amymo73's review against another edition
4.0
I am not a mountain biker. My one and only time on a mountain bike was on a Women's Quest retreat and I pushed it more than I rode it. But I loved the bike anyway and promptly came home, bought a road bike and started my journey into endurance sports. I'm not sure how I was first introduced to Rebecca Rusch but I've been following her on social media for some time so it was about time I read her autobiography.
It's a great tale of her journey into becoming a pro athlete, really by accident. She found adventure racing, loved it, and built her life around it. When that door closed she had the opportunity to find a new adventure to finish out her sponsorship with Red Bull. Do something amazing, they told her. So she did a 24-hour mountain bike race which, she thought at the time, seemed like a stupid idea.
What I loved about Rebecca's telling of her story is her honesty. So often when I read books about people who take amazing adventures, they skim over the part about fear and risk. Take big risks! That's the message. But Rebecca's message is one of calculated risk -- of knowing her limits and pushing those boundaries with skill and knowledge not necessarily reckless abandon. That speaks to me. So does the part about learning to ignore how other people view you. So does the part about being happy in a way that the quantity and quality of her competition increased each year at Leadville. That made it harder for her to win, but also meant the sport was growing for women and that, it seems to me, made her heart sing.
My bookmarked lines:
"Sometimes all you need is permission to fail in order to succeed."
"I suck What is wrong with me? I feel fat and slow and awful. I should consider a career change." His enthusiastic reply: "Excellent. We're right on track."
"The competition out there made me rise to another level that even I didn't know I could reach."
"It's persevering through adversity, not mechanically putting out watts, that makes an epic journey that much more satisfying."
It's a great tale of her journey into becoming a pro athlete, really by accident. She found adventure racing, loved it, and built her life around it. When that door closed she had the opportunity to find a new adventure to finish out her sponsorship with Red Bull. Do something amazing, they told her. So she did a 24-hour mountain bike race which, she thought at the time, seemed like a stupid idea.
What I loved about Rebecca's telling of her story is her honesty. So often when I read books about people who take amazing adventures, they skim over the part about fear and risk. Take big risks! That's the message. But Rebecca's message is one of calculated risk -- of knowing her limits and pushing those boundaries with skill and knowledge not necessarily reckless abandon. That speaks to me. So does the part about learning to ignore how other people view you. So does the part about being happy in a way that the quantity and quality of her competition increased each year at Leadville. That made it harder for her to win, but also meant the sport was growing for women and that, it seems to me, made her heart sing.
My bookmarked lines:
"Sometimes all you need is permission to fail in order to succeed."
"I suck What is wrong with me? I feel fat and slow and awful. I should consider a career change." His enthusiastic reply: "Excellent. We're right on track."
"The competition out there made me rise to another level that even I didn't know I could reach."
"It's persevering through adversity, not mechanically putting out watts, that makes an epic journey that much more satisfying."
mrblackbean11's review against another edition
5.0
I am not sure if non-cyclists would find this as good, but I just found this so inspiring and I feel like future is so bright with so much to do. Thanks Rebecca!
mohawkm's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
The first half of this book is mostly about how Rusch came into rock climbing and then adventure racing (and how tough and sometimes fatal adventure racing can be). The second half is on her move into competitive cycling, with a large focus on the Leadville 100 race and her very impressive achievements there.
There's not a lot of personal reflection or internal growth arc, but it's still a fun autobiography seeing how a non-traditional cyclist was setting records starting at age 38.
There's not a lot of personal reflection or internal growth arc, but it's still a fun autobiography seeing how a non-traditional cyclist was setting records starting at age 38.
cameesreads's review
3.0
I loved reading about all of Rebecca Rusch's adventures. From river boarding in frigid water to riding a camel across the desert, there were so many of them I lost count after a while. I especially liked hearing about her dirt bag roots and her evolution from gym rat to crag chick. She also never stuck to one kind of sport - one thing always led to another until she became the well rounded athletic machine she is today. The best part was learning how Rusch didn't get into mountain biking until she was 38! As someone who wants to get into mountain biking and is afraid to try this was very inspiring to me.
Rusch is not only special in terms of her all her travels and athleticism, but also because she is a terrific role model for women and young girls. I loved reading about her efforts to get more girls involved in sports like mountain biking.
This is one of those books that if I have a daughter, I will be sure to push this in her direction. Even if you aren't into sports you will enjoy the tales of Rusch's awe inspiring adventures.
Rusch is not only special in terms of her all her travels and athleticism, but also because she is a terrific role model for women and young girls. I loved reading about her efforts to get more girls involved in sports like mountain biking.
This is one of those books that if I have a daughter, I will be sure to push this in her direction. Even if you aren't into sports you will enjoy the tales of Rusch's awe inspiring adventures.
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