Looking back on my races against other pro = triathletes, I remember one athlete in particular, who blew by me one day on a downhill = on the LA Triathlon run course. I remember thinking something like “Wow. = How is she doing that?” and I’m pretty sure my mind probably = stopped at something like:

“She’s just better at it,” = without giving a second thought as to why. That was before I had gotten involved in the body’s performance. The first time I remember flying by people = while running downhill in a race was at the 2008 Wildflower Triathlon Festival = during that infamous two kilometer downhill to the finish. It wasn’t = until a second experience, during the XTERRA Boney Mountain Xduro 21k earlier = this year when the same thing happened on multiple steep, long downhills = throughout the race, that I started wondering why I was able to go so much faster = downhill relative to everyone else on the course and consequently started = questioning: what makes a good downhill runner? Immediately, of course, my mind = started to wonder about the body’s involvement. What was it that was allowing = me this ‘free speed’ and what were other athletes doing that caused = them to be unable to take advantage of it, and more often than not find = themselves having to fight gravity, instead of using it. Now I understand that = there are specific movement efficiency related reasons to all performance = outcomes.

The foundations of efficient downhill running = are not unlike running on flat ground. In running, the foot hits the ground with = a certain amount of force and the better the body is at scooping that = energy back up as the foot leaves the ground and not letting it ‘leak = out’, the more efficient, fast and powerful running can be.

In efficient downhill running, gravity is your = friend. More often than not however the body is unable to handle the momentum, = and in many cases, is forced to put on the brakes to maintain control down the = hill. Double whammy! This means a runner will miss out on the advantage of = gravity, and will actually have to use some of their energy to fight the force that’s could be helping them downhill!

There are a few factors I believe that come into = play during efficient downhill running. It’s not about a DIFFERENT = style of running than when on flat ground. Think about it as maintaining your = running mechanics and “keeping your legs under you” as long as you = can at the highest speed you can handle. To do so you need proper running = mechanics, key muscles activated, stability through your joints and strong, elastic muscles.

PROPER RUNNING MECHANICS. As in all running, the foundation of running efficiently downhill relies upon maintain tall = posture and a strong circular motion of the legs underneath the body which = means, in its simplest terms, lifting the knees out in front, footstriking = directly beneath the body and then pulling the heel back around to start again. = In general, I see many people running lower-leg dominant instead of from = their hips, with minimal knee raise. This alone would greatly reduce the = ability to keep up with momentum while running downhill and certainly make it = necessary to ‘put on the brakes’ very early on.

ABS AND GLUTES ACTIVATING. In any type of = movement, including running, the abdominals and the glutes are so important to = both force production and overall control of the body. Activating and utilizing = them properly throughout running mechanics gives the body much greater = control over the legs. It also minimizes the impact on the quadriceps and knees that = so often take most of the beating on downhill running. Having that control = is pivotal in taking advantage of gravity and keeping control over the = momentum, especially while having to avoid obstacles if on the trail. Be sure to integrate core strength and stability work along with glute activation exercises in your training.

JOINT STABILITY. Your ability to maintain = stability through your spine, hips, knees and ankles during each step will be key = to controlling you body’s direction and forward speed as you hit the = ground. Having strong muscles surrounding the joints is key to creating great stability. Combining single and double leg strength and balance = exercises along with great posture is important.

ELASTICITY. Elasticity is one of the most = overlooked elements of endurance performance and I would consider it like icing on = the cake for downhill running. “Think of your body as a pogo stick. = The metal framework is analogous to your pillar and the springs are like your = muscles. We want our bodies to be able to store and release energy powerfully, just = like that pogo stick. You can also think of elasticity as how fast your body = is capable of changing the direction of force. In tennis it might be a = lateral move to get back across the court. In running it would be how quickly = you can get your foot off the ground once it hits, ideally while scooping up all = the force you hit with and bringing it all with you into your next = stride.

It is pivotal to being able to “keep your = legs under you” as mentioned earlier. You can train the body to be = elastic with explosive exercises, like jumps and bounds, and specific running = drills. Opt for fewer reps and make perfect form a priority.

Here’s to free speed! = Enjoy.