Icebreaker - Pure Merino

What a week we had. All 15 members of Team CatWalk made it safely round the NYC marathon and lived to tell the tale! To come all the way from New Zealand to participate in the world’s greatest marathon was an amazing experience and boy, does New York know how to host a party?! What an incredible atmostphere – the spectators, the bands, the food, the flags; just amazing.

Our sponsored Icebreaker gear was such an awesome treat too. To get logoed running tees (Rush Crewe for women and Ace Crewe for men) and a hoodie (GT260 Quantum Hood) really cemented the Team, we could spot each other in the hotel (even if not on the road with 47,000 other runners!) and they are so warm – essential in a New York winter! We were really proud to be showcasing fantastic NZ merino quality clothing on the international stage.

Of course New Yorkers know all about Icebreaker because of the phenomenal TouchLab store there. As we discovered on our second night in NYC, it’s also a great place for a party! We had a great night meeting other like minded runners and getting excited about the big event. The cute ‘Ram’ mascot was an added bonus to the evening!

Running a marathon for a worthy cause combines a trip to one of the greatest cities in the world with a ‘bucket list’ tick and a high feel good factor for the Team CatWalk members. Knowing a world class company like Icebreaker is also supporting us gives us that bit more energy to keep going when we are wondering what we signed ourselves up for. We will get spinal cord injured people out of wheelchairs and back on their feet, and Icebreaker will have helped. Everyone’s a winner (except possibly the odd toenail!)

www.catwalk.org.nz

Nicola Holmwood, Team Manager for Team CatWalk 2011

We are “bagging synthetics” this week!

Bring your synthetic t-shirt into Paragon Sports flagship store on 18th and Broadway (New York City, USA) from Monday 5th October and a live seamstress sitting in the store window will turn it into a reusable running shoe bag for free!

New York Marathoners and aspiring marathoners will also receive 26.2% off their Icebreaker GT purchase and a free pair of Icebreaker socks (from October 5th to 12th).

Synthetic tops make great plastic bags – but aren’t great to run in. They stink after a run, feel unnatural, and are made from oil.

Our apparel is the natural alternative to synthetics – it feels better, doesn’t hold odor, is better for the environment and is biodegradable. Because you can run in Icebreaker for weeks without washing it, energy costs are reduced and less detergents are put into the environment.

Here are the details for the event:

Monday, October 5 to Monday, October 12
11 am – 7 pm
Paragon Sports
867 Broadway at 18th Street, NYC

See you there!

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