Icebreaker - Pure Merino

To be honest I was not 100% sure about racing in Icebreaker at the 2010 Motatapu challenge (New Zealand’s iconic off road marathon).  I feel the heat and have always run or raced in a lite weight top.  So like every piece of kit I have ever been given I went out and tested it and found my self a bit surprised.

I trained in the IcebreakerGT150 Short Sleeve Velocity Crewe and found that it wicked moisture away from the body, it was cool and breathable on hot days and kept me warm on cold days.  I found I could wear it 3 or 4 days in a row and it wouldn’t smell either.

On the race day the weather was a mixed bag - cold in the morning, but overcast with sunny periods for the rest of the day.  Believe it or not I wore my IcebreakerGT200 Long Sleeve Chase Crewe and felt totally comfortable for the whole race.  Over the years I have been sponsored by a number of different clothing brands and I would have to say that Icebreaker would have to be the most versatile and best product I have used to date.

- Josh Stevenson

We love this! As seen on NBC5 in Chicago.

How can you run a marathon the green way? Fleet Feet Sports shows you how. And when you upgrade your gear, you can even recycle your old sneakers with them.

This is my very public mid-life crisis. I figure if I’m going to attempt my first marathon in honour of Starship - New Zealand’s Childrens Hospital, it might as well be at the New York Marathon to be witnessed by millions of encouraging onlookers.

I’m running with my mate Vikki Maclean and it’s true we made a pact to do New York last year - and yes - after a glass of wine (or two). This my have fuelled our courage (and foolishness) but we’ve nonetheless stuck to our word.

We’ve also seen the light and have banished alcohol (well, almost) in favour of energy drinks, 5am daily wake ups to train (in the pitch black and cold) and ongoing strategising to ensure we reach the finish line. My coach Tim Morrison’s unfailingly there with stop-watch and some evil course for me to complete each morning, when my body’s just craving sleep and peace.

Luckily Lucy Lawless, our Starship Foundation ambassador and my good mate, is sometimes literally alongside us to keep the motivation going. She’s also behind us as a very generous supporter for our run - thanks Lucy.

Huge thanks also to long-time Starship sponsor, Air New Zealand, for getting Vikki and me to the USA and to Icebreaker for the very hi-tech and comfortable training gear to ensure we don’t freeze - or overheat. And I wouldn’t have got entry without the stunning help of Carole Mills, Travel Managers Ltd - a big cheers to her! And to ensure I can see where I’m running, Jeremy Wong from Ellerslie Eyecare has custom fitted me with a pair of Adidas Sports Specific Running Sunglasses to train and run in. Just the ticket as the sun’s emerging more often now.

So please visit my fundraising page. I really need your help to make it to the finish line - and reach my fundraising goal for Starship. I’m pushing myself to the limit, so appreciate anything you can do.

Many thanks for your support (& probable sympathies for my wife Jennifer, who faces a huge pile of sweaty training gear each day and puts up with an absentee husband - out on the road somewhere).

- Andrew Young, Chief Executive, Starship Foundation

The Starship Foundation is a charity set up to provide additional equipment, support and help to Starship childrens hospital patients, their families and staff - as an extra to state funding. This is only possible through the generosity of those who believe in our cause and the strength of support for Starship, one of the country’s most recognised icons which treats close to 100,000 patients each year from every town and city in New Zealand. For more information www.starship.org.nz/foundation

In March, a team of us were lucky enough to head down south to participate in and support the 2009 Icebreaker Motatapu mountain bike/marathon race.  At times, it was a pretty daunting experience (to say the least), but the awesome location with it’s mind blowing scenery ensured it was one race we wouldn’t forget in a long time.

“A call went out to our office to sign up for the iconic South Island event at Motatapu. I now had an incentive to attempt my first marathon after a lifetime’s love of beer and pizza.

The big day arrived and on a chilly March morning I was standing in line with about 500 other intrepid runners. The gun sounded and elite athletes bounded away from the start line followed by us less elite souls. Pretty soon the field had opened up along a narrow ribbon of track winding across the glorious landscape and the cold morning had given way to a bright, sunny day.

The remainder of the run was full of awesome scenery, a challenging track and an occasional wake up call from a very cold Motatapu river. During the final 2km supporters began to appear along the route. Their shouted encouragement lifted my flagging pace and it was great to see our own Icebreaker crew cheering and waving banners at the final approach.

I had actually completed a marathon and it felt fantastic. It was fun swapping stories with the team and everyone was still buzzing when we went on to celebrate that evening with beer and pizza. Back to square one? Maybe!”.

- Bill Powell, Mac operator

“For 25kms I ran and enjoyed the incredible scenery.  For another 10kms I walked, then hobbled while trying to keep my spirits up and my legs moving.  Then…..35k into it, I sat down and cried.   Everything was hurting and I had nothing left to give.  What a crap time I was having!

Then I remembered something my mum said to me when we were in Cambodia over Christmas: “Aren’t you lucky, Sarany, not to be stuck on the streets of Cambodia, begging”.  Wandering through the most beautiful landscape, running in the name of the coolest company to help unfortunate children buy food and clothes is not a crap situation to be in.

So I grabbed hold of my second wind and ran with it. That wind delivered me to the finish line in a time of 5 hours 51 minutes, where I collapsed in a heap and cried my little heart out.”

- Sarany Pan, Financial Systems Analyst

“Crossing the finish line at Motatapu was quite possibly the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had. Even though it was at least 3 hours after most of the Icebreaker team finished, it didn’t matter. For me, Motatapu was a massive achievement, having never done anything like it before. After joining Icebreaker 12 months earlier and wanting to get into the team spirit of things, I decided Motatapu was a case of ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ and I’m so glad I did.”

- Sarah O’Leary, Design Project Manager