The Bush Walker Leg Recovery

The Bushwalker Leg Recovery-Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

The bushwalker and aching Legs Leg recovery using an environmentally friendly recovery system

Leg fatigue in the bush because out in a remote areas where there may be no help available, and as the legs are the only form of transport in and out of the area, fatigue can be fatal. This is more so because in the mountains, someone who has fatigue is open to a potential life threatening condition called hypothermia-in this condition, the body core temperature drops and it may be so low, it can’t be raised again without medical help The bushwalker may have started out on the path to fatigue through simple blister altering the way of walking and putting extra stress on the muscles or they may have been the slowest walker in the group having to use up precious energy reserves trying to keep up the pace Whichever way it is, muscle fatigue is not a welcome thing to have on a long walk A group of athletes that suffer from similar problems to the wilderness or bushwalker are ultra marathon runner and walkers

These are 2 people who have just been running for 3 days around a running track in all weathers They suffer from sore feet, sore legs, swollen ankles, stiffness, wasted muscles, muscle cramps, tiredness, mental fatigue, restless legs, sore skin, night pains, muscle spasm, muscle wastage, swollen ankles, hyperthermia, hypothermia, temper tantrums, vomiting, food sensitivity, allergies, rashes, loss of judgement 1 Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html

The Bushwalker Leg Recovery-Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist Conventional massage systems For the obvious reasons that they need massage oils, towels, massage tables and associated equipment to be carried and used-all this takes up time, and room, washing and cleaning so is not very practical to use as they all have to be carried out in the bush and back out again This makes them difficult for the average person to use easily and it is this that makes them difficult to use in ultra marathon where time and space are limited These are the same reasons why it is not very practical to use at ultra marathon events On top of this, at the events I go to there is just only me and to work for days straight, even just at a 24 hour run and looking after 40 odd competitors using conventional methods means I would not last too long before I died of exhaustion

My working area at the Montreal 2007 24 hour World Championships where I looked after the Danish national team event consisted of the chair next to the bottles-I looked after the team and worked and slept on it-the airline had lost all my clothes and other stuff-if I used conventional methods that would have been impossible to do

Here I am giving a demonstration of leg recovery in Denmark using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

My working area at Antibes 6 Jour Event 2 Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html

The Bushwalker Leg Recovery-Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist Aching legs fatigued muscles and recovery However the aching fatigued legs and muscles are developed whether you are a non-athlete out on a daily or multi day walk, or an athlete who runs around the world,-everyone has the same thing in common and that is how to recover quickly The secret to leg recovery

The calf muscle pump The calf muscles act as the motor for a pump to take it from the feet back to the body against gravity through the venous system where it is re-nourished and recirculated-but to be working they have to move.

The active way to help the legs recover is to learn how to work with the muscles If you can use your hands you have the tools to do the job of recovery

Recovery from leg fatigue or ongoing leg maintenance How much training and theory does it need to do this? Very little because it is not specific How did I discover Light Manual muscle Relaxation?

Because for my first 2 years in ultra marathon I used conventional recovery systems and they really did not work-nothing changed, nothing improved-it was not until I accidentally changed my approach from working on the muscles to working with them did things improve for both myself and the ultra entrants

3 Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html

The Bushwalker Leg Recovery-Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist The difference in approach is illustrated below Results from 1995 Coburg 6 day footrace Name A Krouglikov

Day 1 237.2 539

Day 2 113.6 284

Day 3 130 325

Day 4 106 365

Day 5 126 315

Day 6 108 Kilometers 270 Laps

T Rusek

215.2 538

98.8 247

98 245

139.6 349

138.4 346

122.4 Kilometers 306 Laps

M T aylor

174.4 436

128.8 322

143.6 359

123.6 309

138.4 302

122.4 Kilometers 223 Laps

B Beauchamp

180.4 451

133.2 333

124 310

117.6 294

110 275

93.2 Kilometers 233 Laps

150 375

134 335

105.2 263

94.8 237

111.6 279

106 Kilometers 265 Laps

138.4 346

108.4 271

106.8 267

116.4 274

106 265

107.2 Kilometers 268 Laps

168 420

119.2 298

90 225

116.4 291

106 180

107.2 Kilometers 247 Laps

G Watts

132.2 328

96.4 241

99.2 248

104.4 261

92.8 232

133.6 Kilometers 334 Laps

C Young

142 355

91.2 228

90 225

97.6 244

88 220

92 Kilometers 230 Laps

D Kettle

138.2 332

86.8 217

90.8 227

95.2 238

94.4 236

84.4 Kilometers 212 Laps

R H ill

128 320

80.8 202

99.2 248

70 175

95.6 239

96.6 Kilometers 241 Laps

K Fisher

164 410

91.6 229

50 125

115.2 288

49.6 124

81.2 Kilometers 203 Laps

P Gray

D Parri s

I Davis

G Pollard

T Rafferty

61.2 Kilometers 120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 300 187 184 171 174 153 Laps The above group came in for Light Manual Muscle Rel axation The below group did not or had their own recovery people 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4 Kilometers 354 282 262 254 245 241 Laps

G McConnel

145.6 363

110.8 277

126.4 287

113.6 284

108.4 271

106 ki lometers 265 Laps

G Audley

152.8

110.8

126.4

113.6

114.8

95.2 ki lometers

S Scanlon

140.8 352

82 205

84 210

J Timms 127.2 98.4 4 74.8 Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html

34 0 85 pulled out-bli sters 0

0

0 Kilometers Laps 0 ki lometers

The Bushwalker Leg Recovery-Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist Using an environmentally friendly pro-active leg recovery system is easier than you think when you learn how to use the muscles to work on themselves

Look at the photo above-how many towels and bottles of oil do you see? None because the latest in non-polluting, non-technical method of leg recovery techniques is being used

The weight of knowledge in the rucksack when out in the bush is nothing because there is nothing to carry-but the cost of it is a small price to pay for results like those at the 1995 Colac 6 day event

Quickly-easily and in an environmentally friendly way! If you want more details go to my website at http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html

5 Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html