Second “Zone” Workout

A lot of advanced hurdlers have issues with getting too crowded between the hurdles, especially once they get near top speed. In a hurdle race there are three basic zones. From the start line through hurdle three, hurdle four through hurdle seven, and hurdle eight through the finish line. While a crash can occur anywhere in a race, the real crowding issues are worst in the second zone, when the hurdler is transitioning out of the acceleration phase and entering the zone of the fastest touchdown times. This is where speed can be too much and becomes hard to control.

The following workout is designed to help the sprint hurdler negotiate the barriers in this second zone, by mimicking the feeling of the hurdles increasingly rushing up at you.

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This workout should be done in spikes, preferably out of starting blocks, but can also be done from a three-point start if blocks aren’t available. A full warm-up, including hurdle drills, concluding with a full speed rep or two over the first hurdle, should precede the beginning of the workout.

In setting up the workout, place the first seven hurdles of the 100/110 race on the track. Spacing should be as follows:

• First hurdle on the regular race mark.
• Second and third hurdles moved in one foot.
• Fourth and fifth hurdles moved in two feet.
• Sixth and seventh hurdles moved in three feet.

From the blocks (or three-point start) the athlete sprints over all seven hurdles at top speed. Preferably, someone gives starting commands. If a teammate of comparable ability is available, then the teammates should do the reps together, side by side. This way, each hurdler has to stay focused on his/her lane the same as he/she would have to in a race. If the coach feels the athletes aren’t ready to do a high-danger workout like this beside a teammate, then the athletes should take turns.

This is not a workout for the faint of heart, and it’s not a workout for beginners. The hurdles will be coming at you rapidly, and if your reactive skills aren’t sharp, you could definitely crash and burn. But the key to doing the workout successfully is to go all out and face the fear. It might make sense to do the first rep with the height lowered three inches below race height. The beauty of the workout is that it does mimic, and thus prepare you for, the difficulties of getting the feet down and of getting yourself up and down over the hurdles when moving at high speeds.

This is a high quality workout, not a high quantity workout, so the maximum number of reps should be five, but three reps would be preferable. For recovery, there should be a full fifteen minutes between reps to assure that the hurdler is able to go full blast every rep.

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