Runner

We met up with Compex athlete, Tom Evans, a rising star in the ultrarunning world to find out how he is getting on and how Compex is helping to take him to a new level.

Compex: Tom, please tell us a little bit about yourself and what you're currently in training for.

Tom: Sure, so I've been running for the last year professionally, both ultrarunning and trail running. Currently I'm in training for the trail running World Championships representing Team GB (Tom would finish a fantastic 3rd place at the 2018 edition). 

Compex: That sounds great and best of luck for it - how did you get into the world of ultra/trail running?

Tom: I had a couple of friends who did Marathon Des Sables in 2016 and I bet them that I could finish in a higher position than they did. One thing led to another and I ended up finishing 3rd! Subsequently I've raced all over the world, most recently in Costa Rica. After that, I decided to turn full time to try and put British ultrarunning back on the map.

Tom Evans using his Compex device to fight off lactic acid.

Compex: Wow, that's quite a story and it sounds like your improving with each race. How does your Compex device help you reach a new level, and when do you use it?

Tom: After a hard day's running, the build up of lactic acid stays in the muscles. I use Compex to flush my muscles with fresh blood and oxygen that then allows me to recover faster, so that I can train harder (using the Training Recovery programme). I use Compex a lot when I'm travelling, I can use it on flights so I can keep training at my limits in order to improve and be the best athlete that I can be. 

Compex: Great, thanks for chatting to us Tom, and best of luck with the training and racing!

Compex: Hi Chantel! Great to meet up with you - please let our audience know a little bit about you and how you into your sport?

Chantel: Hi there! I was born in Pretoria and met my husband while I was still studying at Wikts Technikon and got married when I was 21. After falling pregnant, I realized I would have to do something active, so I joined the local gym and started aqua aerobics. That is where my journey started, resulting in me becoming a personal trainer, owning my own fitness company and partaking in trail running.

Compex: That's so interesting - please tell us a bit more about your entry into Trail Running?

Chantel: So my path to becoming a competitive athlete was rather different.

Until I fell pregnant, I was a full time fine artist. When my son was born we realised that my fine arts was not going to help pay the bills, resulting in a move over to the fitness industry.

My first trail race was ?the five-day, 250km Cape Odyssey run in 2007. My sister and brother-in-law inspired my entry for this race they participated in the Cape Epic mountain bike race earlier that year. There was such a vibe at the event - I just had to be part of something like that.

Compex: A five day race on your debut, geez - well done! How has Compex Muscle Stim helped you to find a competitive edge?

Chantel: I was first introduced to the Compex by the EPT recovery team when going for a Sports massage. I had also been visiting my Physio regularly for rehab on my hamstring and she was using a Compex device to treat me.

One of the owners from EPT lent me a unit leading up to the Africa X trail race. I used it daily and started finding that the heavy, inflamed sensation that I had been experiencing in my hamstring was subsiding. After that success with the device, I decided to invest in having my own and have since made use of my Compex probably 4/5 times weekly. I tend to alternate between the strength and 'reduce muscle soreness' settings, with the latter helping to flush out any lactic acid build up after strenuous training sessions. 

Compex: We're glad to hear that you've had such success with your device, thanks so much for chatting to us!

Chantel: No problem guys, thank you!

Compex: Hi Florian, great to meet you! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Florian: Hi Compex! Sure, I belong to the Compex Austria team, although I live in Germany. I come from the "flat land" around Hanover and went to study in Göttingen on the south Lower Saxony Region. There, I have worked as a teacher for English, Spanish and Sport for almost 10 years.

Compex: Great to know! What sport do you do and how did you get into it?

Florian: I'm a trail runner, where I'm originally from the classic track and field. Currently , I am only on trails and prefer to run the distances between 30 and 60 km, where I have already started several times at world championships.

Compex: Which Compex program/s do you use? 

Florian: I use the recovery and strengthening programs of Compex SP 8.0, mostly for the trunk and leg muscles. Due to the large selection of programs, I change the ones I do very frequently.

Compex: Awesome, thanks so much for sitting down with us Florian, viel glück!

Florian: Danke!

Compex: Hey there, Spiros - can you let our readers know a little bit about you?

Spiros: Hello Compex, I am from a small island in Greece called Angistri. I have studied in the UK and I have a degree in Sports and Exercise Science as well as a Masters in Sports Nutrition. For the past two years I have been working as a professional trail ultra runner. I am part of the Compex Greece team. 

Compex: What sport do you do and how did you get into it?

Spiros: The sport I am involved in is ultra running, and in particular trail ultra running which means running distances that exceed that of 42.2km in mountains and deserts. I have taken part in many 100 mile races including the toughest race in the world which is the Marathon Des Sables (256km in the Sahara desert in 7 days). I got into running as I found it’s a good way of solving life’s problems as well as getting inspiration and getting a better quality of life. My biggest achievement of my short 2 year running career is that I managed to raise £8000 for the charity "Hope for Children". 

Compex: Wow that's amazing and well done on raising that money! How does Compex Muscle Stim help you to find a competitive edge?

Spiros: Compex is my favorite gadget as I can carry it with me anywhere I want without making life hard as well as using it on the go. I mainly use it to recover after long running days in the mountains and after hard strength training sessions. Compex has the ability to shorten the recovery length which is another positive fact about Compex.  Last but not least, Compex is a great tool for increasing aerobic capacity. 

Compex: Which programme/s do you use?

Spiros: Depending on how hard my training sessions are I use the "training recovery" or "competition recovery" programs to get rid of the fatigue and relax my muscles faster and more efficiently. Another program I use is the "capilarization" which is a great alternative way to train your body. Additionally, Compex is with me at the end of a hard day with the program "Reviving & Relaxing Massage" offering me the relaxation I need. 

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