Womens Marathon Recovery-get The Edge

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

Do Your Legs Suffer from marathon Anger Management Problems? Many women have home and social commitments with possibly a favorite sporting activity of their own such as marathon, half marathon, and fun runs and training for them, as well as supporting children and partner in their hobbies and sporting activities When do they sit down and rest? Many try to make the best of a small piece of their day when ever they can get it if there is time in between engagements (if they are lucky) before racing off to the next one-and then back to the marathon training Building up to your marathon can be can be a stressful time, both mentally and physically, are you doing enough training, putting in enough kilometers or miles, are you getting enough sleep, have you got that nagging pain fixed, are you going to get a blister during training that will affect you on run day?

These people are starting off in a 24 hour world championships-what do most of them have in common that can affect their chances of finishing? During the training sessions, they are so focussed on their training sessions and trying to improved their rankings in the next race, they have forgotten or overlooked that a key area to their success is recovery from their last event, and the subsequent training sessions for this one can affect the performance on race day Some people have written on overtraining for events which can affect performance-but to in addition to what they write (look it up on the internet) there are ‘angry muscles’ I first heard this term when I was muscle recovering at the 2007 Antibes 6 Jour event when an American runner came in after 4 days on the track-I thought it a very descriptive term for what was going on in his legs They were cramping, burning, exhausted, literally could not move another step, his muscles were tight, the skin sunburned, when he did try to sleep he could not stop them moving, they kept twitching, when he went back on the track, they would not start moving because he had stiffened up-he had tried everything he knew to get back out there His muscles were so angry they were being antagonistic to him by refusing to cooperate with the rest of him

If you turn up on race day not having recovered properly from your last event and training for this one you are putting yourself at a disadvantage before you start because your muscles are like his-they are angry and uncooperative 1 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

What are Angry Muscles? Angry muscles are leg muscles that have been pushed too far, too fast, and too often-and not been allowed to calm down and recover themselves Some of the symptoms of them include, fatigue, soreness, throbbing, not being able to keep the legs still, a feeling of restlessness, swollen ankles, cramping, irritability, stiffness

Do your legs need an anger management course? Assuming all has been cleared, then a look at whether a leg servicing system done on a regular basis may benefit them-an anger management course for the legs may be an option Why do your legs get aching legs and the muscles get angry? Overuse and abuse of muscles

These people have been running for 3 days-their muscles have been overused and are extremely sore to touch-the fibers have micro-tears in them which are being healed by the body-one of the first stages in their repair is inflammation which produces heat If an attempt is made to use conventional methods of recovery at this stage, such as working on the muscles, it can break into the healing process and increase the time it takes to recover-rubbing the skin stimulates the pain receptors in the skin and muscle structures which are already overstimulated and angry Legs are like people when they are angry, you can’t reason with them or do anything much except just ride out the storm and wait for them to calm down on their own-if they are being abused on a constant basis, they will never calm down-they will be chronically angry

Or you can make an attempt to calm them down-usually you can do this by addressing the problem that caused the anger in the first place-this is what I did to the legs of the runner above 2 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation I put his legs through an anger management course and showed them how to calm down-then I serviced them to get them moving again His legs were so angry half an hour before this picture was taken-his muscles had gone on strike and stopped working completely He had run too far, too fast and too long and angered his muscles

The photo shows a woman runner-the definition of her leg muscles-especially the calf muscles-they are very tight and tense-when she is fresh and running for a short time, (a sprint) she can stop and control her legs; her brain can pass messages to the legs to close them down If she is running distance, (a marathon) the brain puts them into automatic mode early on, and the legs carry her forward of their own accord-during the run as the distance passes under her feet, fatigue starts to set in, muscle soreness develops and she will try to ignore it by concentrating on other things-the distance, time, position, drinks-anything but the way her muscles feel She is cutting them off and ignoring them The distance between her brain and muscles widens, so as tiredness affects the brain it is not sharp anymore, and judgement starts to be affected and the messages telling the legs what to do are lost in translation and so the legs just do what they have been doing all along-moving-the muscles do what they have been conditioned to do through repetition-carry the body forward As she tires towards the end of the run, all the mechanisms that ensure her usual daily smooth bodily needs have totally shut down-and when she finally stops exhausted, her mind wants to just shut down, so does the brain-but do the muscles know? The legs may stop moving, but the brain can’t tell the muscle fibers and motor units to close down, the muscles are exhausted, sore, separated from the rest of the body and ANGRY! Do you have Anger Management issues with Your Legs after an exhausting day out on the road?

