Monday

Running Downhill Barefoot tips

It often takes a lot of practice to run downhill fast without feeling
like you're losing control. It's really all about learning to pick up
your feet quickly and maintaining balance. A few tips:

If you have room, you can slalom down the hill to reduce the effective
incline. This is especially helpful on trails, but good for
practicing on asphalt as well.

Try to completely disengage your hips from your torso. Keeping them
loose will help your upper body remain stable.

Bend your knees a bit more, and try to channel Fred Flintstone.
Seriously.

Practice a bit barefoot if you still can where you live. You won't be
able to brake or take long strides like you can pull off in minimal
footwear due to the lack of abrasion protection. It's the single best
thing I've done to help my downhill form. Interestingly, I've found
that few shod runners practice running downhill, because they can get
away with heel striking and braking like it's their job. This means
they don't make use of the gravity assistance like they could, and it
becomes a competitive advantage for those of us that are forced to do
it right.

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