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.

Whew!

December 2, 2009

Whew! Back on the internet for the first time since the race. The race went great and we won the mixed team division by about an hour. I’m not sure of exact times, but we had about 25 minutes lead each day I think on the next mixed team. We were somewhere between 10th and 15th in the overall classification. Again, i haven’t seen exact results, but we finished pretty high up overall. The high altitude is a kicker and you just can’t race as hard as you want to and the heart rate just does not respond normally. However, Greg did not get altitude sick this year so we were both riding strong and didn’t have to do any pulling or pushing. We also did not get lost this year and had no flats. So overall, a really clean race and great views, great experience. I’ve attached a few pics from the race. I’ll send more later. Cotopaxi volcano is a very magical place.

Right now we are in Cuenca (3rd biggest city in Ecuador), visiting Cikla, the Specialized dealer in this area. We are doing a slideshow at the shop tonight and a riding clinic in the morning. We just got back from a GREAT 2.5 hour ride with a personal escort from Galo Tamayo, the best rider in Ecuador. He’s the shop owner and knows all the private stashes of single track around this area. We’re on our way now to the local thermal baths to soak and relax before getting the slideshow ready for tonight.

Here are some pictures to browse from the race, and I’ll get a more detailed race report up asap. Enjoy your day!

Reba

Stats for Rebecca Rusch are coming soon.
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