Marathon Recovery Problems

Recovery Massage and the Marathon Runner and Walker 2012 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
How seriously do you take your marathon running and how seriously do you take your recovery afterwards? I worked at a Marathon in the massage area on Sunday 14 October and out of 120 or so people all were students except me and their instructors
http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/b06b5584-66c0-3ba0-ad48-dd25cab77cf0/melbourne-marathonaustralias-biggest/
The Aims of After Marathon Massage To help the athlete with some mental and physical support in after marathon letdown To help the muscles clear of the micro-cellular debris caused by the physiological and physical aspect of running a long distance To bring the mind/brain/nervous, venous, lymphatic/muscular and skeletal systems back together so that the athlete can get home as quickly as possible
It is not a place you go to have miracles of recovery done on you-it wont happen! The runner after a marathon After a marathon and the mental and physical effort of running it, most runners have nothing left in the tank to barely move, they have literally crashed and they dont have any idea how they are going to get home. The mind brain, nervous system, venous system and all other systems in the body are not working or are working independently of each other, and all the runner wants to do at this stage is to be able to move the legs so they can get home If you are one of the lucky few who make it to the massage area you may actually get someone who knows how to do this and the rest of you will just have to hope you do! In the marathon recovery area The time usually allowed for the athlete on the massage table is 10 minutes as the lines are so long as so many people need assistance, and out of the people who actually need help from a run of 30,000-? There are only possibly 2-300 people who may arrive at the massage area. This leaves the other 29000 odd people still on the road or staggering back home to look after themselves in a world of total pain and no idea how to get out of it.
http://brooklyn.about.com/od/Running-Marathons/a/How-Many-Is-47-000-Ing-New-YorkCity-Marathons-Size-Boggles.htm
http://www.aching-legs-relief.com
Recovery Massage and the Marathon Runner and Walker 2012 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Having just finished a marathon and are sore and feeling sorry for yourself so need a bit of recovery help and go to the massage area, it is cold breezy, and without heating. You join the line waiting for your turn with a therapist in your running gear, hot and sweaty, tired and sore with the draft flowing over your body taking the heat away and cooling you down rapidly-the heat is being radiated from you, and after a while, you start to notice the cold and start shivering. Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, and eventually you gain a place on the massage table, and with great difficulty (you have stiffened up and the aches and pains are being felt even more) you have to take your shoes off groan! Then climb up on the massage table (it didnt look so high before) and have a thin towel thrown over you to warm you up (funny how you dont feel any warmer just feel colder and shiver more) You trust that the person doing the massage knows what they are doing with you as they put the cold oil on your legs, and start rubbing it in, and rubbing deeper and deeper working into the muscle tissues to help get rid of the micro-cellular debris. You cant feel how deep because you pain perception is not efficient as the cold and shivering mask the pain you may be getting from the damage being caused by deep tissue being worked into by untrained fingers. Eventually, the rubbing stops and your time is up how long has it been-15 or 20 minutes? Now try and get off the table, you are colder and stiffer than you were before and can hardly move, you whole body has seized up. Try and get those shoes on now, and you probably have problems bending down fitting them because the feet have swollen then have got them on, there may be problems standing up again. You shuffle away longing for a wheelchair or a Zimmer frame thinking about the pain and stiffness that are going to follow over the next few days Lets just look at some of the issues that affect or may have affected in the massage area
The runner stands in long line waiting-waiting-waiting Lesson #1 Not too many runners cover up after a run because they have just finished
and it may be a long way to pick up warm clothes after the finish, so the recovery area the area which is usually may be in a breezy area is the first stop for them.
Radiated Heat
When you are hot and sweaty or wet and you stand in a wind or breeze you are losing heat as the breeze passes over the skin and damp running clothes which cools you down rapidly, this can lead to heat being drawn from the body core and leads you towards Hyperthermia, it also makes the muscle cool faster than they should.
The ideal- prevention
Dry off and change into dry warm clothes, this makes you feel fresher and cuts down on the radiated heat loss.
Lesson #2 Choice of therapist
You get given the therapist you are directed to and have no choice in the matter, you could finish up with a massage student with a week of training, or someone like me who has been working in recovery like me for years and worked with some of the top runners in the world and got their recommendation and trust. The student is there because they have to be as they have to learn, someone like me is there because I want to be there to help the runners the best they can.
You have invested a lot of time and effort into your marathon training and run you should invest in getting your partner or a friend to train up, or have someone like me with you but this can be an expensive exercise and can cost you a lot of money. The next best thing is to learn from me and use the benefit of my experience, and if what I do is good enough for top runners like Yiannis Kouros, Cliff Young, Sandra Brown, Jesper Olsen to name but a few, then it is good enough for you. I cant teach you personally but I can teach you through a manual I have produced and is available from my website
Lesson #3 Inadequate Covering
When you go down on the table you have to take some clothing off anyway so that the therapist can do the recovery work, and they only cover you with a thin towel because the budget doesnt run to anything else as the demand for massage is so high. Some events I attended in the United States issued space blankets to reflect radiant heat back to the body to maintain warmth
Radiated Heat
You are now lying prone and not moving-before you were moving around talking to other runners about the run and shuffling forward towards your table spot. You are going to get even colder and stiffer because you are lying down you offer more skin space to the atmosphere.
The ideal- prevention Cover with a blanket to slow the loss of heat and allow the body to cool down slowly so it can readjust itself to the new conditions. Lesson #4 NOT testing the massage oil and creams
Many people do not test the oil or cream before using it to see whether or not the runner is allergic to it, if they are using cheap or added aromatherapy oils, this can provoke a sudden and quite violent reaction, it is not easy to remove the oil when it is already spread all over the legs. Get the therapist to check first by putting a drop of oil on the inside of the wrist where the skin is quite sensitive then if a reaction shows then only a very minute patch of skin is affected by the redness, rash and itchiness that may occur. Oil and creams being used on runners legs-Some other considerations
Whatison, Teena "Pain Relief Cream." Pain Relief Cream. 8 Apr. 2011 EzineArticles.com. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://ezinearticles.com/?Pain-Relief-Cream&id=6159855>. Oil and creams used on the legs during or after a marathon can have other problems associated with them They can act as road grit magnets. If the weather is hot they can act as a magnifying glass intensifying the suns rays, and burning the skin, this can lead to a flow on effect of tightening the muscles. If the weather is cold, they can attract cold into the muscles
Putting creams and oils on the legs during a recovery massage Heat loss through conduction
At the same time the body is losing heat through radiating it from the body, heat is also lost when cold oil is applied to the skin, it warms up by pulling heat from the deeper tissues in the muscles.
Heat loss through friction
If enough oil is not used to provide slip between the hands of the do-er and the skin of the do-ee friction causes the heat to bring hot blood to the surface where it quickly loses heat that has to be made up by warmer blood being brought to the surface of the skin where more is lost. 4
Dont use massage oils and creams in recovery massage

