Letter from the Editor, January 2018
Hello readers, and welcome to January 2018 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. Hope everyone’s new year is off to a good start. If not, this month’s issue of the magazine should definitely help!
I had some help once again this month from ace freelance writers Teige West and Melinda Burris Willms, both of whom wrote outstanding, well-researched articles on the mental side of being a hurdler. West’s article, “Staying Mentally Motivated during Long-term Injury Recovery,” is full of great advice for how to keep your head up through the dark days of not being able to train and compete.
Burris’ article is entitled, “You Must Image it if You Are to Achieve it: the Power of Imagery.” In it, she discusses how visualization techniques can enhance performance and create a more stable, peaceful state of mind.
“Early Season Meets,” along with the rest of the articles, were written by myself. This one is about finding the balance between training and competing during the indoor season. I’m big on preparing for the outdoor season, but, as I explain in the article, I understand that competing during the indoor season has become more highly valued than it was when I first started coaching.
This month’s workout, “Inside Workout,” is specifically designed for those who don’t have access to an outdoor facility nor an actual indoor track during the winter season, and must therefore utilize classroom buildings. This circuit workout does have hurdler-specific aspects to it.
For this month’s great race, we’re flashing back to David Oliver’s World Championship victory in Moscow in 2013, when he ran 13.00 to earn his first major championship gold medal after many tries. Oliver was followed by fellow American Ryan Wilson in 13.13, who also had suffered many disappointments before this shining moment. Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov prevented the American sweep by edging out Jason Richardson for third.
Finally, I have included another “Body Positioning” article to follow up on last month’s. This one features a high school boy of mine who was doing some block starts. In the article, I include screenshots from video footage and break down the strengths and weaknesses of his technique.
Enjoy the articles, and best of luck in your indoor competitions. Stay warm! And, as always, thank you for your support.
Steve McGill
