What athlete Kate McIlroy (pictured right) really wants is to sweep off the last turn in the Olympic steeplechase final and see an empty track in front of her. The steeplechase isn't a race where you hold back, conserve energy, and spring a last-gasp attack.
Kate explains: "You've got to run strong throughout. The steeplechase is full of barriers and water jumps; it's best to hit them first and clear them so you're not stuck behind other athletes. I want to lead from start to finish."
But the Olympics are four and a half months away. The New Zealand steeplechase champ first needs to make the Olympic qualifying time of 9mins 46secs (her personal best is 9mins 32secs). And then there's the training: Kate runs between an hour and a half to two hours every day, interspersed with track sessions, the gym, aqua jogging, and pilates.
Compression leggings are one of the tools Kate uses to recover from heavy training sessions: "Compression tights help me recover quickly. This means I get an extra one to two percent out of my training the next day."
Find what Kate thought of the leggings she tried in An elite athlete's opinion.
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