womens recovery article

8/14/2019 Womens Recovery Article

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Female Runner Leg Recovery-Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html

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Female Runner Legs Fatigue Recovery

Leg recovery using an environmentally friendly recovery system

The female athlete has special needs in the recovery area-although they get as manyproblems as male athletes

I have worked with both male and female runners, and while they get similar problems concerningrecovery, they have different needs in the recovery area after their events

In many after event recovery areas, male and female runners are treated in a common area whichdepending on the size of the event can be just an open space with massage tables set up

Most women who enter competitions are usually slower than men so are later into the recovery areaafter the event-so miss out on any of the benefits that might be waiting there-so they get colder andstiffer while waiting in the line of people for recovery work to be done on them

Cold is the last thing muscles need after a hard run, and most recovery systems are reliant on oil toprevent friction between the recoverers hands and the skin of the person being recovered-this isnecessary because the muscles are being worked on

There is also another aspect to attending a public recovery area for help with after run recovery-thatis from the aspect of modesty-which may not be a problem for the younger people but it certainlycan be for the older women who were bought up in a different era

Lets be quite blunt about things, having to take a certain amount of clothing off in a public area tohave oil applied can be a problem, and some of the stretching performed can be quite revealing-anddegrading-no matter how open and sports minded we approach things, loss of dignity is somethingno one wants

A further complication is that some recovery people are from sports such as football, hockey orrugby players that do not understand the female runner or the needs they have-their muscles are notas bulky or as strong as their male counterpart so they cant take the same strong massage as seemsto be required by some sports people

They just cant take the same strong work as males-nor do they need it!
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Can this lady take the same strong work as the men beside her?

This is one tough lady on the track, but having heavy work done on her legs can cripple her

To get to the stage where recovery is needed, the muscles go through the following stages

Event starts

Fresh legs Gets into stride Muscles tighten Muscle soreness Muscle fatigue

0--------------1-------------------2-----------------------3-----------------------4--------------------Stages 0-3 conventional massage systems appropriate stages 3-4 not appropriate

Up to stage 3, conventional systems are fine because the tissues still have integrity-beyond this,they are as tight at at bowstrings, and soreness is caused by micro-injury to themOne effect of working on and into the muscles is that like a bowstring that is overstretched orstressed, they can be damaged by too much pressure, causing injury or provoking an older one

Stages of recovery after running/walking

Muscle fatigue Acute or Immediate Sub Acute RehabilitationPost Event recovery Post Event Recovery

0----------------------1-------------------------------2----------------------------3--------------------4

Stage 0-2 the body is recovering at Micro Cellular level-any work done on the muscles may impacton and break into the bodies own recovery processes leading to them having to start repair again

Stage 2-3 Sub Acute-Micro Cellular repair is well under way, but can still be disrupted by workingon the muscles-any work done to assist the bodys recovery at these stages should be light relaxing

work that will not add further stress to the already at risk muscle tissuesStage 4 rehabilitation-Conventional working on the muscles can now be done which includessorting out any injury and problems that have developed on the run or walk


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Massage and recovery

Massage is one of the most commonly used (and cheapest) forms of recovery from stiffness andsoreness after an event-it is also one of the least understood-if considering this as part of a recoveryprogram and considering getting someone to work with you, there are 2 basic rules in deciding thebest person for it

The body recovers itself-the recoverer is just there to assist or facilitate that No matter how good the therapist-the last man who could heal with his hands using touch

died 2000 years ago

If your therapist cant accept this then find another one because they have a belief that they knowwhat is best for your recovery and will probably not listen to what you want and by not listening,accidents may happen that causes muscle damage and extending your recovery time

To illustrate my point-I recently officiated as the recovery person at a 24 hour 100 mile event, Ihave my own area slightly away from the track where people come in when they have pushed theirboundaries too far, and I am usually kept busy from about the 12 hour mark

I did not know there was a massage therapist pulling the walkers off the track for work until one of the first aiders on a walk around caught him digging into one of the walkers muscles and reportedwhat he saw to the official in charge

It was too late, the damage had been done, she had a bad injury to her buttock muscles which madeit impossible to continue-her event came to an abrupt finish and she went home devastated becausesomeone considered that he was going to fix her soreness issues with his hands

It turns out he was a qualified massage therapist, but had only worked with huge football players,and while he may have been good in that area, did not have the slightest idea and could not adapt torecovery of slightly built runners and walkers who had just pushed things too farIf someone is considering massage, they should be aware of what is happening; using the examplefrom Sandra Brown to stress how important the correct approach to muscles is.

