Technical advice for a young hurdler?

Track & Field Hurdles
181

I was trying to find some screen shots in GPP to give you some visuals. If you have GPP, go to the 27th minute area where Lindsay is doing EFE and FEF ( then the video goes into hills ~ 27.46 min) and the video is giving very clear images of what we want in terms of the angles you want to achieve from the start. It will show you how you can practice some of these positions. Once you " feel" this you are more likely to be able to repeat it. You have to get into this position once , before you repeat it over and over again .

Remember.

PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT

182

Ange this tip was really helpful for any falling start/accel/sled run we subsequently did. I’d also like to add that what helped fix my over-exaggerated extension out of the blocks was understanding "If athletes are always operating at 90%+ learning is difficult athletes must learn rhythm and pace" - taken from Dan Pfaff on twitter.

Coach told me to not bust some balls right from the get go and for the first time I demonstrated the long axis position I was never able to get in, immediately.

183

A new update:

Finished off my 1st year of university and am now back at home. The three weeks after national championships had some of the best sessions of my life. I don’t think my coach ever described me without using “fast”. We did a lot of 6,7,8 hurdles indoor, 36" for hurdle speed work. I was able to develop the race rhythm of approach each hurdler faster and faster. Meanwhile on the sprint side we did a motley of wickets, funny runs, accels with a stick on my back, sled accels… just a bunch of stuff to get us moving right. It helped. It was a great 3 weeks of learning and performing.

However, since I was headed back home (BC) for the summer, I am now working with another coach for the 2 months. I am hoping that the good training I did sticks on and whatever I do from now up til the end of July adds not detracts. I am working with a completely different setup so I am going to start logging my training sessions now - in this thread.

184

[SIZE=2]Monday April 20.

Warm Up
1x30m stride
2x40m max speed
planned workout included block starts but we were working on different block settings so never got to it
core

Tuesday April 21.

Warm Up
1x30m stride
4x40m speed
planned trail leg over side x10h - didn’t do
2x(150m/40m) 1’/10’ rec.
cooldown

Wednesday April 22.
Planned active recovery (cross training)
*Not Tempo

Many, many changes from what I have been doing for 8 months to these last three days. Warm up was different which included a lot of ankle strengthening. A little obstinate in sticking to my own warm up because it’s worked very successfully for myself and sticking with the familiar at this point will yield IMO the best results. Lots of changes and a little afraid it will unsettle all the work me and coach have constructed for the last 8 months. Current coach is cueing more active arm drive – she mentioned I swing mainly my forearm and put my shoulders in the back seat (something Ange has commented on when we met).

Goal this summer is to run whatever time it takes to get on the national team.

[/SIZE]

185

Thursday April 23.
Planned speed stuff but took a day off.

Friday April 24.
Pre Comp

Saturday April 25.
200m - 23.76 (0.1wind)

Definitely feel a lot faster even in practice. Have to learn how to run the 200.

186

Check out Ato Boldon’s explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2dvjZU-wKg

187

Thanks Rainy. Aside, Coach said if I could run under 23 I would be “certifiably unstoppable”. A good indication about my lack of speed.

188

Jccc110m,

It’s cool you have been able to learn something from another coaches twitter feed. I love technology.

It’s great to hear your update. Thank you for sharing it with everyone.

It’s helpful for you to have had the chance to train after your school commitments. It gives you an idea what training without school might be like. Having said that, it’s better to be in school for now. Charlie used to tell me he felt it makes the most sense for athletes to stay in school for the initial part of their life as it gives perspective and removes hyper focus on training and results.

There are some things I want you to think about regarding your training situation right now. Make the most of what is going on now as you need to be home and this is what you have chosen. I hear your concern and also your ambivalence but that’s okay for now. I remember when I was training alone post 1988 and we had the chance to get some people come and train with me. Charlie felt it was a great idea. One of the athletes he had coached in the past and came up with some " ideas" he was not terribly crazy about for the warm up. Charlie was not a fan of others dictating ideas that worked against how he did things. In this instance he waited and wanted to see how the warm up changes might work out for me. The changes never stuck long term but it was interesting to try and a real conflict had been avoided. There is value in that . ( most of the time).

Evaluate the tenants of your training from school . Decide what you feel were the most valuable. Perhaps get a dialogue going with your U of G coach? ( or not) . Trying new things does not have to be the end of anything. Take some time and if by the next few weeks you don’t feel something is working perhaps you have a conversation to that effect with your current, home base coach. Just an idea.

Keep in mind as well that you have had a PB filled season. That is fantastic but it can be physically taxing. No one can take consistently from their energy bank 24/7. Things take time. So far, you have had a very good year. It’s tough performing for school and then performing again in the summer track. That too will take some time and adaptation.

189

w

Ange there are so many things in your post that you comment on that make so much sense I don’t think I have anything to add. Thanks for your words. This week was the 2nd week and I had some excellent training sessions. I tried adapting the mindset of a fast-food worker - “no thinking” “just do it”. It has helped tremendously in allowing me to adapt to the training situation. I am very fortunate to be working now with a very patient coach. It’s been great. Everything you said in the post rhymes perfectly with how this week turned for the better. Perfect inferences Ange. Thanks so much

190

Tuesday April 28.