Lesson #5 Oil and Road Grit should not mix
When you are running a marathon and your skin is moist road grit stick to the lower legs and forms a film When it is mixed on the skin with oil, it forms an abrasive paste which can cause micro-tears on the skin as the skin is rubbed allowing bacteria on the grit to enter the body, this can also happen as the paste gets forced in through the hair follicles and can result in a problem called folliculitis (Inflammation of the follicles). After the stress of running a marathon, a marathon run, the immune system is weakened, this opens the body up to bacteria and viral attack that it cant fight off. Any infection picked up can be spread as it is forced through the lymphatic system and past the lymph nodes which are little infection fighting factories. (While they are fighting infection the nodules swell and it is these the doctor can feel when you are sick)
Dont use conventional massage for recovery work after a marathon as it can push infection into the blood stream and spread
Lesson #6
Length of time spent working on cold muscles
The longer the time lying prone without moving on a massage table, the colder and stiffer the muscles the muscles become, and because the pain receptors in the tissues are anaesthetized the pain perception is altered making it difficult for the runner to recognize how much pain they are receiving. This means that the runner does not know how deep the therapist is going or how much damage is being done to their leg muscles. It will not be until later in the recovery period when things normalize that the runner finds that they have an injury that they put down to an injury caused by the marathon route. Examples being the road surface, camber of the road, steep hills.
Dont use conventional massage for recovery work after a marathon as uncontrolled finger force can damage already damaged muscle tissues and break into the bodys own recovery cycle at micro-cellular level. No amount of inexperienced but well intentioned fingers digging deep into the muscle tissues is going to fix anything at this stage as there is nothing to fix, the body just needs to recover from the marathon and The Body Heals Itself! 5
Lesson #7
When
Medical problems caused during or made worse by the marathon
a runner says that he has a sore spot and asks me to work on it that it could be an intrinsic injury caused through poor body dynamics by the road surface conditions, poor shoes, training, or may even because it was a pre-existing injury aggravated by the marathon distance they just ran After a stressful run some marathoners can suffer from problems other than just fatigued sore legs and the therapist should have some idea when to pass them on to a higher qualified person than they are.
To maintain running health and recover quickly the marathoner who turns up in the recovery area should try and finish with the most experienced person in the section even though they may be kicked out for not cooperating. The other option is that the runner may finish up with someone who has no idea what they are doing and this can ruin a promising marathon career. It is not your responsibility to give them experience, it is your responsibility to yourself to keep yourself out of trouble by recovering quickly and efficiently and enjoy your running as long as you wish to and not put this at risk by going for recovery work by chance. The Marathon Runner and recovery The marathon runner does it because they enjoy the running, training, anticipation, the mixing with other runners, turning up on race day, the whole package, but with the joy of finishing comes the sadness of the time immediately following the event, the misery of recovery and the fact that everyone around you finds your suffering funny. The reality being of course for you is that the pain, soreness and stiffness will affect your work, social, and family life for some time so the faster you get over the bad parts the faster you can get back to your normal lifestyle and training for the next marathon No amount of inexperienced but well intentioned fingers digging deep into the muscle tissues is going to fix anything at this stage as there is nothing to fix, the body just needs to recover from the marathon and The Body Heals Itself!
Recovery Massage and the Marathon Runner and Walker 2012 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist There is a better way The first thing to remember is that the last person who could heal someone who was sick and ailing by the laying on of hands died over 2000 years ago! No one especially someone who is just learning is going to help the marathon runner recover at the end of the run, because the aim of the practitioner is to facilitate or guide the body into healing itself. Take control of your own recovery
Better Performance through a Better Recovery
An act of recovery using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation Whatever standard the marathoner is at, they are always wanting a better performance than their competition or to increase their own personal best Most athletes try use training sessions, equipment and whatever the latest information to improve their performance but they miss out on a vitally important area in their attempts to do better
Recovery with Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

