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.

August flew by

September 29, 2011

August flew by faster than ever and here we are at the end of September. Between Leadville, the Vegas Ride, Interbike, Moab, and now recovering at home, I feel as if I could write a novel to catch up, which I will, but this is a start.

I raced the Baldy Hill Climb over the weekend. This local event has been around for 25 years and is a fundraiser for SVSEF, the ski foundation here. It's usually one big, fast hike straight up the ski hill from bottom to top (3300 ft). A few years ago, they added a bike portion of the event as well, so you could ride all the way to the top. Then they added the double where you could do the ride, take a chairlift down, then join the rest of the racers for the hike. There are just a handful of people who do the back to back double hill climbs. Of course, I'm one of them. I've missed the race the last couple of years. This year, I did the double again and admittedly, have not been training with the usual focus and intensity. Tradeshows, work and end of the season lethargy have all taken a toll on my training. It's a welcome rest, but I wasn't sure how a short, intense 6600 ft double climb would feel. It was a gorgeous fall day and I just rode and hike without any real focus. I had a blast and was pleasantly surprised to have broken my own record by over 7 minutes. I was over 4 minutes faster on the bike leg and a few minutes faster on the hike. Total time was just over 2 hours. It was short for me, but a great intensity workout with friends. I was happy to be faster without really feeling like my lungs were turned inside out. Either I'm getting faster and fitter or the Fate is just such a good hill climber, that it can't help but fly uphill.

We also participated in a Galena Lodge trailwork day for the Blaine County Recreation District which Greg runs. We did a re-route of a trail called Psycho, which has been around for years and has been included in the Galena Grinder race course. Needless to say it has seen some mileage and use. The Wood River Bicycle Coalition was able to pull out the newly purchased Rokon trail moto that'll be used to haul tools and make trail work easier. The thing is like a little tractor on two wheels, it can go up or down pretty much anything.

We are having our own version of the fabled Indian Summer and it's amazing. Fall is one of my favorite times of year in Idaho. The weather's warm during the day and cool at night. The trees are golden and the trails are perfect for riding. The stress of the season is usually settling down by now and I have the luxury of riding in an unfocused sort of way and just going exploring. The only thing Fall brings is a slight sense of dread for me that Winter is just around the corner. I like the the snow and skiing but not as much as the summer activities. Being cold is just not one of my favorite things. So, I have to milk the next few weeks here before things really turn cold.

24 Hours of Colorado Springs. USAC National championships.

When I heard 24 Hr Nationals was going to be held in Colorado Springs, home to Avid and Rockshox, I knew I wanted to do the race. It has taken some convincing, but I finally wrangled a really fun, fast women's team together for the race. I had no intention of doing the race solo. I really just wanted to do a team to help me keep a bit of focus in the Fall and as a good excuse to go visit Avid/Rockshox. Team SRAM will be racing this weekend with me, Jenny Smith, Sonya Looney and Kelly Boniface. I've race alongside all of these fast women and now I'm looking forward to racing WITH them! It was a last minute entry, but I'm excited to be doing another 24 hour race and have a chance to do some of my favorite type of mountain biking: night riding! I've got all the Light and Motion lights charged up and head out to CO tomorrow.

NYC Baby! SRAM Gold Rusch Tour stop #5

I am wrapping up a super successful year of women's events with the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour. This final event in NYC is coming up fast and looks like it'll be amazing. I have been able to convince media from Shape, Self, Prevention, Bicycling and More magazines to get out of their offices and meet me at Highbridge Park in NYC to ride! This park used to be full of prostitutes and drug addicts until NYCMTB / IMBA took it over. Now it's got XC trails, jump trails a pump track and a new sort of addiction takes place there. Pro DH rider Katie Holden and I will be in NYC hosting women's rides with SRAM and Specialized gear. I'm also showing the 2010 Race Across the Sky film as a fundraiser for MTBNYC. This screening is at the super swanky Crosby Hotel and a reception follows the movie. If you are anywhere near NYC Oct 6-8, I hope to see you at one of the events.

We also are doing some events for riding and a meet and greet, so clear your calendar.

Stats for Rebecca Rusch are coming soon.
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