Downhill Running Technique | Ultra Marathon Training | IT Band

[@melanieh.1733]

Very good advice, will try it Out. Thanks

[@mikeluxton9969]

Awesome advise and views! I think the single best thing I did to improve my downhill running was to transition to zero drop shoes. I run mostly in the Ozark mountains; not the Rockies, but plenty of exposed rock and no shortage of roots. Landing on your heal with zero drops will teach you to shorten your stride, lift your feet and strike with the mid / forefoot really fast! I've been wearing and running in zero drops for about 7 months now and I can really feel the difference (improvement) in my Achilles and hamstrings. I can feel the natural lift of the heel, rotate through the ankle and push off through the big toes without having to think about it (it just feels natural). I've also noticed that I have far fewer foot rolls or slide outs as well as improved confidence in letting myself loose on the descents. Your books and videos have been a tremendous help to me. Thanks!

[@bugbean5500]

I naturally learned this when first time running in huaraches because the toe strap really started to hurt in between the toes with this breaking though overstriding technique. I then tried to find a way to land flat mid footed under my body as I always do and also came up with the cycling picture in my head to help me keep this movement pattern of lifting my leg high enough. I love how minimalist running helps to correct so many things naturally.

[@BornToRunCoach]

Love this awareness

[@ancientpathseeker6036]

Thank you for your advice and expertise...love watching these videos.❤

[@lisarunsfast7368]

Thank you so much for this! Downhill running has been my weak point. I have slowed down in a lot of races downhill because my technique needs work!! It’s frustrating when you have passed everyone on the uphill, just to be passed later due to inefficient downhill running. I’ve always landed on my forefoot, but I can feel myself leaning back rather than propelling forwards. I will try this!! Beautiful mountains out there! Also, the mountain lions are probably near you, but they tend to hide extremely well and don’t like to come out when humans are around. It’s very rare for them to approach us and be careful. They can be dangerous.

[@christopherspinzor3268]

Super useful! Been working my way through B2R2 and I couldn’t quite figure out how to do this without going very slowly. Thanks for the video!

[@BornToRunCoach]

That's the point, slow down at first to eexecute, and then get faster and faster as you hone the skill and muscle memory.

[@christopherspinzor3268]

@@BornToRunCoach your tip of kicking the leg bag and then getting the knee high again helped though - while I was working on going slow

[@jseales86]

Me and my friends snap photos of all the bones we see on the trails where we are. So many!

[@Kelly_Ben]

I can't imagine living in a place like that, surrounded by gorgeous mountains and prime running and riding opportunities. One day... And thank you for this, it explains so much of my troubles. I can't wait to drive to my dinky little mountains and test it out! 😂

[@BornToRunCoach]

Thank you for this. Run adventure is a mindset, so embrace what you have and be sure to visit JH!! Run strong!

[@aliciavalentyn5889]

🏃‍♀️words of wisdom 🏔️🙏

[@TrailrunnerTroy]

Yes you will, Coach Eric! You may feel her eyes on your back first.

[@freedom314620]

Really appreciate your videos and books. Some folks i run with, in a hill repeat workout were really leaning backwards on the walk back down. Im assuming that's another sign of bad form, right? Hard not to overstride if you look like you're leaning back in a recliner...

[@ebrensi]

I run on trails barefoot and minimalist most of the time and I've independently come into this downhill running style, but what frustrates me about it is that I'm quite a bit slower now going downhill. I'm relying more on cadence now because my hip flexors just won't let me extend my leg back as much. I've also found that running with higher cadence (I increased avg spm from ~160 to ~174-180 since for most runs since December 2022) seems to stress my hip flexors more. It doesn't bother me while running but when sitting up from lying down or even coughing my lower abdomen hurts. That seems to be where all of my pain is these days. I'm curious about whether I should supplement my running with some kind of stretching/strengthening for the hip flexors, or if running is enough and my body will adapt over time.

[@BornToRunCoach]

Work on the wall squat and running lunge in the book to help activate and strengthen glutes to help take stress and overuse away from psoas.

[@janelhartman2847]

Love your new born to run xero shoes!! what are your thoughts on running in sandals? i just got me a pair of xero z-trail:)

[@BornToRunCoach]

Absolutely love the Z Trails. They are my go to summer road shoes and short mellow trail shoe. So fun they are!!