Hurdling on the Curve Workout
This workout is designed for 300/400m hurdlers to help them gain proficiency in managing the hurdles on the curve (second curve for 400 hurdlers).
The Set up:
Place hurdles 3, 4, and 5 (300 hurdlers) or 6, 7, and 8 (400 hurdlers) on the track, at race height.
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Equipment:
This workout should be done in spikes, but no starting blocks are necessary.
The Workout:
Athlete starts at the 200 mark, clears all three hurdles, then runs to the mark for the next hurdle (6th hurdle for 300 hurdlers, 9th hurdle for 400 hurdlers). Total distance should be 130-140 meters. Athlete should use a 3-point start or a falling start.
Three sets of four reps (3×4) for a total of 12 reps is good. Four sets of three reps (4×3) may be preferable for those athletes who are not yet fit enough to handle more volume within a set.
Recovery:
Recovery should consist of a brisk walk back to starting line, cutting across the field after completing each rep within a set. Rest time should not exceed two minutes max. 1:30 is preferable. Between sets take a 5-minute rest, 6 minutes max. No sitting down!
Purpose:
1) To manage fatigue. Fatigue becomes a factor within a set, so it’s important to maintain rhythm, stride length, and stride pattern from the first rep of a set to the last.
2) To practice negotiating the last hurdle effectively and running off it smoothly, as hurdle 5 for 300 hurdlers and hurdle 8 for 400 hurdlers is often the biggest trouble hurdle in races.
Other Notes:
At end of the warm-up, it’s a good idea to get in a few run-throughs over the first hurdle to make sure the amount of steps to that hurdle is set, since it’s not the usual distance to the first hurdle that is run in a race. It would also be a good idea to get at least one rep over the first two hurdles to establish the rhythm for the workout.
The idea behind this workout is that the only way to master hurdling on the curve is to practice it. For the coach, it’s not so important to time the reps as it is to look for issues with stuttering, reaching, and/or landing off-balance, and to give the athlete suggestions between reps on how to correct these issues. The best way to figure out how to hurdle on the curve is to practice it, to make mistakes, and to work on correcting the mistakes. I have found that this workout is much more efficient than trying to run 300’s in order to get to the eighth hurdle. Can’t do but so many reps of that.
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