Andie Cornish Signs with Mammut

A lot of athletes say they love the mountains, but Andy Cornish actually builds her whole season around them. We talk about Jackson Hole summer life, getting up on the Grand Teton, and how growing up in the Tetons shaped a style that blends trail running, mountaineering, and ski mountaineering into one “mountain athlete” path.

Andy also shares what it feels like to join the Mammoot team and why the fit matters when your goals don’t look like the standard trail racing checklist. We get into the gear details that make big days smoother, including a vest-style 15-liter pack that can carry water up front and still haul climbing essentials, plus what she looks for in traction and support when moving fast on technical terrain.

Then we go deeper on the question I’ve started asking more often: what’s your why? Andy breaks down the mix of nerves, excitement, peace, and empowerment that comes from choosing hard objectives, especially as a woman in a space that still needs more representation. We close with a practical note every runner understands: foot care, injury mitigation, and why insoles and socks can make or break consistency when plantar or peroneal issues flare up.

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Transcript

Welcome And Quick Subscribe Ask

SPEAKER_01 0:05

This is the SteamStoff podcast. What's up, guys? Uh hey, before we get started, if you haven't already, whatever platform you're listening to this on, please hit that subscribe or follow button, whether that's Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. Those subscriptions go a super long way in being able to keep the podcast going and allowing me to continue to tell the stories of these amazing athletes and also do some of the race coverage and all the good stuff that we've been doing over the last few years. And also, if you haven't already, please give us a rating and a review if you haven't. Yeah, let us know what you guys think about the podcast and hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks so much for tuning in.

Summer In Jackson Hole And The Tetons

SPEAKER_01 0:48

All right, Andy Cornish, welcome to the Steep Stuff, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going? Good. How are you? I'm doing great. How's your summer going so far?

SPEAKER_00 0:57

It's been good. It's been uh it's been pretty busy, um, you know, as as it really often is for this time of year, but it's it's been awesome being being able to, you know, be home, being trained and all the stuff that I love to do.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

So how's the uh Jackson Hole life? Have you been able to get out and get on the grand and just enjoy your just enjoy your summer so far? Like on the Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Yeah, we've been pretty lucky with weather. Um it's been pretty awesome, not too hot or anything. And so I've been uh getting to a lot of activities and adventures in the Tetons. Just got up the grand last weekend and it was awesome. The snow is melting, and so it's it's been really fun.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Oh, I'm so jealous. I can't wait to get out there in August. Probably be out there for like two weeks, but I'm just I'll be on the dread side, but cannot wait to just explore and spend uh contributing to the problem where there's already two people.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

No, no. I want everyone else to experience it too. Like it's so pretty. I I want everyone else to be able to be there.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Fair enough.

Joining Mammoot And What It Means

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Hey, so the reason we're having this conversation uh amongst the catch up is uh because you have joined the Mammoot team. Uh congratulations. What are first thoughts, feelings? How does it feel to uh to have joined the team?

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Um it's honestly amazing. I think it feels like just something that was a long time coming in a perfect fit. I um, you know, I love growing up in Jackson, I love being in the mountains, I love mountaineering, I love ski mountaineering. I know that what I do is not the typical route for trail running. And so just having a brand that kind of fits that perfectly and bodies completely who I think I am as an athlete is something that's super exciting. And so far, my experience has just been wonderful. I love the team. Um, I love my other teammate, I love just everything that has been like part of this journey so far. So I'm pretty excited.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

So cool. Love to hear it.

Favorite Gear For Run And Climb

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Um what's I mean, because you're you're interesting, because you're this dual sport athlete in the sense where, like you said, you ski a bunch. You're also a highly competitive runner. What's your favorite, what's your favorite gear?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Yeah, I mean, that's hard. I uh right now, specifically in the summer, I've been loving. Well, I guess they have a they have a winter and a summer version, but they have this line, the try-on um backpacks. And so they have this 15-liter back that I've been using right now that has front straps like a running vest. So I can have two little water bottles in there like a running vest, but it can fit 15 liters of whatever kind of gear you might need in the back. So you can still run with it. Um, it's still strapped across your chest like a running vest. But I can put on these longer days, I can put in my harness, my climbing gear. Um, I even attached some approach shoes to it the other day, or kind of whatever you need on those bigger days where you feel like you still want to bring more stuff, but not have this backpack running around. Um, and I think that's pretty awesome because it really creates a product that helps you be at the intersection of uh running and um mountaineering at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

So super cool. I gotta check that out. Yeah, I got into some of the uh I've got some of the gear now and started trying for like apparel and stuff like that. I was like, this is good stuff. Like the running shoes are dope, like their hats, like their their apparel side is great. Haven't tried to check out the shoes yet, but yeah, that's good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

So yeah, no, they um I mean the product line on every side of it is amazing, and the shoes specifically too. They have a the grip on it is this with like the vibrum mega grip, but it's ultra light, and I think there's not a lot of shoes that have that. So it really encompasses this like they have a plated shoe. So it's a fast speed shoe with also having this mega grip um sole, which is super grippy and allow like perfect days for someone like running the grand or something or doing the grand, but also wanting the support of a running shoe. So they've done a really good job kind of design that and enter into the shoe world.

SPEAKER_01 4:34

So cool.

