Sock Spotlight: Swiftwick
While we stand behind the quality of all the socks we carry at Terra, ask each member of our team their favorite sock, and you'll get a different answer. Come at the right time and you might overhear Brittany making fun of Asher for wearing tie-dye socks or me for dressing like I'm about to mow my front lawn in the 70s.
My favorite brand we carry is Swiftwick. They're based out of Franklin, TN, but they produce many of their socks right here in Cleveland! All their socks are made in the USA, and they emphasize sustainable production.
Aspire Four in Grey/Stripe
The main reason I love Swiftwick is their versatility! They have multiple styles with different purposes. The Aspire line is lightweight and fitted; the Pursuit line, built for trails, is made from merino wool; and the Maxus line has extra padding for long efforts.
And to make things easy, they label their different sock heights by numbers referring to the inches the sock rises above the ankle. The Zero is a no-show, the One is low-cut, the Two quarter, and so on, all the way up to Twelve, a full calf compression sock! The Four is my favorite height, fitting like a mini crew sock. It works for the trail, the road, biking, and any other sport. I wear the Pursuit in cold weather, and the Aspire in warm weather.
As far as performance, I am yet to find any sock that wicks sweat as well as Swiftwick! They use a special fiber called olefin, which is highly breathable and durable. I have socks from Swiftwick that are eight years old and show no sign of wearing out soon.
Come to Terra and check out our selection! We have multiple cuff heights, including some Great Smoky Mountain themed crew socks.
My Favorite Things About Race Timing
Thinking about a fundraiser for your organization or club? Love running races and always dreamed of putting on your own? In addition to our retail store, Terra Running Company has been hired by organizations to time races for over 5 years now. We have timed 5k’s to marathon’s, trail races, kids fun runs, mountain bike races, and cross country races. We use state of the art race timing hardware and software to make sure race results are quick, accurate, and easily accessible to participants. Race timing is a unique part of our business and here are some of my favorite things about race timing:
All the people we’ve met! The opportunity to work with people I would never have been able to otherwise is always a great experience. We work with nonprofits, schools, churches, golf clubs, women’s groups, and small businesses.
The places that race timing has taken us! I have been able to time races on pumpkin farms, in the mountains, in towns in Alabama I have previously never heard of, and in every Cleveland park. I loved sneaking away during the 50 mile mountain bike race at Lula Lake to find the famous waterfall, and meeting the barn carts at the pumpkin farm in Athens. Actually spending a day at the race site is always an adventure.
Seeing runners accomplish their goals! It is a unique perspective to be at the finish line of a running race. It is an experience to see the supporters anxiously waiting for their runner to finish, the families who cross the line together, and seeing the emotion on the face of runners at the end.
If you are interested in learning more about putting on a race or having Terra Running Company time your race, email me at Brittany@TerraRunning.com. Over the past 5 years, we have found that having your race professionally chip timed shows potential sponsors that you are serious about putting on a quality event. Using Terra Running Company as your timer gives potential participants the confidence that their efforts will be taken seriously with reliable and timely results.
Brittany Selected as 2021 Community First Honoree
Every year Cleveland State Community College presents the Community First Awards to honor individuals from the region for the ways that they have supported and served the local community. This year, our very own Brittany Katz was selected as an Honoree in Philanthropy!
If you have been around Cleveland for a while, Terra owner Brittany Katz is no stranger to you. A board member of MainStreet Cleveland, the Chamber of Commerce, and currently the “Sargent in Arms” for Cleveland’s Rotary Club, Brittany has been an active member of the Cleveland community since she moved here in 2016. Though she has been creatively using Terra and her other venture Cleveland Coffee & Market, to support the community from the very beginning, after the difficulties of this past year, she wanted to give back in a more direct way. Out of this desire, Brittany, along with friend and owner of Carroll Printing Andrea Boddeker, started what they call “The Small Biz Give.” Each month a portion of proceeds and physical goods from their businesses — Terra Running Company, Cleveland Coffee & Market, and Carroll Printing — are donated to a local non-profit. Already this year, thousands of dollars have been donated locally through The Small Biz Give.
“2020 was the most uncertain year we have ever had. Small businesses rely heavily on the local community and we wanted to support the people who have supported us. The Small Biz Give is another way to include customers in supporting their community as well as helping them understand the difference between us and a big box store… when you buy local you support friends and neighbors, you provide local jobs.”
Beyond The Small Biz Give, Brittany and her crew at Terra Running and Cleveland Coffee & Market have been finding ways to rally around the community since the beginning of 2020’s troubles.
“We started by fundraising with the I Believe in Cleveland shirts to benefit those affected by the tornado last April. We also collected donations from customers to help bring hundreds of coffees to healthcare workers at Tennova. We help local artisans sell their goods [through Cleveland Coffee & Market] and, of course, we always use as many local businesses as possible for all of our own business needs; if we are going to spend money we are going to spend it here.”
Though the Community First Awards happen every year, for 2021, the selection committee focused specifically on individuals who put the community first despite the pandemic and all of its challenges. With this in mind, Brittany was selected by the committee as an Honoree in Philanthropy for how she has served the community with generosity and grit even in the face of her own businesses' challenges. In the words of the committee, “Everything she does puts the community first.”
Congratulations Brittany and a big THANK YOU for all the ways that you serve our community!