Warm Up
+Dribbles over ankle, shin, knee
1x30 stride
30,40,50
2x150 (rec.=walkback)

Thursday April 30.

Warmup (now includes dribbles)
1x30m stride
30,40,30,40,50
2x150 (rec.=walkback)

Saturday April 2.

Warm Up
planned: 30,40,50,40,30
but did 30,50,30
5 step over 36" on shorter than race spacing (not completely structured)

Notes:
Coach made changes to my execution of the basic Mach skips. I now have to keep in mind landing on my heel and rolling to my toe. This extended over to the dribbles, a touch different than how I learned them (trying to land flat footed). She also is very fixated on up and down movement of the leg, no kicking out, zero extension of the knee. Find that landing on the heel seems to be weird but I noticed it with some athletes. When told to keep the ankle cocked, very naturally, the foot lands on the heel. Think this is great for a person with lazy toes like myself.

She was also surprised at my inability to perform lactic work. Her words were that I look great physically, but have very poor condition. On Thursday, the second rep of 150m was thrown away because I couldn’t really move at all anymore. Interestingly, she has a 17 year old athlete that ran 46.9 in the 400m last weekend. I am persuaded that my speed endurance will improve drastically with a high level group and her ability to produce long sprint athletes.

On Saturday, after two days of high intensity work, I was fatigued neurally. Ground contacts were incredibly long and I couldn’t seem to get in the gear. Maybe this has to do with practice being at 9am as opposed to 3pm on other days? That is why I decided to cut the two reps. Could not perform them as well as I did on Tues/Thurs.

5 step over the hurdles was pretty casual. I don’t think I could have handled any other work than very light technical hurdle work.

Overall a great week of training. Confidence is high. Learning lots of new things and trying to apply it on the track.

VIDEO: [video]https://youtu.be/n0tjfIDxdAE[/video]
Saturday’s 30m or 50m.

191

Monday May 4th.

Warm Up
1x30stride
3x40m
1x2x110m (full recovery)

Still feel a little bit turned off from last week’s training.

Tuesday May 5th.

Warm Up
3x4h w/ 5step
1x1h
1x2h
1x3h
-coach took me out of the workout to challenge the skating i do on first step-
60,80,60 (full recovery)

Thursday May 7th.

Warm Up
Block start to 1st hurdle (33", 36", 39")
Block was set up on the line
3x7h (over and back) - 36" w/5 step total: 14h (full recovery)

Saturday May 9th.

Warm Up
30,40,50,40
3x150 (rec: walkback)

Notes:

  • the concerted opinion of my training group in absolute unison is that our CNS is fried. there is so much high intensity training every single session. even Coach affirms to this. when I was asking her how she got her 10.7 11th grader to where he is, she says that she built it on an ideology of pure high speed training. I asked her if she followed the HI/LI set up and she said in her own words “No low intensity. Every run is max speed”
  • and since high intensity is so rampant in this training regimen, I have paid much more attention to recovery. I now try to perfect my sleep routine, gunning for 70 hours of sleep per week. try to eat as healthy as possible. reduce all stress factors. 3x + contrast showers a week.

Check out Saturday’s session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YH3LYAKCoM
thoughts: am i trying too hard to push off the ground?

192

Is there any way you are able to better manage showing up to practice?

I heard you might not be able to make every single speed session sometimes?

I know you would never want to miss training.

If you had a lot going on doing many important things that might prevent you for attending each session?

Maybe you are able to make 3 full speed sessions in one week alternated by days that you work or train someplace where you might only be able to do tempo or recovery training?

Didn’t you mention some work which is necessary for your education? I think your parents set up ?

Your coach knows only some athletes are able to tolerate 3 hi intensity sessions per week.

Your coach knows most athletes are only able to tolerate 2 high intensity and high quality days per week?

It might be difficult for you to attend some of the practices at the track.

This means some of the low intensity/tempo/ recovery running/ , needs to happen somewhere else at another time.

Your coach would understand that your work / job that your parents set up is of great importance.

I can’t remember the exact reasons that will prevent you from having perfect attendance but I am certain it does not matter.

I won’t comment on the clip. I know you already know what most of us will say.

193

Ange thanks for the concern. Right now there are only three organized practices a week, all of them being high intensity. On off days, she suggests off or cross training (eg. swimming) to be done alone. My attendance hasn’t been at risk!

It’s definitely a challenge getting used to so much high intensity sprinting but I believe the coach knows well. She is always perfectly accommodating to my public sentiment of too much volume. On Tuesday, this was actually the assigned sprinting workout:

1 x 30; 30-40-50-60-80- 60-50-40-30

She does not argue for what’s written on the paper though. It is a rough guideline as I’m sure everyone on this site will agree as to what planned workouts should be. I ended up doing 1/3rd of the assigned volume.

