This is the fifty-third edition of The Duluth Runner Interview Series, where I get in touch with (mainly) local runners and athletes to share a bit of their story while inspiring others to pursue an active lifestyle.
Intro
“I began running in middle school cross country in my home town of Spooner, Wisconsin and kept growing in the sport through high school and college. I attended the College of St. Scholastica and did three NCAA sports there: Cross Country, Track, and Nordic Skiing. It was a great fit for both being able to compete at a high level and grow as a lifelong athlete with great coaches.
After college I began to move into longer trail and ultra races, eventually moving up to 50 and 100 mile races. I continue to enjoy the mental and physical challenges of the trail/ultra world.”
He now lives in Duluth and is a registered nurse at Essentia Health, today’s guest is…Chris Rubesch!!
Featured image credit: Legendary Randy Ericksen Films
Interview
Why is running important to you?
Running has become a really important way for me to process my day and prepare for what I have on my plate. I keep very busy with civic and volunteer commitments in the community and my union so it helps me focus. Plus nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment we all get when we finish a run!
What are the top two or three things that you do to prevent injury? Have you been susceptible to certain injuries in the past?
I have been fortunate enough to not ever have any serious or prolonged injury in my running career. I think that comes from a mix of strategic cross training, using cross country skiing in the winter months, and cycling my training calendar to allow for full recovery after hard races or training blocks. I think all these factors allow my body to stay healthy and use related accessory muscle groups that don’t get as much work with running.
What keeps you motivated when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a workout?
Of course we all have days we just don’t want to get out of bed. For me many of my days are pretty packed with commitments and I work 12 hour shifts, so I don’t have a lot of flexibility in the times I plan to run. So when the time comes for me to go out the door, the fact that I might not get another opportunity that day is a strong motivator. I also try to remember if I am feeling crummy, 99% of the time we feel better when we get moving.
Who is in your running support group (training partners, people to bounce ideas off of, etc.)?
We are so lucky in this area to have an awesome network of runners to run with, talk with, and compare notes. For me one person is my coach Jason Kask with Superior Performance who I have been working with since about 2009. It’s been great to have that kind of longitudinal experience with a coach and see my growth as an athlete.
Additionally I have a lot of people I run with regularly including Eric Nordgren, Adam Schwartz-Lowe, Joe Stromsness, Mike Ward, Kyle Sather, Lane Johnson, Kyle Gill, Jacob Wartman, Simon Gilna, and Jason Lindalof. When they lived here I also had the opportunity to run with Kyle Petari and Brittany Peterson.
You recently ran (and won!) the Black Hills 50 miler – tell us about that experience and training leading up to the race.
It was a great race! I have done the Black Hills ultras 5 or 6 times now, including every distance. This year I planned to use the 50 miler as a build up to my later season 100 milers. I had a good spring build up including several 4+ hour runs so I felt my fitness was there. For the actual race I planned on running smart but putting myself into position to be a contender in the race.
I went out front from the start and ran strong on the flats and down hills and backed off a bit on the early uphills to keep my heart rate in check. By half way I was able to push harder on the long downhill stretches and gain more time. My race plan turned out well and I ended up with a solid win.
When/what is your next race?
My other two focuses this year will he the Lean Horse 100 miler in August and the Hennepin 100 miler in October. I would love to run a fast time at those races.
Do you prefer roads or trails and why?
I really prefer trails, but I don’t mind running on roads or graded gravel either. I think roads provide their own unique challenges too. For example, I did the Florida Keys 100 in 2018 from Key Largo to Key West. It was challenging to be on roads or paved paths for the vast majority of that and not have the distraction that comes with trails. But I enjoyed the new kind of challenge that race brings.
What do you think about while you run?
I often process my day when I am running, either what I have coming up or what happened through out the day. Otherwise, I also find myself thinking about travel – something else I enjoy doing.
What is your most memorable race or running achievement?
Of course finishing my first 100 miler is an accomplishment I am super proud of and a memory I will never forget. Crossing that finish line and doing something I was not certain I could finish is a high that is extremely hard to describe.
Otherwise I would say I’m proud of all the opportunities I have had to pace friends in their own ultra races. So often we think if ultra and trail races as solo endeavors, but they aren’t. There is a whole group of folks behind every runner supporting them and getting them to the starting line of the race, let alone the finish line. So being asked to help a friend accomplish their goals is really special too.
Name one racing experience you would like to forget (please describe).
In 2017 I started the Florida Keys 100 and it was my first experience running a road 100 miler. The temps were in the upper 90’s most of the day and in the full sun; it was a very tough race. I had a lot of chafing in places we can’t talk about in polite company. I ended up dropping out at mile 62 and it was hard to come to terms with. I was happy to come back the following year for some redemption and the finish.
What is something non-running related you would like to share with readers?
Two of my other interests are traveling and bee keeping. I have been lucky enough to visit 26 countries, all the lower 48 states and many, many of our National Park areas. As for bee keeping, this is my 6th season with hives and I have two this year that are doing very well.
Closing
Many thanks to Chris for agreeing to stop by Duluth Runner and share some of his knowledge/experiences with everyone. I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Interview Series – stick around for more to come!