Here are a few tid bits I
Here are a few tid bits I have learned about downhill barefoot running:
You can't be cautious when going downhill barefoot, you need to let it rip. I find that if you are cautious running barefoot downhill you throw off your mechanics, and you can possibly injury yourself. This of course takes alot of practice and be careful about it. Start with small hills to get the feeling of having your legs spinning at a quicker cadence.
- Definitely avoid over-striding on downhills!
- Increase your candence, shorten your strides, and make sure you bend the knees. Breaking in shoes is easy, but not barefoot. You have to have confidence in yourself and just let gravity take you and don't fight it.
- Lean in a little (with the hips) to completely keep the weight on the forefoot, this will avoid any heel pounding, and helps you maintain a nice flow.
- Keep your torso aligned with hips just like you are running on a straight away, but lean in a little with the hips. Imagine you have a rope tied around your waist and someone is at the bottom of the hill pulling you down.
- I found that lowering your arms a little below the waste, not completely straight, and move them out a bit, acts like a stabalizer. This gives you some nice control.
- Keep your head aligned with your chest and hips, sometimes i tuck my chin in a little, and keep you lower abs tight (Srong abs is the secret recipe to being a strong runner) this keeps everything strong and tight.
) I don't have any trouble going up the hills but coming down is another story. It makes my feet hurt. TOFP type of hurt. It goes away as soon as I stop or hit a more flat area. Is my form off going down the hills? Why would my feet hurt like this?
