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Running downhill
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 2008-02-17 5:07 PM |
Expert  1022  In limbo |  Subject: Running downhillMy neighborhood where I'm living right now has tons of hills. I'm actually surprising myself and getting pretty darn good at running uphill, but the downhill is just killing me. I've had chronic shin issues for about a year now so i'm always paranoid about my shins, but now it's my knees too. Someone suggested striking more on my heel to take the immediate pressure off my knees, but then that feels like it puts all the impact on my shins. Is there any easy way to do this? For uphill it's been a pretty steady improvement as I get stronger, but for down it seems to keep getting more painful even though I try to rest and ice and all that. Any ideas??? Please?? My knees are begging you! Thanks in advance! |
| 2008-02-17 5:10 PM in reply to: #1217184 |
| Houston, TX | Subject: RE: Running downhill don't brake down the hill. keep your forward lean, just less, and keep the cadence high. let gravity help you instead of fighting it. |
| 2008-02-17 5:14 PM in reply to: #1217184 |
Expert 1060 Weymouth, MA | Subject: RE: Running downhill And make sure to strike with a bent knee. Your quads will take the majority of the banging. |
| 2008-02-18 7:56 AM in reply to: #1217184 |
Extreme Veteran 370 Arnhem | Subject: RE: Running downhill Landing on your heels will just make thinks worst. On downhills I keep about the same stride length as on flat but increase my cadence. It's a good training to try and keep good form at high cadence. Concentrate on trying to minimize the impact with a soft landing. |
| 2008-02-18 11:10 AM in reply to: #1217184 |
Master 2202 St. Louis | Subject: RE: Running downhill When I was having issues going downhill I developed a "short step" technique I use. I basically increase my running cadence by a fair amount when running downhill. Almost to the point of a shuffle-step. I barely lift my feet. It is a very fast way to get down a hill, and I get no pain from it. You might want to think about trying it. |
| 2008-02-18 12:47 PM in reply to: #1217184 |
Expert 783 Spokane, Washington | Subject: RE: Running downhill x2 on keeping the forward lean and high cadence, no heel strike. It helps me to think of the old RoadRunner cartoons - remember when his feet just go in a circle? I try to think to myself to 'roll downhill' - to keep my feet and arms moving in circles. Another visual is to think of a train - 'do the locomotion' on the way downhill. But if you keep your feet moving in a circle it helps to not do that jarring heelstrike and keep the cadence up. |
| 2008-02-18 10:50 PM in reply to: #1218195 |
Extreme Veteran 522 MN | Subject: RE: Running downhill ranger5oh - 2008-02-18 11:10 AM When I was having issues going downhill I developed a "short step" technique I use. I basically increase my running cadence by a fair amount when running downhill. Almost to the point of a shuffle-step. I barely lift my feet. It is a very fast way to get down a hill, and I get no pain from it. You might want to think about trying it. I had the same issue when I first started running. If you do a normal stride you sort of run out away from the hill and crash down because of the slope. I searched around and eventually perfected what ranger is saying. Shorten your stride but increase the cadence. I push my stride "down" to stay close to the ground and skim the ground (it will work the front of you thigh). I try to land on my heel but I dont instead I land on the middle of my foot. The key is to minimize your impact; which should not be any more than when running on flat ground. Two really good things will happen, 1) you will mimimize your pain 2) your HR will lower 3) (sorry cant count) your speed will go up. Looking back this probably is hard to follow. Just start doing this to the point that the pain goes down. |
| 2008-02-19 4:53 AM in reply to: #1219561 |
Elite 3658 Roswell, GA | Subject: RE: Running downhill bikingbruise - 2008-02-18 11:50 PM ranger5oh - 2008-02-18 11:10 AM When I was having issues going downhill I developed a "short step" technique I use. I basically increase my running cadence by a fair amount when running downhill. Almost to the point of a shuffle-step. I barely lift my feet. It is a very fast way to get down a hill, and I get no pain from it. You might want to think about trying it. I had the same issue when I first started running. If you do a normal stride you sort of run out away from the hill and crash down because of the slope. I searched around and eventually perfected what ranger is saying. Shorten your stride but increase the cadence. I push my stride "down" to stay close to the ground and skim the ground (it will work the front of you thigh). I try to land on my heel but I dont instead I land on the middle of my foot. The key is to minimize your impact; which should not be any more than when running on flat ground. Two really good things will happen, 1) you will mimimize your pain 2) your HR will lower 3) (sorry cant count) your speed will go up. Looking back this probably is hard to follow. Just start doing this to the point that the pain goes down. I was in the same boat. I did the above, but started driving to a flat place for my long runs. That way my knees got a break from the pounding. Just remember not to push it to much and listen to your body. |
| 2008-02-19 7:44 AM in reply to: #1219660 |
Master 2202 St. Louis | Subject: RE: Running downhill brown_dog_us - 2008-02-19 4:53 AM bikingbruise - 2008-02-18 11:50 PM ranger5oh - 2008-02-18 11:10 AM When I was having issues going downhill I developed a "short step" technique I use. I basically increase my running cadence by a fair amount when running downhill. Almost to the point of a shuffle-step. I barely lift my feet. It is a very fast way to get down a hill, and I get no pain from it. You might want to think about trying it. I had the same issue when I first started running. If you do a normal stride you sort of run out away from the hill and crash down because of the slope. I searched around and eventually perfected what ranger is saying. Shorten your stride but increase the cadence. I push my stride "down" to stay close to the ground and skim the ground (it will work the front of you thigh). I try to land on my heel but I dont instead I land on the middle of my foot. The key is to minimize your impact; which should not be any more than when running on flat ground. Two really good things will happen, 1) you will mimimize your pain 2) your HR will lower 3) (sorry cant count) your speed will go up. Looking back this probably is hard to follow. Just start doing this to the point that the pain goes down. I was in the same boat. I did the above, but started driving to a flat place for my long runs. That way my knees got a break from the pounding. Just remember not to push it to much and listen to your body. Running on the flats is great.. but it wont prepare you for hilly runs. I think its best to keep running on the hills, just take it easy on the downhills. A lot of times I found myself running uphill, and slowly jogging downhill until I perfected "my" technique. Keep at it, but listen to your body. If something hurts, slow down, walk.. whatever... preventing an injury might take a few minutes. Recovering from an injury might take a few months. |
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