Customer Highlight: HIlary Topper
Enerskin is excited to introduce our Customer Highlight series, where we interview customers who’ve tried out the new E75 line of compression gear. In this post, we interview Hilary Topper, triathlete, coach, and blogger extraordinaire! Read on to learn about her passion for triathlons and her thoughts on the E75 calf sleeve.
On How She Started Her Triathlon Journey
I was never really an athlete growing up. But in my late 40s, I said “You know what? I need to do something.”
And so I started running. My friend and I did a bunch of half marathons together, and we traveled all over the country to run.
After the Brooklyn Half Marathon, my friend said it was too much. So I looked at her and said “Why don’t we try a triathlon?”
That was about 4 years ago. We both trained, hired coaches, and did our first triathlon at Captiva Tri in Florida. It was a sprint triathlon and was so exciting! The water was so rough, but I was able to swim through. On the bike ride, I felt like I was in the Tour de France. I just had a big smile on my face.
During my second triathlon at Montauk I placed first in my age group and went to nationals the next year in Milwaukee
I started competing in triathlons when I was 51 - I’m now 56. This year I’m going to be doing my first Half Ironman.
On the side, I also teach running. I’m a Galloway coach and program director. I meet my students every Saturday and teach the Run Walk Run Method. I started an international virtual triathlon team to coach people all over the world, from the US to Spain to Australia.
On How Enerskin is Different from Other Compression Brands
A lot of triathletes wear compression sleeves, even in the water - and use them on the bike ride and during the run. I’ve tried compression with other brands and they stay wet, which can be irritating during a race.
I was seriously so impressed with Enerskin. I’ve used compression sleeves before, but these were totally different.
I knew from the minute I put them on that they were different - from the materials used to the way they stayed up to the thinness of the sleeves. They weren’t so thick like some of the other brands, which I found very thick and uncomfortable.
On the E75 Calf Sleeves
There were a couple things I noticed with the Enerskins. I was cramping a lot before wearing the E75 calf sleeves. Now I don’t get cramps. I love the fact that you can turn them inside out for recovery. This is so different from the other products I’ve tried.
I’ve been putting the E75 calf sleeves on and going on runs. I’ve done upwards of 9 miles at a time on them. I don’t even feel the sleeves once they’re on. They stretch out a bit to conform to my calves - they’re almost like an extension of my legs.
The next ones I’m getting will be the full leg sleeves - they would be especially great for bike rides.
On the Benefits of Compression with Taping
I’ve definitely had injuries in the past. Once you start racing, there’s no way around not getting injured. I’ve used KT tape to help provide relief for my injuries. With KT tape, I usually put compression over it anyway, so using Enerskin alleviates having two different products. Plus, KT tape gets expensive - they say you can keep it on for a couple of days, but that stuff gets gross after a while especially with showers.
I say that Enerskin is like KT tape with compression, and I tell my friends how much I love it!
