Practicing the Curve
In the 400 meter hurdles, and, to a lesser degree, the 300 meter hurdles, negotiating the hurdles on the curve can be quite a chore. Somewhere on the curve (hurdles 6-8 for the 400m hurdler, hurdles 4-5 for the 300m hurdler) is usually where big mistakes in rhythm occur, due to the curve itself and due to fatigue issues beginning to kick in. A lot of hurdlers experience confusion at this point in the race. They don’t know if they should use the right leg or the left leg as the lead; they don’t know if they should chop their strides or reach, as the curve increases the distance being run in order to clear the hurdle legally. While there are indeed certain choices that are “right” and others that are “wrong,” it is also true that such confusion can be cleared up in practice.
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What I propose is actually quite simple. To get better on the curve, do drills on the curve, do workouts on the curve. One time a few years ago, one of my former athletes who was running professionally at the time came by for a week or so to get some workouts in. One day I saw him doing an alternating drill on the backstretch. He had about six hurdles set up for a quick four-step rhythm, with the hurdles at race height. He looked great doing the drill, to the point where I couldn’t tell which lead leg was his preferred one. But then it hit me, what was the point of this drill? I walked over to him and said, “You never alternate on the straight-away. The only time you switch legs is at hurdle seven. So shouldn’t you be doing that drill on the curve?”
He looked at me and was like, “Yeah, good point. Never thought about that.”
Often we do drills in a perfunctory manner, just because we’re used to doing them and they’re so ingrained in our routine, not fully considering how they carry over to races. For those hurdlers who do alternate on the straight, practicing it on the straight does make sense. But it didn’t make sense for this athlete. But it took my pointing it out to him for him to realize it.
Here are some ideas for drills and workouts that can help for efficiency and confidence on the curve:
Repeat 120’s on the curve, starting at the 200 start and finishing at the end of the last 4×100 exchange zone. Clear hurdles 6-8 of the 400h race, or hurdles 4-6 of the 300h race. Do a couple warm-up reps over the first hurdle before beginning the workout, in order to establish the rhythm to the first hurdle, since the distance will be different than it is in a race. Since the emphasis is on the curve, a standing start will do. The aim will be to develop a consistency with stride pattern and/or to develop a trust in the weaker lead leg if that is an issue. Also, the aim will be to eliminate all stuttering and over-striding; hit the hurdles in rhythm.
A good drill would be to set up about 8 hurdles on the second curve, about 7-8 yards apart for an easy three-step rhythm. It’s similar to the quick-step drill I have my 100/110m hurdlers do. With the hurdles spaced so closely, it’ll be easier to get in more reps, to clear more hurdles. The approach to the first hurdle in this drill would be the same for that drill. Get the knees up, then speed up right in front of the hurdle. The purpose of this drill is to grow accustomed to the angles of the curve, to make clear decisions regarding how tightly to hug the curve, how to stay efficient on top of the hurdle without losing balance, how to avoid any possibility of hooking, etc.
For advanced hurdlers who are in good shape, a good workout would be the following:
300 meter repeats, starting at the 400m start line, clearing no hurdles for the first 200, then clearing what would normally be hurdles 6-8 on the second curve. Off the 8th hurdle it would be about a 7-meter run-in to the 300 mark. The benefit of this workout is that the fatigue factor will already be in place by the time you get to the curve, as ensured by the sprint without hurdles in the first part of each rep. Now, you are simulating the type of fatigue you will feel in a race. The challenge here is to attack hurdle 6 in rhythm, without stuttering or over-striding. That’s why I consider this an advanced level workout. If there are rhythm issues at hurdle six, then they will carry over for the rest of the rep, effectively ruining the rep.
For the 300m high school hurdler doing the above workout, the start line would be the same as for the 300h race. Instead of doing 300m reps you would do 200 meter reps. You would through hurdle two without hurdles, then clear hurdles 3-5. You too will have a short run-in to the 200 meter mark.
The above workout, for both the 400 hurdler and the 300 hurdler, should be done all-out from the starting blocks. Reps should be low (3-4) and rest should be high (8-10 minutes between reps) in order to gain maximum quality and maximum benefit.
Even the back & forth workout that I commonly have my long hurdlers do in the off-season can be done on the curve. It’s just easier to set up on the straight because the 100/110 marks are already there on the track. The workout involves clearing five hurdles, spaced 20 yards apart (every other 110 mark for males), then turning around at the finish line and clearing the five hurdles facing the other direction in the next lane over. If the coach can mark off the spacing and the distance on the curve, then the workout can simply be transplanted to the curve.
So the point is, curve hurdling doesn’t have to be such a huge stumbling point. It would probably be a good idea to practice drills and workouts like the ones I described above in various lanes so that you get used to tight curves, wide curves, and all curves in between. Practicing on the curve on a regular basis serves to demystify the curve in the mind of the athlete, and it gives the body a chance to coach itself through the issues that may be causing problems.
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