I gave their legs anger management 3 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation 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 106 107.2Kilometers 138.4 108.4 106.8 116.4 346 271 267 274 265 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 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4Kilometers T Rafferty 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.

4 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

The chart on page 4 shows in simple numerical values what using an anger management system can do It shows how angry muscles can decrease your performance, and anger management can increase it This is the event when I threw out everything I knew previously about muscle recovery and restarted everything afresh-it is a 6 day event held in Coburg, Victoria, Australia-the laps are counted by independent lap counters and officials and verified by the governing ultra marathon body AURA It is possible to see on a daily basis from day one how fatigue and soreness can slow the runner and decrease their distance-as I perfected the management of these, the recovery rate and consequent increase in distances resulted from more time spent on the track and less time on the recovery table

Do you need to put them on an Anger Management Course? What happened-why the difference?

Aching legs are usually part of the anger provocation cycle If you spend much of your working life, hobbies, sports or other activities on your legs, using them, or just sitting down inactive, the ability to pump used blood and fluid from the lower legs back up to the body for refreshment and recycling is affected The calf muscles are the motors and power supply for a pump that moves used fluid up the legs back to the body if they are not being worked efficiently the flow of used blood and fluid from the lower legs is reduced, and when the legs are used too much, reduced flow of fresh blood to the muscle tissues reduces the ability to recover quickly Swollen ankles can be the result of inefficient use of calf muscles If muscles are not constantly supplied with fresh oxygen filled blood, they fatigue within a short time 5 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Lower Leg Circulation To keep the circulation in the lower legs going, a similar volume should be pumped out of the legs as flows into them Old blood and fluid is taken out of the lower legs through the veins back to the body, fresh blood is supplied to the muscles through the arteries

Fluid always finds its own level because of gravity All fluids (when in a confined space) exert a pressure on the walls of the vessels it is confined inbecause it is in a column, the pressure is greater at the bottom than at the top-the surface has very little pressure on it Gravity and the weight of fluid in the body Pressure varies with the height of the liquid column-in the veins of a person standing up-at the head, the pressure is almost non-existent, but at the feet the lowest part of the body the pressure is higher. The term hydrostatic pressure refers to the force that a liquid exerts against the walls of its container (Hydro-water Static-standing still) and is measured in mm hg. Head -10 mm hg

Feet +90 MM hg The only thing preventing all the fluid running out of the feet is the ends of the toes! 6 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Fresh legs-healthy calf circulation To keep the lower leg circulation working and the calf muscles fresh, the muscles rely on having a constant supply of fresh blood to the tissues-blood is sent to the lower legs under pressure through the arteries and ever decreasing in size vessels called arterioles and even smaller capillaries-as the vessel size reduces the pressure taking it there also decreases

On return to body blood is renourished and recycled

Blood pumped from heart through arteries under pressure

Reaches feet Pressure runs out

Used blood is moved up the legs through the veins

Calf muscles act as pump motors

By the time the blood reaches the feet, all the pressure has been used, and there is none left to return the blood back up the legs to the body against gravity again

The Calf Muscle Pump To keep the circulation in balance in the legs, the same volume of blood should come out of the legs as goes into them

The calf muscle pump is made up of all the muscles in the legs, but the motors that provide the power for the pump are the calf muscles-these are made up of 2 basic movers-they are Soleus which is primarily used for standing upright, and Gastrocnemius used for running and jumping

Soleus

Gastrocnemius

As the muscles move, they increase and decrease pressure on the vessel walls (the veins) which have one-way valves in them, open to let the blood pass through them, and close to prevent the blood flowing back towards the feet 7 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation They need all the muscles working properly to be efficient By not moving the legs, and staying static the pump does not work as well as it should-this disrupts the cycle and allows used blood to remain in the lower legs-as it its not being removed, water (lymph fluid) separates from it and fills the tissue spaces, as it is not being pumped away quickly enough, the ankles swell

Problems caused by calf muscle pump inefficiency include •

Poor circulation

•

Lymph system inactivity

•

Venous return reduced

To keep the circulation in balance in the legs and reduce muscle fatigue, the same volume of blood should come out of the legs as goes into them Calf Muscle Fatigue

