Letter from the Editor

Hello Readers! For the March 2015 issue of The Hurdle Magazine, we have another fine set of articles for your reading pleasure. This month’s issue has a heavy lean toward the 400 hurdles, as I usually lean in the direction of the 110/100 hurdles. We have three articles this month that focus on the 400 hurdles, and they all inter-relate.

In “Left Leg Lead for the 400 Hurdler,” I discuss the idea that all hurdlers who specialize in the 400 hurdles should consider making the left leg their dominant lead leg, as it shortens the distance they have to run and keeps them on the inside edge of the lane. The article was inspired by a recent workout with one of my long hurdlers.

In “Teaching 300/400m Hurdlers How to Alternate Lead Legs,” I provide practical advice for the coach of the long hurdler, explaining the steps toward helping a hurdler to feel confident with leading with either leg. From two-stepping over low hurdles bunched together, to running full speed over hurdles spaced on the 110/100 marks and leading with the opposite leg, these drills and workouts give the hurdler confidence that he or she can alternate effectively in a race, thereby eliminating stuttering and guess work.

In “Embrace the Burn: Dealing with Lactic Acid Buildup in the 400 Hurdles,” Chris Repecki writes about the all-too-familiar feeling of hitting the wall in the 400 hurdles. Repecki, a distance runner at Davidson College, has been shadowing me in my English teaching gig, as he is considering entering the teaching profession once he graduates. When we got to talking and he told me about his track background, I asked him to write an article for the magazine. His article on lactic acid buildup provides much knowledge as to how and why hitting the wall occurs, and he offers some excellent workout ideas to help prevent this phenomenon from occurring.

This month’s workout, “Hurdling on the Curve Workout” is designed to teach the 400 hurdler to negotiate the hurdles on the curve. So it goes well in conjunction with the other 400-hurdle-related articles.

The last two articles are more sprint-hurdle based. “Timing at Touchdown” continues the articles from the last two month’s issues, in which I discussed timing at take-off (January 2015) and timing on top of the hurdle (February 2015). In this month’s concluding article in this series, I explain what the positioning should be for all parts of the body during descent from the hurdle and upon touchdown.

This month’s instructional video is not done yet. I should be able to get some good footage at practice tomorrow so that I can get the video up a little later in the week.

Thanks to Chris Repecki for contributing an article to this issue, and for proving that distance runners and 400 hurdlers have much in common and should actually talk more often. Big thanks of course to all subscribers. I know it’s an exciting time for those who are involved in national championships this weekend, as well as for those who are just starting up their outdoor seasons. Hope all goes well for all of you.

Steve McGill
3/14/2015