Rebecca Rusch

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    S-Works MTB Helmet

    The lightest certified helmet in the world, worn by 2008 UCI World XC Champion Christoph Sauser...

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S-Works MTB Helmet

Rebecca Rusch wasn’t thinking about world championships when she joined the Downers Grove North High School cross-country team. “I just wanted the free track suit,” recalls Rusch, who, 28 years later, finds herself among the ranks of the world’s elite endurance athletes. In July of 2009, Rusch won her third straight mountain biking 24-hour Solo World Championship.

Since donning those gray cotton sweats and Lycra shorts, Rusch has outfitted herself in the kit of numerous other disciplines: racking up ascents of big walls from Yosemite to Zion, paddling on the world-famous Offshore Canoe Club’s women’s outrigger team in the brutal Molokai crossing and winning adventure races around the world.

When not training in one of the five mountain ranges surrounding her hometown of Ketchum, Idaho, the 41-year-old known as the “Queen of Pain” can be found chasing adrenaline from Tibet to New Zealand to Kyrgyzstan, constantly adding titles to her impressive and extensive resume.

In addition to those three 24-hour solo mountain bike World Champion rainbow jerseys, Rusch is a three-time national champion in 24-hour team mountain biking. She’s Idaho’s Short Track state championship (twice), and its Cyclocross state title. An accomplished Nordic skier, she’s won the Masters Cross Country Skiing World Championship, in addition to taking the top prize at Raid Gauloises Adventure Racing World Championships. And although that’s just cross-section of her palmares, it’s easy to see why Rusch has been profiled by Sports Illustrated, Outside Magazine and Adventure Sport Magazine.

Talking about age draws a laugh as she gestures at her surroundings. "People around here are all 10 years younger than they actually are. And I don’t mean they just look it; they are actually 10 years younger," she said. "Everyone’s out there constantly doing stuff, from biking to skiing to hiking. There’s a collective mentality that if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it."

This mentality, along with what she calls "perfect terrain for training," provides a home base for the typically itinerant Rusch. She is part of the community; for more than two years she has been a stalwart volunteer emergency medical technician and firefighter for the Ketchum Fire Department, and a homeowner. On breaks from her race schedule, she works on her condominium, though the domestic idea continues to bemuse her; the last home she owned was a 1975 Ford Bronco.

Ask Reba August Giveaway

September 13, 2010

Sorry it is a bit late, but better late than never right? There were some hilarious questions this month, and quite frankly they keep getting better and better each month. This month's winning question both made me laugh, and also answered a question a lot of beginning cyclists ask. Enjoy your Recovery package courtesy of Hammer Nutrition and Skins USA.

DEAR QUEEN OF PAIN, 

HOW IMPORTANT ARE PADDED CYCLING SHORTS FOR A NEW RIDER? MY FIRST DAY RIDING I WAS ON A BORROWED MTB WITH NO SUSPENSION AND A LIGHTWEIGHT RACING SEAT. AFTER A LONG DAY OF RIDING AND BOUNCING I HAD DEVELOPED A SWOLLEN BUTTOCKS. THIS SWOLLEN BUTTOCKS LASTED A WEEK LONG RESULTING IN THE USE OF AN ENEMA FOR THE FIRST TIME. COULD I HAVE AVOIDED THIS BY USING PADDED SHORTS?

THANK YOU,

ROB RYAN

WOW. There are so many good jokes rolled into your question. I’ll try to be tactful though and help you out.

Yes, get some padded shorts. Everyone wears them. Even the people in baggie shorts have padded ones underneath. They are not all created equally. Spend a bit of cash and get a good pair. Don’t borrow them from a friend or buy discounted ones online. Go to a local shop and check them out for yourself.

Get your own bike, but try before you buy. Specialized (and most bike manufacturers) have demo vans that drive around the country stopping in various places to let people test bikes. Many shops also have demo bikes to try.

Saddles are quite personal. You can also demo saddles at many retailers. Don’t overlook the “lightweight race saddle” you mentioned. Looks are deceiving. I ride the Specialized Ruby and used to ride the Specialized Toupe. These are both wafer thin and ultra light and look hideously painful. However, the whole saddle flexes under the rider, which provides a very comfy ride. Extra padding does not necessarily mean comfort. Saddles also come in different widths. Shop around and when you find one you love, stick with it.

I really can’t understand why you needed to resort to the type of therapy you described in your email. I’ve never heard of this and it seems quite extreme. Hopefully this experience has not scarred you for life. I have to assume that if you are asking this question, you want to give mountain biking another go. All I can decipher from your question is that perhaps you were staying seated on the saddle too much. Proper riding technique often involves standing off the saddle on descents or rocky sections. Perhaps in addition to a pair of shorts, you need a few riding tips from your buddies as well.

Happy Trails

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