<![CDATA[Services For Runners

<![CDATA[Services For Runners - Q&A]]>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:21:30 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[SANCTIONED road race courses aren’t necessarily CERTIFIED]]>Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:59:02 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/sanctioned-road-race-courses-arent-necessarily-certifiedQ - Coach, can you clarify the difference between a road race that's Sanctioned and one that is Certified?

A - Sure can.

First, check out the very extensive criteria needed in order for the run event to be granted Sanctioning by Athletics Ontario (HERE).These criteria insure that the event is exceptionally well organized.

And the logo below can be displayed with the event's marketing.

A Sanction Certificate

But you’ll also see that one of the race route criteria is the following:

“Course must be measured by bicycle,GPS or Jones Wheel Counter, marked and clearly communicated prior to race day”

So, this criteria doesn’t stipulate if, and how, the various methods have been calibrated to insure accuracy, and thus the advertised distances can’t be considered legitimate(i.e., Certified).

A Course Certificate

IMPORTANCE

So why is this important, as opposed to a runner being satisfied that he or she has actually run the advertised distance? Well, it's because only Certified road performances can be considered eligible for

1) inclusion in official rankings;

2) determining Provincial & National financial support; and

3) determining Provincial & National team selections

Note that before a course can be granted Certification by Athletiics Canada, the event must first be sanctioned.

So you may ask why aren't more races certified. Well, it's because of the amount of work involved. I have described the exacting process in an article HERE.

And there's more information at my website HERE.

You can check to see if a race course has been Certified by Athletics Canada HERE.

Note - The above pertains to the Canadian scene. Go HERE to see the similiar scene in the United States.

]]><![CDATA[The Danger of Prolonged Sitting]]>Fri, 04 Apr 2025 19:12:42 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/thrombophletis-or-varicose-vein-in-a-runnnerQ - Hey Coach: I’m not a runner. However, I’m contacting you about a 54 year old buddy who has been a long-time jogger, running 5 days a week, averaging 4 to 6 km. per run with only a few walking breaks. He’s not overweight – he’s 5 ft. 10 inches tall and weighs about 160 lb.

Anyway, he recently complained that, out of the blue, he has developed varicose veins (self-diagnosis) in one leg below the knee. Of course, he has not seen a Dr. for a formal diagnosis about this. Oh, and he’s a full-time office worker and sits all day while working. Have you had any experience with this kind of situation?
Jenny

A – Thanks for the question Jenny. In all the years I’ve been coaching runners, I’ve only encountered one similar situation with a 63 year old fellow.

First off, I strongly recommend your friend see a Dr., just to confirm that this is indeed a case of varicose veins.

I suggest this because, in the case of my client, it turned out to be Superficial Thrombophlebitis, which is different from a varicose situation in which vein valves malfunction.

Thrombophlebitis is an inflammatory process that causes a blood clot to form and block one or more veins, most commonly in the legs. There are 2 types:

Type 1) Superficial Thrombophlebitis, where the vein(s) is near the surface of the skin – it may or may not cause pain, warmth and tenderness;

Type 2) Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT, that occurs in veins deep within a muscle, which increases the risk of serious health problems.

Causes of thrombophlebitis include trauma, surgery or prolonged inactivity (e.g., sitting at an office job).

Comparing actual photos of Superficial Thrombophlebitis (HERE) and varicose veins (HERE),shows the similiar appearances.

Now runners may think they’re immune to this situation, but prolonged sitting may counter the circulatory benefits of running. In fact, an incredibly thorough 2020 review on this subject by several UK and USA universities concluded, “Exposure to acute prolonged sitting leads to significant vascular dysfunction in arteries of the lower, but not upper, limbs. The limited available data indicate that vascular dysfunction can be prevented by regularly interrupting sitting, particularly with aerobic or simple resistance activities”.

[You can read the published study HERE]

And so, what I prescribed my client to do was to interrupt his sitting every 30 minutes (whether at the office or in the evening when practical), bystand up and walk around for 5 to 10 minutes, and including easy effort exercises (e.g., heel raises, half squats, knee lifts) to promote increased blood circulation.

He did this, and the condition completely cleared up in a matter of a couple of months.

