TESTIMONIAL FROM DOUG STEWART , XTRI WORLD TOUR ATHLETE AND 2019 UTMB COMPETITOR

 

 

"At the inaugural Swedeman Xtreme Triathlon in August 2018 I had the pleasure of meeting Jim and using the Qilta calf sleeves and socks post-race. I was immediately impressed by the cooling sensation and how good my lower legs and feet felt the day after the race. This was a real relief as I had a mountainous ultra-marathon two weeks after the Swedeman, so fast recovery was essential. I was so impressed by the results that as I have begun ramping up my training for Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc this year, I contacted Jim about utilising Qiltas to help aid and speed up my recovery. 

Jim kindly provided me with some Qilta socks to use and updated me on the developments with the product, namely using in advance of hard training/racing as well as post.

 

I had the pleasure of using Qilta for 3 consecutive weeks and put them through a variety of different tests to see how the product worked for me. 

Test 1:

The first weekend I used them was for a 5hr training run - involving a significant amount of climbing and descending on technical terrain.

I wore the Qiltas on Friday and Saturday evening, completed my long run on Sunday and wore another pair after this run. The Monday morning my lower legs and feet felt 100% and I was able to go into another hard week of training. 

Test 2:

The second test involved me running back to back long runs on consecutive days. I wore the Qiltas on the night before Day 1 and then after each day. Day one was 34km with over 3,000m of ascent on technical terrain. Day 2 was 41km with 3,000m of ascent, again on difficult rocky terrain. 

As with the first test I was extremely impressed by the Qiltas and their effect on my feet and lower limbs. The two days had involved some very steep prolonged ascents and I expected my Achilles tendons and calves to be sore, along with some foot pain due to the technical and unforgiving nature of the terrain. However, once again I was able to go straight into another hard training week. 

Test 3:

This involved cycling and running, namely up and down the famous Mont Ventoux in France. Day 1 involved running 46km up and down the mountain, and the second day involved cycling up the mountain - a 21km long uphill cycle.

After the run I was feeling extremely fatigued, this was the 3rd hard week of training (over 100km of running with 5,000m of ascent for the preceding two weeks) and my legs were aching. 

I used the Qiltas that evening and immediately felt the cooling sensation which was extremely welcome. The next day I went to climb the mountain on the bike and my quadriceps were hurting. I found myself having to stand out of the saddle a lot more than I normally do when cycling and make use of my calf muscles a lot more, which were feeling fresh. I successfully climbed the mountain and then on return home used my final pair of Qiltas to aid my recovery.  

Overall, I have been extremely impressed by the Qiltas and they will become a crucial part of my recovery strategy for hard training and racing going forward. The cooling sensation is extremely welcome, especially after hot days, and soothes the tired muscles. 

Another benefit I have found has been in relation to my feet. I hadn't previously focussed too much on foot recovery (I accepted they would hurt after ultramarathons, and long training runs), but the Qiltas have been a revelation in helping keep my feet pain free."