Photo of Maddie on the Te Araroa Trail NZ, Te Araroa Trail (NZ)
Te Araroa Trail (NZ)
Tom and Maddie, attempting to set a new Fastest Known Time for the 3000km route stretching from Cape Reinga in the north of New Zealand to Bluff in the south, have made it!
They have just finished the 3000km trail in 54 days and 14 hours. Pending verification, this is a new self-supported Fastest Known Time. Maddie is also the fastest female to have ever completed the Te Araroa Trail, beating the previous female supported record.
They maintained a pace of approximately 55km per day for the 54 days!
From a quick post completion exchange with Maddie, "We had a big 150km push at the end with 4 hours of sleep. We finished strong at 2am in high spirits. We were very grateful that we only had 3 small blisters over the entire trail between the two of us. ArmaSkin socks played a crucial role in keeping our feet healthy and happy."
And we at ArmaSkin are happy to have helped Maddie and Tom achieve a fabulous feat, with happy feet!
Marathon des Sables
Hey! If this image is familiar to you, maybe you've entered the 38th Marathon des Sables (French for Marathon of the Sands). If so we'd love to hear from you (ian@armaskin.com). And you may bump into Lindsey Ebbs who is an ArmaSkin reseller in the UK. She is volunteering at the medical centre this year.
The 38th MARATHON DES SABLES THE LEGENDARY is organized by ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE (“AOI”) and will take place from the 12th to 22nd of April 2024 in southern Morocco. This 38th annual event will take place under the aegis of the MOROCCAN MINISTRY OF TOURISM and will bring around 1000 participants.
The MDS is a one-week sporting adventure that combines the discovery of the country, meeting new people and challenging yourself to a serious hiking adventure.
The program: after spending 1 or 2 nights in a hotel, you will go to the desert for 4 days of walking/running and 3 or 4 nights in bivouac.
The MDS exists in different formats: 70, 100 or 120km - spread over 3 stages, as follows:
- Stage 1 : 25km
- Stage 2 : 20, 40 or 60km
- Rest day
- Stage 3: 25km
The difference between the formats is in step 2, where, depending on your form, you can choose between 3 distances.
MDS is designed to be accessible to everyone. Whether you're a runner or a walker, you'll find what you're looking for at MDS:
- Possibility to run or walk any distance
- Wide time barriers: Minimum speed allowed 3,5km/h
- Average pace in MDS: 5,5km/h
- 52% women
- Average age: 42 years old
- 98% of finishers
The MDS can be done at your own pace: whether you sign up for the rankings or want to enjoy the adventure while walking, it's possible.
Bigfoot in the Wilde
It was great to see ArmaSkin fan Kieara appear in our media feed recently. Kieara is renowned for her free spirited artwork featuring aspects of nature and the outdoors including her favourite character Bigfoot..
Kieara, "Society tells us to be tame, calm and contained. Nature tells us to be wild, free, to change and grow.
I have spent most of my life not knowing who or what I am. Trying to fit in the mould presented to me. Frustrated with my inability to be content with the appropriate options. Not realizing that I can make my own, that I can create my wild, that I don't have to cut away the pieces of myself that society finds unacceptable. I can be wholly, unapologetically me.
I'm an artist. I want my art to reflect nature, to give back to our earth, to spark conversations about change and growth, and to inspire others to create their own wild. That is what Creating Her Wilde is about."
You can follow Kierara's art journey on @creatingherwilde on Instagram.
Recent ArmaSkin blog posts:
1) Energy Bars to fuel your adventures
In this article, we explore how to produce energy bars with the best selection of ingredients in terms of energy and calories. Additionally, we will learn how to bake granola bars both at home and in the great outdoors. Read the blog here.
2) Choosing the Right Socks for Hiking with ArmaSkin Liners
As outdoor enthusiasts, we understand the importance of comfortable and blister-free feet during hikes. ArmaSkin liner socks are a fantastic choice for blister prevention, but what about the outer socks you pair them with? In this article, we’ll explore the best sock options to complement your ArmaSkin liners. Read the blog here.
The very last OxFam Trailwalker! Melbourne.
ArmaSkin is pleased to be a supporter of Team Chicken Feet.
The Team led by Eugene is back for the last and final Trailwalker with Oxfam in Melbourne!
Please keep an eye out for the training Chicken Feet team in the Melbourne hills. Gentle giants of the forest and distinctive bright red hiking poles should help you identify them.