]]><![CDATA[Changing Anaerobic Threshold]]>Mon, 13 Nov 2023 12:00:57 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/changing-anaerobic-thresholdQ - Hi Coach Pimm - I'm hoping you can give me some advice since I seem to have stagnated in improving my 5K time.I am by no means an elite athlete - my PB for 5K is 2813. I’m a 32 years old man, and I began running and entering races when I was in my mid-20s.

I don’t belong to any running group due to the demands of work, so I have just picked up tips from running magazines and other runners. So after initially improving from 30+ minutes using interval training, I worked my way down to my current PB of 28:13 a couple of years ago. But I haven't gone faster since then.

My go-to workout is 6 x 800 m taking with a 1:30 minute rest. And I have been able to average 4:20. I keep the rest periods short to make it more challenging.

Anyway, I’m frustrated that I haven’t been able to break 28 minutes and I’m wondering if you can give me some free advice.

A - FREE????!!! Are you serious? lol

OK – Here’s a clue:

“The definition of ‘insanity’ is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

[By the way, this quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein but that’s debatable -see HERE).]

Nevertheless, it does make common sense, right?

The design of the 800 metre workout you’ve described is very effective in improving one’s Aerobic fitness. However, I suggest you will eventually reach a point where just taking a 1:30 rest will not allow enough of a stimulus to produce a significant increase of your Anaerobic fitness which plays a very significant role in reducing one’s effort at any given running speed, especially over 5,000 metres.

The following graph schematically shows the physiology of two hypothetic runners, A and B, at various running speeds.

A and B runners have the same Maximum Oxygen Intake (VO2max); however, Runner B’s Anaerobic Threshold (AT) occurs at a faster running speed. This allows the ability to run more comfortably at a faster pace. [see description of Anaerobic Threshold HERE).

Shaking Up the Act

Now, since you have plateaued, I suggest you shake up the act by introducing longer rest intervals, especially as you approach races that you deem important.

Taking longer rests will allow you to be exposed to greater levels of stress (lactic acid), which in turn foster new adaptations, such as the point at which you encounter the Anaerobic Threshold, as shown in the above graph.

So considering your go-to 800m workout, the adjustment I'm talking about is to SUBSTANTIALLY increase the rest periods between the 800s and reduce the number of repetitions. This will allow you to run each 800 much faster, resulting in greater levels of anaerobic work, and that nasty byproduct of lactic acid.

OMG make it stop!

The body, horrified by this new level of discomfort, will scream "what the hell, and cause it to initiate physiological adaptations in an effort to reduce the levels of lactic acid.

So how do we do this?

CAUTION. It's important to note that the greater the effort (speed), the greater the always present risk of injury. So be extremely careful. The more intense the workout, the more attention and time required for the warmup.

Let's consider your case. You tell me that for some time, you've been stuck around being able to do
6 x 800m in 4:20 with a 1:30 minute rest..

Now, if I were coaching you - and I want to - I might prescribe a workout such as
4 or 5 x 800m in 4:05 with a 3:00 min. rest.

And eventually you might even work up to a super peaking workout of
3 x 800m iin 3:45 with a 10 to 15 min. rest, causing very high levels of our good friend, lactic acid. Pain for gain.

[Note - the actual # of reps and times are simply examples. The actuals I would PRESCRIBE would depend on your responses, keeping in mind injury avoidance.]

For your interest, years ago, I had the honour to coach Brendan Matthias, a former Canadian Olympian in the 5,000m in Barcelona, and a Jr. record holder at 1500m. One of his peaking workouts was 3 x 800 metres in an average time of 1:55 with a 15 minute rest; whereas in his off season (i.e., the fall), he might do 8 to 10 x 800 metres at 2:05 with a 1:30 rest.

Training anaerobic fitness is far from comfortable,” but it’s extremely effective in producing great improvements in a matter of just 3 to 4 weeks.

Moreover, there’s also a psychological “callusing” that results from subjecting yourself to such pain for gain.

But be careful.

]]><![CDATA[Stride Length - What's best?]]>Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:19:43 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/stride-length-whats-best

Q – Coach, I’ve been experimenting with trying to run with different stride lengths. Am I better off trying to lengthen my strides or to shorten the strides to increase my stride frequency?

