Forums >Running 101>Tips and tricks for better downhill running
Thanks everyone. I appreciate the tips and the kick in the behind! Now to go find some gentle downhills to try.
Close your eyes and you will feel the jarring stop. You only have to close your eyes for a few strides. then try to hold that form when you open your eyes.
turn your palms down. It will slow you down.
I have morton's toe also. Doc showed me how to wrap foot with vet tape when it hurts. Wrap tape around ball of foot. Loop tape over toe and stick to tape then wrap again. This will help hold down toe and support it. Do not wrap too tight.
Will run for scenery.
Late to the party, but I'll chime in.
Basically, just practice a lot. But as you practice, you can try some of the following :
1) Try not to pound your feet into the ground. Instead, try to let your legs (thighs) absorb the impact gradually. This kind of eccentric contraction might cause soreness the first time you try it, so go easy.
2) A mental trick to help w/ #1 is to try lowering your pelvis about 4" closer to the trail. You can't, but trying it seems to get your thighs more involved.
3) Flop your arms around like a crazy fool. Over your head, way out to the side, flap like a bird. Get used to them not just being at your side like normal running. Your body will kind of learn how to use your arms for better manouverability. And people will think you're a crazy fool.
4) Hop, step-step-step. Hop, step-step-step. You don't need an even stride. Try taking one long-ass leap followed by a bunch of quick steps to regain control. These might be zig-zags up the side bank. Once you get used to it, part of reading the trail us deciding when to fly and when to reel it in.
5) Listen. Really good downhill runners are amazingly quiet. See #1.
6) Get some padded leather fingerless bike gloves. Shit happens.
Stupid feet!
Stupid elbow!
Increase your turnover. Lots of quick, short steps.
This. Turnover, cadence, whatever. The quicker your steps, the less you'll be time you'll be in the air to come crashing down. It also gives you a better chance of being able to catch yourself if you fall. I'm definitely not the fastest downhill runner, but my advice all the same...
Ben
Running Life Between
Something else I do I haven't seen mentioned here. For certain terrain, mainly steep down hills that may be narrow and twisty but without too many obstacles, I don't run, I gallop. Sort of like skipping, but keeping the same foot in front. I can go much faster while still feeling more or less in control.
....... 3) Flop your arms around like a crazy fool. Over your head, way out to the side, flap like a bird. Get used to them not just being at your side like normal running. Your body will kind of learn how to use your arms for better manouverability. And people will think you're a crazy fool. ......
.......
......
This is SO true!!!!!!!
SheCan
Well, over the years of doing fool-hardy things I've managed to break both legs, partially tear off a foot, break my collar bone, and push my right shoulder so far out of its socket it was over near my sternum. Now at 56 I've learned a little caution at least in part because I've discovered I don't heal as fast as I did when I was young.
Ouch, I think I'd rather be slow.
Cherie
"We do not become the people who this world needs simply by turning our backs on anyone we don’t like, trust, or deem healthy enough to be in our presence. " ---- Shasta Nelson
#artbydmcbride
The trick to running downhill is no different than learning to run fast on a track; which means learning how to run with an intoed foot position.
Runners run
Feeling the growl again
Increasing cadence does help, but the fact is if you are doing longer races with a lot of downhills you need to condition your quads to that impact. If all you do is flat training, you will be hamburgered. Beat them up practicing downhills, or pull a Beardlsey and spend your evenings methodically punching yourself in the quads to toughen them up while watching TV.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
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WOW
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
Holy smokes! How did they manage to do that? The poor bird.
It has to be a fake bird.
MTA: I had to check. Google to the rescue. Ah, the magic of cgi.
This just came out from irunfar.com. It is more focused on trail/ultrarunners but does have some good stuff on form.
Where the hell do you find shit like this?
some call me Tim
All great advice, particularly 3 and 4. On steep downhills it really pays to think like a skier and carve your way down, getting in all kinds of varied footstrikes, using the flappy arms to keep balanced and opening your stride up when you can... compared to road running, it's a related but different set of skills.
All of this is secondary, of course, to some lack of concern for self. It's gotta be a conscious decision. And then when you bomb down that hill it'll feel incredible. And you'll be hooked. :-)
Late to the party, but I'll chime in. Basically, just practice a lot. But as you practice, you can try some of the following : 1) Try not to pound your feet into the ground. Instead, try to let your legs (thighs) absorb the impact gradually. This kind of eccentric contraction might cause soreness the first time you try it, so go easy. 2) A mental trick to help w/ #1 is to try lowering your pelvis about 4" closer to the trail. You can't, but trying it seems to get your thighs more involved. 3) Flop your arms around like a crazy fool. Over your head, way out to the side, flap like a bird. Get used to them not just being at your side like normal running. Your body will kind of learn how to use your arms for better manouverability. And people will think you're a crazy fool. 4) Hop, step-step-step. Hop, step-step-step. You don't need an even stride. Try taking one long-ass leap followed by a bunch of quick steps to regain control. These might be zig-zags up the side bank. Once you get used to it, part of reading the trail us deciding when to fly and when to reel it in. 5) Listen. Really good downhill runners are amazingly quiet. See #1. 6) Get some padded leather fingerless bike gloves. Shit happens.
ME WEBLARG