We were lucky enough to catch up with three time world champion Rebecca Rusch this week for a quick Q&A about her training this season. Between trips to Arizona and Australia, she is hanging out at home in Idaho training, and more importantly resting for her next big event.

RW: Where are you now? Racing or training?

Reba: Racing and training, training and racing. I use early season races as training and a good gauge of where my fitness is. My priority races will fall in late summer, so this period of time is a building and training period even though there are races on the calendar. Next up is a 5 day stage race in Australia in mid May!

RW: How has the information gained from training with Restwise helped you accomplish your goals?

Reba: I have been using Restwise for about 2 months and at this point, my priority goals for the season are still down the road.  I can tell you that so far using Restwise has kept me much more focused on my sleeping, nutrition, and all things to do with recovery. It keeps these crucial factors at the forefront of my mind since I am recording them each day.  It has kept me more accountable and has also been able to tell me when I’m headed down the slippery slope of over doing it. My Restwise scores have already fended off a cold and helped me adjust training loads much earlier than I would have before.

RW: Recommendations for aspiring athletes in training?

Reba: First and foremost is to get a coach.  Even if it’s an online training program or a short term arrangement with a local coach, it is important to educate yourself first with a professional and get to know your body and your body’s response to training.  Everyone is different and there is so much information.  I have found it much easier to have a training program to keep me on track instead of just going out each day and deciding on the fly what I felt like doing.  Even if you are not a professional athlete and never aspire to be, having a training program will actually minimize the time you spend training and eliminate wasted workouts and keep you from spinning your wheels.

We all have busy lives, and I have learned that training for quality vs. quantity has been much more affective for me.

RW: What have been your biggest training hurdles?

Reba: My biggest training hurdles have been sifting through the sea of information that is out there and available to athletes. There is too much information to absorb and I have found it all very overwhelming.  It has taken years to tailor my training program, learn from mistakes and finally come to a place where I feel I can make educated training decisions.  I would not have been able to reach that point without a coach, heart rate monitor and training tools like Restwise.  Without measuring tools, there is no way to understand your body’s responses to training and racing.  Without measuring tools, you are just guessing.

RW: What do you feel is the greatest benefit from recovery based training?

Reba: The greatest benefit to me is that there is no guesswork when I need a rest day or do not need a rest day.  Instead of arguing in my own mind that I should be working harder or doing more, I can let the recovery score numbers settle the battle going on in my mind.   I also find it much easier to use the Restwise tool to measure RHR instead of trying to count your own heart rate in the morning.  The number is much more accurate and I am way more inclined to take my HR since the process is simplified.  In the past, I would forget to take my HR, or fall back asleep while counting.  I ended up with really inaccurate and missing data all the time.

RW: The beauty of Restwise is that it applies to any sport and for any level of athlete; do you think that this type of philosophy will become more mainstream for coaching purposes?

Reba: Absolutely.  I regularly send my Restwise graph to my coach and he can adapt the training program based on the numbers he sees.  If I’m quite rested, he can increase training load based on my adaptation to the work.  If I have low recovery scores, he can make adjustments for a day or two in the other direction.  This way the training program is customized and simplified for the athlete and the coach.  Instead of the coach and athlete having a long conversation to figure out how the athlete feels, how hard he/she is working, and the affects of training and racing, they can instead look at the recovery scores and relate the graph to the workout and training schedule.  It takes much of the guesswork out of the coach/athlete relationship.

RW: Thanks Rebecca for taking the time out of your schedule to answer these questions about your regimen, best of luck to you in your current season.