Letter from the Editor, May 2017
Hello readers, and welcome to the May 2017 edition of The Hurdle Magazine. I hope everyone is enjoying this Mother’s Day weekend by treating mom to dinner after getting in some good hurdle work. In this month’s issues we have articles on diet, on core work, on lower back strength, as well as articles specifically related to hurdle training and race preparation
In this issue freelance writer Teige West has provided us with two articles, “Lower Back Pain Prevention and Management for Increased Performance,” and “Core Work for Stability and Performance.” As always, West’s articles are extremely informative and thoroughly researched. As one of my hurdlers once said, “Hurdler warriors can’t just be hurdler warriors on the track.” West’s article provide great ideas for exercises to strengthen the all-important core muscles that hurdlers need to execute the hurdling motion efficiently and effortlessly.
Fitness expert and freelance writer Melinda Burris Willms has also provided us with another health-related article, this one entitled “Looking to Prevent & Relieve Inflammation? Try These Easy & Tasty Diet Tips!” The foods she suggests in this article have natural anti-inflammatory properties that allow for quicker recovery from workouts and that help prevent the types of injuries that come with repetitive motions.
“Curve Hurdling Work” is an article that provides some specific suggestions regarding how to help the 300/400m hurdler to negotiate the curve. Basically, I just took some drills that I usually have my athletes do on the straight and transferred those drills to the curve. This article includes a short video at the end of one of my athletes doing the curve hurdling drills.
“Beginner Level Drills” is an article I put together inspired by recently working with a young hurdler who had some flaws we needed to correct. What I found was that, by going back to the basics of walk-overs and isolation drills, she was able to identify her mistakes more readily, and was able to correct them herself during her reps. This article also includes a video at the end of one of my athletes demonstrating the drills.
This month’s workout, “Jamming Workout” is a favorite of mine for the 100/110m hurdler looking to peak in May or early June. This workout “jams” the hurdler by spacing the hurdles very close together, forcing the hurdler to react to the obstacles to avoid crashing. The “danger zone” is where fast times lie, so this workout helps the athlete to face the danger zone without backing off.
We don’t have a featured great race in this issue, as I wanted to make sure that all the informative articles I have written and received from other writers were included in this issue. Look for that feature to return in upcoming issues.
Enjoy the articles, and for all of you at the high school and collegiate level, I hope you finish up your season on a positive note. Happy Mother’s day and thank you for your support!
Steve McGill
