Establishing Stride Pattern Workout

The most important part of a 400 hurdle race is the beginning. To minimize breakdowns caused by fatigue late in races, the early stages of the race must be executed with precision and minimal wasted effort. Any stuttering or breaks in the stride pattern can throw things off in a major way coming down the homestretch. For that reason, I like for my hurdlers to have a definite strategy for the first five hurdles, before entering the second curve.

[am4show not_have=’g5;’]

[/am4show][am4guest]

[/am4guest][am4show have=’g5;’]

So, while many of my workouts for 400 hurdlers will involve over distance so that they develop the speed-endurance required to execute a race plan, I’ll also incorporate workouts that are more specifically speed-based and rhythm-based so that those elements of the race are in place.

This particular workout, the Establishing Stride Pattern Workout, can have a multitude of variations, but the basic structure is simple.

–Set up the first five hurdles of the 400h race.

–Athlete wears spikes, uses starting blocks.

–Athlete does reps in the following order:

One rep over the first hurdle.

One rep over the first two hurdles.

One rep over the first three hurdles.

One rep over the first four hurdles.

One rep over the first five hurdles.

All reps should be done with starting commands being given by a coach.

Another coach or teammate should count strides between hurdles.

Full recovery between reps. All reps should be full speed. So, a 4-minute rest after the first rep will do, and the rest time should increase by at least :30 with each rep.

Now, this workout is obviously designed for the beginning hurdler who lacks a race strategy, or the intermediate level hurdler who may have been hurdling for a while but hasn’t paid any particular attention to his or her race rhythm. Experienced hurdlers who already have established their early-race stride pattern can use this as a speed workout, and time each rep.

For the beginner, more time may need to be spent on getting to hurdle one. I was working with a few beginners a couple weeks ago, and we spent a lot of time just on hurdle one, getting the timing to that hurdle just right. In such a case, I’ll take a rep or two off the back end of the workout. I might not get to five hurdles that day.

Once hurdle one is established, the next step is to establish the rhythm between hurdles one and two. Don’t go to three hurdles until the first two are precise and in rhythm. Don’t feel like you HAVE to get over five hurdles by the end of the workout. Especially the first time doing it. If, for example, it takes eight reps over two in order to get the first two just right, then that can be the whole workout that day.

The most important thing is to establish a race rhythm, to make decisions regarding how many steps to take to the first hurdle, which foot should be in front in the starting blocks, whether to alternate lead legs going into hurdle two, etc. As a coach, you’ll be looking for speed and aggression. No lowering of the hands, no stuttering, no over-striding.

Once the athlete is able to do this workout as it is designed, without the need for any variations, then he or she is ready to add more hurdles and continue to develop a race plan into the second half of the race.

[/am4show]