Hip extensor muscles include the gluteus maximus muscle and gluteus minimus muscle. Taken together, they are called the gluteal muscles, the gluts, the butt muscles or the glutei muscles. Which makes looking them up the computer entertaining or frustrating depending the kind of day you're having. The hip flexor muscles, the iliosoas group (Iliacus muscle and Psoas major muscle), with the biceps femoris muscle (or quadricep femoris muscle) one part of the quadriceps muscle, lift or flex the upper leg--they give us our knee-lift.
The slope should be gentle--0ne to two percent is sufficient, The surface should be soft: Short grass; fairly even sand or dirt trails; an old railroad bed, or treadmill running...if the treadmill has the ability.
Start with gentle strides just like you would any other form of training. As you loosen up, push off the calf muscles to go faster. Make full use of the hip extensor muscle to extend the work of the calf muscles. Be conscious of your pull through, whip the leg forward with the hip flexor muscles. Think leg speed as you tear down the slope. Work your hamstring muscles to speed the leg through; bring the lower leg closer to your butt than you normally do.
Leaning forward can strain the gluteal and hamstrings muscles. Leaning back puts pressure on the back and hip flexors; you'll be setting up a breaking action, instead of a flowing, rhythmic biomechanically sound running style.
Modest numbers to begin--about two thirds short normal short interval session--because you'll be doing them faster. You will be close to mile race pace while putting in 2 mile race pace effort.
Think about your running biomechanics. Sprinting downhill with arms flying all over the place will not make you a more economical runner.
Push the arms back on each stride, allow them to move straight forward to their natural height; don't go grasping for handfulls of air. Hands generally don't need to go across the chest...unless that is a perfect running form for your body type. Straight back and forward to a modest height is best. The arms need to balance the legs: Think RELAX.
After three or four sessions of short efforts, it will be time to move on to:
Actually, you can do 2 mile pace at 5k effort levels; or 10k pace at 15k pace effort.
Running at 2 mile pace will be easier than on the flat. You've prepared for it, so enjoy flight during your training. Your heart and lungs will be at 5k pace, but the hip flexors and extensors get the benefit from two mile pace. Do one out of four of your long rep sessions downhill, and track reps at 5k pace will seem easier...because you have the legspeed.
An additional bonus is the long rest. Unless you have been driven out to the top of a long grade, or run a four mile warmup to the top, most of you have to run back up the hill after each rep. My personal preference is to do one gentle uphill stride at the midpoint of the return journey, it helps to keep me loose, and the muscles warm.
Cruising a few strides is pleasant when feeling tired; you still get to run fast. But don't substitute downhills for the rest you may need.
Race preparation at all distances, because you can run faster than race pace.
Preparation for downhill race courses such as the St. George or Boston Marathon.
No webpage for pool running. With pool running you have no ground contact, you can take those hip flexors and hip extensors through a huge range of motion, without the damage from an over-striding impact. Use water running wisely. Don't jump into a session the day before a key speedwork training run. Your hip flexors are likely to be tired after the first pool run, so save it for AFTER speed training.
And think about your arm motion; you can soon develop bad habits with your running form if you're doing lots of training in the wet stuff. Flotation device or no flotation device, go with what feels right for you.
Adapted from material in:
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Or send $17.95 per book to David Holt at PO Box 543, Goleta, CA 93116. (includes shipping and tax)