Learning to descend

[EwenM]

Morning all,

After my first fell race of the millenium (Fairfield last Saturday), I'm after some advice. How do you develop your descending pace? Is it just practice or are there special techiques to learn?

Thanks,
Ewen.

[noel]

I think it's something you have to try to work at, unless you're a natural (which I'm not). There is a small book on it by Keven Shevels which you can download (at a price) from Trailguides.

Here are some tips that I have used, and might help:
1. Watch other people in races or when training. See what they do with stride length and body position. Sometimes what you wouldn't even consider, is actually the fastest technique.
2. Train on different terrain. Different techniques are required for e.g. steady grassy descents, and tussocky steep descents.
3. Do more races and runs with other people. I find I haven't the bottle to run down steep sections at race pace on training runs as I mostly train alone, so the only genuine race-pace downhill training I do is during races.
4. On training runs, don't be too tired for the downhill sections. It takes effort to run downhill quickly, and if you're trying to focus on improving it, you won't be able to improve your technique if you're still knackered from the uphill section.

[Wheeze]

relax, lean into the hill and let gravity do the work! STRIDE and let go. Don,t fight the hill, let it come at you.

[Harry H Howgill]

As with anything, just get out there and practice. Try different styles; long or short strides, arms out wide to balance, leaning forward or back. Come along to some of the BOFRA races and watch all the kids who just throw themselves down the hills.

[Antisocial]

Morning all,

After my first fell race of the millenium (Fairfield last Saturday), I'm after some advice. How do you develop your descending pace? Is it just practice or are there special techiques to learn?

Thanks,
Ewen.

Imagine you are 3 miles away from the pub and it is 2 minutes to last orders

[jodg]

When I started running on them that hills several years ago, every time (without fail) I'd end up on my hands & knees on account of tripping up.

You soon learn to place your feet and lift the legs up accordingly. Same thing with descending, takes time and practice.

But I guess you knew that already....

[Stolly]

Having confidence in the ground you're actually running on makes a great difference I think. I like to kid myself that descending is my strong suit (or least weak suit) but I still have problems trusting my grip running fast through wet, slick mud down hill. Last summer I ran up and down Great Shunner Fell from Hawes with a mate in the pissing rain and on the descent, which is pretty much 5 miles all down, I found that I'd shoot ahead on the broken rock, stones and firm ground but fall behind on the slick stuff - I was worried about slipping whereas my friend was worried about turning an ankle.

Its best if you're not especially worried about either

[CribGoch]

relax, lean into the hill and let gravity do the work! STRIDE and let go. Don,t fight the hill, let it come at you.

Just so - the best way to run fast downhill. Very tiring, something you need to train for. Kirkfell down to the wasdale Head is a good one for that.

[CribGoch]

Imagine you are 3 miles away from the pub and it is 2 minutes to last orders

Thats what got me fell running. Last route on Pavey then down to the NDG. Being a disolute climber though, we were racing down for opening time, not closing time.

[Grouse]

Brakes off, brain off .