Downhills are your place to catch up on other runners.  Well, maybe, but I view downhills as a place to rest a bit, but not lose any momentum or waste energy slowing yourself down.  That’s just counterproductive.  You want to increase productivity.  It’s trailrunning-conomics.

When running downhill on a trail you want to have quick feet, a trained eyes, balance, and reflexes.  All of these items together will give you a relaxed and fluid running form.  You want to try to keep your body weight centered over your knees so you strike the ball of your feet on the ground instead of your heels.  Striking on your heels makes for a leaned back running posture that can lead to injury and creates less efficient running.  You want to be leaning slightly forward to maximize your foot movement and minimize injury.  Keep your elbows relaxed and slightly raised so they are poised to help you maintain your balance and steer.  Imagine you are a fighter plane and your elbows are your wings. Soon you’ll be ‘flying’ through the trails.  That’s right!  Ice…man.  I am dangerous.  Who wants to go play some volleyball?

You also want to make sure you are looking ahead.  Many new trail runners look at their feet when running downhill but this is not the most efficient way to run.  It is a lot of like driving a car, when you first start you look directly in front of you but the more you drive the more you look forward to see what is ahead of you so you can plan your next move.  If you know what is coming you can adjust your body movements before you get to an obstacle.  Likewise, if the trail turns suddenly you can adjust you movements accordingly as you come to it.  Grab on to a tree and swing yourself around the curve if you really want to look extreme.  Extremeness is what it’s all about anyways right?

You want to be light on your feet.  I know, you’re a 250 pounds and you are never light on your feet, not even when crawling into bed or easing yourself into a warm bath.  Why are you taking baths anyways?  When running on the trail, listen to see if you are being light on your feet.  If you hear youself stomping down the trail, then lighten up.  Man, you’re feet can be so serious sometimes.  It’s cool, we like serious feet around here.  Try to increase the number of steps you take to lighten up the load on each step.  It’s like putting a car in a lower gear instead of slamming on the breaks.  When you slam on the breaks you are putting more strain on your body and quickly stopping away momentum that gravity is giving you running on the downhill.  Put gravity to work for you.  Gravity just hangs around not doing anything anyways.  It’s about time gravity got a real job instead of always putting objects down.  Gravity is such a negative Nancy.

Everyone has fallen or will eventually fall when running.  Sorry, but it’s just math.  All you can do is try to minimize the occurrences and mitigate the severity of the impact.  Most of the time falls result in skinned knees or elbows but falls while running can be worse, like a sprained ankle or a broken wrist.  Not to mention a busted ego.  Sometimes that takes the longest to heal.  It’s better than a busted face though.  See.  Way to stay positive.

Most people fall because they are thinking about something else and not paying attention to their environment and surroundings.  I find that when trail running I don’t think about much other than the next safe step I need to take.  This is very different from the deep thought I often go into when road running.  However, you do need to stay alert and be careful when road running.  Instead of roots and rocks to avoid you have to worry about potholes, cracks in the road, or small dogs.  If you are running in a group it helps to point out possible obstacles to other runners by raising one arm in the air.  You can also point your finger up in the air, wave it in a circular motion and then point to an object.  This is the non-verbal sign for a “rally point.”  Just don’t tell the Russians about it.  Also, try not to run when it is dark, especially in an unfamiliar area (not because of the Russians but so you don’t fall).  Our busy schedules often require us to run when it is dark out, so make sure you run a route that you are familiar with where the obstacles are.  Doesn’t it feel like you’re running faster when it is dark?  Maybe because you can’t see objects around you as well to give you a reference of how fast or slow you are running.  That’s a discussion for another blog post though.  Don’t be greedy, I’m here everyday, running down a dream.

Since falling while running has to do with balance, there are actually ways you can improve your balance and minimize the risk of falling.  Start by lifting one leg off of the ground, with your thigh parallel to the floor, standing on one foot; hold for 15-30 seconds.  Change legs and repeat as desired.  Bottom line, if you want to improve your balance, practice standing on one foot.  Kinesiology must have been a tough major.  I’m glad I took Economics.

If you feel like you are going down then don’t try to fight gravity; you’ll lose.  Instead, tuck your arms in and try to roll to your side to lesson the impact.  This way you avoid your wrists or elbows taking the full impact of the fall.  Another option is to try to grab something on your way down.  Use a tree, parking meter, or another runner if you need to, but try not to take them down with you.  Two falls don’t make you run upright.  Zing!

Don’t kid yourself, running isn’t extreme but it can be dangerous.  Be careful when running on any terrain.  Accidents do happen…just not as much now that you’re a big boy or girl.