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.

Well most of my main races are over

September 29, 2010

Well most of my main races are over for the year but the traveling doesn't stop. After another extremely fun and memorable Interbike, I am at home for a few short days. Riding with the Specialized "Komen for the Cure" ride from Morgan Hill to Las Vegas is something special. Long days and strong friendships are built out on those long days! Vegas Interbike is always like a reunion of sorts for me. Catching up with old friends, seeing sponsors, and meeting new fans make the trip a blast. And I even get to sneak around and see the new toys a bit too. After the Susan G Komen ride, then standing in the show for three days, my legs were toast. I slept until noon yesterday.

Today, I'm off to a Valley wide fire department competition of sorts. We're all getting together to run through an obstacle course with turnouts on and compete against the other agencies in the Valley. It's a pretty fit group of people, so it should be stiff competition.

There's also a movie, Ride the Divide, coming to town on Tuesday. Wednesday is another course walkthrough with USA Cycling and Breakaway productions for the XC and short track Nationals races next summer. There is also a bit of trail maintenance and riding here in town this week if anyone wants to join in.

Thursday, I'm off again to another event, but this on is outdoors and I will get to ride my bike. I'm expected to ride my bike. I'll be at Outerbike in Moab for a screening of the 2009 Race Across the Sky and demo rides with Specialized and SRAM. It's open to the public, so I hope to see you there.

Happy Trails

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