A – I’ll admit that I too wondered the same thing as a young runner and I even experimented with trying to stride what I thought was the same way as the long distance stars of the day like Jerome Drayton, Bill Rodgers, etc.

And on winter days, when say an inch of fresh fallen snow was on the ground, I would examine my stride pattern (just tell passersby you’re looking for a contact lens). Also, this is one way to compare the length of the left vs. right leg strides -asymmetry may also indicate muscle strength imbalance (see my article HERE).

So a basic reason for considering a change in stride length is to achieve greater economy, so that running at any given speed will require less effort because you’re using less oxygen.

But trying to imitate other runners is dicey. After all, one’s form is affected by posture, joint angles, foot strike, muscle strength and coordination, body composition and is also dependent on skeletal proportions And any change in any of these parameters will affect stride patterns. And obviously, body growth associated with maturing from a young teen to an adult can have a major impact.

My own experimentation, between the extremes of really exaggerating the length of my stride (almost leaping or extending/reaching my lower leg out in front of me), versus taking much shorter strides, felt like far more effort at any given pace.

But it only makes common sense that the best stride length would be somewhere in between. But where...?

I’m betting you’ve already Googled or Binged (does anyone Bing?) this subject and seen that there’s a load of articles in the popular mags. But for your interest, I’ll share with you two relevant scientific studies that were conducted 35 years apart.

The 1982 Study

So the first was in 1982, and documented in a paper titled
The effect of stride length variation on oxygen uptake during distance running Med Sci Sports Exerc.1982;14(1):30-5.

10 very fit, male runners were the subjects These dudes were made to run on a treadmill at a speed of 7:00 min. per mile (approx. 4:22/km.) while their oxygen consumption (uptake) and their freely chosen stride lengths were measured.

The runners were then observed running at the same speed, while being instructed to stride in time with the beat of a metronome. The metronome was set at frequencies which were slower and faster than their naturally chosen stride frequency, making their strides longer or shorter.

And the result? Well, less oxygen was used at their naturally chosen stride length. As an example, the graph below shows the results observed on one of the runners - and this pattern was typical of the entire group.

(Graph - Adapted from one of the paper’s graphs)

[ If you want to read the full paper and are not a subscriber to the publication, I have posted it HERE. ]

The 2017 Study

The second more recent study was published in 2017, titled:
Self-optimization of Stride Length Among Experienced and Inexperienced Runners Int J Exerc Sci. 2017; 10(3): 446–453.

This study aimed to determine whether stride self-economization is different between "experienced" runners, who averaged at least 20 miles per week, and "inexperienced" runners, who never ran more than 5 miles/wk. in their lives. All subjects were from a university population.

As in the 1982 study, a metronome was used to direct/force the participants to run with five different stride lengths:
1) preferred
2) plus 8 % of preferred
3) plus 16% of preferred
4) minus 8% of preferred
5) minus 16% of preferred

The experienced runners ran 3.66m/sec. which = 400m in 1:49 pace or about 7:20 per mile. The inexperienced runners ran 3.04m/sec. which = 400m in 2:11 pace, or about 8:49 per mile.

Basically, the results were similar to the 1982 study as indicated in the graph below, i.e., inexperienced runners are equally capable of optimizing stride length for minimal oxygen uptake as experienced runners.

Takeaways

Both studies clearly indicate that runners generally adopt a stride length and frequency that's the most economical regardless of running speed they're running at.

So it would seem that the body/mind naturally adjusts the stride length and frequency to whatever speed is asked of it, so as to minimize effort. Call it Self-Economization.

This Self-Economization is consistent with a fundamental survival instinct called HOMEOSTASIS which, refers to our body's ongoing efforts to reduce any undue discomfort.

(Check out Homeostasis: The Underappreciated and Far Too Often Ignored Central Organizing Principle of Physiology Front. Physiol., 10 March 2020)

Now the authors of the 2nd study wrote “athletes and coaches do not need to alter runner’s stride length when economy is the main concern.”

However I must suggest a caveat to this statement. That is, you may want to indirectly foster a change of stride length if running form is obviously less than ideal ?

For fun check out some of the less than ideal running forms in the youtube video below (BTW, I have never seen a study that looked at running economy before and after a change of running form).

