Speed Development – Down Hill Efforts

22 September 2025 - By Graham Eyre

 

This Thursday the 25th of September we will be meeting at 7.30 pm at the bottom junction of Armond Road/Chelmer Road for the speed development session focusing on downhill efforts with recoveries uphill. If possible, park away from the residential area and do a warm up jog to the meeting point. Maybe Morrison’s, Asda or Spa Road shops but please check parking restrictions.

After the warm up and drills we will all jog along Chelmer and up Cromwell to the top which will be the starting point. From here your efforts will be either:

A: Straight into the effort down Chelmer and maintaining your speed round to Gimson Close before throttling back for the recovery run along Chelmer and back up Cromwell

B: A build-up of pace along Chelmer to the junction with Armond Road and then the effort downhill to the junction of Chelmer at the bottom where you ease up for the recovery along Chelmer and back up Cromwell.

The session will be 30 minutes continuous and please alternate between the 2 circuits. i.e. do A then B then back to A etc etc. The recoveries are deliberately long, so you can begin with a walk/jog and build into the next effort when back to the Junction of Chelmer with Cromwell.

Although running uphill may feel more difficult from a cardio perspective, going downhill with good form is challenging—and can be a lot harder on your body. So please take this into account and within the framework we have provided, and taking into account any weekend races you may have, use the session to suit your own needs. Not a session that can be programmed into the watch but checking your lap times for consistency would be beneficial.

“Running downhill often feels easier on the lungs, but it’s actually much tougher on the legs. That’s because your muscles work eccentrically, they’re lengthening under tension to control your descent. This puts more stress on the quads and calves than running uphill, which is mostly concentric work. Good downhill form means staying relaxed, leaning slightly forward from the ankles, and using a quick, light stride. Done well, it saves energy and reduces injury risk, but if you overstride or ‘brake’ with each step, you’ll feel it in your legs for days after.”

Sasha and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday

Graham