The Godzone Adventure race in Queenstown is a 5 day non stop adventure race that put our gear to the ultimate test. Completing a race is not just about going the distance it is also about being prepared for the conditions and having the right gear. The following top 5 items of Macpac clothing stood out for us in our last race.
Torlesse gaitors
These gaitors were strong enough to protect our legs from the sharp Spanaird grass and Matagouri bushes found in the NZ high country but not too stiff or heavy to be cumbersome or cause chafing. They were also invaluable for keeping scree and rocks out of our shoes in river crossings or scree descents.
Macpac Merino long sleeve and short sleeve
We can't rave enough about the Mapcac merino range. It is a real comfort item - we know whatever the conditions are, we will be fine if we have merino next to our skin. In places like the South Island where the weather can turn cold at the drop of a hat and once you stop you tend to chill quickly, a layer of merino is a must.
The Traverse Jacket
Once again this jacket performed to a high standard. Even though we didn't encounter any rain during the race we often put these jackets on at night. The beauty of these jackets is that completely cut out the windchill and they are highly breathable and dont sweat even when working at high intensity.
The Rapid Tee
These shirts are perfect for the warm conditions we experienced during the race. The fabric is soft and comfortable, they are fast drying and the collar prevents chafing on the neck from running with heavy packs. They come in a variety of colours
The Pulsar Primaloft Jacket
These jackets were awesome for keeping us warm in transitions. During the race we took them on the high alpine legs for extra warmth and protection and pre and post race actvities.
Rockover shorts
We lived in our rockover shorts during trek legs. They were prefect for trekking long distances. They are loose fitting, fast drying and extremely comfortable.With the change in weather and the onset of summer comes a change in the type of gear we use. The Macpac GOT current top favourites are:
Macpac fast track shorts
These comfy shorts are great for trekking. They dry at the speed of light and are perfect for South Island conditions. On a recent trip I did we crossed river after river. My shorts were dry before I knew it. They also have two zip pockets great fro storing things in.
Macpac Litespeed Jacket
This little gem is brilliant - it is windproof and showerproof, so ideal for the spring weather we've been having. When the temperature is 8 degrees at the start of your morning ride or run, it protects you from the early cool air but when the temperature begins to rise and it comes time to shed a layer this jacket is a real winner. It weighs nothing, packs down to nothing and tucks away easily into your pocket or backpack It also has a nifty little zip pocket that is perfect for a credit card or cash for coffee, or an ipod. The jacket is fitted so is ideal for either running or riding as it doesn't flap around. Don't leave home without it.
Macpac Velo Vest
This is made of the same fabric as the litespeed jacket and gives you the security of having a warm core. It is windproof at the front but has a mesh back to allow for ventalitation. It also has a zip pocket for essential items and reflective trim and logos for nighttime visibility. It can be worn with a lightweight short sleeve or long sleeve merino and just like the litespeed and is perfect for running, trekking or biking. Once you've worn this little baby you won't want to take it off.
Montrail Masochist Shoes
These are my favourite shoes ever. They are lightweight and great for long distance off-road treks and trail running. They are well padded in the heel and forefoot and protect your feet when carrying a heavy pack. The soles are hard wearing and grippy as in the mud which is perfect in Auckland's muddy bush tracks.
Gu Gels and Chomps
Gu Gels and chomps can be the difference between success and failure in adventure and multisport races. As we all know if the body doesn't get fuel it doesn't go or it works well below capacity. Gu Gels are perfect in either short hard out races or long five day endurance races. Gu comes in heaps of flavours and the roctane or 2x caffine gels are perfect when trying to stay awake during an expedition race or when you need a pick up or boost of energy to get you through a difficult time or up a big hill.
Macpac AMP 12 hour - this is the perfect day running pack. Not only is it as comfy as, but it also has more features than you can poke a stick at. It is roomy enough to fit a bladder and dry bag with basic emergency kit, and has good sized pockets on the hip strap for food and gels. It is lightweight and fits snuggly on your back. The small internal zip pocket is perfect for keys, or cash or other essential items. It also comes with a whistle on the chest strap clip.
Winter picks - Macpac Gear
I have discovered after years of training through the winter months that it is sooooo much easier and more enjoyable if you have the right gear. This winter I have identified my two favourite macpac items of clothing.
The first is the traverse jacket. this jacket is awesome for walking, running, or cycling. it is lightweight yet sturdy enough to protect you in a heavy downpour or in a brisk southerly. it is also breathable, wind and waterproof. It is designed with chicks in mind and fits snugly so you don’t have all that flapping in the wind going on as you scream downhill on your bike. I have worn it every training session since getting it and never leave the house without it. Initially I was sceptical about the lack of pit zips but the event fabric is so breathable pit zips are redundant.
