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Chefs may walk this distance around the kitchen, but like the ultra marathoner they do this on a
daily basis which puts them in the ultra marathon category-and like ultra people their legs need
special care because they rely on them to keep moving
Chefs are Accidental Athletes but unlike the deliberate athletes they do not generally have any leg
recovery strategies in place to keep their leg health
Recipe for aching legs
Take 1 Chef
• Take one set of legs-any Chefs will do
• A set of arteries
• A set of veins
• A touch of gravity
• Some atmospheric pressure
• Lots of blood in the body-preferably some used blood that has collected in the ankles
Aching legs
The reason for aching legs as it affects the stand attendant-too much standing and walking
The body is basically a column of blood and other fluids (between 65% and 85% is water) held upright by
the body structures which is subject to pressure from gravity and air pressure-left to its own devices it all
tries to accumulate in the lowest part it can find
The lower legs and feet
The only thing that stops it running out all over the ground is the ends of the toes-this is why whenever a cut
happens that is quite deep, one of the main strategies to slow and stop the bleeding is to elevate the part
higher than the heart-this reduces the pressure and hopefully the bleeding by reversing gravity and pressure
What happens when the legs are not working properly-swollen ankles as the fluid builds up
Getting this back up the legs so it can be absorbed back into the body can be a problem
How can gravity and atmospheric pressure be utilized to help the legs to stop aching?
We could simply use the recommended way of doing it-and reverse the flow so that some of the
weight of fluid flows back up the legs to the body
As the old blood and fluids have left the legs through the veins, new blood will have been pumped
there by the heart through the arteries, but it too will have gone cold
All this fluid from the legs has to go somewhere so it goes again to the lowest part of the body, this
time towards the head-on standing many people will go dizzy and disoriented for a few minutes,
they may even fall over or trip-this lasts until everything equalises and they regain equilibrium
If You Don’t Move It You Lose It
This also goes for the legs and the muscles
While you have been lying with the legs elevated the muscles also stiffen up and they may go too
light-the muscles in the legs forget how to move because they are not getting any feedback from
pressure and stretch receptors located in the skin, muscle tissues and joints about their environment
and position in relation to the rest of the body
All the feedback goes back to a part of the brain called the Cerebellum in latin this means small
brain-with all the information supplied to it, it compares where the muscles are now, and where they
should be-this information is sent to the brain which organises the smooth movement of the body
part to where it is going to
In these runners who have been on the track for 3 days, the legs have stopped moving,
they could not get up and walk in a straight line if they tried
Using an ‘active’ recovery method would both increase the removal of used blood from the
lower legs and help the Cerebellum regain its use as a comparator so the legs can work
smoothly again
• It is not invasive
• It is not aggressive
• It is not time consuming
All that is needed is a strap and a chair-I looked after a running team for 24 hours on the chair next
to the bottles above and used the seated version of Light Manual Muscle Relaxation and only
needed a few minutes on each runner
To do self recovery is as simple-at home it can be just as simple if you have a partner-
The World Run Recovery System is a simple system that is easy to use without the
need for equipment other than the hands
Resource Box
Michael Gillan is an Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist who has been a masseur around many
ultra long distance events both in Australia and internationally since he was a student in 1993
In 1995 while working at a 6 day run, he changed the approach to recovery of the athletes from the
conventional way of working on the muscles using the hands and fingers to increase muscle blood
circulation, to working with the muscles and making them work on themselves
The results from this changeover can be seen on the Coburg result sheet on page 5
In 1996 Michael went to the Nanango 1000 Mile 16 day event where it was tested and helped the
worlds 4-5 and 11th to achieve their distances
Other notable events the World Run Recovery System was tested on was World Run 1 with Jesper
Olsen www.worldrun.org and the World Run 2 training camp in Denmark in 2007
Because the muscles are being worked with they are actually doing the work-this means that the
skills needed to do the recovery after training and competition do not have to be as great or as
complicated as when they are being worked on
Nothing is being fixed nor is any attempt being made to repair anything
All that is happening is that the body is repairing itself-we are just facilitating it’s ability to
do that by increasing circulation to the muscles
Aching legs should always be checked out by a medical professional before doing anything to and
with them because there are many medical reasons why they may be aching-see a physician
first
http://aching-legs.org/chefs_aching_legs_relief.html
2009 Copyright Michael Gillan 8
http://aching-legs.org/chefs_aching_legs_relief.html
The Chef aching legs and Accidental Athlete’s leg health
or google me Michael Gillan ultra marathon masseur
Travell J. Rinzler S.H. The Myofascial Genesis of Pain Post Grad Med. 1952
Modern Treatment for Lymphoedema Casley-smith Judith & Casley-Smith J.R. 5th edition
Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology-Seeley Stephens and Tate-Mosby Year Book ISBN 0-8016-
0227-0
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
'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-Ultra marathon runner