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

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 1

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

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 2

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

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 3

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 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6

A Krouglikov 237.2 113.6 130 106 126 108 Kilometers
539 284 325 365 315 270 Laps

T Rusek 215.2 98.8 98 139.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers

538 247 245 349 346 306 Laps

M T aylor 174.4 128.8 143.6 123.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers

436 322 359 309 302 223 Laps

B Beauchamp 180.4 133.2 124 117.6 110 93.2 Kilometers

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

D Parri s 138.4 108.4 106.8 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers

346 271 267 274 265 268 Laps

I Davis 168 119.2 90 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers

420 298 225 291 180 247 Laps

G Watts 132.2 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 84.4 Kilometers

332 217 227 238 236 212 Laps

R H ill 128 80.8 99.2 70 95.6 96.6 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 Light Manual Muscle Rel axation
The below group did not or had their own recovery people
T Rafferty 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4 Kilometers
354 282 262 254 245 241 Laps

G McConnel 145.6 110.8 126.4 113.6 108.4 106 ki lometers

363 277 287 284 271 265 Laps

G Audley 152.8 110.8 126.4 113.6 114.8 95.2 ki lometers

S Scanlon 140.8 82 84 34 0 0 Kilometers

352 205 210 85 pulled out-bli sters Laps

J Timms
Copyright 2008 127.2
Michael Gillan 98.4 4 74.8 0 0 0 ki lometers
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 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

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 5

http://www.aching-legs.org/the_bushwalker.html