Fresh blood reduced

Tight calf muscles

Poor blood return

Calf muscle fatigue, tight muscles, and poor lower leg circulation can chase each other around in a cycle that is difficult to break out from-each is a self destructive part that props up the other parts of the cycle and it will take a circuit breaker to disrupt the cycle of fatigue Most people just need something simple and effective to maintain the health of their legs as there may not be much wrong with them except that they spend too much time on them, so they do not need to use a sledgehammer to break an eggshell when a teaspoon will do the same job Many people seem to find may be passive methods such as lying down with the legs elevated to let gravity drain the fluid out of the legs back to the body so that fresh blood can flow into the muscle tissues to help them recover Most people with aching legs and angry muscles do not have the time for a passive approach to their aching legs 8 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Anger management and servicing fatigued leg muscles-passive and active The most advised way of helping the legs recover is to lie with the legs elevated higher than the body to let the used blood and fluid in the ankles flow back; it took the legs hours to get like thishow long is it going to take for gravity to drain it all back? Elevation is too ‘passive’ and obviously not too efficient and does nothing to calm the muscles as there are so many lost days off work still through industrially caused diseases

This is time consuming as well as being difficult to do if you have a busy lifestyle Active Servicing means taking a pro-active role in helping the calf muscles to work the pump at moving the fluid up the legs The faster the legs receive help during or after a long day, the faster they recover but it is important they get it as soon as possible before soreness and stiffness limits what can be done with them This is applied through The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions to fatigued aching legs relief-Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

The advantages of using this system •

Do It Yourself recovery

•

No disrobing

•

Works with the muscles not on them

•

No oil used

•

Non invasive

•

User friendly

•

It works with the muscles not on them

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-A tested Trusted Anger Management and Servicing Course-for aching legs relief, anything else is a luxury or not necessary

9 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

What is Light Manual Muscle Relaxation? It is a leg servicing and anger management system It is system developed for ultra marathon runners and walkers leg recovery and has been tested on long distance events worldwide (ultra marathon is any distance over marathon-42.19 kilometers/26.385 miles)

Ultra marathon is very long distance competition where they have to run or walk as far as possible in a given time; it can be over 6 hours-24 hours-48 hours-6 days-16 days or even around the world www.worldrun.org

Sometimes a long time spent on the legs may make feel as if they have done an ultra marathon It is basically making the calf muscle pump work again to take some of the pressure away from the lower legs and let fresh blood into the muscle tissues to help the legs recover A group of athlete's to suffer most similar problems to the flat floorer are ultra marathon runners and walkers-the main similarity between them is that their muscles are always sore, stiff, and fatigued and the muscles are angry-this can interfere with their sleep because their muscles cannot cut off and stop moving They have to get up and get back on the track or road on a constant basis whether they want to or not to achieve their objective-the person with aching legs also has to get up and move on a constant basis whether their legs have recovered or not www.hazards.org/standing

10 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation How Light Manual Muscle Relaxation leg servicing works

Fresh blood moves through the arteries into the muscle tissues

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation applied

Used fluid moves through the veins back to the body

Tense tight muscles are calmed relaxed and moved gently

Using just these-and the knowledge of how to use them So how does Light Manual Muscle Relaxation calm the legs? There are a number of ways to deal with muscle anger-the first thing that comes to most people’s minds are manual therapies-a problem with many of them is that they involve working on the muscles with sliding or gliding movements across the surface of the skin I refer to this as a ‘skiing’ technique-it can cause problems with ‘angry’ muscles because the depth of pressure of the fingers uncontrolled, it can stimulate pain receptors in the skin and surrounding tissues and irritate them more Unlike most other manual systems, uses a ‘snow shoe’ technique This involves using the width of the hand in a compressing movement rather than sliding the fingers across the skin surface-resulting in a more controlled pressure and therefore less pain receptor stimulation as experienced with skiing-so the muscles are calmed easier Light Manual Muscle Relaxation-the leg servicing and anger management systemwhen it comes to calming the legs, anything else is a luxury or not necessary

