Hi gang! About a year ago several of you gave me ideas about running up hill, and I have taken the ideas to heart and try to follow them. Now I am asking for tips about running down hill. I read somewhere that running down hill is a controlled fall, so I think that balance is very important. I try to do some balance exercises every day. Now, should my knees be raised higher like in running up hill. What part of my foot should I try to land on? Should I just go out as fast as I can? Do I let myself lean backwards a little? What ideas and techniques do you fantastic real runners have?
good question and I'm not sure I have the correct answer, so will eagerly await on others' input also.
When I run downhill, I try not to put on the brakes, but rather shorten my stride, run with a bit wider than normal stance, my arms out slightly and aim for my feet to have a quick turnover. When Sans Souci came to visit me once we ran down a hill in my neighborhood and you wanna talk about a beautiful downhill running stride?!! (well, SS has great running form no matter what), but watching her running downhill it looked like she barely made contact with the road - her turnover was short and quick. and I think you are aiming for more of a forefront/midfoot strike. I would think if you are heel striking, then you are trying to put on the brakes too much while will have more of a jarring impact and more impact to your knees.
Tammy
You don't want to lean backwards. You have it right in that it is suppose to be a controlled fall, which means you are leaning slightly forward at the waist. And it's about a fast foot turnover. The less time your feet are on the ground, the faster you will be. You should incorporate downhill speed work into your routine just as much as climbing. Key is being able to look two or three steps ahead so you know where you're going to be placing your feet as opposed to having to think about it as it's happening.
Running downhill is hard and it's easy to feel out of control. If you're not used to running downhill, pick a grade that's not so steep and once you feel comfortable running it, move on to a steeper grade. When you're comfortable there, move up.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
Woodsie - .Until my right knee went and got old on me, it was just like skiing - leaning out over the fall line and flying as straight down the slope or trail as possible doing what Tammy and Leslie say about rapid turnover and midfoot landings. It was one of my only chances to feel like a fast runner too as I used to love some of the steep, dangerous, and sometimes several mile descents in the mountain runs of the past (Mt. Fuji, Mt. Marathon, posie’s Cutthroat Classic, enki’s Cougar Mountain Series, especially francesca’s White River with its two multi-mile descents, etc.). .Heel-strike braking destroys the quads, . . . and lets mid-footers pass ‘em by the hundreds in the last miles of some of the longer events. However, downhills scare my old knee now. I’m real proud of you. Keep us up-to-date..Thanks.Ps - no need to lift knees high as they’re high anyway due to the next step being lower than the previous step. In fact, it seems to save energy by letting gravity to the work and just floating the sole of the foot as barely off the ground as possible. see below. It's okay to smile and enjoy it too. Breathe deeply and don’t tense up even letting your arms windmill around for balance (and fun). However, don’t let econo see you with your arms flailing away from your sides though.
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
This has always been a problem for me. I run hills fairly well for a flat lander and pass a fair number of runners going uphill, but down hill everyone passes me. I did have a bad experience in race when I first started running, a rather acrobatic stumble,with arms flailing everywhere near fall, and at the finsih line noless. So now I lean back and have never been able to quit doing it . Suggestions are welcome
Mountain Goat Derrick -
I’m just the opposite and would have liked to be a tag team with you running up some of the steeper mountain events I used to love so much and me flying back down ‘em, sometimes on the same slopes we ski-raced in the winter. In fact, though there’s lots of non-skier fast descenders, it seems the skiing crowd has always had an advantage over our non-skiing friends in feeling comfortable being a little bit out-of-control bounding down even the roughest trails as in a tight slalom course,.However, unless you walk (if that, on some courses), falls and bloody shins, etc. are almost inevitable in competitive trail running (even when it’s flat).. .Woodsi too but maybe practice very, very abbreviated mid-foot touching strides, even stopping once in a while to stay under control to avoid the debilitating wear-and-tear on quads from leaning back too much on long and steep descents. When you get near the bottom of the descents, lean forward more and try keeping up to some of the faster runners, mimicking their rhythm as much as possible. Remember to breathe and smile. You’ll love it.
...interesting answers,
I always used to lean a bit back, and catch 'em on the next uphill.......
although I had one guy
I had to catch 5-TIMES 'til he stayed caught////
..nothing takes the place of persistence.....
Leaning back is counterproductive to what you're trying to accomplish, although it feels "safer." Running downhill is hard. It's definitely a practice, practice, practice makes perfect thing. I absolutely love running downhill, but once in awhile I find myself sort of squatting and leaning back, as well, and have to force myself forward. You really can tell the difference in how your quads are feeling.
OK now: no braking, quick turnovers, think ahead about where your feet are going, strike mid foot, practice, practice, practice, Hum, I get it! Practice! Heel striking destroys the quads. Mine have gotten wimpy in the last 3 months for the 1st time.
Tet - you have a good mind about why there is no need to lift up the knees so high on downhill as opposed to up hill. Why didn't I think of that? Darn - can't make your attachment come photo up.
Oh Boy - It is OK to let arms be a little bit chicken wingy? Did any of you see the photo of Econo at the end of the 2010 Newpost Ore. marathon. Hope she reads this string!
Tomwhite - for me, at the back of the pack always, I almost always play tag with at least one person several times. I hate it when they sprint ahead in the shoot. No fair.
Thanks so much, all of you. Any more downhill running tips, anyone?
woodsi - once you get the feel of it, push off the toes/metatarsals letting your ankles/calves provide for additional propulsion and saving the quads. Thanks for letting TW and me relive our glory days. I hope we didn't embellish too much.