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What is Light Manual Muscle Relaxation?

It is a simple recovery system based on physiology working with the muscles to recovery themselves! The result is a system that is easy to do but effective in its aim of a fast recovery for the athlete or competitor It allows them to take responsibility for their own recovery rather than wait for someone else to take the responsibility Because it works with the muscles, it has certain advantages over conventional types of manual recovery These include No undressing No oil is used No technical hand movements are needed No long training is required Is fast to do Can be done by anyone Fully tested internationally Tested and recommended by top athletes Tested on around the world and across America runs 17 years of continuous testing
The result sheet from the 1995 Colac (Australia) 6 day run demonstrates how the changes to the approach to recovery made a difference to distance covered The change are remarkable considering they mainly took place in the middle of the week when lack of sleep, stiffness, soreness and other problems were having an effect on the runners and walkers
FIGURES TAKEN FROM THE (1995 COLAC 6 DAY FOOTRACE) NAME Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 A Krouglikov 237.2 113.6 130 106 126 108 Kilometers 539 284 325 265 315 270 Laps T Rusek 215.2 98.8 98 139.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers 538 247 245 349 346 306 Laps M Taylor 174.4 128.8 143.6 123.6 120.8 89.2 Kilometers 436 322 359 309 302 223 Laps 180.4 133.2 124 117.6 110 93.2 Kilometers B Beauchamp 451 333 310 294 275 233 Laps P Gray 150 134 105.2 94.8 111.6 106 Kilometers 375 335 263 237 279 265 Laps 138.4 108.4 106.8 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers 346 271 267 274 265 268 Laps I Davis 168 119.2 90 116.4 72 98.8 Kilometers 420 298 225 291 180 247 Laps G Watts 131.2 96.4 99.2 104.4 92.8 133.6 Kilometers 328 241 248 261 232 334 Laps C Young 142 91.2 90 97.6 88 92 Kilometers 355 228 225 244 220 230 Laps D Kettle 138.2 86.8 90.8 95.2 94.4 84.8 Kilometers 332 217 227 238 236 212 Laps R Hill 128 80.8 99.2 70 95.6 96.4 Kilometers 320 202 248 175 239 241 Laps K Fisher 164 91.6 50 115.2 49.6 81.2 Kilometers 410 229 125 288 124 203 Laps G Pollard 120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 61.2 Kilometers 300 187 184 171 174 153 Laps 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 96.4 Kilometers 354 282 262 254 254 245 Laps 145.6 110.8 114.8 113.6 108.4 106 Kilometers 364 277 287 284 271 265 Laps 152.8 110.8 126.4 113.6 114.8 95.2 Kilometers 382 277 316 284 287 238 Laps 140.8 82 84 34 0 0 Kilometers 352 205 210 85 Pulled out (Blisters) 127.2 98.4 74.8 0 0 0 Kilometers 318 246 187 Pulled out 0 Laps N Mercer 166 16.4 0 0 0 0 Kilometers 415 16.4 Pulled out 0 0 Laps 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.
D P a r r i s T R a f f e r t y G M c C o n n e l l G A u d l e y S S c a n l o n J T i m m s
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What other runners and walkers say about Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
Michaels 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, Michaels 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 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 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 musclerebuilding 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 doesnt 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!
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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 cant 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

If someone is considering massage, they should be aware of what is happening; using the example from Sandra Brown to stress how important the appropriate approach to muscles is. For example deep tissue work for injury rehabilitation cant be done using light work without being aggressive, for pre-event work you are not attempting to fix anything so you do light dynamic work to get the body ready for performance For recovery after performance work, you are simply attempting to aid the muscles in getting rid of the micro-cellular debris that has accumulated in the tissues so that fresh blood can enter them and help them heal For this you need something calming and light as you are not going to get anywhere by putting the at risk of more injury and putting the body into self-defense by cramping 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 dont 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. 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 harm and maximizing the benefit. (Source:http://www.surreywalkingclub.org.uk/Training?Advice/Articles/training_for_ult ras_by_sandra_br.htm#Training/forUltras_SB)
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What difference can a better performance through a better recovery make?

