L2B nice article on Anselm LeBourne.
Alan thanks for your point of view. It got me to reexamine my thinking.
Here are a few links to articles I just found interesting and yes they support my position;)
http://runnersconnect.net/running-injury-prevention/age-and-calf-injuries/
"
The authors also cite other work which indicates that calf injury occurs not as you push off the ground (a concentric contraction), but just as you transition from landing to supporting and beginning to drive off the ground (eccentric and isometric muscle contractions). This is significant because it can help us predict strategies for prevention."
Exactly what I experienced. Long downhill hikes fixed these calf issues. This progressed to the point to where I could run downhill with no issues.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1332286/pdf/brjsmed00010-0019.pdf
"Soreness and tenderness
Tenderness, measured by pressure transducers (e.g.
Penny and Giles Myometer, Christchurch, Dorset,
UK) is greatest in the gluteus maximus, rectus
femoris, vastus medialis, vastus laterali, tibialis
anterior, gastrocnemius and biceps femoris when
measured 2 days after downhill running'2"
Biomechanics of downhill running
During normal locomotion (walking and running) the
extensor muscles in the lower limbs perform eccentric
contraction during each stride to decelerate the centre
Br J Sp Med 1995; 29(2) 91Downhill running: physiological and biomechanical considerations: R. G. Eston et al.
of mass after the foot touches the ground'.
Following downhill running, greater DOMS is
produced in the gluteal muscles, the quadriceps, and
the anterior and posterior tibial muscles, than for an
equivalent bout of level running'2.
Armstrong et al.2 suggested that it is primarily the
eccentric contraction phase that causes muscle
damage during normal level running since the
highest tensions in the leg extensor muscles are
produced whilst the muscles are lengthening after
the foot touches the ground and the centre of mass is
decelerating.
Few studies have examined the kinematic differences
between downhill and level running and
highlighted the differences in the knee angle between
footstrike and peak flexion angle45 46. The overall
change in angle is greater in downhill running, with
peak flexion angle significantly greater. This means
that the muscle is working eccentrically at a greater
length during downhill running. As alluded to
earlier, there appears to be a length-dependant
component in the production of muscle damage"7. In
downhill running the knee extensor muscle group is
worked over a greater length, with more work at its
longer length. This is exemplified from the following
kinematic data.
During downhill running the overall change in
knee angle from footstrike to peak flexion angle is
much greater than in level running. "
There is much more information in the article. I will probably reread it a few times but overall I think the article supports my experience with long downhill hikes (4000 feet over 7 miles) eventually leading to me being able to run down these hills with reckless abandon. BTW I never did get injured just took a break to focus on other stuff .