Letter from the Editor, February 2019
Okay, remember what I said last month about that issue being the last issue of The Hurdle Magazine? Well, forget all that. We’re back this month, alive and well. After hearing back from several people who expressed sorrow at the idea of the magazine being dead, and after receiving some assurances of receiving some extra help with the magazine and the website as a whole, I decided that now is not the time to put an end to things. So, here we are! Again, I can’t thank all of you enough for your support and your appreciation of the work I do. If not for the outpouring of love I received after my initial decision to discontinue the magazine, I probably would’ve stuck with that decision.
In this month’s issue, we have two great articles from freelance writer Melinda Burris Willms, and four from myself. In Willms first article, “Dorsi Flexion and Plantar Flexion: Avoiding Injury and Increasing Speed,” she discusses the importance of dorsi flexion as a key to success for hurdlers, and she also discusses what it is exactly, and how it can prevent injury to the lower legs.
In Willms other article, “Technological Advancements in Sports: Fair Game or Unfair Advantage?”, she discusses the progressions made through technology over the decades, such as with starting blocks, shoe wear, track surfaces, and the hurdles themselves.
In “A Learning Experience,” I talk about the importance of not getting to emotionally attached to results, as putting too much pressure on oneself can lead not only to poor performances and a loss of self-confidence, but a general overall misery in one’s life as a whole. In the article, I provide a personal anecdote from my competitive days that demonstrates this point, and I also discuss this issue from my current perspective as a coach.
This month’s workout, “Technical Development Workout,” is a drill-centric workout that helps athletes to work on technical flaws through a gradual progression.
For this month’s great race, I delve into the Dayron Robles archive once again, this time looking at his indoor World Championship race in Doha in 2010, where, in an electrifying comeback, he overtook Terrence Trammell after clearing the last hurdle and squeaked out a victory by two hundredths of a second.
Finally, “Trail Leg to the Front” is an article in which I discuss my philosophy that the trail leg should not pause and then whip, but should drive to the front immediately after pushing off the ground.
Enjoy the articles, and thank you again for your support.
Steve McGill
