Born in 1980, Tuscan DOC, he started playing sports at the age of 5 and has never stopped since then. Karate, rugby, rowing first, and then running, which over the years has become his life philosophy. For him, running is not just crossing a finish line, but above all it is exploring, discovering, learning, travelling.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Michele Evangelisti , ultrarunner and athlete of the Sportlab Team , who in December 2016 crowned the dream of a lifetime, the crossing of the Outback in Australia (3113 km in 45 days) and who today organizes training camps and events to pass on his greatest passion to the new generations.
Hi Michele, let's start with a point-blank question to break the ice: what is your motto or phrase that identifies you?
Certainly the phrase that most identifies me is this: "running is my modus vivendi", because everything I do, I do in a hurry, thanks to my legs!
At the basis of my methodology and my way of proposing not only running, but movement in general, there is the idea that we move thanks to our legs and it is no coincidence that my company is called On Your Legs (OYL).
How did your passion for sport and in particular for the outdoor world begin?
Throughout my childhood I always played sports.
First Karate and rugby, then my first great love, rowing, in which I achieved professionalism also wearing the blue shirt. Finally I definitively switched to running, which quickly became my philosophy of life.
Maybe it's because I grew up in Tuscany, with a favorable climate, maybe it's because I've always practiced sports that take place outdoors, but for me sport has always been “outdoor” sports, both in summer and winter.
What are the values you most associate with the sport you practice and teach?
The values in which I most recognize myself at a sporting level are the same ones that they propose as a coach: the search for a healthy life through sport, sporting loyalty towards others and last but not least, knowing how to have fun, because that it is the true victory with oneself.
Values that we know you like to share during your training sessions and the camps you organize throughout the year. Tell us a little about what these training camps are and how they work.
The Training Camps that I organize are a mix of work to improve running technique, to learn to manage crises and moments of difficulty but also to learn to adapt movement to daily life. The other aspect of my camps is linked to travel, and the beauty of being able to discover new places on your own two feet, in the mountains, in the countryside or in the city.
In addition to being an Environmental Hiking Guide, I also have a license as a FIDAL instructor. Two titles in my opinion are fundamental to ensure that my Camps become an opportunity in which everyone can test themselves and train while discovering new places.
How many and which camps do you have planned for this year ?
This year for the first part of the season I have planned TRAIL & TRAVEL Camps of 70 hours and 30 hours which differ not only in the number of appointments but also in difficulty; both focus on getting to know some race routes as best as possible, the layout, difficulty and management of which we will test. The other camps that I will propose this year are circuit training sessions lasting 12,24, or 32 hours in which the objective will be to learn to manage the pace and above all one's energy over time.
Then there will also be camps of longer duration such as the one in Livigno, in which it will be possible to cycle there and back, the one in Valle d' Aosta in which we will go along some stretches of the Tor Des Geants, and at the end of the season I will organize a residential in Lanzarote where we will run between endless desert beaches and countless volcanoes, all surrounded by unique corners of nature.
Training Camp that we at Sportlab Milano are proud to support with our inevitable single doses. Tell us a little about your experience with SportLab Milano products.
I met Domenico by chance and he let me try some of the SportLab Milano products.
I immediately found them effective, and above all you can feel that they were designed by athletes for athletes.
As far as I'm concerned the SL IDER is the top of the top! Compared to other creams, it lasts a long time on the skin and prevents abrasions, truly protecting.
My other favorite is the WARMUP CREAM , a warming cream that unlike all the others does not cause itching or strange reactions on the skin.
Personally, I really like the single-dose ones because I can take them with me during training and competitions without having to carry the bottles.
And precisely for those like Michele who are always on the move and love to take care of their passion even while travelling, we at Sportlab Milano have created the WARM & COOL TRAVEL KIT , the practical kit that accompanies all athletes during their routine outside the home.
Contains 8 single doses of WARMUP CREAM and COOLDOWN CREAM , the essential allies for preparing muscles and tendons before physical activity and supporting their correct recovery after each session.
