Rebecca Rusch

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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.

Sunday was my 2nd appearance

July 12, 2011

Sunday was my 2nd appearance at the Cascade Creampuff 100 miler and 2nd time I've won the event. This race is a classic 100 miler on the super fun trails around Oakridge, OR. Like last year, I used this race as a great pre-Leadville prep race. With nearly 18,000 ft of climbing and finish times between 9-10 hours, it's longer and has more climbing than Leadville.

I use this race as a gauge on my form, a chance to work out bike specifics and practice my Leadville race nutrition. The race is also a really early morning start, so I get to simulate that part of the Leadville race as well. I rode my new Specialized FATE, women's 29 hardtail and am working out gearing and fit specifics. The bike was incredible and at 18.5 lbs, it just flies uphill. I got to travel to the Puff with a few good friends from Idaho. It's always way nicer to go to a race with friends instead of alone. Unfortunately, Greg missed his first Puff in years because as course director for USAC Nationals this weekend, he was stuck at home working.

I made a few mistakes in the Creampuff this year, the most costly one was forgetting to bring Perpetuem, which has been my main endurance fueling for years. I had other food, but my body is really used to Perpetuem and not having it cost me time on the third lap around the 33 mile course. I was basically just running on empty because I didn't have the fat and protein nutrition that I'm used to. Despite eating plenty of calories in the form of carbohydrates, I was starving at the end of the race. I still had a good, solid training effort, but I re-learned a valuable lesson once again.

Each lap was 33 miles with most of the climbing on the first 1/2 of the course. The climb is a grind on a fire road that takes about 90 minutes. It's long and hot and by the third time around, it's a mental challenge. However, you are rewarded on the 2nd part of the course with challenging, fun single track. It is full concentration at high speeds. My triceps were just as sore as my legs after the race was over.

I was happy with my result. I finished 1st in the women's category and 7th overall. The only bummer was since the course was slightly different than last year, I couldn't compare my time to see how my training is progressing this year. I also missed having Greg and some of the other racers from last year on the start line for comparison. I know I've been working super hard all season and feel like my training is ahead of where it was at this time last year. However, it's an elusive process and I never really know how I'm doing unless I have someone else to compare against.

This week is ramping up really quickly with all the festivities, races, athletes and craziness that comes along with hosting the USAC National Championships. It's going to be a crazy, fun week at home. I'm heading out this morning to try out the course on my Fate. I just had it changed over to a single speed set up for Nationals, so this is the first test run on the Fate without gears.

Stats for Rebecca Rusch are coming soon.
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