My name is Chris Kelly and I am a Ultra Athlete who has competed in over 130 races in varies sports. I have won events such as the Murray River Marathon (worlds longest kayak race) Victorian 6 hour track Championships, Victorian 2km Sprint Championships, Victorian Aquathon Championships and 30 other events. I have also came 3rd place in the Australia 48 hour track Championships and 6th place in the Melbourne to Warrnambool (Worlds longest one day road cycle race). Recently I was a competitor in the *Victorian 24 Hour Track Championships and was looking good until I experienced what all ultra runners fear (Leg Lock or Hitting the Wall) I found myself walking and in severe pain. I was introduced to a man called Michael Gillan who was the race muscle relaxation therapist who informed me that he could help me with my problem. After spending some time on Mr Gillan's work bench I was sent back out onto the track where I soon found myself jogging freely while most of my competitors were walking. I went on to finish 10th place in the Victoria Championships and pass a further 9 competitors and run an extra 22km smashing my PB and running my first 100 miles in 24 hours. I have no doubt that Mr Gillan's methods work and will be seeking more aid/advice in the future. Kind Regards Chris Kelly
*http://www.coburgharriers.org.au/joomla1/component/option,com_doc man/task,doc_view/gid,668/Itemid,28/ What happened to Chris? He found that recovery can increase performance!! And we did this using
Light Manual Muscle Relaxation!
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A record of Light Manual Muscle Relaxation use

1995 Colac 6 Day race (Light Manual Muscle Relaxation developed, used from here on)
1996 Nanango 1000 Mile 16 day (1600 kilometer) Footrace 1996 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 1997 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 1998 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 1999 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 1999 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100 mile 24 hour event (official masseur) 1999 Sri Chinmoy 24 hour race with Cliff Young (official masseur) 2000 Cliffies Dream 16-day event as masseur (7 days) 2000 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2000 Coburg 24 hour event (official masseur) 2000 Sri Chinmoy Adelaide 24 hour Event (official masseur) 2001 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2002 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2002 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2002 Self Transcendence 24 hour Event (official masseur) 2003 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2003 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2003 National 24 Hour Championships Self Transcendence Footrace (official masseur) 2004 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2004 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2004 Round the World Run 1 (3 weeks official masseur and support crew) 2005 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2005 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2005 Cliff Young 6 day event (3 days with Indian National record holder) 2006 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2006 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2007 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2007 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2007 Antibes (France) 6 jour event (official masseur) 2007 Mors world run 2 training camp (14 days) 2007 Mors 100 Mile event 2007 World Distance 24 Hour Championships Montreal with the Danish National Distance Running Team 2008 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2008 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2009 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2009 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2010 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2010 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) 2011 Run across America from San Francisco to Bridgeport Conn for natural medicine 2012 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100-mile event (official masseur) 2012 Coburg 24 Hour race (official masseur) Plus various Relay for Life events, Marathons, 6 Hour Events 14
Some other links Gillan Recovery is connected to

http://www.therun.org http://www.worldrun.org http://youtu.be/sQQ7Il-U8Fc My video on Cliff Young http://youtu.be/5WXXm-FVB58 Jack Canfield on Cliff Young http://aching-legs-relief.com/index.html/ http://aching-legs-relief.org/ http://www.centurions.org.au/ http://www.coburgharriers.org.au/joomla1/content/view/55/39/ http://youtu.be/CiEMj2-pQ7A http://youtu.be/2z6gYkXsSZ0 2007 Mors 100 Miles 2007 Antibes 6 Jour event
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DPEM3OTToc http://www1.worldrun.org/index.shtml
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Marathon Recovery Problems

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Marathon Recovery Problems

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Recovery Massage and the Marathon Runner and Walker 2012 Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

Dont use massage oils and creams in recovery massage

Length of time spent working on cold muscles

Medical problems caused during or made worse by the marathon

Better Performance through a Better Recovery

Recovery with Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

What is Light Manual Muscle Relaxation?

Taken from www.worldrun.org

What difference can a better performance through a better recovery make?

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation!

A record of Light Manual Muscle Relaxation use

Some other links Gillan Recovery is connected to

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