8-Week Downhill Running Training Plan
Eccentric quad conditioning and descending skill: progressive downhill repeats, technical footwork, descent test in weeks 1 and 8. A structured 8-week plan by RunForce.
Who Is This For
Trail runners whose quads fail on long descents or who descend cautiously and lose time.
Plan at a Glance
- Distance: Not race-specific: a 8-week training block
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Level: Intermediate
- Training days/week: 5-6 (5 runs + strength)
- Peak training: about 7 h of running a week, long run 2h15
- Terrain: Descents from smooth dirt road to rocky trail
- Elevation profile: Climbing (and descending) grows from about 800 m to about 2,200 m (2,600-7,200 ft) a week. Weekly climbing in the plan: 1,050 m (3,400 ft) rising to 2,050 m (6,700 ft).
How the Structured Workouts Work
- Targets: heart rate as a % of max HR, with a range for every step (warm-up, reps, recoveries, cool-down). Enter your max HR in TrainingPeaks; week 1 includes a field check.
- Zones: Z1 60-70% (RPE 2-3), Z2 70-78% (RPE 3-4), Z3 79-86% (RPE 5-6), Z4 86-91% (RPE 7-8), Z5 91-100% (RPE 8-9).
- RPE: each target also shows its 1-10 effort, for short reps, heat, altitude or running without a heart-rate monitor.
- No pace targets: pace means little on climbs and technical trail.
- Devices: workouts sync to compatible watches (e.g. Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Apple Watch). A chest strap is recommended.
- Strength: Strength Builder sessions with videos, sets, reps and a target RPE.
Prerequisites
Running 4-5 times a week (about 4.5 h), a 75-min long run, access to a descent of at least 3 min, no current knee injury.
What Is Included
- 8 weeks of structured workouts: Foundation week 1, Strength & Muscular Endurance weeks 2-4, Race-Specific weeks 5-6, Consolidation week 7, retest week 8. An easier week every 3-4 weeks.
- Purposeful long runs, plus a fueling lesson on every long run.
- Baseline and retest sessions in week 1 and week 8.
- RunForce Strength Builder sessions with exercise videos, sets, reps and RPE: 2 a week in the foundation phases, 1-2 in the specific phases.
Your Coach: Adrien Thévenet
UESCA-certified Ultrarunning Coach. Endurance coach since 2011, working with elite athletes, professional endurance athletes, major race winners, and a Spartan National Champion across road, trail, and mountain running.
Certifications:
-25 Years of Endurance Sports Experience
-TrainingPeaks Level 2
-UESCA Ultrarunning
-RRCA Certified
-STRYD Power Coach
-ACE Certified
With 25 years in endurance sports, I offer tailored coaching for diverse runners - from beginners to sub 3-hour marathoners. Emphasizing well-being, we collaborate on a program that fits your life keeping you motivated.