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By focusing on downhill running, IDownhill Running builds strength and endurance in a way that can've been able to run 100 mile races without any [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness]]. Focusing t be achieved on the downhills is a critical training tool, and sadly one of the most ignoredflat. While downhill running has obvious benefits for hilly racesDownhill Running causes more muscle damage, it also protects your muscles from which in turn creates resistance to that damage in the damage of long distance races even on flat coursesfuture.

Many running plans include some "hill training", which generally consists of either running a hilly course, or running hard uphill to build strength, aerobic and anaerobic capacity. While these techniques can be useful, they do not provide the benefits of downhill training. While running uphill requires more energy, running downhill causes more muscle damage[[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness| DOMS]], which in turn and one of the critical benefits of DOMS is that it triggers a change to the structure of the muscles. This structural change creates a protracted resistance to that future damage in . By focusing on downhill running, I've been able to run 100 mile races without any [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness]]. Focusing on the downhills is a critical training tool, and sadly one of the most ignored. While downhill running has obvious benefits for hilly races, it also protects your muscles from the futuredamage of long distance races even on flat courses.

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 [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness| soreness in a day or two]]. 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 strain. The images below are from sections through a muscle that has been damaged by downhill running. For details on the science behind downhill running, see [[Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness]].

When you run a hilly course or perform Downhill Intervals your legs will significantly recover on the uphill sections. If you have access to a really long hill then that will help, but for many of us, we don't have a multi-mile steep descent to use. Even if we did, the time taken to run up the hill reduces the time we can spend on the downhill. The answer is to run on a [[TreadmillDescent]] that will provide a continual descent. I [[Treadmill| use the ProForm Pro 2000 with the back lifted on blocks for my Treadmill Descents]], s which is remarkably effective. Here are some tips on performing Treadmill Descents:* Few treadmills will provide a descent without propping up the back. My [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0068FVOMO ProForm Pro 2000] does offer limited descent options, but the maximum pace is too restricted to be useful. * You will need to have a good Treadmill with a strong motor, as you'll be putting a lot of stress on it. The Pro 2000 has survived many long descent runs, but I weigh less than 140 pounds/70 Kg. * I removed the cover from the motor of my Treadmill to improve cooling as the descents will stress the motor and control board. (You'll probably violate the warranty on your treadmill by propping up the back.)* I've found that descent angle makes a bigger impact than allow you'd expect and the difficulty is non-linear. For instance, I've found that going from -12 to -14 degrees produces a radical increase in difficulty.* A Treadmill Descent is quite easy aerobically, with a lower Heart Rate due to the decreased energy use. This can make it tricky to judge the difficulty, as the perceived effort can be quite low until the muscle damage is significant. * Start off with a gentle descent and shorter distances. The Treadmill Descent may seem easy at the time, but the soreness will appear a day or too later. I'd start off with -2 to -4 degrees and 3-5 miles, then build up from there. * Perform a Treadmill Descent every 1-2 weeks depending on your recovery time. {| class="wikitable" |- valign="top"|[[File:Treadmill.jpg|none|thumb|x300px| Here you can see my treadmill with the rear raised up on blocks to allow for steep descents.]]|[[File:Treadmill Blocks.JPG|none|thumb|x300px| A close up of the two wooden blocks used to prop up the back of the treadmill. This allows run steeply downhill for a 16% decline when the treadmill is set to levelextended periods.]]|}