11 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Some References Michael’s methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and to recover quickly afterwards. His techniques are safe and gentle. Unlike some treatments, which put the runners and walkers at risk of muscle tears or infection, Michael’s techniques are gentle, safe, reassuring, and highly effective. They enhance comfort and flexibility, build confidence, and promote success. This booklet will help others to learn and practice Michael’s methods. It is recommended reading for everyone who walks and runs and who wants to go further, go faster, or just to enjoy life more!!' SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder 1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder “I know that your massage kept a number of competitor<>s in the event. The cold weather of Saturday afternoon and night certainly got to many of the walkers and your prompt action had them back in the race after a short stop. In years past, that would have ended up as a non-finish. A number of walkers were able to keep going for the full 24 hours on the basis of your expert help.” Tim Ericson Secretary Australian Centurions Club 'I have known Michael Gillan for many years and have always got quick relief for my aches and pains from the stretching he performs'. CLIFF YOUNG-75-80 24 Hour World Record Holder (150.07 kilometers) A word from Jesper Olsen World Runner about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation “If I hadn't had the qualified help from the excellent masseur Michael Gillan, taking several thousands of km out of my legs, I could spare myself the effort!” “My crew for the current stages, Michael Gillan, has proven to have other talents than the quite taxing job of taking care of all the requirements of a really tired ultra runner! He has since years back been working on a new approach to stretching and muscle-rebuilding for ultra runners. I have the last two days tried his careful stretch and massage, and a bit to my surprise the muscles are beginning to feel like before the start back in Greenwich, London!! Usually I doesn’t take massage as the legs of an ultra runner will often be quite sore during the long time events (and especially in an multi-year event like this...), and getting a massage can at times cause more injury and cramping up than good. For example my last massage was some 12 000km ago when I ran the 12-hour competition in Finland. And so far that has been the only one. But Gillan came with best recommendations from my main contact in Australia, Phil Essam, who besides being vice president in the Australian Ultra runners Association has heaps of good knowledge to share. And this new kind of mild massage for ultra runners is definitely one of the good tips! There should be a fair chance that I actually get fresh enough to do some decent running at the 6 Day Race that I have coming up in Colac from the 21.November. I quite look forward to that, even though I can’t expect to make a top class result :-)” He won! 756.2 kilometers (Jesper holds the record for the longest run in history over 26000 kilometers and the first person to run around the world Taken from www.worldrun.org 12 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Some references for Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Emailing: m gillan reference.doc Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 16:48:31 +1000 Hi Michael, COBURG 24 HOUR CARNIVAL May 3rd 2009 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN For many years Coburg Harriers has conducted the Victorian 24 hour Track Championship and the Australian Centurion 24 Hour Race Walk, the overall event being the Coburg 24 Hour Carnival, which also includes a separate 6 Hour run/walk event. This type of event is very demanding on Competitors, and each year, in addition to First Aid support, we seek to have the services of a masseur who can work on tired legs and also treat blisters in order to keep entrants on the track. We have been privileged for many years to have had the voluntary services of Michael Gillan who with his techniques is able to coax renewed life from extremely tired muscles and legs to get athletes back on the track when they were thinking that they would have to retire. Michael has a very well deserved reputation in the "Ultra" running and walking fraternity who look forward to his presence at our events as they know he gets results without causing further injury with his treatments. It is rewarding to see exhausted competitors come from the track in the early hours of the morning, convinced that they are unable to continue, only to see them return to the event after being treated by Michael. Our Organising Committee at Coburg is grateful to Michael for his dedication to the sport and can commend his techniques to Athletes. Yours Sincerely, Bernie Goggin Raceday Director / Referee Coburg 24 Hour Carnival 2009 http://www.coburgharriers.org.au/joomla1/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/

Do you have an anger management plan for your legs?-get one now for after race recovery 13 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Calf Muscle Fatigue

There are many medical reasons for fatigued calf muscles, and to find out whether any of them are contributing to them, they should be checked out by a medical professional so that the cause can be addressed-do not take chances and self diagnose-you could be risking your life if they are ignored ANGRY muscles are giving a reaction to overuse by standing or walking on a consistent basis-they do not have chance to recover properly before repeating the same action over and over. Contact [email protected] Physiology References The calf muscle pump (p.209) Physiology: a regulatory systems approach. Fleur L. Strand. Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.ISBN 0020979860-4 (p.209)Physiology: a regulatory systems approach. Fleur L. Strand. Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.ISBN 0020979860-4 "Venous valve incompetence and varicose veins" 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 Effect of "Hydrostatic" Pressure on Venous Pressure ( P.165) 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 Effect of Hydrostatic Factors on Arterial and Other Pressures (P.167) 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 Calf muscle pump inefficiency 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 ' (P.177) 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-7263994-0 The Blood Circulatory System (P.150) 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-7263994-0 "The Lymphatic System (P.180) 'Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-7263994-0 "Pumping caused by external Compression of the Lymphatics Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 (p. 182)

You can buy an expensive book on medical physiology or you can check up for further information on Light Manual Muscle Relaxation at http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

14 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

Angry Muscles-aching legs relief using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Bear in mind that many of the above have a medical component to them so you should be getting them checked out and treated by a medical professional Once this has been done, it is time to consider other options such as podiatrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors to see if there is a physical contribution to them that can be sorted out-it is no use treating the symptoms unless the cause has been addressed

15 Copyright Michael Gillan Long Distance Recovery Specialist http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html