Ladder Workout for 400m Hurdlers
by Steve McGill
For the long hurdler, December is still a time of conditioning, but it is also a time to start putting speed into the mix in order to prepare for the stride pattern work that will be a staple in training toward the end of the indoor season. I’m not big on doing a lot of stride pattern work in the long hurdles until the conditioning is at a high level and the speed is at high enough of a level that the athlete is ready to execute the desired stride pattern. This month’s workout is a good one for transitioning from the purely conditioning-based work of the fall to the emphasis on speed that will be more prevalent in the spring and summer.
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Workout:
(500m-400m-300m) x 2
This is a very demanding workout, so if the fall conditioning was lacking, then the athlete might need to wait before doing this one. I’m big on the idea that quality is as important as quantity, if not more important. So just finishing the reps isn’t anything to be proud of if the times are slow and the athlete’s sprint mechanics break down.
Figuring out the desired pace:
The pace for all the reps should be based on how fast you want the 400m reps to be. Generally, the reps should be about 85-90% of full speed, depending on how fit the athlete is. Let’s say you want the athlete to run the 400m reps in 60 seconds. That’s a 15 seconds per 100m pace. So, the 500m rep will be at a slightly slower pace than that overall because the last 100m will be slower. So, instead of trying to run the 500 in 1:15, more realistic would be 1:20. The 300 will be st a pace slightly faster than 15 seconds per 100, so :42 would be a reasonable target time. So, that’s a 500-400-300 set of 1:20, :60, and :42. That’s a good set. And to be able to maintain the pace each rep for a second set means the athlete is getting into race shape in a measurable way.
Recovery:
In the spirit of quality being most important, and giving the athlete a legit opportunity to hit the times on every rep, I say the rest should be five minutes between reps, and ten minutes between sets.
Variations:
If the athlete gets to the point where he or she has mastered the workout, it’s okay to add some hurdles into the mix. Maybe randomly add one hurdle on each straightaway. Or maybe put up the first two hurdles of the race. You might want to add hurdles just on the 300m reps, but not on the other reps. It depends on what you’re trying to get out of the workout. Be creative here, but be practical. Always be able to explain to the athlete why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Change the distances to 400-300-200 for high schoolers who run 300m hurdles. But for hurdlers who run 300m hurdles in the spring and 400m hurdles in summer track, stick with the longer distances.
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