about Gillan Recovery - increased leg performance through the use of structured movement
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Michael giving a workshop in Denmark
http://bit.ly/eventsaudio
'Gillan Recovery is the name and leg maintenance is the game'
Gillan Legs Maintenance International was started by Michael Gillan when he started working with ultra distance runners and walkers in 1993 at the Colac (Australia) 6 day running and walking event which Cliff Young started when he decided to walk around the local town square
It was at the 1995 event that Light Manual Muscle Relaxation was developed with the results shown below to demonstrate how the change in approachto recovery from working on the muscle to working with them resulted in more distance for less effort
Light Manual Muscle Relaxation has since been tested at events all over the world by Gillan Recovery
Having been involved in ultra marathon for many years both in Australia and internationally I have become aware of many problems faced by people with leg fatigue and by default the woman trying to get fit after pregnancy and the way that different people approach dealing with them
I have been able to compare the best of approaches and the worst of them and come uo with a reasonable assesment of the systems that are used out on the track to make the event as comfortable as possible for them
To spend all that time aiming for a sporting goal then leave the recovery to chance is not a good tactic to improve performance in the sport you are in
What happens on the recovery table can impact on recovery, training and performance in a not very beneficial way by using 'enthusiasm' rather than knowledge.
To illustrate the problems that can be caused when a heavier type of massage is used below is a quote from Sandra Brown taken from her advice sheet for the Surrey Walking Club.
"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 don't 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. Michael's approach is very gentle at all times, and always works with the athlete and puts the athlete in control, thus minimising the risk of harm and maximising the benefit.
Very occasionally I will feel tightness in one or other hamstring, but I am lucky that neither tear has become a real problem. These days I stretch pretty diligently after exercise and am convinced of its value, and my cross-training approach plays a part; I am sure, in keeping me free of overuse injuries. More on stretching another time."
(Source:http://www.surreywalkingclub.org.uk/Training?Advice/Articles/training_for_ultras_by_sandra_br.htm#Training/forUltras_SB)
What Sandra is saying is that enthusiasm is no subsitute for experience
This is what Sandra says about experience
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 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 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
Ultra marathon is a sport where the sexes are on level playing field and there is no benefits or advantages given to either sex except for changing rooms and bathroom facilities
Women are deadly out on the track in endurance and have both mental and physical abilities to stay out there and break world records and they have fun while doing it
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)
2004 Cliff Young 6 day event with Jesper Olsen
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)
2013 Tony Mangan's world run Queenscliffe to Darwin (Australia)
2013 The Raw Run (went with the Raw Runners from West Australia to Melbourne Australia
2013 Cairns (Australia) Iron Man Event
2014 Coburg 24 hour event (official leg maintenance practitioner)
2014 Ireland run with Tony Mangan on his last kilometers of his record breaking around the world run of 50,000 kilometers
2014 The Icarus (Fort Lauderdale) 6 Day event
2015 Coburg 24 hour run (official leg maintenance practitioner)
2015 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100 Mile (official Leg maintenance practitioner)
2016 Coburg 24 hour run (official leg maintenance practitioner)
2016 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100 Mile (official Leg maintenance practitioner)
2017 Coburg 24 hour run (official leg maintenance practitioner)Australi
2017 Australian Centurion Race walkers 100 Mile (official Leg maintenance practitioner)
2017 Across Australia with Tony Mangan of Ireland on the Australian leg of his around the world walk (our total with Tony 2590 kilometers)
2018 Coburg 24 hour run (official leg maintenance practitioner)Australia
2019 Coburg 24 hour run (official leg maintenance practitioner)Australia
Plus many othe events around the world and in Australia I have not recorded
http://bit.ly/ultramarathonaudio
Recovery methods are many and varied depending on the athlete, person doing recovery and facilities at the venue
If the event is at a running track, the facilities can range from top line to the non-existent, the organisers may have been able to arrange massage therapists to assist with recovery or they may not, the therapists may have experience working with sportswomen or fresh out of massage school
Depending on which school they went to, the techniques they have been taught may or may not be adaptable to the conditions at the track, or the special needs of women during or after sport such as basic privacy in the aid area when doing work on exhausted after an event (I have seen some horrible sights as basic privacy or even draping with towels was neglected)
One major problem I have found is that there are very few people who are actually working with the athletes at these events and the athletes have to suffer along with their dreams and ambitions if they get into trouble, it all falls in a heap
A record ofLight Manual Muscle Relaxation use
Athlete's Legs Maintenance using Wholistic Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
Some other links we are connected to
http://www.therun.org Across America for Natural Medicine
http://www.worldrun.org With Jesper Olsen on his first around the world run in Victoria Australia and on the training camp in Denmark for his second around the world run
http://youtu.be/sQQ7Il-U8Fc My video on Cliff Young
http://youtu.be/5WXXm-FVB58 Jack Canfield on Cliff Young
http://www.centurions.org.au/
http://www.coburgharriers.org.au/joomla1/content/view/55/39/
http://youtu.be/2z6gYkXsSZ0 2007 Antibes 6 Jour event
http://youtu.be/CiEMj2-pQ7A 2007 Mors 100 Miles
http://www.theworldjog.com/blog/ from Melbourne Victoria Australia to Darwin NT Australia with Tony Mangan on his around the world run
http://myworldwalk.com from Perth West Australia to Sydney Australia with Tony Mangan on his around the world walk
Light Manual Muscle Relaxation is a simple physiology based recovery system developed for extreme athletes and tested at events all over the world and is in fact the only system that has been used on 2 runs around the world!
Arguably it can be said to be the most tested recovery system in the world!
It has also been used at events in
France
Denmark
The United States
Australia
Canada
The advantages of using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
It is Do It Yourself recovery
No disrobing
Works with the muscles not on them
No oil used
Non invasive
User friendly
Easy to learn
It only needs a few minutes and can be done as often as possible because it does not use a rubbing motion does not initiate or further irritate sore muscles
There are flow on benefits to all athletes
They can easily learn and use the same system I use
They do not need to do an expensive dedicated course in recovery system
They do not need to invest in or carry expensive equipment
They can use it trackside or field side whenever they need it
If they do not have the services of a support team they just Do It Themselves!
A tested Trusted Alternative
Contact michael@the-legs.com
Owned by Gillan Legs Maintenance (International)