Downhill running is easier than uphill or level ground running. As a result many runners tend to ignore training for this aspect of a race which is found in almost all marathon events.
Although downhill running is the easiest, its effects on the body can be the greatest. For example, when you run downhill the eccentric muscle contraction is most important. It is responsible for not only for absorbing and withstanding the shock of each touchdown, but for the soreness that you typically experience on the day after.
To prepare yourself for downhill running most runners simply run downhill. This of course is effective and can help you prepare for an upcoming race, especially one that has many downhills. But is it the most effective? It may be in the latter stages of your training prior to the race, but not when first beginning.
The reason for this is simple. You must prepare yourself for what you will experience. This means working on the eccentric contraction in your weight training. By doing more eccentrics you prepare the muscles for the work that they will be doing in the downhill running.
When you do eccentrics in your weight training you can control the amount of resistance and the number of sets and repetitions. It is impossible to do this if you simply run downhill. For more control of downhill running you’ll have to know the exact slope of the downhill and its variations, the speed of your running and how your technique changes depending upon the slope.
These are very hard to measure. As a result it becomes difficult to control how much you should do and the type of running you should do when doing downhill running. But when you first prepare yourself for downhill running, then you can more closely duplicate the conditions that you will be experiencing in the upcoming race.
Probably the best exercise to do to develop the eccentric contraction to prepare your muscles for downhill running is dynamic isometrics. The stopping and holding actions more closely duplicate conditions that are experienced in downhill running.
It also strengthens the quadriceps muscle in a manner that protects the knee joint. Simply running downhill places great stress on the knee and can cause injury. But the strength training can be adjusted to give equal development of the muscles to hold the patella in place and maintain joint integrity.
With this preparation you can also use the downhill running to develop greater speed. It is typically used to run faster than you could volitionally experience when running on level ground. This type of training commonly known as over-speed training, is used most often with sprinters but it can also be used with long distance runners.
For more information see Explosive Running.