Forums >Racing>How steep is this?
Joggaholic
I have little sense of how steep inclines/declines are when looking at elevation charts. I run mostly in flat areas, and even with occasional hill training, I never trained running downhill. I'm trying to make sense of what this chart really means. It's 3600 ft downhill in 10 miles (road). If I get my math right, that's about a 6.8 decline on a treadmill? (although I have no experience with a treadmill that does decline)
http://www.yosemitehalfmarathon.com/the-course/
Its similar to a couple of downhill half we have here in NC. While you could get a 2-3 min PR running these, it will beat you up pretty good and the flat at the end will feel like a serious uphill. I was sore for a week after running this - Scream Your course looks a little steeper.
Extended downhill running can indeed trash your quads, especially if you're not use to it. When I've wanted to get extended downhill running, I would simply prop up the back of my treadmill the desired amount.
You are correct, a 3600 ft downhill in 10 miles is a 6.8 percent decline.
For comparison, lots of people consider the 3M half marathon in Austin to be a really good PR type downhill course. It drops about 360' in elevation over the entire length of the course. That race is 10 times steeper than the Austin course.
I do some hill work in the canyon behind my house and the steepest hills drop 200' elevation in just over 1/2 mile. I usually end up running down those hills almost 1 minute per mile faster than my normal easy pace.
I would think you would for sure need some specific downhill training to be able to keep that up for 10 miles and your quads are going to be SCREAMING when you get done even then. You might end up with a fast time, but your legs are going to be mad at you when you finish.
That's my 2 cents. Can you find any race reviews from people who have run it in the past?
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Interval Junkie --Nobby
Geez Wing, that looks pretty steep. I'd practice my downhill running (controlled fall) and do lots of quad work before hitting this race.
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
FWIW, I've run a half that dropped about 3000 ft. in elevation and didn't do any "special training" and also didn't have any horrific muscle pain afterward. I made a concerted effort to avoid "braking" while running and tried to pay attention (sort of) to stride length. Then again, I run a lot of idiotic hills in Monkeyville. That may have helped.
Definitely practice long steep downhills. Sometimes I slow down when descending steep hills because I'm afraid of falling. You will probably feel it in your quads afterwards even with downhill training.
Feeling the growl again
Compared to a race I have experience with, this, yours looks worse.
I did only a little training on hills before that Steamtown course and by 8-9 miles in my quads were completes shot and I had to just run to finish. But pace makes a big difference on hills. I was aiming for 5:30 pace and on some of those downhills I was "holding back" to run 5:10s. If you're running 8-9min miles it's probably not so awful on the quads.
IMHO treadmills have too much cushioning to really prepare you to deal with that. But I'm sure it helps, I know Rod DeHaven put phonebooks under the back of his treadmill training for a 4th place Boston finish. Dick Beardsley sat in front of the TV and punched himself in the quads preparing for his Boston duel with Salazar.
"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
No more marathons
Never run one in that direction - have run a 5 miler with about 1,600 foot gain a few times.
the bear
My guess is that you'll want to get some serious downhill training in before this beast.
Boston 2014 - a 33 year journey
Lordy, I hope there are tapes.
He's a leaker!
Kalsarikännit
I run a lot of idiotic hills in Monkeyville.
Your quads are probably bulletproof.
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
ok, I get the general idea, maybe I should not sign up for this or just go for a "fun run" then. This is the first time the organizer putting on this course, so there's no review. I wanted to run this because of it being in Yosemite and the downhill maybe be good for a PR-attempt, I now know that I am wrong on both assumptions (turns out the race is only "near" Yosemite, and a quad-crushing run is not for me)
MTA: Thanks to all
ok, I get the general idea, maybe I should not sign up for this or just go for a "fun run" then. This is the first time the organizer putting on this course, so there's no review. I wanted to run this because of it being in Yosemite and the downhill maybe be good for a PR-attempt, I now know that I am wrong on both assumptions (turns out the race is only "near" Yosemite, and a quad-crushing run is not for me) MTA: Thanks to all
Well, unlike Steamtown it looks like a pretty constant slope so that is a good thing (vs frequent quad-crushing drops off cliffs). So yeah, go ahead and run it. Just be careful. Downhills look great for PRs and they really are...moreso the slower you're running.
ok, I get the general idea, maybe I should not sign up for this or just go for a "fun run" then. . . . and the downhill maybe be good for a PR-attempt, I now know that I am wrong on both assumptions (turns out the race is only "near" Yosemite, and a quad-crushing run is not for me) MTA: Thanks to all
ok, I get the general idea, maybe I should not sign up for this or just go for a "fun run" then. . . . and the downhill maybe be good for a PR-attempt, I now know that I am wrong on both assumptions (turns out the race is only "near" Yosemite, and a quad-crushing run is not for me)
I think you have the wrong idea(s) here. I think you should run the race. And you should try your hardest. But I don't think you should expect, or do it for, a PR. I think it's just a good running experience -- to learn what it takes to race a course like that.
Of course, if this interferes with your goal race for the season, I would only do it as a fun run. But otherwise, go for it.
Good luck, Wing. This will make you a better runner . . .
or completely break you.
#artbydmcbride
Wing, I think you should run the Fontana half marathon with me next June.
Runners run
I've done one race that drops about 1800ft in 5mi (overall about 3500ft uphill in loop course) - about half trail, half wornout road (pointy aggregate showing through "tar" of asphalt). That's worse than 3000ft down in 2.2 or 3 mi (depending on which trail route). The length of time running town is sometimes more important than how steep - at least for me.
I routinely do a 1300ft in 3.75mi in my spring training - uphill and downhill, all road. I use to run that multiple times when training for 50 miles. Uphill may be run or hiked or combo. Downhill is always run. That did not prepare me for the above course.
Enjoy!