After all, the form may be jerkily uncoordinated - or asymmetrical, as a consequence of past injuries that have conciously or unconconciouly caused adjustments to reduce/protect from pain. (see also HERE)

Anyway, an improvement of running form is likely going to impact on stride length. But if so, it will also likely be the most economical.

]]><![CDATA[Chocolate milk as a recovery drink]]>Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:50:29 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/chocolate-milk-as-a-recovery-drink

Q - Mr. Coach – Would you mind giving your perspective on Chocolate Milk as a recovery drink after workouts? I’ve read loads of magazine articles saying how great it is and they mention studies. But is there really any sound scientific basis? Thanks.

A - I like the Mr. Coach...

Yes, there’s certainly been many articles on this topic in recent years, such as THIS. And with the successful marketing of so many “recovery drinks’, it's no wonder that eventually it would spawn the scientific community to take a look see.

Makes sense...Why? Well, because chocolate milk contains carbohydrates (CHO), proteins (PRO), and fat, as well as water and electrolytes - the same ingredients that are promoted in the specialized recovery drinks.

So studies began: some controlled; some not so controlled.

But In 2019 a group published a scientific review of carefully selected legitimate studies comparing the benefits of chocolate milk vs. "sport drinks. And they published the results of their review in the respected peer-reviewed European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The paper's rather imposing title is Chocolate milk for recovery from exercise: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials (published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 73, pages 835–849 (2019).

NOTE - Quite often only Abstracts of such scientific papers are available online to non-subscribers of the publication. So, in case you want to read the full paper, I have provided a link to it HERE. You're welcome.

Be warned its a tedious document to read - a statistician's glorious dream, but here’s the deal:

The team systematically reviewed the evidence regarding the efficacy of chocolate milk compared to either water or other “sport drinks” on post-exercise recovery markers, such as, heart rate, perceived exertion, lactate levels and Time to Exhaustion , etc.

And what is Time to Exhaustion (TTE) ? you might ask. Well, an example from one of the papers reviewed had subjects exercise for 45 min, followed by a 3-hour break. During the break they consumed chocolate milk or another beverage. They then repeated the exercise without the aid of knowing time until they could no longer continue (i.e., they were exhausted). Sounds like fun eh?

Anyway, their conclusion was chocolate milk "consumption after exercise improved TTE compared to placebo or CHO + PRO + FAT drinks. Furthermore, CM consumption led to lower blood lactate compared to placebo. Therefore, CM either provides similar or superior results on recovery indices compared to other recovery drinks and thus represents an alternative and often economic replacement."

[NOTE - Coach Pimm is not sponsored by any milk producing corporation, nor does he sell T-Shirts...]

]]><![CDATA[Best Squats for Speed]]>Wed, 09 Feb 2022 16:09:37 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/best-squats-for-speed Q – Coach, I’m a 32 year old woman and have run 5 km. in 30:10 minutes. I’m planning on beginning a weight training
program and I'm wondering if you have any recommendations for the type of squates I should include.

A few years ago I attended one of your talks and you had mentioned that basic speed was an ultimate determinate of running performance. For example, to prove your point, you said that someone whose 440 yard PB is 65 seconds could never run a 4 minute mile which would require running 60 seconds for each quarter mile.

A – Good question, and, yes, I have often used the 4 minute mile as a proof. After all, It makes common sense that if you you're maximum effort for 440 yards is 65 seconds, there’s no way you can run 4 in a row at that pace. As a matter of fact, if you want to even be a candidate to run a 4 minute mile, you need a 440 yd. capability of about 50 seconds. And even that won't guarantee you a 4 minute mile as you also need to develop other exceptional prerequiste parameters (e.g., Maximum Oxygen Intake (VO2max).

But to answer your question...In 2016, an international ensemble of 9 authors collaborated to conduct a study that compared the impact of various squats on speed and vertical jumpimg. The study is described in a paper titled:

Joint-Angle Specific Strength Adaptations Influence Improvements in Power in Highly Trained Athletes HUMAN MOVEMENT 2016, vol. 17 (1), 43–49
[NOTE If you feel like some really heavy technical reading, (and who doesn’t?), I have posted the full scientific paper HERE.]

