To become a better and safer downhill runner, concentrate on using--Howard Breinan, Ultramarathoner
a relatively short stride with a very fast turnover. Try to think about
lifting your foot up the very instant it hits the trail. Let your
legs go free. Don't tense up or pull back- you waste energy braking.
You will feel tired due to the very fast turnover, but you are actually
doing your legs a favor and they recover in no time at the bottom. There
are practical limits to this method: you may have to brake at
switchbacks, and you must maintain control on dangerous or crowded
trails. As always, you must start slow and build up. If you do not
do speedwork, the fast turnover will fry your hamstrings. If you are
doing this on pavement, it also works, but you will want to build
up your shin muscles.
I used to be a slow, conservative downhill runner, but improved
dramatically in very little time with this technique.
Today is my scheduled Tempo Run, I haven't done speedwork since June 12th due to Recovery Week. I decided to slightly increase my speed to 7.5 mph, if it's too much I could always slow down the treadmill or cut the workout short.
11:00 a.m. Life Fitness Treadmill set at a 1% grade. Total Distance: 6 miles. Warm-up: 2 miles at 6.3 mph. Tempo: 3 miles at 7.5 mph. Cool-down: 1 mile at 6.3 mph. Average heart rate: 159 bpm. Cardiac Drift: 174 bpm. (Note: My maximum heart rate is 190 bpm) I was able to increase my speed and maintain my form with no problems, heart rate is a little higher than what I wished, hence I will run the same tempo run next week.
As usual, whenever I finish a strong speed workout I start fantasizing about entering a 5k race soon...as soon as I returned home browsed the local running internet sites...I soon awoke from my fantasy as Vegas is too hot for races in the summer months.
Last night I went to the Union Meeting during work (Note to supervisors: I took a lunch break)...they had FREE donuts, I was a bad boy and had two chocolate eclairs.
4 comments:
Nice speedwork. Thanks for the running shoe advice. I will visit the local running shop for a professional fitting on Saturday. I am thinking the Asics Gel Nimbus 10 might be right for me.
Bruce, enjoy the eclairs, that's why we run, so we can cheat every once in awhile:)
mmm...I haven't had eclairs in a very long time.Obviously you go to classier meetings than I ever did; all we were ever served was leftover, stale donuts from the service department's customer waiting area!
Howdy beachrunner! Glad I could help!
Howdy mom2beccanallie and tanya! I'm not a big fan of donuts nor eclairs, but I go crazy over ice cream! I normally have my cheat day on Saturday with my wife, but what the heck, I don't go to Union Meetings every day.
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