The second item is the macpac range of merino tops pants and underwear. These are my saviour this winter and i find myself looking forward to getting out training so i can wear them. They are so comfortable and soft you hardly know you have them on. they also keep you warm and snug in wet conditions. another major bonus is that merino wool is odour resistant so you smell as fresh as a daisy no matter how hard or long your training session has been. this is great when you decide to stop for coffee in a cafe after training.i have both short and long sleeved tops with and without zips and find that any combination of these keep me warm in any conditions - even in rotorua!! These are well worth getting and will keep you snug as a bug in a rug. the merino range is massive giving you heaps of choice. the beanies are heaven - light weight and comfortable - and pretty stylish too. (Debbie Chambers)
The Measure Of A Woman’s Pack...
How good a pack is for adventure racing is not determined when you put it on for 5 minutes and parade around a shop. It’s when you’ve been trekking up a rocky, rough, rugged stream for over 5 hours. You’re hungry, starting to get tired, and you’ve fallen over a few times in the water and are sopping wet.
The Macpac AMP 25 or 40 litre packs are made for adventure racing.
The 25 litre is perfect for a shorter 6 hour race, right up to 48 hours , and it makes a great day pack as well. The 40 litre is better for multi-day races such as the Godzone or XPD. You can easily get in all the essential gear and there’s lots of room and bungies for taking or strapping on extra gear. And best of all they are both really light-weight and comfortable with lots of padding and adjusting straps.
The pockets are tailor made for stashing everything important. The two side pockets are deep and robust and can handle food or a drink bottle, with easy access while you are trekking or biking. There’s also a front mesh pocket, and these and side pockets can be tightened to make sure gear is secure. There is also an outside and inside top zip pocket, as well as two large pockets on front of the waist belt. The waist belt pockets are great for equipment and emergency supplies that you need quick access to such as gels, pencils and No Doze!
Other great features of the Macpac AMP packs include holes for quick draining (when you are falling over in streams), tough material on bottom (for when you slide down rocks), and a decent clip for holding your CamelBak in place to make sure you can always get lots of fluid. It comes in orange and black but we find the orange ones great to ensure visibility when you have to go along main roads and through hunting areas.
The Macpac AMP 25 and 40 are practical, hard wearing and comfortable piece of adventure racing kit I wouldn’t be without. No compromises. (Erin Roberts)
The MACPAC SIDETRACK SHIRT
Before heading to race in the 700km XPD adventure race in Cairns in June this year my team Girls on Top visited the store of our key sponsor Macpac. We were on a mission to find gear that would keep us cool during the day, warm at night, was quick drying, hard wearing and offered good protection from the sun. Being an all-girls team we also had to tick the fashion boxes of colour and style. We were in luck! The Macpac Sidetrack shirt was right there on the rack saying, pick me, pick me.
The initial appeal of the shirt for us was the feminine colours – pale pink, blue and cream. But there were lots of other things that made our decision easy. Not only is the shirt lightweight and soft and silky against the skin,which eliminates chafing, but it is also an extremely high tech fabric that is quick drying and odour free.
The Sidetrack shirt comes in both long and short sleeves – we chose the long-sleeved version for extra sun protection in the day and warmth at night but we also had the flexibility of rolling and buttoning the sleeves up to make them into tidy short sleeves as well. The collar also offers good sun protection for the neck which is a must when you are spending all day out in the sun.
During the race even though we were a little warm at times with our race bibs over the top this was easily remedied by undoing the buttons on the shirt, allowing it to gape open and let the breeze flow through. We wore these shirts for 7 out of the 9 days we were racing – once we put them on, they never came off. They were perfect for the conditions we experienced and performed faultlessly in every leg of our event, which included trekking, mountain biking and kayaking.
I would highly recommend these shirts for anyone heading off to warmer climes for an active holiday. They are very functional when out in the wilderness but also double as a nice fitting casual shirt too.
Anne Lowerson – Team Navigator
Clothing picks for winter by Debbie Chambers
earlier this year the got adventure racing team was lucky enough to secure gear sponsorship from macpac. what a godsend this gear has been. I have discovered after years of training through the winter months that it is sooooo much easier and more enjoyable if you have the right gear. This winter i have identified my two favourite macpac items of clothing.
the first is the traverse jacket. this jacket is awesome for walking, running, or cycling. it is lightweight yet sturdy enough to protect you in a heavy downpour or in a brisk southerly. it is also breathable, wind and waterproof. it is designed with chicks in mind and fits snugly so you don’t have all that flapping in the wind going on as you scream downhill on your bike. i have worn it every training session since getting it and never leave the house without it. initially i was sceptical about the lack of pit zips but the event fabric is so breathable pit zips are redundant.
