Letter from the Editor, August 2020

Hello Subscribers, and welcome to the August 2020 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. Hope everybody is managing to stay on the grind despite the difficult circumstances. This month’s issue promises to be another good one, consisting of the following content:

Freelance writer Savannah Cress, in her article, “Virtual Track Meets,” takes a look at some of the track meets that have taken place over the summer of 2020, including the Monaco Diamond League meet that took place on Saturday August 14. In the article, she gives a glimpse into how meet directors have found ways to host competitions while keeping safety at the forefront. The article also implies that some of the creative methods meet directors have come up with may end up being necessary for the foreseeable future.

Freelance writer Melinda Burris gives Part Two of her article, “Neurogenesis: New Research Developments and what they Could Mean for You.” Here, she further discusses the groundbreaking work of Dr. Sandrine Thuret on how exercise and diet choices can impact the proliferation of new cells well into adulthood.

In my article, “Easier Equals Faster,” I talk about how difficult yet essential it is to teach hurdlers to break bad habits that are caused by trying too hard. Athletes are so conditioned to think that hard work is the key to success, they often don’t realize that inefficient hard work is more harmful than helpful.

My second article, “Renaldo Nehemiah and the 1980 Olympic Boycott,” continues my series of articles about the biography I’m writing on Nehemiah’s career and life. This article focuses on the 1980 Olympic boycott that sabotaged Nehemiah’s chances to win an Olympic gold medal. I also talk about the factors that led to the boycott and whether it proved to be worthwhile.

This month’s workout, “Off-Season Drilling Workout,” is a hurdle conditioning workout that can be done on a track or on grass. The drills are to be done as a progression, emphasizing ease of motion and the ability to manage one’s speed between the hurdles.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support. Hope you enjoy the articles

Steve McGill