Letter from the Editor, July 2017
Hello readers, and welcome to the July 2017 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. Got more good hurdle-related stuff for you this month. Hopefully you can incorporate it all into your training and races.
In this issue freelance writer Teige West has provided us with another outstanding article on strength training. This one focuses on the hips – an area that is so important for hurdlers. The article, entitled “Exercises and Stretches to Reduce Hip Pain and Tightness” gives detailed advice on ways to strengthen and maintain mobility in the hips in order to execute hurdling techniqe effectively and efficiently. For the style of hurdling that I teach, which emphasizes lead-knee drive and a tight trail leg knee that raises more than it opens, hip strength is absolutely essential.
Fitness expert and freelance writer Melinda Burris Willms will be providing us with another health-related article. With this one, she further explores the topic of hydration (and snacking) during long summer track meets, giving more advice on the do’s and don’t’s based on her own knowledge as well as on research. As of publication date, Willms hasn’t completed the final draft of the article, so I will upload it as soon as she sends it to me.
In “A Look Back, A Look Ahead,” I take a look back at the hurdling events at US Nationals, and a look ahead to the hurdling events at the World Championships next month. Of course, I make my predictions for gold, silver, and bronze at WC’s, but I don’t always get it right, and I don’t take myself too seriously, so feel free to agree or disagree as you wish.
“Speed Rhythm & Technique” is an article I wrote about the symbiotic relationship between these three primary components of running the hurdles. In the article, I discuss the folly of emphasizing one over the other two, and how all three components need to be mastered together if a hurdler is to maximize his or her potential.
This month’s workout, “Race Pace 200s Workout,” is designed for the 400m hurdler’s race preparation. It is a workout that should be done early in the week of a major competition. In this workout, the athlete does sets of 200s over the last five hurdles of the race, working on the second curve and aiming to consistently hit target times.
For this month’s great race, we take a look back at my favorite race ever – Renaldo Nehemiah’s world record race in Zurich, Switzerland in 1981 – the first official sub-13 race ever run with fully automatic timing. This was the race that made me want to be a hurdler, inspiring a lifelong passion that I will take with me to the grave. In addition, I also talk about the hype surrounding the race, and how Nehemiah’s rivalry with Greg Foster added an intensity level to the race that made it one of the truly magical moments in the history of the sport.
Enjoy the articles, and for all of you who are continuing to compete through the summer months, stay hydrated, and stay cool. As always, thank you for your support.
Steve McGill
Update July 15, 2017: All articles are now available. The article on sports drinks by Melinda Burris Willms has been uploaded to the magazine.
