Downhill Workouts
For complete downhill races:
- 4 x half-mile run downhill (2 to 3 percent grade) at 5K-race pace effort
- 3 x 1-mile run downhill (2 to 3 percent grade) at 10K-race pace effort
- 5 x 100- to 200-meter run downhill (6 to 8 percent grade) at 5K-race pace effort and walk back up hill as recovery
For races with both downhill and uphill:
- 4 sets of 1-mile run downhill (2 to 3 percent grade) at tempo-pace effort (comfortably hard) + quarter-mile run uphill at 5K-race pace effort with 3 minutes of jog recovery
- 4 sets of half-mile run uphill + ?-mile run downhill (2 to 3 percent grade) at 5K-race pace effort with 3 minutes of jog recovery
Downhill Racing
Running with trashed quads and a faster-than-usual pace during downhill races requires a keen sense of pace, discipline to stick to your plan when others take off too quickly and a good dose of self-restraint. Ideally, you want to race downhill with the same feeling that you use when you're racing on flat ground.
Practice holding your goal race pace while you're heading downhill so you can duplicate the effort during the race. Because momentum will make your goal pace feel much easier than it does on flat ground, it's important to understand how to hold that intensity so you don't run the downhill portions too fast and trash your quads.
The best downhill running skill to develop during training is the ability to run with different exertion levels. For example, learn to simulate 10K-race pace intensity, rather than 10K pace, while running downhill. While your pace will be faster than 10K pace, you'll develop the awareness and control to differentiate between different paces for various downhill environments. When racing downhill, focus on running at 10K intensity, given that the pace will fluctuate depending on the nature of the course.
Next time you train for a downhill race, prepare beforehand and allow for plenty of recovery time. If you train smart enough, you'll be able to charge up the other side of the hills while your competitors are laboring from the downhill damage.
Related Articles:
- Simple Drills to Improve Your Running Economy
- TRX Strength Exercises for Runners
- Improve Your Running With Cross-Training
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