Subjects and Methods of the Study
Twenty-eight men, age early 20’s, competing in a variety of U.S. college sports were split into one of 3 groups, differing only in the depth of squats exercises – that is Quarter Squats, Half Squats and Full Squats. The training lasted 16 weeks during which lower body workouts included 4–8 sets of squats, at the prescribed depth. The Quarter Squat was defined a knee joint angle of between 55 and 65 degrees.

Results
The graph below shows the Quarter Squat group enjoyed a greater decrease/improvement of just over 5% in their 40 yard dash times and about a 16% improvement in the vertical jumps.

Now this isn’t all that surprising when you consider that while running on flat surfaces the knee joint only bends to about the same degree as a quarter squat during the foot landing and weight bearing - no matter what level of runner.

The white lines in the image below show what I mean... BTW, that’s Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo (World Half-Marathon Record holder) in front.

And this image shows the range used in the study, which is even a little more than what runners generally demonstrate.

Of course sprinters that start from starting blocks are going to benefit by incorporating deeper squats given the knee joint angle of about 95 degrees in the set position, as shown in this image:

If you do read the study, you’ll see that the routines were fairly demanding, incorporating 4 to 8 sets of 8 to 2 repetitions for their respective squats.

Additionally, for general athletic preparation, the participants also did other exercises for the lower and upper body, but at low volumes in each session (1–3 sets) and were identical for all three groups

Coach Pimm Tips

Tip 1) Before I share this tip - at no cost - I want you to appreciate the why.

Distance runners of all levels, regardless of speed, typically run betweeen 160 and 180 strides per minute. You can read an excellent Outside Magazine article by Alex Hutchinson HERE.

So effectively each leg is doing 80 to 90 1/4 squats per minute. This means 2,400 to 2,700 1/4 squats over 30 minutes. So in addition to addressing speed via strength gains, I suggest giving attention to specific muscular endurance.

As an example, if I were working with you, I might start begin your regime with the conventional 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. But then eventually I might change the set format to

Doing 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps and then
a 3rd set with a significantly lower weight so that you
could do as many as 30 to to 50 reps or even higher.

This is just one example - there are many other configurations and the number of sets and repititions can be much higher. (Supervision recommended)

Tip 2) Very hilly courses (e.g., trails, cross country) can result in a greater angle at the knee vs. when running on the flat. So if you're training for courses, I recommend incorporating Half Squats (knee angle close to 90 degrees in some sessions.

Hope you find this helpful...now off you go to leap over buildings in a single bound.

]]><![CDATA[Treadmill Pace Converter]]>Mon, 26 Oct 2020 19:34:44 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/treadmill-pace-converter

Q - Coach, I'm doing intervals on the treadmill these days. Do you know of a tool that converts interval l times in to mph or kph or minutes per mile? I'm not great with math.

A - Offhand, I don't know of such a tool, which is why I recently created a spreadsheet tool for one of my clients. You can try it out HERE.

]]><![CDATA[Comparing Ellipticals vs. Treadmills For Runners]]>Fri, 16 Mar 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/comparing-ellipticals-vs-treadmills-for-runners

Q - My son just bought an elliptical, and he asked me how it compares to running. Do you know how to compare for instance a 5 km elliptical workout to running?

A - Thanks for the question. Obviously, the image above gives away part of my answer...

Elliptical Design Considerations

You didn’t tell me the type of elliptical you have and as I’m sure you’re aware, there’s quite an array of model designs (e.g., elliptical trainer, elliptical glider and elliptical cross trainer) which result in different stride ranges and knee angles.

And they may or may not have moving arm bars.

My personal design preference, is one like the Life Fitness 93x (image below – and no I’m not sponsored). I find it simulates the feeling of running on the flat in terms of the stride length and a relatively low arc. For the most part, I don't use the movable arm bars so as to put greater effort on the legs.

For me, the angle at the knee feels similar when running on the flat, since during landing, weight bearing and push off, the angle is small.

And you can use your hamstrings to pull the foot platform back in a similar fashion to running rather than just focusing on the downward ‎push. After all, when running you are basically pawing the ground behind you while at the same time applying a downward force.

