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.

Last weekend, I jumped in the car

August 24, 2010

Last weekend, I jumped in the car with Greg and some other Ketchum friends to head over to Pierre's Hole 50/100 miler in Targhee. I've raced a 24 Hour race over there and the riding is really fun. It's just a 4.5 hour drive, so I figured it would be a great way to make sure I kept riding and did not sit on my butt too long recovering from Leadville. I still have more races to do, so I don't want to let my hard earned fitness slide before the season is over. There were 8 or 9 of us from Idaho all racing the 50 and 100. I signed up for the 50 feeling like I'd earned myself a bit of a lighter day. The 100 also started at 6 AM and I did not want to get up early! What a different pre-race feeling comparing this week to last. I was super relaxed, did no warm up, and just threw a bit of food together at the last minute. It was refreshing to be at a fun race that was just a great riding day instead of a peak race like Leadville with all the nerves, preparation and expectations.

The course in Targhee was 25 mile laps with around 4000 ft of climbing per lap! The sweet thing about that much climbing is that there was equally as much descending. The course was 70% single track and the descents were FUN! I used the first hour as a warm up, then tried to hit the hills harder and push my HR up as high as I could. There was still a bit of leftover fatigue left from Leadville, but overall, I felt surprisingly good. I ended up winning the women's 50 miler and was 3rd overall. Mud Honey, Sara Schroeder, had an awesome race and was 2nd in the women's 50. The Wood River Valley had a strong showing in all the races. Mike Shane was 1st in the 100 SS. Greg was 2nd in the SS 50. For me, it was such a blast to camp out, ride bikes and hang out with friends with no pressure. It was just a great weekend of bike riding.

Now, this week is back to the work grind a bit. I have to jump back on more specific training, follow up with a bunch of Leadville interviews and I'm working on planning a birthday/Leadville party at the Ketchum Pump Park this week.

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