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Trail Running Help needed
I'm going to be doing some trail runs this year that have some steep downhill sections. I've noticed at least as compared to others at races in the past, my downhill's are quite poor. Is there some type of recognized technique for tackling steep downhill sections?
WTC Free since 2010
Comments
Sometimes, yes, sliding on your butt can be the best option on a steep, loose descent. But that's rare.
Are we talking roots and rocks, in which case experience is the best teacher
I think this is the same descent but the photographer had moved by the time my slow ass got there. Notice my hands are out a little for balance, even ready to grab onto a branch if need be. I have next to zero control here and my quads were wrecked until like the Thursday after the race because there was a lot of this sort of hellishly steep downhill. I'm still braking a little bit here, which is evident in the way my upper body is leaning and how my leg is hyperextended and I'm about to land on my heel. That's what made sense here because I couldn't just go totally out of control or else I'd have ended up running into a bush or tree or something. But sometimes you can just let it fly and deal with the aftermath with your quads and IT bands later.
Much of it is balance, but balance is muscle strength, specifically muscles that you likely haven't worked on a lot. The best way to build that strength is by actually doing lots of downhill running.
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Increased turnover can help too, because each step is an opportunity to readjust as needed. Longer strides keep you more "locked in" to a particular line. Downhill or flat ground strides on fire roads or actual roads are helpful in this regard.