Eugene has selected the toe socks for his journey and provided us with a comparison photo of the taping approach he had used in the past versus the ArmaSkin toe socks. The time saving as well as the ease of removal are additional advantages to the blister prevention of ArmaSkin.
If you'd like to do some armchair supporting for Oxfam and Team Chicken Feet, here's a link to their official donation page.
https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/t/chicken-feet
Over the year's ArmaSkin has helped many get through the challenging 100km in 48 hours without blisters. If you have signed up, drop us a line including your Team's registered name and we will give your team a super discount to support your journey.
Walk for Wiggly Eyes (Mt Barney National Park Qld Aust.)
ArmaSkin Ambassador Mikey is training hard for his upcoming Croatian Long Distance Trail. Here he has caught a great pic of Mount May while hiking through the Mount Barney National Park.
Mikey, "We go again in 75 days!!!" 10th May 2024 sees the start of Mikey's 2,200km+ hike, walking the full length of the Croatian Long Distance Trail. Once again, all in effort to raise awareness and donations for the eye condition nystagmus.
Gift of Sight are working on a proof-of-concept study that will allow scientists to open up a field of research enabling them to diagnose more patients and most importantly, to potentially discover new medical treatments. I am aiming to raise £5,000 to pay for the drug panels involved in this research. And, hoping that I can surpass that, my next target will be to raise £10k to pay for the cell lines and testing as well as the panels. From this testing they will be able to improve genetic diagnosis in order to help patients and families know who else in the family may get nystagmus. It is also necessary for patients to understand from a young age what their vision is going to be like throughout life, to identify disorders which already have established treatments and to discover new therapies for nystagmus.
To follow the Walk for Wiggly Eyes' social medias that Mikey mentions, for all past and upcoming adventures/challenges:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Walk-for-Wiggly-Eyes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walk_for_wiggly_eyes/
YouTube Channel: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZsSfNCOQ7SGSet8N-qXzp6USeMpn-zEN
Gift of Sight:: https://www.giftofsight.org.uk/
ArmaSkin Customer Satisfaction Survey 2024
If you are a customer of ArmaSkin who made a purchase in 2023 we will soon be seeking your feedback on how ArmaSkin performed for you. We only canvas relatively recent purchasers to enable us to establish a trend over time..
We issue Customer Satisfaction Surveys each year to gauge the level of customer satisfaction for which we have a long term target of reaching 100% Satisfaction. We also canvas other issues such as distances being travelled in ArmaSkin and this year we will be seeking feedback on whether customers are satisfied with the sizing information we provide. Of late we have heard from a few people (and ChatGPT!) suggesting that you should consider upsizing. As most ArmaSkin wearers know they are meant to be a tight fit, but if we need to modify slightly our sizing we will do so.
Whether you are responding to the Survey or not, we always welcome your feedback on the performance of ArmaSkin.
Plans for 2024?
AND, if you have big plans for 2024, how about dropping us a line telling us what you are doing (email ian@armaskin.com).
We'd love to be able to share your journey with the ArmaSkin community.
Notice of Price Increase
Just a reminder........
It is not something we like doing, and in fact haven't done so since January 2019.
But, we need to advise that as of 1st March 2024 the Recommended Retail Price of ArmaSkin liner socks will be increasing to $49AUD per pair from our
Australian website shop.
So if you wish to beat the rise now is the time to visit our store. And, of course, use the reader's discount code below.
DO YOU WANT TO BE A WINNER?
MONTHLY opportunity to win FREE ArmaSkin -
please share your picture stories with us.
Attention ArmaSkin fans! Your stories and adventures are what make our products shine, and we want to hear from you! Share your experiences wearing ArmaSkin and you could win your very own pair of ArmaSkin liner socks!
Since Instagram have recently made it a bit more difficult to search for #ArmaSkin to enter please email ian@armaskin.com with a picture of you on the move with an ArmaSkin product and a short comment about the picture. If your picture is featured in an upcoming edition of ArmaSkin News, you'll win the monthly prize!
This month's winner was Kieara who gave ArmaSkin a shout out on her Instagram page.
Don't miss your chance to show off your ArmaSkin gear and score this wonderful prize. So what are you waiting for? Get snapping and share your ArmaSkin story now!
Our mailing address is: sales@armaskin.com