I live in an area without good flat, non-busy roads near me so I have been doing strides in a slight Incline one way and a slight decline the other. I have been wondering, is there any research promoting the efficacy or the opposite on Incline/decline/flat?
No research to offer, just a question. Since inclines work the back of the legs concentrically, and declines work the front eccentrically, have you had any issues with your uneven terrain? My guess is that you are well adapted to it by now, and are a stronger runner than someone who only does hills as a workout.
What's the purpose? For building strength, incline. For faster turnover, decline. General speed maintenance, flat. You're going to benefit if you're doing these right, regardless, so you're probably worrying about this detail too much.
Yeah, you should be alright. Strides are always a small thing I do after some runs to top them all off. I like to keep them flat or do them on a slight uphill surface after my long run. Don't overthink it! Good luck.
Yeah I'm not worried or concerned, it's just something different from what I've done in the past and got me wondering about the details.
liluzivert wrote:
Yeah, you should be alright. Strides are always a small thing I do after some runs to top them all off. I like to keep them flat or do them on a slight uphill surface after my long run. Don't overthink it! Good luck.
I agree
I do mine on time and over the last two miles of my run twice a week. And with that they very from flat to down hill to uphill. Seems to be working out fine since I switched to doing it this way. I started doing it this way I believe because my road in the winter gets ice build up and couldn't do them safely at the end of my run per normal.
Slight downhill seems to provide the best bang for the buck.
I read something the other day that said that the knee joint patellar tendon in runners performs best when it is compliant (just the opposite of the achilles). Compliant tendons implies that the muscles need to do more bracing work. Slight downhill runs provide faster turnover and eccentric stress on the quads, so I would expect that such running would be ideal. However, eccentric training increases muscle length, and that goes against the bracing strength gains you are looking for in running down hill. Just saying this so others might be prompted to chime in here with better information.
If we're talking strictly 'strides' here, like Citius, I like to do mine during the last mile or two of an easier run (too easy to blow them off if I wait until I'm home). And always on the downhill or flat, never uphill. Save that for your hill sprints.
I almost always look for a slight uphill to do them on. Flat sprints are better for developing the exact recruitment pattern needed to run fast, but strides or short uphill sprints allow you to get sharp for an upcoming race or workout without beating up your legs.
I do the same as others. generally reserve the last mile and do 20" on for a stride then 40" easy jog for 6-8 minutes. I do like to mix up the terrain though and think there are benefits to hills, flats and downhills
if I am doing them on an incline or decline I keep the grade pretty low. More along the lines of 1-3% rather than a hill repeat workout that can be anywhere from 5-10%
Well, for a sprinter, 3% hill training is great for speed development.
faster please wrote:
roads ... strides..?
Do you have any grass or dirt?
Most runners avoid roads for speedwork. Uphill is different - low impact. Downhill fast on roads sounds like a poor risk/benefit equation to me...
hardset nipples wrote:
What's the purpose? For building strength, incline. For faster turnover, decline. General speed maintenance, flat. You're going to benefit if you're doing these right, regardless, so you're probably worrying about this detail too much.
This is the answer. Know the purpose of what you are doing in training, and don't overthink it.
I like doing slight decline (say 2% max) strides or pick-ups on easy days. I find it helps if you're feeling sluggish or tired from a previous workout to get going. For workouts where I am trying to improve speed or power, I prefer flat or uphill (as steep as possible while still being able to run properly).
Ultimately though the real decider is the logistics of where I'm running. Work with what you got.
If you're a relatively new runner that takes large, slow strides then slight downhill to work on turnover is probably the most useful. You need extra help from gravity to coerce the legs to its magic.
Strides are usually done at around mile pace(ish). Presumably they are going to be pretty fast, if done downhill.