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.

Spring in Ketchum

April 27, 2009

I got home from a tough couple of weeks of travel to CA. It was a blast to be at the Specialized headquarters and to hang with the whole dirt team including 4 Cross World Champ, Rafa Alvarez, Xterra World Champ Conrad Stoltz and the rest of the world cup XC team. There were a lot of meetings, driving around, hanging at the Sea Otter venue and trying out some new bikes. Being out on the dirt was great and I got in some good rides. The racing at Sea Otter was a bit of a smack in the face for me. It’s always hard to come out of the winter and put yourself out there for the first races of the year. Short distances and speed racing are also not my strength. But it was good training and this is the time of year where I have to take my medicine and do some tough racing in hopes that it’ll pay off later in the season when it counts.

After Sea Otter, I went straight to Red Bull HQ in Santa Monica for more power meetings and a great Monday lunch meeting with beers and margaritas! I love how Red Bull operates and it’s always super fun to visit them.

The multi-faceted trip continued with an overnight stop in Salt Lake City for the grand opening of Specialized Concept Store, Bingham Cyclery. It was a women’s event and there were around 200 people shopping and getting psyched about bikes.

I’m finally home and back in my own house. It was a good trip, but there was no down time and very little time for myself. There was a bit of Planes, Trains and Automobiles situation getting home, so I was fried when I finally walked in the door. To top off the crazy travel, I arrived to a bunch of dead plants at my house. The two cactus survived, so I guess it’s time I stop trying to grow plants other than cactus.

This past week at home has been an awesome mountain Spring week. Temps ranging from 27 F to 65 F depending on the day. It has been windy, clear and crisp. The dirt trails are slowly opening up and everyone is out on the bike path and on the trails. The shop is full of bikes getting tunes and everyone is psyched to ride, including me. I’m still tired from the cumulative affects of the Cape Epic and the travel to CA, and the crappy bit of poison oak I got at Sea Otter, but being on my home trails and riding with friends has brought my motivation out of hibernation.

The next race is a couple weeks out, a 12 hour USA Cycling ultra endurance series race in TN. I’m currently leading that series, so I’m hoping for a good result there.

Until then, I’m relishing in being home, riding my new bikes and maybe shopping for a new cactus for the house.

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