200 Meter Speed Build-ups

A good off-season conditioning workout for the 100/110m hurdler, and a good speed workout for the 300/400m hurdler, would be 200m speed build-ups. The purpose is to help in the development of a body clock. For the intermediate hurdler, it serves as a way to challenge yourself. The idea is, if you can run your fastest at the end of a set and the end of a workout, then you will be able to run your fastest at the end of a race.

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The Workout:

• 3 sets of 3×200
• Rest 2:30 between reps, 5:00 between sets
• Within each set, each rep should be one second faster than the previous one, with the second rep of each set being at the time you would be targeting if all reps were to be done at the same speed.

So, if the target time for all reps were to be 28, then you’d run the first rep in 29, the second in 28, the third in 27.

For the third set, the aim would be to hit the last rep one second faster than in the previous sets. So, in the third set of the above example, you’d want to be at 29 for the first rep, 28 for the second rep, and 26 for the last rep.

This workout is one that addresses the issue of late-race breakdowns, as many intermediate hurdlers tend to go out so hard that they have nothing left in the tank at the end. Being able to distribute the energy – and knowing how it feels to do so – is as important as any other factor in the long hurdle race.

Variation

For the long hurdler, adding in a hurdle or two can add an extra challenge, but I wouldn’t suggest doing so unless the athlete is ready to in terms of fitness level.

This workout can also be done at other distances; it’s just a matter of adjusting the amount of reps and the target times.

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