Creative Downhill Training: Flatlander Style

Over the past few weeks a friend and I have been brainstorming ways to creatively train for downhill running while living in a place with no hills.  My strength is downhill running, while it's his weakness.  I'm dealing with an injury (details forthcoming when I have a full diagnosis) that precludes me from uphill running.  So together we are motived to work on the eccentric component of downhill running.  I don't want to lose my secret weapon and he wants to develop his.

We are both planning on big races in 2016 that involve lots of downhill running out west.  It's actually been quite the process, evolving from epiphanies while on the way to a run..."I know!  I'll just put the treadmill up on blocks!"... to discussions on proper speed to simulate deceleration, matching leg speed to treadmill belt to avoid burning out the motor, adding weighted packs, and even my most recent idea: adding resistance band around the waist to pull me forward.  I've had a few laughs at myself, pondered the science, and gotten a few very strange looks from my physio colleagues as I experimented on our treadmill at work including "why do you want to run downhill?"

"Well," I responded, "because there are no hills here! And because I can't run uphill right now, so I'm going to make sure my quads don't lose their ability to run downhill.  That, and I'm curious."

Here is a video of Todd running on his treadmill propped up on blocks:

And are a few pictures of me running with the resistance band tied to a belt around my waist while running on the treadmill propped up on blocks.

And here is a short clip:

I personally haven't tried running with a weighted vest yet because I don't have one, but I was really impressed with the resistance band system.  Anyone who's run down a mountain on uneven terrain knows that sometimes you feel off balance, sometimes your foot lands perfectly under you, and sometimes it doesn't - and you have to instantaneously react to accommodate to that without breaking stride.  Well, running with the tension of the bands pulling me forward from three attachment points around my hips provided just enough unpredictable variability to simulate free running down a mountain, not quite sure where my foot was going to land.  In addition, I was instantly aware of how high my heel came up during swing phase. The bands immediately activated my posterior chain of muscles that eccentrically controls that controlled fall forward. Honestly, it was as exhilarating as a treadmill run could ever be for me.

The key to this is to start slowly if you are not used to downhill running.  Eccentric training is very effective but very demanding on your connective tissue and your quads.  It's easy for your form to fall apart really fast.  Copy with caution!

Feel free to laugh and call us crazy...and pick apart our running technique.  I have. This training is of course supplemented with eccentric training in the gym and eventually uphill training for me.  If anyone knows of a treadmill with a bigger range than +15% to -3% please let me know!