The second tear (at least I have matching legs with old tears on both sides) was caused, to my greatannoyance at the time, by an overenthusiastic physio who was supposed to be helping me to warmup gently before a 24 hour race and got carried away. I am now more wary of having physio at anytime, and make sure that I stay in control, by saying at the outset what I want and dont want to bedone to me. Having never had a persistent injury (my varied training pattern means that any niggleshave the chance to heal quickly, rather than get hammered and go critical,) I have never had regularphysio or a steady relationship of trust with any physiotherapist who knew me and my needs. Theclosest 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 againat the end of the Melbourne 100 miles walk in 1999. Michaels approach is very gentle at all times,and always works with the athlete and puts the athlete in control, thus minimizing the risk of harmand maximizing the benefitSource:http://www.surreywalkingclub.org.uk/Training?Advice/Articles/training_for_ultras_by_sandra_br.htm#Training /forUltras_SB SANDRA BROWN 1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder


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Recovery

Recovery after marathon training and running in an event is important-simply because you have anormal working, domestic, study or any other life after it and if you are like most people who runyou probably push the limits too far occasionally and finish up sore and stiff as well

Marathon is initially an individual sport where people train by themselves or with a number of friends, or club and then join in with 30,000 people or so where anyone they entered with may belost somewhere along the way

Because of its collective individual nature, and the many people involved, both as officials, andhelpers on the route, and in the first aid and recovery area after the event, it is difficult to knowanyone who is there dealing with any problems you may have developed during the run

Some runners are lucky because they have their support crew they know to look after them and helpthem recover and help fix their problems after they have finished-the rest, have to find their wayhome and get over it the best way they can, and the best of luck

Others who finished up in the field may be lucky to find themselves a place in the recovery areawhere they can get a recovery massage by a massage therapist waiting there for them

To place your self in the hands of someone you do not know, no matter how trained or wellintentioned or qualified they may be, could be inviting disaster for your recovery, your muscles,your training and your future in marathon running

All masseurs and massage systems are not the same and to make sure you are notgoing to give you an injury-make sure they know your needs


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What do I do differently and how can the marathoner runner benefit from my experience?

From this

After being on the track for 3 days

To this

To this- In easy steps- without injury

By understanding that the body is recovering itself, and using the muscles by working with and notworking on them to facilitate this, a faster injury free recovery can be achieved


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The difference in approach to recovery is illustrated belowResults from 1995 Coburg 6 day footrace

Name Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6A Krouglikov 237.2 113.6 130 106 126 108 Kilometers

539 284 325 365 315 270 Laps

T Rusek 215.2 98.8 98 139.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers538 247 245 349 346 306 Laps

M Taylor 174.4 128.8 143.6 123.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers436 322 359 309 302 223 Laps

B Beauchamp 180.4 133.2 124 117.6 110 93.2 Kilometers451 333 310 294 275 233 Laps

P Gray 150 134 105.2 94.8 111.6 106 Kilometers375 335 263 237 279 265 Laps

D Parris 138.4 108.4 106.8 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers346 271 267 274 265 268 Laps

I Davis 168 119.2 90 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers420 298 225 291 180 247 Laps

G Watts 132.2 96.4 99.2 104.4 92.8 133.6 Kilometers328 241 248 261 232 334 Laps

C Young 142 91.2 90 97.6 88 92 Kilometers355 228 225 244 220 230 Laps

D Kettle 138.2 86.8 90.8 95.2 94.4 84.4 Kilometers332 217 227 238 236 212 Laps

R Hill 128 80.8 99.2 70 95.6 96.6 Kilometers320 202 248 175 239 241 Laps

K Fisher 164 91.6 50 115.2 49.6 81.2 Kilometers410 229 125 288 124 203 Laps

G Pollard 120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 61.2 Kilometers300 187 184 171 174 153 LapsThe above group came in for Light Manual Muscle RelaxationThe be low group did not or had their own recovery people

T Rafferty 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4 Kilometers354 282 262 254 245 241 Laps

G McConnel 145.6 110.8 126.4 113.6 108.4 106 kilometers363 277 287 284 271 265 Laps

