Jason Krienke put in some good training miles on the high slopes of Pikes Peak.

By Roger Patrizio
Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy

The 61st running of the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon is three weeks away and runners are wrapping up their training with lots of ascending and descending on Barr Trail, now is a bad time to sustain an injury.

Hills affect our bodies differently and can create extra stresses.  Going uphill requires greater strength in our leg muscles as well as applying a greater demand on our heart and lungs.  There is a force out there to be reckoned with and it is……gravity.  And the larger the mass the more effort it requires to ascend vertical terrain.  World class marathon runners and the great climbers of the Tour de France are slim and light compared to the natural sprinters (densely muscular bodies) require more power, strength and bursts of explosive energy.

Mountain runners want to carry no extra pounds as they ascend, and good running form is important. It is helpful to take small, short steps, with the back erect and the lungs able to fully inhale quantities of oxygen deep into the diaphragm.

For descending, the force is just the opposite. Instead of demanding great amounts of energy to push upwards, gravity is in our favor. Yet there is a strain on the body with a greater impact of force from our weight hitting the ground and reverberating through our entire bodies.

When running uphill you end up using various muscle groups; the calves, the hamstrings, the glutes, and the adductors, all of which help propel you up the mountain. When going downhill the opposite muscles are involved, being the quadriceps, and the muscles that stabilize the ankle like tibialis anterior.

Many runners feel that going downhill is more difficult than the climbing. The ability to maintain a good posture early in the ascent helps many runners overcome the uphill obstacle, and it is the loose form that often accompanies going downhill that causes runners to stumble, literally. Just watch any finish line from a trail race and there will be a few participants with bloody knees, shins and hands.

When I personally have run the Pikes Peak Marathon I have noticed during the ascent I feel cramping in my calves, in the adductors of the thigh, and to a lesser extent some cramping in the hamstrings.  When running downhill I feel better, I don’t notice immediate pain or cramping. But the next day and then the day after that I feel the fatigue of the run. I feel the aches and pain in my quadriceps, to the point where walking downstairs is difficult. I can feel pain in my abdomen, chest and arms from the jarring of the heel strike. The DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) experienced from running downhill are far worse than the uphill climb.

So how do we help prevent those aches and pains? How do we keep from injuring ourselves when going downhill?

Dynamic stretching is very helpful in getting the muscles to warm up. Strengthening the muscles of the core can help with balance as you run both uphill and downhill. To help with some of the jarring felt during the heel strike phase you could wear running shoes with supportive, cushioned heel inserts. Another technique would be to roll the foot as you run down the hill.

Massage helps me to recover the fastest. At the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy we offer a variety of student massages, as well as intern and professional massages. We even offer a Monday Night Sports Clinic for all the runners and athletes out there, which is held every other Monday night. You get a 30 minute sports massage for just $10. Massage helps to lower blood pressure, relax the muscles that you just used to climb a mountain, and to push out all those toxins that have concentrated in your muscles and cause soreness.

Massage also helps with joint pain, as many of you will probably experience on the descent. So, to recover faster, do your stretches and foam rolling as well as using ice to decrease inflammation and muscle soreness.  Please come by the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy and get a great massage.  Hope everyone has a great race!

Roger Patrizio is a 30-time finisher of the Pikes Peak races and the owner of the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy