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Can Downhill Running Improve Leg Speed? (Read 1220 times)

    Training on hilly courses is a great way to become a faster runner. If you run hilly courses you have to run the ups and the downs. If you plan on racing on hilly courses it's an especially good idea to have done a lot of running on hills--ups and downs--before hand. Besides what else are you gonna do, walk down all the hills? Since I'm training for Boston (someone meintioned above that there are some hills there), this past Sunday I ran an 18.6-mile course with lots of hills. I ran the ups and the downs. I didn't worry too much about what my cadence was, but more maximum speed/minimum effort, until the last couple miles then just plain maximum speed, all ahead full to the finish line. I'm sure I'll do quite a few more hilly runs between now and April 21.

    Runners run

      First, I think there's some terminology confusion. The OP's title asked about downhill running improving leg speed. In my mind, "leg speed" is usually cadence and how I responded.. The text asked about running economy and speed. I think several posters have hit on the confusion of terminology. "Speed" workouts are sometimes used to denote VO2max workouts. Sometimes it's used for anything that might result in a faster race time. That could be higher effort stuff (high end aerobic, LT, VO2max, ... - depending on target), more explosive form to reduce contact time (plyos), leg turnover (cadence), stride length (forward propulsion), agility (keep from tripping on pointy rocks - probably not an issue in OP's case, but definite issue for me), etc. These are all things that get one to the finish faster. Actually, it's pretty hard to do something that's not going to make one faster.
      Hill work is a common and excellent form of speed work. It greatly strengthens the leg muscles which increases stride length (speed) and it does so with little stress on the legs....
      Uphill running teaches you to lift the body vertically. Increasing stride length is a good way to get injured on uphills. Good hill technique has one shortening one's strides and maybe quickening a little, but not the same type of quickening as downhill running. If you do enough hill work on non-gentle hills, you may need to do some other work to lengthen the stride - to get the horizontal, rather than vertical, propulsion. (at least I do - but my races are mostly hilly so i'ts academic). Also, stronger muscles can be obtained through squats, lunges, etc. It's the quick push off - the power or explosiveness, not just strength - where faster times come from. The increased strength can help reduce fatigue.
      Stronger legs also reduces the amount of time your feet spend on the ground before push off, again adding to speed. Downhill running even with good form is incredibly hard on the legs. That's why the Boston Marathon is so challenging even for elite runners.
      Keep in mind that Boston is almost flat compared with most trail races, esp. ultras, where the trails routinely have miles of ups and downs - 10k-50k ft of climbing in various races. And experienced runners may run half a dozen of these or more in a year. I hear about Boston and I hear about trail ultras, and I gotta wonder, what do trail runners do differently from road runners. Like most things, downhill running can be trained for. It's sheer joy to watch the downhill sections of World Mtn Running Trophy competitions. Then see some of those same athletes running almost pain-free the next day. I recognize the OP isn't asking about this level of hills. I'm just offering this as a suggestion that hills can be trained for. If people can run up and down hills all day long (actually the non-elite is probably walking up, running down) and still be able to walk the next day, those folks must be doing something that makes downhill running not as nasty as it's sometimes made out to be. Yes, downhills deserve respect, as do uphills.
      I've included a few links on the benefits of hill running. The only mention of downhill running in any of them is to ease muscle soreness with eccentric training, not as a form of speed work. Hill Training Eight Hill Workouts for Blazing Run Speed Uphill Battle
      If you look all the way at the end of your 1st article you'll find the following statement: "Over speed training can be achieved by running down a hill." from http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hilltrain.htm I'd use caution on the details in that article since he uses % in some places and degrees in others, but I think he means % in all cases. There's almost 2 to 1 difference. *I* certainly wouldn't start out on the slopes he proposes. The 2nd article is probably the folks I pass on the downhills in my races. Seriously, some people stand at the top of hills and look down like they're looking off a high dive. They learned to do repeats - hard up / easy down. While some of us learned to run hills - just keep moving up and over and take advantage of the free speed from gravity on the downs. And in your 3rd article: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_1/104.shtml "The best way to run downhills is to lean into them, to the point that you feel you're about to fall on your face. Try to get your legs turning over as fast as you can with short, quick strides. Not only does this help reduce the pounding on your legs, but it also helps you increase your stride frequency. With a little practice, you'll find yourself running down hills with less effort, less pounding, and more speed." Sounds like like turnover speed to me. Now, if we actually look for info on downhill training, there's info out there. Some are about benefits, some on form, some (last 2) on what happens during eccentric training and body's adaptation. http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/speed-training-workouts.htm http://dorunning.blogspot.com/2006/06/downhill-running.html http://www.runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=4160 http://www.skyrunner.com/story/ups_downs.htm http://runningtimes.com/rt/articles/?id=8683&page=1 http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/quadriceps.html http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0009.htm Why do I have so many links bookmarked about downhill training - cuz it hurts initially, but I recognized others do it successfully, so I tried to learn from the folks that are successful with it (and avoid books that suggest doing hill work on tm since you don't have to run down). I will avoid training on certain kinds of downhills (30% avg slope, 3000ft vertical drop) and save similar critters for races. I might add that even if I were doing flat road races, I would probably do some downhill work in the spring after the snow melts. After 6 months of snow running (with or without snowshoes), the legs might be strong, but they need to move faster. Downhill running is one of the best ways I've found to break those cobwebs.
      "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
      Scout7


        I was thinking Nobby might post something like this... Lydiard on hill training In the Hill Resistance section, he specifically mentions downhill running to increase turnover.
          I hear about Boston and I hear about trail ultras, and I gotta wonder, what do trail runners do differently from road runners.
          For one thing they run a hell of a lot slower.

          Runners run

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