Believe it or not, there is one thing left in this world that is free. I'm not referring to the free samples at Costco; You paid for those when you bought your membership. I'm not talking about the plastic bags at the grocery store; they charge for those now. I'm not even talking about the first bag you check on the plane; they charged you when you bought your ticket, and most have eliminated the "first bag is free" policy.
What the heck am I talking about, you ask? I'm talking about becoming a faster downhill runner.
Since my high school days, I knew that it was important to relax your body while running downhill and not run timidly, but I never fully grasped it until about 2012 when I was doing the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
A former Michigan State Tri Club buddy, Matt Inch, guided me, and another Spartan, John Paul Severin, followed us everywhere around the course (being our Super Fan). As we got out of the woods and started on the long downhill toward the beach, I heard John Paul shouting, "Use the free speed."
John Paul had just summarized all the attempts to explain downhill running to athletes I coach, giving me a perfect cue to think about when I was running downhill. Simply put, downhill running is "free speed" if you know how to use it.
I will explain the above further in two ways. One from a basic physics point of view and another from a body mechanics point of view. First, the fifth-grade physics viewpoint. We all know gravity is a constant force acting on us and trying to pull us downward. I know it's frustrating dealing with gravity when trying to lift that heavy box or on the eighth-floor staircase, but we can't get rid of it.
So, as your mom said when you were a kid, "Just deal with it." Even better, find a way to let it work to your advantage. When running on flat ground, gravity pulls us straight down, and the ground is directly below our bodies. When we run downhill, gravity still pulls down, but the ground gets lower with each step.
In essence, if we run with our body over our feet (weight forward), gravity pulls us in a downward and forward direction. The best part about this speed is it's free. Don't go out and buy a pair of $200 shoes or the latest design in short running shorts to be fast downhill. Just use the "free speed" given to you by gravity.
As I mentioned above, I will explain this from a mechanics viewpoint. When you run, you always want your hips (Center of Mass) over your feet (Base of Support) to allow most of your propulsive forces to push you forward. This can best be explained by running downhill.
If you run timidly and keep your weight back, your hips will always be behind your feet, and each step will be like stopping and starting in a car. Conversely, if you stay upright, lean your body forward as you lift your heel toward your butt, and allow your foot to fall to the ground, your foot will land below your hips and all of your propulsive forces will be pushing you forward and down the hill.
The above all sounds very simple -- and it is if we shed our tense, neurotic, and weighed-down personality to give everything to gravity. An excellent downhill runner "falls downhill." Gravity and momentum push them downhill. All they do is pick their heel up and then, just before they literally fall, allow their foot to hit the ground. To perfect this skill and benefit from the "free speed," we must let ourselves fall forward and trust that our feet will land below us.
You will know when you are using the "free speed." If you're running a long downhill and your forward momentum and turnover are so quick that your legs can hardly keep up and your stopping ability is compromised, then you are probably using the "free speed" of gravity.
A good way to improve your downhill running is to incorporate 3-5 downhill repeats at some point in your runs a few times a week. When you allow yourself to relax and "fall downhill," you will notice yourself passing more people on the hills during your next race. Also, mastering the ability to use gravity's "free speed" should translate to better running form on the flats, too.
Coach Aaron Scheidies is a USAT Level 1 Certified Coach and licensed Physical Therapist. A graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Exercise Physiology, Aaron has coached World Champion Paratriathletes and Ironman World Championship qualifiers. Aaron is an 11-time World Paratriathlon Champion and has set the World’s fastest time for anyone with a disability at both the Olympic (1:57:24) and Ironman 70.3 distances (4:09:54).
Kommentare