relief of aching legs using the World Run recovery system

Are You A Tourist with Aching Legs and Angry Muscles?

(Definition of angry: feeling or showing anger)

What are angry muscles?

Angry muscles have just gone too far, too often and done too much without proper recovery

Angry muscles are showing signs of stress-or dis-stress at being abused by their owner through too much standing walking or running.

They can show this by feeling irritable and aching when the owner finally stops to give them a rest; at night, they can prevent sleep by being 'restless' and need moving to find the most comfortable position to sleep in.

On getting up after sitting or lying down, difficulties in moving and walking through stiffness and soreness may be experienced that may wear off slightly as the muscle warm up.

The feet may throb and feel hot from both the inside and outside even after bathing and the shoes may be difficult to put on both because the feet may be swollen and it is too difficult to reach them.

Aching fatigued legs relief using the World Run Recovery System

There are 2 main groups of people with Aching leg recovery concerns

• The 'Intentional Athlete' with sports related leg recovery problems.

They make a deliberate choice to do a chosen sport.

This could be running-walking-soccer or any other sport.

• The Accidental Athlete' Tourists who sets out just to see all they can in a given time

They walk too many cities, towns, villages, museums, monuments, art galleries, ancient buildings, and those who just get them from walking too far and too much to see it all.

Tourist naturally want to see as much as possible in the time they have in a particular place they are visiting.

It involves getting there, setting up at the accomodation, and changing into suitable clothes and comfortable shoes (*hopefully-but there are exceptions).

Then armed with maps, cameras, water bottles, hats, rain coats and other tourist paraphanalia it is off and running. (or walking slowly)

The average tourist time based on being out after breakfast and being back by tea time is 9 hours; this is broken by time out for lunch about an hour and toilet stops.

The rest of the time is spent standing in lines to get into different venues and slow walking to see and photograph as much as possible.

Long hours on the feet mean that the leg muscles tighten, and when they do, the calf muscles lose flexibility which stops them working properly, which prevents them doing one of their jobs they need to do; assist in pumping use blood and fluids up the legs back to the body.

This can be a sight of its own at the end of the day around a museum for many people when they take their shoes off

The ankles and feet have swollen, making the shoes tight; as they swell it makes the tourist walk a little diferently to the way they usually do; the extra stress on the muscles tightens them more leaving them sore for the next day.

Swollen ankles (edema) fluid build up in the tissues; fluid cannot be pumped away fast enough as the calf muscle pump is not working efficiently, so the ankles will swell.

Aching legs

When we walk and move the calf muscles form a pumping system to get the used blood uphill against gravity; when we don't move or move slowly it doesn't work.

Gravity and the weight of blood in the body
Water is subject to pressure-the deeper it is the more pressure there is at the bottom; on the surface the swimmer feels none, but the deeper he goes the more it affects his body as the pressure increases.

The term for this is Hydrostatic pressure (Hydro-water Static-standing still) and is measured in mm hg.

Blood in the body is similar; in a standing person, the pressure at the head is almost non-existent, but at the feet the lowest part of the body, because of the weight of the blood, the pressure is higher.

-10 mm hg

+90 mm hg

The body is subject to 2 types of pressure down towards the feet

Pressure from the arteries
The heart pumps blood under pressure to all parts of the body; including the legs; because it is being pumped, this pressure is higher than the standing still pressure (Static pressure)

Static Pressure
Pressure from blood and lymph fluid is held in the lower legs by gravity-this blood and lymph fluid should be returned back to the body by the venous system.

As the day continues for the tourist accidental athlete who walks all those flat floors very slowly, this can mean aching feet; the legs are really moving very little so the used bood in the lower legs is not being pumped back to the body for refreshing and recirculating.

Reversing the effects of gravity-the passive way

A way to change the pressure of gravity of course is to simply lie down with the legs elevated higher than the body-

-10 mm hg

+90 mm hg

This will let the fluid in the ankles flow back to the body so the fresh blood can flood the muscle tissues and help them to recover.

However this does not do anything towards relieving the legs of muscle tightness, so the next day is the same as yesterday for the legs-only this time, there may be the added problem of blisters to cope with.

This is a passive way of recovering

Because it relies on gravity to do the work, the legs are just waiting for it to all happen for an unspecified period time that could be spent doing something else.

The active way of recovering

Taking a part in the leg recovery

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.

The the arteries veins take blood away from the heart to the rest of the body and the veins which have one-way valves in them take it back to the body again; the way used blood gets back up the legs so that it can be replaced by fresh blood is by a special system called

The Calf Muscle Pump
The calf muscle pump forces used blood against gravity up the legs back to the body for recycling by alternately putting pressure on the venous system and releasing it

As the muscles sqeeze, they open the valves, letting blood pass through them; when the tension is released, they close stopping the blood flowing back down towards the feet.

Oxygen depleted blood is progressively moved from the lower legs back up to the body where it is re-nourished with oxygen and nutrients and sent back out again to various parts of the body through the arteries.

First aid needed for leg muscles

The faster the legs receive help, 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 can be done using

• Simplicity

• Predictability

• Consistency

Turn Your Accomodation into a Micro-Recovery Center by working with the muscles not on them with-

Do It Yourself recovery

• No disrobing

• No oil used

• Non invasive

• User friendly

• Easy to learn

This is applied using

The latest in non-technical, non-invasive 'cutting edge' solutions to fatigued aching legs relief-the World Run Recovery System

In 2008 the World Run Project starts-I am the Muscle Recovery Specialist as part of it and expected to be on the road with the 2 runners for a fair part of the distance. www.worldrun.org

In Australia it is very difficult to get sponsors unless you already have a big name as a star-

For support crew who do cannot supply glamor it is impossible.

There are not enough funds to cover my time away so I am making my many years of knowledge available to the public.

Buying a manual form me will defray my costs of being involved in the world run project, and at the same time let the tourist share the experience of a recovery similar to that of the world runners at a very affordable price.


$20.00 a manual.

Win Win!

It is very difficult for the tourist to win any races as they are competing with themselves and their circulation but in this situation everyone wins.

With your support I get to on the World Run and you gets the very same recovery system I will be using on World Run 2!


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 competitors 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


Warning

Do not self diagnose-before having any treatment at all on legs that look similar to mine after a long flight, it is strongly recommended that any underlying cause of them is investigated by medical professionals-the first stop is to the doctor.