However, the models that do produce much greater knee angles can be used to more effectively target the muscles used for uphill running.

Treadmill Designs

As for treadmills, basic designs are not as variable, as the majority of models at fitness facilities, simply offer controls for varying slope and speed.

While it’s relatively common in clubs to find a high-end treadmill with an incline option, rarely will you find a model that simulates both uphill and downhill running. But they do exist and can offer 10 to 15 percent uphill and 2 to 3 percent downhill slopes. HERE’s a link to a Youtube video showing a treadmill that offers such inclines.

The decline option would certainly be of benefit for those training for downhill courses like the Revel, or St. George, or Boston marathons (see HERE for more on downhill running.)

And more recently, some high-end clubs have added futuristic-looking curved sled treadmills as an additional way to beat yourself up in some high end clubs.

Curved sled treadmill

Anyway, let’s check out what those dogged exercise physiologists have observed in two studies.

Click >> HERE to continue reading the answer.

___________________________________

]]><![CDATA[Using Downhill Marathons to Qualify for Boston]]>Tue, 06 Feb 2018 13:00:46 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/using-downhill-marathons-to-qualify-for-bostonQ – Coach: I’m a 35 year old woman, and my dream is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Are there any downhill marathons that are ok to use to qualify?

A - Well, you certainly aren't alone with this dream. After all, Boston is the most famous marathon in the world being one of the oldest (this year will be the 122nd), and having been patronized by many top runners of the day.

And the fact that you have to qualify to partake makes it even more of a special badge of honour .

[BTW, Boston was my first marathon, and I've shared some memories of it in one of my Audios HERE.]

Years ago you didn't have to formally qualify. Those were the days when Canadians were especially welcomed…at least we thought we were. After all, 12 different Canadian heroes have won the event, including Gerard Cote, who won it an amazing 4 times between 1940 and 1948, Canadian record holder, Jerome Drayton, the 1977 winner, and a woman, Jacqueline Gareau, in 1980, who was almost upstaged by the infamous Roise Ruiz. .

And speaking of big names would you believe the name of the Canadian dude, who won the 2nd Boston Marathon in 1898 was named Ronald MacDonald (no clowning around him….I know the spelling’s not quite the same.)

Qualifying Standards Introduced

Anyway, in 1970, the organizers in an effort to keep the number of participants to a manageable size, introduced (but not that rigidly enforced as no verifiable proof was needed) And they even allowed a grace of 59 seconds; but that was curtailed in 2013.

But more recently, qualifying has become even more challenging as organizers have put a ceiling on the number of participants per age category; so that achieving the qualifying time isn't necessarily good enough, which can be more heartbreaking than Heartbreak Hill.

Heartbreaking Story

Case in point: in 2015 I had a client who's goal was Boston and the qualifying time for her age category was 3:45. Her training went well and in a fall marathon she joyfully exceeded the standard running 3:41:56. Unfortunately, too many others ran faster and the race organizers made the cutoff 3:41:52. She couldn't run.

Desperate Measures

As a consequence, I'm finding more like you are looking for marathons that offer the best chance of good weather (always a crap shoot) and a favourable course.

In fact, several years ago I had a client ask me your same question, and I told him about the St. George Marathon which at the time had, and still has, a reputation of being one of the fastest courses In North America. Why? Because it Starts at an elevation of 5240 ft. (1597 m.), and finishes at 2680 ft. (817 m.) – that’s an average decline of 18.5 m./km. and the overall average slope is 1.8%.

But Does It Count?

One might ask: if a course is so dramatically downhill, will a performance be considerate legitimate?

Good ‎question - In fact, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) stipulates very stringent criteria in order for a course to be deemed eligible for World Record purposes. You can see all of the 5 criteria HERE

The 2 pertinent criteria for your question are:

                “(1) The start and finish points of a course, measured along a theoretical straight line between them, shall not be further apart than 50% of the race distance.
   (2) The overall decrease in elevation between the start and finish shall not exceed 1:1000, i.e. 1m per km (0.1%).”

Now, even the Boston Marathon route fails to abide by both of these criteria . As regards elevation, Boston starts at 476 FT. (145 m.) ASL and finishes at 16 FT. (5.m.) for an average decline of 3.31m./km., and the straight line distance from the Hopkinton Start to the Finish is 38.6 km., which far exceeds 50% of the race distance.

