Downhill running has its upsides but kills your quads. Here's how to avoid the burn.
By Jason Karp, Ph.D.
From the May 2009 issue of Runner's World
Six weeks before the 2006 Chicago Marathon, Benjamin Gailey ran in a relay in the Rocky Mountains as a tune-up. He chose two downhill legs, which dropped 1,900 feet each, figuring they'd be easy and let him save his strength for the marathon. Big mistake.
"I couldn't even walk afterward," says Gailey, 31. He went to Chicago hoping to qualify for the Olympic Trials, but his 2:37 finishing time was too slow by 15 minutes. "The downhills definitely took a toll," he says. "I just didn't have the strength that I should have."
