Colorado Runner - Colorado's running news, events and results source

Wendy Thomas had no idea she would become an elite runner. As a young mother of two boys, she simply wanted to lose a few pounds.

If you've ever seen Darcy Africa out on the trails - whether it's in a race or simply training in Boulder - you may find some of her training tactics hard to believe.

Anyone who has run a race with a lot of downhill (hello, Boston marathon) knows that running downhill can actually be more taxing than the grind up the hill. The inner quad (i.e. the vastus medialis, the muscle that is HUGE in cyclists) takes the brunt of downhill running, but the hips, ankles and…