In case you missed our last Thursday session with Jen Segger, local ultra athlete and owner of the new Challenge by Choice Studio, I thought I’d pass on the tips I remembered from the class.
Since I was getting over the flu and definitely pushing myself to run and not puke, I may have mixed up a few things or forgotten others so I’d appreciate your comments at the bottom in case I goofed! Thanks!
Uphill Running: look up the hill, pump the arms, shorten the stride length a little. Arms are at 90 degrees at the elbows, hands are relaxed.
Downhill Running: lean forward or down the hill, there’s a feeling of “controlled falling or falling gracefully” down the hill, the foot still lands under the hip at ground strike so that shocks aren’t directed up the leg be landing hard on the heels (exceptions might be extremely steep terrain)
Regarding practicing downhill running (seems at first like an odd thing to practice)…running downhill puts an eccentric load on our muscles, particularly the quads. As you recall following our “plyometrics” day when the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) was pretty high from the eccentric loads, eccentric exercise (slowing the body down with muscles lengthening while they contract) is harder on the body, so you may experience soreness afterwards and you may need to do more recovery type workouts for the next 2 days post downhill running, if you new to it. The upside, however, of doing lots of practice at this (fun) aspect of running is that if can improve your speed and foot turnover and you won’t feel quite as trashed when the next UPHILL comes along in your next race or long run!
Did I miss anything? Please add in the comments below. Comments don’t appear automatically but will show up within a few hours of posting, tops!
Forgot what DOMS is about? Read here.
Wanna know more about Jen Segger and her new studio? Click here.
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