Trailing Downhill: Trailulive Tips to Assist

For many novices out there, running downhill can feel like a loss of coordination, loss of balance, lack of skills, an all out awkwardness or catastrophe awaiting to happen.

It’s like being a novice skier.

Your friends (experienced or not so experienced) talk you (the one with no experience) into joining them at an amazing ski destination. They talk you into joining them on the slopes up to an elevation you haven’t yet experienced. You think, “Oh, how beautiful the scenery is up here.” You get off the gondola, or the lift, they say, “Come on!” You meander your way to the top of the slope and you then…look……down. You see…cliffs, rocks, trees. A few thoughts may run through your mind. “What the hell was I thinking? This isn’t going to be pretty. Perhaps I should take the gondola/lift down. Have to save face and just go for it.”

Well, saving your face, literally, may not be such a bad thought, but going for it, trailing downhill, now that’s the state of mind you want to be in. No Fear!

Downhill Trail Running

*Form

*Positioning of Body

*Quick Feet

When you’re trailing downhill, like skiing, you want to look ahead, look for the fastest line, keeping your posture low as if sitting in a back seat. You gain your confidence over time by continuously looking at the section ahead and adjusting your steps, stride and speed to maneuver through as fast as you can. Should you come down a dip only to meet an immediate climb, don’t slow down, run it! The more forward motion you have, the more motion you have to assist you up the next climb, while you are adjusting your pace and stride to assist you in your endeavor. Remember, it’s always harder to hold back than to just go with the forward pull of gravity.

Tips To Remember

*Centered on the trail

*Arms out for balance

*Stay lower to the ground

*Run on the balls(pads) of your feet(this helps with the knees absorbing less shock)

*Always looking ahead to see what terrain may be coming your way.

*Bike gloves. Not a bad idea for those falls!

*Adjust your stride accordingly

We at Trailulive hope these trailing downhill tips are helpful and we encourage you to research and perhaps share your own tips, experiences with us as well. We’ll have some trailing uphill tips coming your way soon. Until then…