And as for the routine of 3 HI days a week, I’m sure I’ll manage. But that’s definitely going to be discussed with coach if and whenever that becomes a concern. And as past discussions have happened, I’m sure she will be very inviting of any suggestions I make.

I’m very excited at all times for training now - happy man!

194

Great! Your coach has had quite a lot of success recently with sprinters and long hurdlers, and for the benefit of others, another quite strong male sprint hurdler has joined her for 2015. Definitely a quality squad to be with.

195

It sounds like I may be having some miss understanding about what exactly is going on.
As I am sure you know, properly executed tempo facilitates speed. I could list the reasons but that’s what I have a store for. :wink:
The bike workout is easy to repeat in most settings.
The pool is an excellent way to build your cardiovascular fitness volume safely.
I would not recommend basement tempo for people who have fabulous grass fields in temperate climates.
Sounds like things are going well. Keep after your personal regeneration.

196

Yes Ange… if you believe strongly about something (in this case tempo and its regenerative power), then you should see to it that you defend it.

I will have to talk to coach about adding back tempo!

197

Monday May 11.
Off.

Tuesday. May 12.
Warm Up
1x1x start to H1
1x1x3h
1x2x8h (first rep: 39” second rep: all 36” excluding H1)
1x2x150m

Wednesday. May 13.
Off

Thursday. May 14.
Warm Up
1x2x40m + 1x30m accel
1x9h (0.5’ in) all 36” excluding H1
2x9H (race spacing) all 39” (5step)
Speed Zones x 4 x 200m

Friday. May 15.
Off

Saturday. May 16.
Warm Up
*”race day”
1x100
25’ rest
1x200

Notes:

  • Moving a lot better because I don’t sink into the ground for the first few steps trying desperately to ‘push’. Also changed the starting position. I watched Charlies GPP Essentials awhile back, and saw that he got athletes to start from a higher position which supposedly puts them in a natural position to accelerate. I figured since my start was so crappy there was no harm in moving back to a position done in the preparatory phase…

-coach also made a few changes. She was wondering since I’m so powerful, why is my stride length so little. Suggested that possibly driving down lower limb back too much. so instead of doing that which minimizes stride length, she told me to keep knee angle at 90 degrees and not driving back … it came easily and naturally… she said that I “looked like a sprinter” it’s rare that she comments positively on my flat sprinting… must be doing something right. going to get a video of that this week

  • mach drills: she noticed that when I did A, B, that my supporting foot would “toe-up”. she told me to keep that foot cocked too.

-the speed zones are kind of like in and outs over the course of 200. approach the cone with 70-75% then floor it at 95%. i bargained it down to 200… she had planned 400. the total distance of the speed distance would not be more than 100m (for what I did)

-another peculiar thing i do is that my arms are imbalance. they don’t act together to keep myself balanced. i agree perfectly because my left arm seems to drive back near locked out… that’s something i’m trying to fix . should be easy.

VIDEO (100 Race):

thoughts on the video? I think i look pretty decent when Im upright! our thoughts might be at variance…
[video]https://youtu.be/KgYD2ftuAAA[/video]

HURDLING:
[video]https://youtu.be/zHu6HDQ9cpY[/video]
[video]https://youtu.be/MzmroOn-go4[/video]

198

Monday.accidental off day

Tuesday.
Did CF big circuit
then pedestal (20"/10") + waterloo x 12

Wednesday.
Warm Up
30,40,50
3x3H 1’ spaced in

Thursday.
Off

Friday.
Off

Saturday.
30,40,50 set rest… 30/ cut workout off

199

The sprinting looks technically pretty good but notice you are not yet taking full advantage of your arms. There is not anything particularly to " do" about this. Over time as your speed and strength improves , so too will your ability to execute the strength that’s in place. It’s not going to work if you " try harder". It does not work like that.
I do want you and others to see it. I did not do well in physics but this is something I learned as an athlete over time. There was no point for me to worry about it so I didn’t but it was pretty cool when I started to feel that my arms where helping me.
The only other comment I might make here is the run does not look easy for you and I am noting the sound as well. My eyes are catching too much and my ears are hearing soon much ground contact. I will say it’s better than I have seen in other clips which makes sense. In theory , you are home now, resting more and not going to school every day. You " should " be more recovered.
I am curious .
Have you been doing your hot and colds every day? Either before practice and or after or both? ( my guess is NO).
If there were a Magic pill ( And btw there is NOT… trust me. I think I might know something about this;)… but if there were it’s the regenerative tools you are able to do on your own.
WHy?
it will allow you to do what you are already doing but better.
Your muscles are looser.
Your muscles are hotter.
Your circulation is improved on all levels but primarily from the cellular level which effects the health of the body in all regards. ( we call this systemic. You are treating yourself systemically )
Unless you have a heart issue, Are on heart meds and or have a health contraindication / hydro therapy will actually " give you" something you are not already getting.

200

The hurdling sounds and looks very good and has improved .
What do you think?
I think most , including you , will agree you look the best yet.
Good work.
Remember, your hurdle performance will benefit from any and all other strength and speed gains. You understand enough now that you will keep getting faster.