Technical tip Running downhill Gentle Slopes You’ll probably find it a little harder to land midfoot on a slope but it’s still achievable if the slope is gentle. Your arms can still remain relatively ‘quiet’ by your sides and there probably won’t be any requirement to use your arms more in your running action. You might just feel a bit more of a breaking effect on a gentle slope so bear this in mind in terms of keeping your footfalls light. You may also feel that the surface underfoot feels a little more aggressive. Barefoot Ted tackles some rough terrain on his descent
After our tips on running uphill in the last issue, it seems appropriate to tackle downhill running in this one. The general consensus amongst runners is that running down hill throws up more challenges. Whereas it can feel quite natural to power up a hill, emphasizing the driving of the knees and using the arms to aid momentum, intuition often fails when running down the other side. Where should your knees go? What should be happening with your arms? And what about the dreaded heel strike which seems unavoidable? Well, it’s worth bearing in mind that not all hills are the same. This seems like an obvious point, but if you think about all the hills you’ve tackled in the past, you’ll begin to realize that they all have their own unique Page 28
Summer 2012
characteristics: different gradients, terrain (smooth/ rough? Slippery or grippy?) and distances. So your method of approach with a gentle hill on a smooth surface will be different to your formula for a successful descent on an almost vertical slope on rough concrete. There is a personal element to downhill running too. Some people naturally like to be more cautious and traverse their way down, whilst others throw caution to the wind and just let everything go. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. However, there are some useful guidelines. With all downhill methods, keep your knees soft and flexible – a rigid set of knees will not be prepared for any breaking or sideways movements.
Barefoot Running Magazine
Steep slopes The steeper the slope, the less your running actually looks like running! It will become more of a ‘bounding’ or ‘dancing’. There are few deviations from ‘optimum’ running form which will take place, one of which is how your foot contacts the ground. You will be naturally trying to break as you go downhill, resisting gravity, so you’ll find it difficult to land midfoot and will probably find that your heel lands first. Don’t panic! This isn’t necessarily an issue, particularly if the hill is quite short in distance. However, you can deal with the foot strike issue by not trying to run down the hill in a straight line. If you take small side steps (but keep your body facing forwards), you’ll find it easier to land midfoot and easier in general as this will allow you to