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| Going hard in the first part of the run. |
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| The road work is always on. The roads still look like crap. A few of us at the gym got together for an awesome trek/run at Sinhagad. I have done the up-down trek through the mountains a number of times. But running downhill for almost 10 kms was a different experience. There were few flats and some hills but it was mostly downhill. At the end of the run all of us had varying degrees of knee pain especially at the front of the knee and on the outer side[lateral part]. Just got me wondering if there are any specific tips on downhill running techniques. Uphill running activates the hamstrings or the muscles on the back part of your legs. These muscles work overtime to give you speed to keep going further. On the downhill part on the other hand, muscles of the front part, especially the quadriceps work against gravity to keep your body stable. Some pointers on downhill running: 1. Activate your abs and glutes: Do not let your knees take all the load. Focus on your abs and gluteal muscles to help your descent. 2. Knee raise has to be high. If you run with minimal knee raise be ready to bear the brunt of it. Heel strike should not be in front but directly beneath the body. 3. Good flexibility is a must for effective downhill running. It prevents the jarring impact of your body weight upon your knees. 4. Focus on the hamstrings as well for the back pull of your leg. It will help from excessive involvement of the quadriceps. Here is a good link for a gradual exercise program for downhill running: http://home.sprynet.com/~holtrun/downhill.htm A lot of websites have recommended focusing on the eccentric phase of a leg extension exercise, when you train for downhills. |