G Audley 152.8 110.8 126.4 113.6 114.8 95.2 kilometers

S Scanlon 140.8 82 84 34 0 0 Kilometers352 205 210 85 pulled out-blisters Laps

J Timms 127.2 98.4 74.8 0 0 0 kilometers


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Conventional recovery systems

These work on the muscles so for obvious reasons they need massage oils, towels, massage tablesand associated equipment-all this takes up time, and room, washing and cleaning so is not verypractical to use for someone who only wants a fast recovery

For the same reasons they are difficult to use in ultra marathon where time and space are limited,they are difficult for the average person to use easily

These are the same reasons why it is not very practical to use at ultra marathon events where thereis just me to work for days straight, even just at a 24 hour run and looking after 40 odd competitorsusing 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 theDanish national team event consisted of the chair next to the bottles-I looked after the team andworked 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 usingLight Manual Muscle Relaxation

My working area at Antibes 6 Jour Event


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What makes Light Manual Muscle Relaxation different from other systems?

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation combines a sound medical physiological based theory with simplemovement to offer a practical ongoing system for self recovery

Dr Guyton offers the theoretical solution to the problem of aching legs and Light Manual MuscleRelaxation offers the practical, tested, simple, oil free, environmentally friendly version'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)

It is an alternative stripped down basic tool which uses the muscles to work with themselves ratherthan relying on the skills of someone who works on them

This model has many benefits for someone who has to take the place of a skilled therapist in aremote area where there is a shortage of them or there is not the financial ability to afford the realthing

You can use aimless guesswork and prod and poke and just move the legs in an aimless fashion andhope what you are doing is working and to some extent any movement is better than none

Some references for Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

Michaels methods of massage and blister care helped me to stay mobile throughout the race and torecover quickly afterwards. His techniques are safe and gentle.Unlike some treatments, which put the runners and walkers at risk of muscle tears or infection,Michaels techniques are light, safe, reassuring, and highly effective.They enhance comfort and flexibility, build confidence, and promote success.

This booklet will help others to learn and practice Michaels 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 BROWN1996 Ladies 1000 Mile World Record Holder1999 Ladies 100 mile Race walking World Record Holder

I know that your massage kept a number of competitors in the event.The cold weather of Saturday afternoon and night certainly got to many of the walkers and yourprompt 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 keepgoing 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 andpains from the stretching he performs'.

CLIFF YOUNG-Ultra Marathon Runner


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For many years Coburg Harriers has conducted the Victorian 24 hour Track Championship and theAustralian 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 Aidsupport, we seek to have the services of a masseur who can work on tired legs and also treat blistersin order to keep entrants on the track.

We have been privileged for many years to have had the voluntary services of Michael Gillan whowith his techniques is able to coax renewed life from extremely tired muscles and legs to getathletes 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 injurywith 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 treatedby Michael.

Our Organising Committee at Coburg is grateful to Michael for his dedication to the sport and cancommend his techniques to Athletes.

Yours Sincerely, Bernie Goggin

Raceday Director / Referee

Coburg 24 Hour Carnival 2009

www.coburgharriers.org.au

http://runnerinsight.com/2009/04/22/new-project-and-news/#comment-907

ok ladies this link takes you to the site of a very special female runner who is running for the guidedogs charity-please check it out because she really needs your help
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Physiology References

The calf muscle pump(p.209) Physiology: a regulatory systems approach. Fleur L. Strand. Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.ISBN 0-020979860-4

(p.209)Physiology: a regulatory systems approach. Fleur L. Strand. Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.ISBN 0-020979860-

4Venous valve incompetence and varicose veinsGuyton-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 inefficiencyGuyton-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 0-726-3994-0

The Blood Circulatory System(P.150) Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0

The Lymphatic System(P.180) Guyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0

Pumping caused by external Compression of the LymphaticsGuyton-Textbook of Medical Physiology eighth edition-1991 W.B. Saunders Company-ISBN 0-726-3994-0 (p. 182)

Or you can use planned and structured movement that is based on medical physiology and been

tested on many ultra marathon runs and walks around the world that takes into account the problemsof the client and makes the most of any movement restrictions placed on them

Using an environmentally friendly pro-active leg recovery system is easier than you think whenyou learn how to use the muscles to work on themselves

Quickly-easily and in an environmentally friendly way!

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation (massage-lite) the physiology based recoverysystem-anything else is a luxury or not necessary

If you want more details go to my website at

http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com/simple_running_recovery.html
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