Hills are hard. That's why I like them. Your legs burn, your heart feels like its going to simply break through your ribs and fall out of your chest, your lungs strain to supply all the oxygen you need, and it's simply exhilarating to finish. I always thought fighting during the uphill portion hill workouts was the most important aspect. However, for me, the downhill turned into the bigger challenge. After running the Austin marathon, it was hard to walk, and I didn't run for 2 weeks. My knees were toast. I didn't manage the downhill well at all, and I paid for it later. So, when I signed up for my second marathon, I realized that I need to make some modifications in my running to protect my knees.
1. CONTROL: Do not fly down hill. (This is what I did.) It is important to control your steps. Try to keep your feet close to the ground to limit impact on your knees. If you are running a marathon, your knees will thank me when mile 22 roles around.
2. ANGLE: Think wheel chair ramp or skiing.... Depending on the decline of the hill, you may want to use some cut backs. Of course when racing, this option is not as easy when there are several other runners, but you can still do some to help reduce the some of the force on the knee.
3. DISTANCE: I also shorten the length of my stride. This really helps with control.
4. ARMS: I use downhills to relax my shoulders, let my arms hang and shake out. This also helps slow me down and maintain control of my steps. **Tip** The faster your arms move, the faster your feet will too.
5. WALK: Sometimes during training, I walk the downhill. I wouldn't do this every time you have a hill workout, but I use the walk for recovery and to reduce the abuse on my basketball knees. If you are running a long distance race, walking is often a very good strategy. The sprint finish at the end maybe achievable if you are careful to protect those knees.
Keep running- Be Strong & Go do your hill workout- I'm cheering for you!
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