Letter from the Editor, May 2020

Hello Subscribers, and welcome to the May 2020 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. We’ve got a good collection of articles for you in this month’s issue, all of it coronavirus-related in one way or another.

First, I’d like to welcome back my former and athlete forever friend Keare Smith, who had written several articles for this publication a few years back. After reading an essay he had sent me that he wrote for a class he is taking at Columbia University, I asked him if he could expand upon it for a magazine article, and he did so with “A Simple Hurdling Memory,” in which he reflects back on his relationship with the hurdles, centered around a specific memory of a practice session from when he was a 12-year-old sensation.

Freelance writer Melinda Burris Willms gives us two excellent articles in this month’s issue. in “Muscle Memory: Nature’s Assist to Recondition Your body,” Willms explains what muscle memory actually is, and explains why athletes should not despair over missing training time, as muscle memory does not go away after long periods of inactivity. In her other article, “The Fitness Community Comes Together to Respond to Covid-19,” Willms tells inspiring stories of training facilities and gyms that are working to give athletes and regular Joes and Janes access to training equipment through this time of crisis.

Freelance writer Savannah Cress’ article, “The Cost of Olympic Postponement,” takes a look at the effects of the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games from multiple angles, including those of athletes who are forced to recalibrate their training and planning. She also includes an historical context, placing the postponement in the context of previous Olympic Games that were cancelled altogether (1916, 1940, 1944).

In my article, “A Return to the Essence,” I talk about the effect that the coronavirus pandemic has had on me personality, particularly in regards to my relationship with the hurdles and my desire to continue to stay true to my roots in the sport.

This month’s workout, “Uphill & Downhill Sprints,” is a good off-season workout that can be done on grass in a park, so it fits well with what’s going on now and the types of training scenarios that are available.

I encourage all of you to stay positive through this challenging time, and don’t lose sight of the things that matter most to you. Thanks to all of you for your continued support. 

Steve McGill