Cycling And Cycling Recovery

Cycling and leg soreness recovery using the World Run recovery System-Michael Gillan Recovery Specialist

Cycling and cycling recovery Cycling long distances and ultra marathon running are similar when they are done in stages on consecutive days, they both have to deal with sore muscles and stiffness on an ongoing basisrecovery is important for both of them so they can improve their positions in the field. Cyclists in stage races have to watch what they take to help them with recovery, and they also have to be aware that any work they have done on their muscles using manual recovery systems are not going to end up costing them race because it was done too aggressively by the therapist. At the end of the stage they have just completed, they will be sore and fatigued-using conventional recovery systems that work on the muscles may do more harm than good because it interferes with the bodies own recovery processes which start as soon as the muscles stop being stressed Assisting the muscles to get rid of by-products and the wastes that have formed so that fresh blood can enter the tissues and enhance healing is all that the muscles need at this point.

Because the muscles have been pedalling for hours, they have become programmed to repeat the same action over and over, and they will find it difficult to stop when the stage has finished, the brain has difficulty in sending messages to the muscles to stop them. When the stage finishes it is best to give the muscles first aid while they are in the ‘window of opportunity’ and while they are still warm and pliable

Using passive movement and then active movement can assist communication between the muscles by telling the brain to switch off the muscles so they can rest, meanwhile the increase in the fresh blood into the tissues will help the muscles recover faster than they would have. Just working on the muscles using conventional means does not address the issues as quickly or efficiently as it might-it needs something extra to cover this Working with the muscles, can address one problem while at the same time work on the other one, the theory is that de-stressing the muscles by taking them in a different direction to that they have become used to can help them relax, which will allow the calf muscle pump to work at pumping the wastes up the legs back to the body. Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

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Cycling and leg soreness recovery using the World Run recovery System-Michael Gillan Recovery Specialist

Other than taking drugs to improve performance, the cyclist in competition can gain the edge over other cyclists by faster recovery between stages, and it is by improved recovery that is shown in the graph of the 1996 Colac 6 day event that I have inserted below FIGURES TAKEN FROM THE (1995 COLAC 6 DAY FOOTRACE) NAME Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 A Krouglikov 237.2 113.6 130 106 126 108Kilometers 539 284 325 265 315 270Laps T Rusek 215.2 98.8 98 139.6 138.4 122.4Kilometers 538 247 245 349 346 306Laps M Taylor 174.4 128.8 143.6 123.6 120.8 89.2Kilometers 436 322 359 309 302 223Laps B Beauchamp 180.4 133.2 124 117.6 110 93.2Kilometers 451 333 310 294 275 233Laps P Gray 150 134 105.2 94.8 111.6 106Kilometers 375 335 263 237 279 265Laps D Parris 138.4 108.4 106.8 116.4 106 107.2Kilometers 346 271 267 274 265 268Laps I Davis 168 119.2 90 116.4 72 98.8Kilometers 420 298 225 291 180 247Laps G Watts 131.2 96.4 99.2 104.4 92.8 133.6Kilometers 328 241 248 261 232 334Laps C Young 142 91.2 90 97.6 88 92Kilometers 355 228 225 244 220 230Laps D Kettle 138.2 86.8 90.8 95.2 94.4 84.8Kilometers 332 217 227 238 236 212Laps R Hill 128 80.8 99.2 70 95.6 96.4Kilometers 320 202 248 175 239 241Laps K Fisher 164 91.6 50 115.2 49.6 81.2Kilometers 410 229 125 288 124 203Laps G Pollard 120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 61.2Kilometers 300 187 184 171 174 153Laps The above group came in for massage and stretching The group below did not or had their own massage people T Rafferty 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4Kilometers 354 282 262 254 254 245Laps G McConnell 145.6 110.8 114.8 113.6 108.4 106Kilometers 364 277 287 284 271 265Laps G Audley 152.8 110.8 126.4 113.6 114.8 95.2Kilometers 382 277 316 284 287 238Laps S Scanlon 140.8 82 84 34 0 0Kilometers 352 205 210 85Pulled out (Blisters) J Timms 127.2 98.4 74.8 0 0 0Kilometers 318 246 187Pulled out 0Laps N Mercer 166 16.4 0 0 0 0Kilometers 415 16.4Pulled out 0 0Laps Underlining in the top group shows where the results of Gentle Manual Muscle Relaxation was starting to take effect. The inconsistencies in the results on a daily basis was caused by reverting back to conventional massage to see what happened Note the higher injury and drop out rate in the bottom group.

The competitive cyclist would like results similar to those shown in the above group and the way this was achieved was using the simple, easy, oil free, non-intrusive, fast system of recovery Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

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Cycling and leg soreness recovery using the World Run recovery System-Michael Gillan Recovery Specialist

This particular system was developed and been tested on some of the top endurance athletes in ultra marathon walks and runs, including the only fully documented run around the world. www.worldrun.org In all sports one of the main themes they all have in common is that of recovery, and in multi-day events like stage cycling such as the Tour de France or an ultra marathon around the world, the efficiency of the recovery system can make or break the athlete. When the athlete is being worked on, and too much enthusiasm is being used by whoever is doing the recovery work, this can place the overused muscle tissues, and the overall placing of the athlete in danger because any damage accidentally caused by too much pressure on the muscles needs extra time to recover from before the muscles can perform at peak efficiency again. Do not just take my word; below is a quote from Sandra Brown taken from her advice sheet for the Surrey Walking Club. “The second tear (at least I have matching legs with old tears on both sides) was caused, to my great annoyance at the time, by an overenthusiastic physio who was supposed to be helping me to warm up gently before a 24 hour race and got carried away. I am now more wary of having physio at any time, and make sure that I stay in control, by saying at the outset what I want and don’t want to be done to me. Having never had a persistent injury (my varied training pattern means that any niggles have the chance to heal quickly, rather than get hammered and go critical,) I have never had regular physio or a steady relationship of trust with any physiotherapist who knew me and my needs. The closest I have come to this was receiving massage from Michael Gillan during the Nanango (Queensland) 1000-mile race in 1996. I had no hesitation in having a massage from Michael again at the end of the Melbourne 100 miles walk in 1999. Michael’s approach is very gentle at all times, and always works with the athlete and puts the athlete in control, thus minimising the risk of harm and maximising the benefit. Very occasionally I will feel tightness in one or other hamstring, but I am lucky that neither tear has become a real problem. These days I stretch pretty diligently after exercise and am convinced of its value, and my cross-training approach plays a part; I am sure, in keeping me free of overuse injuries. More on stretching another time.” (Source:http://www.surreywalkingclub.org.uk/Training?Advice/Articles/training_for_ultras_by_san dra_br.htm#Training/forUltras_SB) How to avoid the danger of this and still recover quickly The system Sandra is referring to is called the World Run Recovery System, for more on this method please refer to my website http://aching-legs-relief.com/cycling_and_recovery_using_world_run_recovery.html

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan ultra marathon recovery specialist

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

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