Click >> HERE to continue reading this Answer - there's lots more...

]]><![CDATA[Do Weighted Blankets Promote Better Sleep?]]>Tue, 28 Nov 2017 14:47:12 GMThttps://www.servicesforrunners.com/qa/do-weighted-blankets-promote-better-sleep

Example of a company ad

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Q - Coach: I recently read an online mag called ScienceMag that was promoting a product called The Density Blanket it says is engineered to be 10% of your body weight for Deep Pressure Touch Stimulation (DPTS), a proven therapy used to promote deep, restful sleep that anyone can benefit from.
I'm a lousy sleeper especially before races, so am wondering if there is any truth to this and if any of your clients have used it. Thanks.

A - I admit that until your question I was unfamiliar with this product; and I don't know any runners or anyone for that matter who has used them.

So I've looked in to it...

I'll tell you one thing I've discovered - weight blankets are big business! Just do a Google and you'll see what I mean.

I should point out that ScienceMag is not a scientific periodical - rather, it's an advertisement aiming to sell product. In fact, If you scroll down to the bottom of the website link, you'll see the following:
THIS IS AN ADVERTORIAL AND NOT AN ACTUAL NEWS ARTICLE, BLOG, OR CONSUMER PROTECTION UPDATE.

But having said that, there is a heck of a lot of literature on the subject especially in the field of occupational therapy ‎where it has been increasingly employed in acute mental health care settings for crisis intervention.

And it's been reported that it appears to help the consumer nurture, soothe, and care for himself or herself and facilitate the ability to feel safe, comforted, and grounded in the world... just like a grilled cheese sandwich eh?

Also, many other health-related professions, have used weighted blankets to assist children with an autism to be calm, fall asleep and remain asleep.

The idea behind deep-pressure touch is that it stimulates the release of serotonin and dopamine, two neurotransmitters that tend to make people feel more relaxed.

There are few scientific investigations. However, in 2015, there were a couple of studies conducted and published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine & Disorders:

One was done in India entitled,
Evaluating the Safety and Effectiveness of the Weighted Blanket With Adults During an Inpatient Mental Health Hospitalization.

This was an exploratory, pilot study to investigate the safety and anxiety reduction of the standardized use of the 30-pound WB with 30 adults during an acute inpatient mental health hospitalization.

The Safety measures included the Vital Signs of blood pressure, pulse rate, and pulse oximetry monitoring, with and without the 30-pound WB. Electrodermal activity and self-rating readings measured effectiveness for anxiety reduction.

The results showed no statistical differences in vital signs indicating the Weighted Blanket was safe to use and the self ratings indicated 60% had a significant reduction in anxiety: but the Electrodermal readings were inconclusive.

The other 2015 study was conducted at the Institute of neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and the published paper was entitled, Positive Effects of a Weighted Blanket on Insomnia.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a chain weighted blanket on insomnia, using objective and subjective measures. 31 completed the protocol (11 men, 20 women).

Objectively, it found that sleep bout time increased, as well as a decrease in movements of the participants, during weighted blanket use.

Subjectively, the participants liked sleeping with the blanket, found it easier to settle down to sleep
and had an improved sleep, where they felt more refreshed in the morning.

The investigators concluded that a weighted blanket may aid in reducing insomnia through altered tactile inputs, and thus may provide an innovative, non-pharmacological approach and complementary tool to improve sleep quality

To the investigators credit the paper did have the following footnote:
CONFLICT OF INTEREST The study was supported by a grant from Somna AB. GB[one of the authors] is the Medical Director of SDS Clinic, where the study was overseen.

So where does that leave us? Certainly studies are needed in order to study the physiological impact once folks have fallen asleep.

Personally, I do like the feel of a thick duvet vs. an usual blanket. And I was recently a guest where I experienced a Portuguese blanket that was far heavier than my duvet but far less weight than 30-lb. and I had a wondrous sleep......zzzzzzzzzzz
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For additional information on this topic I suggest you read an article that was published in LiveScience in May 2017 entitled Weighted Blankets: Harmless for Adults, Potentially Dangerous for Kids.

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