Summer Goals And Big Mountain Projects

SPEAKER_01 4:36

This might be a redundant question, but I'm gonna tie this in with like goals for the summer. Like one, what goals do you have for the summer? And how do the how does that new kind of gear shed, if you will, kind of kind of fold into your objectives and goals?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Yeah, I mean, I've obviously I'm always kind of this way being a young athlete. I have so many things I want to do, and I'm still trying to kind of dial them down and hold in exactly the ones I want to do. I've had some really cool races that I'm heading to Europe to do that are very technical and uphill, and a lot of the the projects that I want to do in the Tetons, like um I talked about last year doing a picnic or the variation of it on the grand. Um and so I have a lot of goals that are just a little scattered right now, but still I just want to be in the mountains and do these really big, you know, big mountain projects high in the up in the alpine and how I'm trying to figure out how I can, you know, intersect trail running and mountaineering at the same time and be both, you know, not just a trail runner, but also a mountain athlete in that way. Um and I think that having gear that really suits that and fits that has made it a lot easier to not maybe fit the norm of a typical trail runner who's racing the certain series or a certain like circuit, but also wanting to be up in the mountains and doing um and climbing and doing things and soloing stuff that's you know that I haven't done before. Um and the gear really helps promote that, I think, and allows me to have, like you said, like really nice apparel, really nice running clothes, really nice um, you know, whatever you need for running. But at the same time, they have very climbing focus and specific gear that will help you, you know, reach those goals as well where I can run and climb at the same time and um have gear that kind of like fits that perfectly and supports that. So the goal, you know, kind of vague, but I have lots of goals to intersect that, find that like combination between running and out, you know, mountaineering, and I think it's like a perfect brand to um support that.

SPEAKER_01 6:27

So beautiful answer.

The “Why” Behind The Training

SPEAKER_01 6:29

And this is my you know, you I don't want to be too redundant in my questions because this kind of ties into what you just answered. But what is your why?

SPEAKER_00 6:38

For memory specifically or for running? Just for running.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Like yeah, I don't know. This is a new question I've been asking people.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

Yeah, because I'm curious. I love it. I think I think it's an important question too, because often in the world of professional sports, you can kind of get really tied up into proving yourself to other people or proving trying to prove yourself to be somebody. Um and at the basis of it, and why I think I love Memoot so much is because at who like the base of who I am is I just like I I was lucky enough to grow up in the Tetons. I love the Tetons, I love the mountains, I love being doing things that really challenge me, especially as a female. I feel like in the mountaineering world, it's um it's very empowering because it's just not a sport that is dominated by a lot of females and there's not a lot in there. And so I think it's just being up in those mountains and doing something that makes me super nervous, but also excited and challenges me and um getting to be around people who inspire me like that and other women and that kind of has come become my why or what I've discovered to be my why because I want to perform well and I want to do well and I want to be the best athlete I can, but I also think that comes with just being um kind of like the root of loving what I'm doing and loving challenging myself and being in the mountains and feeling like that's where I find my peace is just being up in there.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

You're amazing. That's it. I love it.

Wrap Up And Upcoming Races

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Such a good answer. Um, I thank you so much. I told you this would be a quick one. Uh, just wanted to just get some quotes from you for for Mammood and uh yeah, appreciate your time and wishing you the best of luck. Hope I see you. Are you gonna be around in August or are you gonna be in the T Time? Are you gonna be? Oh, you'll be around. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 8:11

Yeah, you should definitely, absolutely hit me up. I'll be I'll be there. I'll come back from I'm raising a sky race in Norway um kind of mid August, and then I'll be back home and I'll be home until potentially Pikes Peak. Um uh if that's the plan right now. So we'll see.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Sweet, sweet. Well, we will be in touch. Thank you so much, Andy. Yeah, thank you so much. You too.

Foot Care, Insoles, Socks, And Discounts

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Guys, how's your feet? Like, seriously, uh how's uh how are your feet doing? Um I'm sure if you're listening to this, you're a runner or an athlete of some kind, uh, in one way or another. And as most athletes do, everybody struggles with injury one way or another, and foot care is like one of the most important things when it comes to injury mitigation or just dealing with injuries in general. Um, everything from plantar fasciitis, peroneal issues, uh, a lot of people deal with blisters in the sport. Uh kind of the list goes on. It's a great opportunity for me to talk about our partner, Cetus US. Um, I've been partnering with them for a couple of years now, and man, the products have just gone such a long way for me as an athlete personally. Um couple months back, I'd been dealing with some peroneal issues and some planter issues on my left foot, and uh got hooked up with some of the Cetus insoles. Um, it was the trail three feet, and man, it went such a long way in helping me rehab that foot and just helped a ton. Um, on top of that, big fan of the socks and big believer in the socks as well. I use them all the time because they're amazing. Uh, but in all seriousness, I'm sure you've seen like Jim Walmsley, Hidden Hawks, and then you know, some of the best women in the sport, like Robin Lesh, um, or even on the ski side, uh Jesse Diggins rocking uh the seed as feet. And um, for me personally, it's the run in atomic comfort. I absolutely love those socks. Um, it's got reinforced protection, it's got a great grip strip to keep the sock from kind of moving within uh the shoe. It's breathable and it's got great protection, especially for technical trails for your heels and your toes. And uh above all else, it's breathable, so it's not gonna stink too bad. Uh, my wife definitely gives uh thumbs up when it comes to that. So I don't have two stinky feet or stinky socks. So if you haven't already, go online, check out CDS.us, and if you find something you like, use code SteepStuff. It's good for one use only. It's gonna get you 20% off your car and uh giving you guys the hookup. So hope you enjoy it. Check it out. CTS.us in souls and socks, they've got the best in the game.