1) Last summer you set the female Fastest Known Time around Mt Rainier’s Wonderland Trail!! 4th fastest time ever by anyone. Congratulations!! You ran in some top secret shoes that are now available for all to try and buy. Tell us about those:
Thanks! I ran in the Flight VECTIV, which is the top-tier trail shoe in the new VECTIV line from The North Face. These shoes have a 3D carbon plate, are lightweight and responsive, and have a took me 93 miles on variable terrain around Mt Rainier!
2) Did The North Face take your feedback into account during the design process of these shoes?
I got my first pair of prototypes in late 2019, just before I joined The North Face athlete team in 2020. Over the past year I’ve been testing various late-stage prototypes and sharing feedback with the footwear innovation teams in France and Denver. It’s been fun to be involved and watch the shoes evolve from that first prototype I tested (which I wore for a few stages of The Coastal Challenge in February, and for my win and course record at Transgrancanaria in early March 2020) to the market-release model I wore for the Wonderland Trail FKT in August. A few changes between those versions have resulted in a lighter overall shoe, more comfortable and form-fitting upper, and overall a fast-feeling shoe. Myself and other athletes on the team will continue to be involved with product testing as footwear development moves forward at The North Face.
3) The Vectiv line has three models: Flight, Infinite, and Enduris. Have you tried them all?
Yes, I’ve run in all three models. I generally wear the Flight for workout days or race/FKT efforts, and rotate in the Infinite and Enduris for everyday training runs. The Enduris has a bit more cushion and a softer feel, which is great for my easy or recovery run days.
4) We also noticed a new TNF vest you were wearing on the Wonderland. Which one was that?
I wore the Flight Vest – I love this vest! It should be back on the market this summer.
5) What are your running plans for 2021? (Assuming summer races happen again.)
My motto is to stay patient and flexible! I am personally not making any plans to race until the second half of 2021, but I’ll continue to monitor the pandemic and adjust as needed. My big goal for 2021 is to finally race UTMB in August, which has been a goal of mine for a few years. Especially after completing the Wonderland Trail, I’ve been excited to translate that FKT into a solid race at UTMB 🙂
6) What’s your backup plan in case races are hard to come by?
Last year I refocused my goals to stay local and check off some bucket list mountain routes that are challenging for me to fit into a normal racing year. I’m excited to do more of the same this year and explore in the Pacific Northwest!
7) What other FKTs have you dreamed of going after? Do you have the Rainier Infinity Loop FKT as well?
I’m sometimes more excited about pushing myself on challenging terrain than I am just running fast, so aside from the Wonderland Trail, the few FKTs I’ve gone after have involved a lot more technical traveling than running. For example, a few weeks before Wonderland I set the women’s unsupported FKT for the Ptarmigan Traverse (with Alex Borsuk), which is a technical off-trail mountaineering traverse in the North Cascades. We also still hold the women’s self-supported FKT for the Rainier Infinity Loop (set in 2019), which combines the Wonderland Trail with two summits and descents of Mt Rainier. I’ve been inspired by watching many athletes in our running community challenge themselves by setting goals outside of racing this past year, and I hope that these self-appointed backyard adventures and self-supported runs continue even as racing returns back to normal. There are so many fun routes to choose from in Washington!
Kaytlyn Gerbin is a sponsored athlete with The North Face
Thank You Kaytlyn!!!
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