My Friends at Kahtoola

In January 2016, despite having a very recent Achilles surgery, Danny Giovale, founder of Kahtoola, signed me to the team. That’s the thing about Danny, he is quite possibly the most caring and generous human being I’ve ever met. Not many individuals would willingly begin a partnership with an injured athlete, especially one who wouldn’t be actively competing in their sport for a long time. But after my initial meeting with Danny, I realized that Kahtoola isn’t your average company.

Rewind back to how Kahtoola came to be. A traumatizing mountaineering accident left Danny thinking about how equipment could be made better. Thus the conception of Kahtoola was born. From the ground up the idea was fostered into a product, and product into a company. Traction, made to tackle snow and ice; a means for human-powered exploration in the outdoors and further enjoyment in the elements. A truly entrepreneurial idea, devised through personal experience with desire to create something unique and advantageous to fulfill a passion.

This winter, I was able to take full advantage of the brilliance of Kahtoola traction. Oregon, along with the entire west coast, was hammered with storm after storm. December, January, February….. SO. MUCH. SNOW. Foot after foot, each storm brought a fresh new coat of white. Great for skiing, but not ideal for a running race in January (brilliant idea Steph!). But alas, my running was not curtailed! I was able to run outside most every day that I wanted (yeah, there were quite a few ski days in there….) I wore the Kahtoola Nanospikes and had no problems with the snow or ice. Take that La Nina! The Nanospikes are like studded tires for your feet. Seriously. I grew up in Minnesota and am comfortable with snow and ice, but the Nanospikes take it to a different level. I was able to comfortably stride out and run without fear of slipping. Being able to run outside in preparation for Bandera 100k in January was so great! Not just for the physical, but also for my mental sanity. I don’t think I could have done the treadmill….

Not only does Kahtoola make excellent products, they are also a close-knit group of awesome people. I recently had the chance to visit them in Flagstaff for their annual Uphill Challenge. I got to checkout headquarters and see the space where genius ideas come to life. I also got to spend time with the heart of the company; the wonderful people who make up Kahtoola. After spending a weekend talking, laughing, racing, and celebrating I can truly say these are my people! I enjoyed everything about my visit…well, I think there was a moment during the uphill climb where I was questioning the fun level, but as soon as I reached the top and started running downhill my smile returned. Type II fun ☺

I am extremely honored to be part of the Kahtoola family. Not just because I love the products and people, but also because of the philanthropic values of the company. A portion of every sale is donated to support indigenous mountain cultures in the Himalayan region. How cool is that?! I can really get behind a company with values like that. Thanks Kahtoola for being so awesome!