Letter from the Editor, October 2020
Hello Subscribers, and welcome to the October 2020 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. In this month’s issue, you’ll get a heavier dose of Coach Steve than usual, as one of my freelance writers needed to do some self-care, so I told her, Hey, I ain’t mad at ya, take care of yourself first. So I’ve written four articles for this month’s issue, and there will be two health-related articles from Melinda Burris forthcoming, although they won’t be ready at the time of publication.
In my first article, “Learning to Relax,” I talk about a training session I had with a high school athlete named Malik Mixon who has traveled a few times lately from Georgia to North Carolina to train with me. Unlike hurdlers who train with me regularly, Malix runs very tense and exerts a lot of unnecessary effort. The article details the process we went through in working to free him from that habit so that he can run more relaxed and avoid late-race fatigue.
My second article, “Hurdler Mindfulness in the Age of COVID,” is about exactly what it sounds like it’s about. First I focus on myself and how I’m learning to deal with stress and anxiety in the midst of a pandemic, discussing basic meditation techniques I’ve come upon recently. I then discuss how mindfulness can help hurdlers both on the track during practices and races, as well as in their everyday lives as they too deal with all the unpredictable factors that they face with so much lack of surety regarding when and where meets will be held.
This month’s workout, “Quick Hands Quick Feet Workout,” is a companion piece to the “Learning to Relax” article. Here, I provide full details on the progression of drills I used to help Malik to run more relaxed, and how to run more lightly on his feet. Hurdlers who have the capacity to run 14-l0w or faster must learn to quicken the tempo and run like tap dancers, or else they’ll reach a ceiling and won’t be able to continue improving.
In my fourth article, “The Karsten Warholm Experience,” I discuss the ridiculously outstanding 2020 season the Norwegian hurdler had, as he ran sub-48 five times in August through September, including four 47-lows and a personal best 46.87, making him the second fastest 400m hurdler ever, and the only hurdler in history to break 47-flat twice in his career. And he’s only 24.
Thanks to all of you for your continued support. Enjoy the articles, and good luck with your training and keeping your emotional balance. Remember, self-care comes first!
Steve McGill
