Kate the Great
Oh, Kate Coward, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways.
While you may not believe us, Kate is a mortal being
Record breaking ultra endurance athlete Kate Coward has experienced imposter syndrome? What? Imposter syndrome plagues many of us, but we can overcome it. How you might ask? Kate says we need to take action. It’s easy to say “it’s not the right time”, “I don’t have the right body”, “I need to train more” and then I’ll <fill in the blank>. Let’s stop doing that. Days become months and months become years....
What’s that “thing” you’ve been wanting to do, that thought that keeps entering your brain and you keep pushing it away? That may be a good place to start.
Kate is a deep thinker
“Outdoor adventures are the great equalizer.”
So you decide to take on an outdoor adventure. You’ve trained, prepared and feel confident in your approach. There’s just one more consideration, variables. Kate has thought deeply about how variables can make or break you. You can train, optimize your nutrition and have the clearest mindset and if the weather induces an asthma attack there is very little you can do about it. Our success or failure isn’t always based upon our preparation, inputs or exertion- weather, technicals, experience, mental blocks, health conditions, and everything else play into the outcomes. These aren’t excuses, it’s reality so let’s go a little easier on ourselves.
That said, “I can’t” should be used in very few circumstances, per Kate. “People have so much potential they don’t even know what’s inside them”.
Think again about that “thing” you want to do that you’ve been ignoring… yes, you can.
Kate believes in abundance
We knew we loved Kate, but she threw a big love zinger at the end of our interview that bonded us to Kate for life.
“The alpha female is out. Be cool and raise other women into the light.”
As many of us can relate, a weird female behavior rears its ugly head at a surprisingly young age. Undermining, gossip, condescension, envy and fake smiles. Hostility that burns designed to make other women feel inadequate and to keep them small. Where does it come from? Where does this get us as women? It gets us lower pay, feelings of resentment and unmet potential. It divides us and gets us nowhere.
Ladies, it’s time to raise one another into the light.
Kate expressed her gratitude for the community of women who race and how honored she feels to hold their company.
What if we were hell bent on getting what we want, but ditched the passive-aggressive (or just plain aggressive), unscrupulous behaviors? What if we embraced abundance and lifted one another up? What if we didn’t fear judgement from others? Think of might we achieve.
We Do This For Fun is all about lifting one another up for TRYING . Let’s meet every attempt by a woman with an equal accolade of support. You know where that will get us? More confidence, untapped joy, synergy, infectious energy that spurs action and ultimately met potential- who’s in?
Share with us one woman you admire for TRYING to help all women attempt that “thing” that’s tapping them on the shoulder.
Who run the world? Let’s make the answer to this question a reality.
“Self-doubt is a lie.”
Leah Gruhn lives and breathes her mantra, “Self-doubt is a lie”.
There are people in our lives who personify the outdoors. Leah Gruhn is one of those people. She’s a geologist, lifelong camper, expert paddler, cross country skier, triathlete, gravel grinder, fat biker and ultra-marathoner. Even though she grew up in Rhode Island, she is also the quintessential modest midwesterner. Leah is a badass with some serious cred. Here’s a bit more more you should know about her:
Leah didn’t mention that she won the Arrowhead 135 in 2019, the year of the polar vortex. In fact, she was interviewed by the MPR and the BBC!!! Polar Vortex my friends, this is nothing short of extraordinary.
Wisconsin’s Tuscobia Winter Ultra 160 -she’s only won the 75 mile race five times (!).
She’s biked the Tour Divide, an ultra-endurance self- supported bikepacking challenge the length of Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR). It’s worth mentioning that you’re supposed to go as fast as you can (what?)! The GDMBR is 2,696 miles and is one of the most “important off-pavement cycling routes in the United States, if not the world. The route crisscrosses the Continental Divide from north to south starting in Banff, Alberta, Canada and finishing at the US/Mexico border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico.” (Bikepacking.com) It’s also steep and hot. You have to carry everything you need with you to make it from Canada to Mexico (!).
The Iditarod Trail Invitational is the longest winter ultra-marathon. Leah earned 5th place woman in the inhospitable, challenging ITI 350 in 2016. In order to be eligible for this race, you have to compete and finish in 2 of 12 designated races (Minnesota’s Arrowhead 135, Wisconsin’s Tuscobia Winter Ultra 160 and her significant winter sport experience got her a spot!).
And then there are the gravel grinders…Alexander 380, DaMN 240, DK200, Royal 162, and lots of other races 100 miles long and shorter.
As a a volunteer coach for the Duluth Devo Adventure MTB team with an adventure and gravel focus, she inspires the next generation of female cyclists.
Leah’s “top tip” from our conversation was, “Self-doubt is a lie”. She’s got this mantra dialed in. With an ever growing manifesto of accomplishments, she models to all of us that if we ditch doubt and work diligently towards our goals our outdoor adventure dreams truly are possible.
What’s your dream?
Self-doubt is a lie.
Go do your dream.
(If you need help getting started, drop us a note wedothisforfunpodcast@gmail.com, we can help!)