“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!)