How can I prepare for downhill training when living in flat area?

Here are 7 tips for downhill training in flat areas:

1. Supplement your shorter downhill repeats with eccentric strength work: by adding eccentric strength work you make sure you have the minimum strength necessary to tackle those downhills.

2. Incorporate (up-) and downhill running reps in your easy long runs.

3. Put in a training camp: put in a training camp on similar surface and inclination of your descends 4-6 weeks out for optimal preparation.

4. Don’t overdo it: your body can easily take 2-3 days to recover from a hard downhill training. If you overdo it, you’ll lose essential quality and volume in training.

5. Focus on 2-4 key sessions: you only need a couple of sessions to get the biggest benefits from downhill training.

6. Do them 4-6 weeks before the race: focus your efforts 4-6 weeks before the race for the biggest impact.

7. Don’t just focus on the inclination: mimic the surface you’ll be running those downhills on. Steep & rocky terrain is different from gradual and smooth.