The second item is the macpac range of merino tops pants and underwear . These are my saviour this winter and i find myself looking forward to getting out training so i can wear them. They are so comfortable and soft you hardly know you have them on. they also keep you warm and snug in wet conditions. another major bonus is that merino wool is odour resistant so you smell as fresh as a daisy no matter how hard or long your training session has been. this is great when you decide to stop for coffee in a cafe after training.i have both short and long sleeved tops with and without zips and find that any combination of these keep me warm in any conditions - even in rotorua!! These are well worth getting and will keep you snug as a bug in a rug. the merino range is massive giving you heaps of choice. the beanies are heaven - light weight and comfortable - and pretty stylish too.
Check out the macpac range and deals www.macpac.co.nz
The Measure Of A Woman’s Pack...
How good a pack is for adventure racing is not determined when you put it on for 5 minutes and parade around a shop. It’s when you’ve been trekking up a rocky, rough, rugged stream for over 5 hours. You’re hungry, starting to get tired, and you’ve fallen over a few times in the water and are sopping wet.
The MACPAC AMP 25 is a pack made for adventure racing.
It’s size is perfect for a shorter 6 hour race, right up to 48 hours , and it makes a great day pack as well. You can easily get in all the essential gear and there’s lots of room and bungies for taking or strapping on extra gear. And best of all it’s really light-weight and comfortable with lots of padding and adjusting straps.
The pockets are tailor made for stashing everything important. The two side pockets are deep and robust and can handle food or a drink bottle, with easy access while you are trekking or biking. There’s also a front mesh pocket, and these and side pockets can be tightened to make sure gear is secure. There is also an outside and inside top zip pocket, as well as two large pockets on front of the waist belt. The waist belt pockets are great for equipment and emergency supplies that you need quick access to such as gels, pencils and No Doze!
Other great features of the MACPAC AMP 25 include holes for quick draining (when you are falling over in streams), tough material on bottom (for when you slide down rocks), and a decent clip for holding your CamelBak in place to make sure you can always get lots of fluid. It comes in orange and black but we find the orange ones great to ensure visibility when you have to go along main roads and through hunting areas.
The MACPAC AMP 25 is a practical and comfortable piece of adventure racing kit I wouldn’t be without. No compromises.
by Erin Roberts
Seats for Bikes
Hi....Girlies,
Vanessa here - keen GOTer and owner of Kiwivelo bike shop in Takapuna (also online at kiwivelo.co.nz for out-of-towners). I have a little bit of experience in this area so I thought I would share my thoughts with you.
Saddles - yes, they can be a pain in the butt if it's not one that suits you.
I have a few recommendations that I have trialed and really liked (I have tried many, many seats and have narrowed it down to a few)The one I am riding now (for the last week) is a Selle Italia Diva and I'm enjoying that at the moment.
Similar in style and shape which I also like is the San Marco Arami (there is also a San Marco Atola which has a shorter nose then the Arami) Selle Italia XO is also a nice comfortable saddle too but not quite as racey looking (or expensive!) as the Diva
or Arami.
I have found the key to picking a comfortable seat (for me) is one with a cut-out (although this is not for everyone)and one that is not too wide....I laugh to myself when I write this as its a common misconception (mainly by men!) that if you have a wide butt you need a wide seat to go with it! This is far from true.
If you put a wide seat on and you pull yourself into a lower position to get a bit of speed cranking you may notice that the rather wide seat ends up digging into the back of your leg and restricts your pedal rotation. I tried one "women's" race seat which was pink and wide (hence a women's seat!) and found after 30min both my legs and butt had gone numb because my pedaling was restricted....never again.
As a guide go for a normal looking width saddle (not the arm chair sized one!) like the guy's one or maybe a weeny bit wider. And if you get a cut-out seat check the hole looks like it will be relieving pressure in the right spot (if you know what I mean!)
A couple of key things that are not related to the seat but recruial for butt comfort is your bike set up and your shorts. If you are too high, too far forward, too far back in your seat position any seat is going to feel awful. Get yourself a bike fit (especially if you are buying a new saddle at the same time) from someone that has experience in road/MTB cycling.... it's always good to get advice off someone who actually knows what your talking about!
For shorts or bib shorts, spend as much money as you can afford on them! You're better off buying one nice pair and having to wash them all the time then having two average pairs that still give you grief.
My fav's and the fav's of all the women that have purchased them from Kiwivelo... are the Sugoi RS Women's Shorts (and 3/4's).
They are heaven!
I hope this has given you a bit of insight into getting a more comfortable butt!
To help the GOT club out, if you come into Kiwivelo I will organise a FREE bike fit for you and give you a 10% discount off any seat, shorts or accessories you purchase. (Just print off this page) We have capable staff in-store - all with years of riding experience. However, if you are having some issues with your seats, give the shop a call to organise a time when I can have a chat with you (sometimes boys just don't understand!)
Speed lever - the ultimate tire changing tool
Oh my god, i have just found the most amazing little tool that a biking women could ever want! - the "speed lever". This cool little tool goes under the rim of your flat tire, the other end clips on to the axle of the wheel, then you simply slide your tool around the outside of the tire and the rim pops off!... then you take the tube out and reverse the direction and the rim pops back on!.
Its awesome, no need to get grease on your hands or break a nail - this is the shizzle!. I got mine from Hedgehog bikes, barrys point rd, takapuna. They cost less than $20, weigh a measly 31 grams ( about the same as a lippy), is slightly bigger than a pen. You got to get one of these! Check your local bike shop!
Techy: speed lever - made by crank brothers, single telescoping tire lever that removes and installs cycling tires.
Polar Weight Management Heart Rate Monitor WM41 By Linda Gibbens
I've been lucky enough recently to test drive the latest Polar Weight Management product. I can't say I'm any lighter since strapping the unit on my wrist...but I'm not any heavier either, undoubtedly due (thanks to the this excellent tool) to knowing exactly how many calories of chocolate I could consume in order to maintain my weight!
This sophisticated little unit not only performs the usual tricks of a standard heart rate monitor, for example recording and displaying your heart rate during exercise and letting you know what 'zone' you're in and for how long, it also
monitors and records the number of calories you're burning up during a session. And, using data previously entered by you, the unit keeps a 'diary', calculating over a period of weeks whether you're on track to reach your target weight.
For anyone who is interested in weight management this product is a must. It takes guesswork out of the equation and comes with an easy-to-follow manual containing full step by step instructions on using the unit to achieve your weight loss target. This is done by monitoring calories in and calories out, regularly entering your current weight, and weekly updates in your diary of how you're going. It also tells you straight away if you're not going to achieve your target and it's time to go back to the drawing board!
Even if your goal isn't weight loss this is a fantastic and informative way to get to know your body and to assess your nutritional needs accurately. Personally I found it fascinating to know how many calories I was using up on a slow Sunday morning road ride or an epic 2 hour off-road run. (Over 1800 calories for the latter - no wonder I was ravenous afterwards!) I was able to
fuel up before sessions and eat for recovery afterwards knowing that I was replacing what I'd used rather than adding to my reserves!
For more information and online support on what this amazing Polar product can do visit www.polarheart.co.nz and click on 'Weight Management' or contact milinag@britwyn.co.nz for your nearest stockist.
Pearl Izumi Cycle Shorts - 3D microsensor & Tri short
Just tried out the best shorts I've ever ridden in! Having experienced some rather "unpleasant" rides in running shorts,
baggies and then finally getting the courage to put on lycra I can honestly say "once you go Pearl, you'll never go back!".
These shorts are awesome!. I tried them out on my first multisport race - the Moehau Man which involved around 125kms of kayaking mountian biking, running and then more mountain biking. Now I know you aren't supposed to use new gear the day of a race but I was sick of my thighs chaffing from shorts riding up and also the "camel" look wasn't the most attractive when you are trying to smile as someone sticks a camera in your face!
The Pearl Izumi 3Dmicro sensor shorts have a really nicely tapered shammy - which allows plenty of padding around your butt without the sanitary pad feeling!. Both shorts are cut really nicely and have mutiple panels - allowing a much nicer fit and giving the short enhanced movement when you are riding. Both of the shorts have elastic leg tape which grips to you and stops the short riding up but doesn't give you the too tight feeling that your legs are too big in the thighs and the circulation will soon stop not long after your gasping for breath up the hills.
The Pearl Izumi tri short has a much smaller chamois that is purpose built for running and biking in - the leg length is also shorter which i found was the most comfy to run in - never once did i have to "pluck the camel" which was much more astethically pleasing!. I also liked the fact that the tri short was cut lower in the front - alot more comfy when youre leaning over on the bike for sure. All the stiching on the pants is really nicely finished - creating flat seams so there is no "bumpy edges" so create saddle sores from.
I have run in the tri-shorts since and found them great with water - they dry really quickly and seem to be washing up really well.
Definately worth the investment of a decent pair of cycle shorts and are nicely flattering as well!.
 
3D Microsensor Short Tri short
for your nearest stockist contact Sally - marketing@allsportsgear.co.nz
Coming soon! If you have something you want reviewed let me know.. we have a pool of ladies keen to help you!
contact debbie at adventureracingauckland@yahoo.co.nz
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