Letter from the Editor, August 2019
Hello Subscribers, and welcome to the August 2019 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. In this month’s issue we have two research-based articles from freelance writer Melinda Burris Willms, and three articles from yours truly. In addition, we have an article from a new writer, but old friend. Her name is Savannah Cress, and she ran track for me way back in 2003. We reconnected earlier this summer, as she reached out to me after my mother passed.
In “Lactic Threshold Training,” Willms explains what lactic threshold is, and explains ways that athletes can increase their anaerobic capacity through training and diet.
In Willms’ other article, “Training with Mini Hurdles,” she provides research-based information on workouts for sprinters and hurdlers that can be done using mini hurdles. Mini hurdles have become a very popular tool for developing stride length and stride frequency.
Cress’s article is entitled “A History: Women and the 80/100 Meter Hurdles.” In this article, she discusses the evolution of the women’s sprint hurdle race from its early days when it was first introduced in the 1932 Olympics, all the way to the present day, providing details on the accomplishments of some of the event’s greatest stars.
For my articles, I focused more on the personal and reflective side of things more so than the technical side of things. In “The Bonds We Form,” I discuss my relationship with Savannah Cress, centering the article around the theme that it’s not always the hurdlers who achieve the most who have the greatest impact on you, and who have the most enduring relationships with you.
In my other article, “Dealing with the Pressure,” I discuss how important and difficult it is for track athletes to maintain emotional equilibrium, particularly when competing in high-pressure meets. I focus the discussion on a conversation I recently had with USA champion Keni Harrison.
This month’s workout, “Race Prep Workout for 100/110 Meter Hurdlers,” is a workout I used last month with one of my hurdlers in preparing to compete at USA Junior Olympic Nationals. She did very well in the workout, and very well in the meet, as the workout did go a very good job of indicating her race time.
Enjoy the articles, thank you again for your support. If you’re like me, you’re taking a little break this month before cranking it up again in September. If you’re still competing this late in the season, you must be really good!
Steve McGill
