Letter from the Editor
So here we are. It’s the 14th of the month, and time for another issue of The Hurdle Magazine. The February issue is our 6th issue, and as it conveniently falls on Valentine’s day, let me say, Happy Valentine’s Day to all our subscribers.
This issue features two articles on technique: “Swinging from the Hip” and “Upper Body Posture.” Most of the feedback I’ve been getting from readers that articles on technical issues are at the top of the list of their needs, so we have two here this issue, and I hope that both of them are very helpful.
For this month’s profile, we took it in a different direction this time, as we have been featuring male 110 hurdlers in all of previous issues. This time I interviewed the king of masters track, Ken Stone, who, at age 59, still runs the long hurdles. Stone’s website, masterstrack.com, is the leading site on masters track on the web, filled with information, statistics, news, and humor. As a writer, a fan, and an athlete, Stone has put his heart and soul into track and field for over forty years.
The more research-based article for this issue is “The Power of the Nap,” in which I discuss how napping during the day can provide a much-needed energy boost and thereby improve the quality of workouts and competitions. I’ve been a big napper all my life, so I was intrigued to learn more about the benefits of napping and when/where to fit them into one’s daily schedule.
This month’s workout, “Sprints over one Hurdle,” is a simple but effective one. It’s especially helpful for female hurdlers, as the sprinting aspect of the race is much more prominent for them than it is for males.
In this month’s more outside-the-box article, I explore the nature of the Coach/Athlete Relationship – how the coach’s role evolves from that of an authority figure, to a teacher, to a guide and co-traveler, to finally that of a friend once the athlete moves on. I have found over the course of my coaching career that developing relationships with athletes is the most rewarding aspect of the job. And I’m sure I’m not the only coach who feels that way.
Perhaps the closest friendship I’ve ever had with a former athlete was the one I had with Cameron Akers, who ran personal bests in high school of 14.21 and 38.74 back in 2001. Cameron passed away exactly two years ago today, so Valentine’s Day for me will always be a day tinged with sadness – a day to remember how much love and joy he brought into this world.
I’m still working on the glitches with the video camera. I have an expert on the case so I should be able to add in the video for this issue and the January issue within the next couple weeks. Bear with me.
Thanks to my web designer Chris Brajer, thanks to Ken Stone, and thanks to all of the loyal subscribers to The Hurdle Magazine.
Enjoy your Valentine’s day, and as they say in Philly (where I was born), show ya luv.
Steve McGill
