Running Downhill

I'm a runner. I like to run. Let me clarify that. I like the benefits of running that I get to enjoy after the fact; I hate running when I'm in the middle of a run.

I ran yesterday, and realized that I tend to coast on the downhills. I work on the uphills, pretty hard, and I'm steady to aggressive on flat ground, but after the hard work of conquering a hill I coast on the way down.

As I thought about this deficit in my running discipline, I was reminded of the women's triathlon during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Australian, Emma Snowsill won the event, but she didn't just win it, she came in a full minute and seven seconds ahead of second place. To give you a little perspective, just 21 seconds separated second and third place, and there were five more athletes within a minute, seven seconds of the second place finisher.

A minute and seven seconds? Really? How is that even possible? I'll tell you how...Emma sprinted the downhills! While everyone else was pulling up for a rest, taking a break after the hard work of running up the hills, Snowsill continued to sprint, continued to work, continued to sweat.
Meanwhile, I'm coasting on the downhills.

Recognizing this, I immediately felt like I was the worst runner in the world for my coasting and lack of discipline, then I snapped out of it and began to realize the significance. What would life look like if I sprinted the downhills? What does coming in a full minute and seven seconds ahead of the pack look like? How much more of an impact would I have if I sprinted the downhills?

I'm not advocating burnout or a complete rejection of appropriately healthy rest, but I realized that a lot of my coasting wasn't out of a need for healthy rest. It was just laziness. When I run tomorrow I have a feeling that I'm going to go harder and faster, especially on the downhills.

Are you sprinting the downhills?