I need help. I’m going to be starting the 110 hurdles and I’m a full sprinter 55-400. How can I improve in both? My pr.s for the sprints are.
55 -6.46
100 - 10.7
200 - 22.5
400 - 52.5
lj - 20’4
I had this same question last year when I switched from sprinting to hurdling, and I got a pretty awesome response from a Coach Weiser from New Mexico St. University. I was deficient in strength levels at that time and also having trouble adjusting to a three step rythmn for the 110HH. So he busted out this sample template for me that involves pure speed work, lifting, hurdling, and training for longer distances (friday) all within a CFTS training schematic. Here it is almost in its entirety. Also, take a look at the sticky thread at the top of this forum labled (Hurdle Training), theres some good stuff in there.
"Lower hurdles and closer spacing will allow you to maintain faster speeds and that 3 step rhythm. Find a configuration that allows you to run the times you are looking for. Increase but only as you can maintain that speed or go faster. There is no sense in practicing at meet specs and reinforce bad technique. Some would say that if you practiced all the time at lower heights you wont be prepared for meet heights but if you are running poorly anyway it wont matter what height you running at. The training at lower heights will prove to be valuable in the future. Consider this training scheme:
Monday
Starts (3 point, blocks, blocks over 1 hurdle)
Flying 20s-30s-40s over 2-3-4- or 5 hurdles.
Maybe add in some flying sprints after for pure speed work
Time all runs and make sure you stay within .2 sec of best time (this you should know).
The idea here is to stay fast. Lower heights and run fast. The closer to your reg running the better. Over time you can increase the height, but stay fast.
Fewer hurdles per run will prevent CNS fatigue and eventual general fatigue.
Med Ball Throws
Lifting
Tuesday
Tempo Runs (normal as you would see on this site)
Wednesday
Starts (same progression as Monday)
Continue to 2-3 hurdles
1 or 2 starts over 2 and sprint an additional 20-30m
Again lower heights or shortne the spacing to allow speed of running and speed of movement.
Med Ball Throws
Lift
Thursday
Tempo Runs
Friday/Saturday
Compete (hurdles plus 200 or 400) or
Special Endurance: 110 hurdle race with practice height and spacing. use a configuration that allows your goal time and manipulate the hurdles to get closer to meet specs as the weeks progress. As long as the overall time stays low. Add in a 200 or 400.
General Idea: Right now learn how a fast race is supposed to feel and as you get stronger and more powerful you will be able to run that speed over higher hurdles with greater spacing, but always maintain that 3 step rhythm (unless you are doing drills). What will make you better is the lifting and general power work not more hurdling with bad technique.
Hope this helps
Coach Weiser
New Mexico State University"
What are your best times in each so far?
Should I just keep doing the same thing for sprint workout?
What should I shoot for?
haha, lots and lots of questions
I spent almost all of last year injured (back, due to crappy orthotics and messed up my entire track season) and I only ran in 2 or 3 races and I never managed to 3 step at race height. As a result, I had bad timing and was stutter-stepping (which = death in the hurdling world) and so my PRs were utter crap at 19.8 110HH and 48.6 300IH. However, the plan for the workouts is sound.
“Should I keep doing the same thing for sprint workout?”
What do you mean by this? If you look closely both Monday and Wednesday can be utilized to work both pure speed and hurdles. So you do have some good pure speed stuff in there to keep getting faster. Also, if its early in the season (which it is) you can use Friday as a MaxV or Accel Dev based soley on speed rather than Spec Ed.
What you’re shooting for, well for the 110HH I think if you work on it you can definetly get under 15 seconds with your pure speed and if you really get comfortable with hurdling you could get into the low 14 range, which is good for a qualifying bid for the state finals in pretty much anywhere in the USA. As far as the 300IH, it really depends how you respond over longer distances but you can be sure to break 42 and as your Spec End increases you’ll probably break 40 later in the season. But you gotta work. Also, I think the 300IH is harder than the 400, and the mental aspect of holding form going over that last hurdle is incredibly difficult. Just get to work on it early and I’m sure by the time the big meets come around in May and June you’ll be ready to destroy the competition.
I trained for the 100h (girls), 300h, and 400 last year, following a program fairly similar to what mister C outlined. In the beginning of the season I focused on building longer base, so I trained focusing on the longer end of things (300h, 400) and relied on natural speed to get through the 100’s until mid-end season when I focused on the 100’s for states.
I followed the same type of program for all four years of high school- over the course of my final season I dropped my times from 15.3 to 15.1 in the 100’s, 48.3 to 46 in the 300’s, and 61 high to 59 in the 400 (all this running through an ankle injury so bad that I was in physical therapy for 4 months afterwards!)
So far this season, my first in college, my coach has trained everyone way up just to get that base. In training for the 400 and down, I was running repeat 600’s and XC hill fartleks my first week, but we also have a long time to get ready for our first meet. In general I would say to train up- you can (almost) always come down in race distance, but its obviously much harder to go up. You will still get faster in the shorter events, especially if you are lifting appropriately.