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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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Downhill running is tough for several reasons, but the main one is that downhill running does more muscle damage. This damage causes immediate weakness in the [[Muscle|muscles]], as well as soreness in a day or two. (See [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness]] for more details.) If you’ve ever run a long steep descent and felt that your legs are numb or shaky, you’ve experienced this damage. The good news is that the more downhill running you do, the more you muscles adapt to be able to handle the load. An approach for downhill training is documented at [[Downhill Intervals]].
Running efficiently downhill can make a significant difference to race performance. Running hard up the hills and recovering on the downhill makes for slower race times. An increase in intensity will make a small difference to the uphill pace, but it can make a large difference to the downhill pace. I suspect that downhill training also helps with flat races. All running involves some of the stresses that cause [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness]], and having resistance to this damage can keep you strong through to the end of the race. I consider downhill running one of my [[Running Breakthroughs]]
