Letter from the Editor, April 2018

Hello readers, and welcome to the April 2018 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. This month’s issues features more articles from freelance writers Teige West and Melinda Burris Willms, three by myself, and one from a new member of the staff, my daughter, Sanura McGill, a sophomore at Bowdoin College in Maine. (Don’t ask me why she chose to go to a place so cold). In this issue you’ll find a good smorgasbord of article that cover a nice variety of hurdle-related topics.

Teige West’s article, “Sports Psychology 2: Releasing Negative Thoughts” is a continuation of his article from last month. West’s thoroughly researched article is full of good advice for how to deal with the negative chatter that can infiltrate the mind.

Willm, our fitness expert, goes into depth on the importance of maintaining healthy, consistent sleep patterns in “Restorative Sleep: The Secret to Recovery and Realizing the Win.” In the quest for excellence, sleep is an aspect of training that is often overlooked, to the point where it is not even considered an aspect of training at all. But the fact is, it is, as Willms makes clear.

Sanura McGill’s article is a personal profile of her classmate at Bowdoin College in Southern Maine, Joseph Stoudt. A junior with a personal best of 14.63, the 6-3 Stoudt has been hurdling since the fifth grade, inspired by his hurdling father. In the article, he discusses his approach to hurdling and how it fits into his large life philosophy and future endeavors.

“Drills for Alternating Lead Legs” is an article I wrote in which I explain the value of learning to switch lead legs, and I discuss the success I had two weekends ago in teaching a group of hurdlers at the Team Steve Speed & Hurdle Camp II how to alternate. Our second camp was a lot of fun, by the way, and we certainly plan on doing more.

This month’s workout, “Sprint Endurance Workout for 100/110m Hurdlers” is a build-up ladder workout that helps hurdlers to focus on being sprinters first, and also helps them to work on flaws in their sprint mechanics that often carry over into their hurdling mechanics.

“Hurdlers Need Attention” is an article I wrote in response to the fact that I receive so many emails from hurdlers and parents of hurdlers complaining that they are not getting the type of coaching they need as athletes who participate in a specialty event. In the article, I discuss what I have heard and observed, and I give advice on how to deal with a less than ideal training situation.

Enjoy the articles, good luck with your training, and thank you for your support!

Steve McGill