Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Hi Icebreaker followers, this is my first blog for Icebreaker after recently teaming up with them to provide some quality endurance sportswear. Very excited about putting it to the test in the New Zealand elements.

Earlier this year I claimed victory at Challenge Wanaka in just my second time competing over the Ironman distance triathlon. I am now looking forward to a big year of racing on the professional triathlon circuits around the world.

I will keep you guys posted on how the racing goes and more importantly how the Icebreaker product is performing in training!

My international season got underway at the Bussleton 70.3 Ironman, Western Australia with a 5^th place. I now have seven podium (top 5) finishes from my last seven starts on the international 70.3 Ironman circuit.

Be sure to follow the build up on www.facebook.com/jamiewhyte.triathlete or check out my website at www.jamiewhyte.co.nz

- Jamie Whyte, Icebreaker sponsored athlete

Enjoying the moment up the finish chute in 1st at Challenge Wanaka.

I’m writing to extend a HUGE thank-you to Icebreaker!!! Without it…I would have been caught out in the cold…literally!

I just returned home from Ironman Florida where I had a major breakthrough performance.  It was a great day, and I ended up coming 2nd in my division and 7th AG overall in one of the most competitive ironman fields in North America. As a result, I won a spot for the big dance, the Kona Hawaii World Championships, next year which is very exciting!

While Icebreaker is a major component of my training gear, I never imagined that would play such a major role in my race day in Florida. It really saved the day!! We all arrived into Panama City Beach, FL and were shocked to find the temperature hovering around the freezing mark. It was cold and rainy through the whole week leading up, and race day was scheduled to be subzero and windy. Athletes panicked and huddled in their hotel rooms for warmth.

We all worried about race day. Imagine coming out of the ocean soaking wet and heading into 30 mile/hr winds going 20 mile/hr with only shorts and a t-shirt…… for 5-6 hours!! Everyone was scrambling…. what were we going to wear? Athletes flocked to the sport stores and Target to find any cold weather gear. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a pro cyclist training on his $20,000 bike fitted with disc wheels, wearing a Florida Gators sweat- suit from Wal-Mart!

Lucky for me I had packed my ICEBREAKER! I had two 150 weight long sleeves and a thicker 260 weight crew top.  Man… was I ever glad I packed them. First of all, I wore the thick crew all week at registration/ bike check-in/ mandatory race meetings. I was glad it was odour resistant because that shirt was on 24-7 for the whole week!!

When it came to picking my race kit for the big day, my coach and I had a big discussion as to what I should wear. He asked me what I would wear if I was home….I said Icebreaker. He told me to pack it! I ended up wearing a black long sleeve 150 weight Icebreaker Bodyfit under my tri-shirt all day.

It was comfortable and warm…and easy to pull over my head in transition. While other athletes froze out on the bike, I remained nice and cosy in my Icebreaker. Icebreaker has always been my favourite piece of clothing and is now my “lucky ironman” shirt!!!

Looking forward to wearing more Icebreaker training this winter.

My race plans include:

1. Sub 3 hr Spring Marathon 2011

2. Top three finish at Half Ironman Summer 2011

3. Top 10 finish in Kona Hawaii in Fall 2011

- Laura Keefe, Icebreaker Sponsored Athlete http://laurakeefe.blogspot.com/

Taking a more leisurely lead up to Coast to Coast this year, and knowing that I am only doing half, has seen me enjoy all of my training, but left me slightly under-trained for the event!

Instead of slogging away with early morning starts, lunchtime training sessions, and weekend brick sessions like last year, this year I’ve relied almost entirely on gentle lunchtime runs, the occasional ride around the bays (on nice days, heaps of those in Wellington!) and a few weekend “long” runs.

Hopefully though, my Coast to Coast training “cramming” long weekend two weeks back has set me up to get through the run and cycle in one piece!

This was how it went:
• Friday – 12k run in Christchurch – wearing my favourite Icebreaker GT 150 Dash zip
• Saturday – 100k cycle from Queenstown to Glenorchy and back – wear testing our soon-to-be-released bike shorts and the same Dash zip
• Sunday – gentle trot along the shores of lake Wakatipu – again in the same top
• Tuesday – Coast to Coast run leg – yep, still in the same Dash Zip (which I also slept in Monday night)
• Wednesday – hobble around the office… then 2 hour massage

Fingers crossed that will do the trick!

Even after all of that, my Icebreaker top was still smelling sweet!

Just ask my flatmates, who I threw it at when I got home. “Ew that’s gross” quickly turned to “oh my god, it doesn’t smell. At all!”

- Kimberley Gilmour, HR Manager, Icebreaker Head Office