Off the Last Hurdle

An alternate title for this article could be Heartbreak Blues Part II, as another former athlete of mine, Johnny Dutch, clipped the last hurdle on his way to what otherwise would’ve been an Olympic berth in the men’s 400 meter hurdles. But more on that later.

Ironically, I was planning to write an article on this topic anyway, due to same lazy hurdling I’ve seen in some of the athletes I’ve been working with over the past several months. This article will address coming off the last hurdle in practice and in races, in the 100/110 meter hurdles, the 300 meter hurdles, and the 400 meter hurdles.

[am4show not_have=’g5;’]

[/am4show][am4guest]

[/am4guest][am4show have=’g5;’]

As we all know, habits developed in practice usually carry over to races. That’s why it’s important for the coach to keep a close eye on any habits that can lead to negative consequences.

So, when I use the term “lazy hurdling,” I’m not saying that the hurdlers aren’t working hard or that they don’t care about the flaws in their technique. What that term means is that a lot of times hurdlers relax and lose focus toward the end of a rep – whether while doing a drill or while going full speed out of the blocks – and don’t execute the last hurdle properly.

Sometimes it’s a matter of fatigue, but not always. More commonly, it’s a matter of subconsciously thinking “I’m done” when you’re not really done. I’ve joked with some hurdlers that no matter how many hurdles I put up, the last one always sucks. When I put up three, you’re good for two and the third one sucks. When I put up four, you’re good for three and the fourth one sucks. Etc. When that keeps happening, I know the problem is not based on fatigue, but on a drop in concentration.

In drills, what I tell my hurdlers is, you’re not done until both feet touch down off the last hurdle. Don’t relax until then. In full speed reps, I’ll sometimes add a makeshift finish line off the last hurdle. I’ll always do this when we are training for competitions, and I’ll even do it in the off-season if I see the bad habit developing. The finish line will usually consist of two highly visible orange cones, places about ten yards past the last hurdle, on the white lines between lanes.

The reason I emphasize that BOTH feet must touch down off the last hurdle is because the trail leg is usually the lazy leg at the end of a rep. I want that knee to be high and facing the front before it attacks the track. I don’t want that leg to be all wide and flat and plopping down to the track.

Another of my sayings is, Don’t waste a rep, don’t waste a hurdle. I want my hurdlers to understand that every hurdle in a hurdle rep matters, that they must maintain a high level of focus throughout the entire rep. Hurdlers tend to run from hurdle to hurdle instead of sprinting to and through the finish line. That is why a makeshift finish line in full speed reps can be so beneficial. It reminds the hurdlers that hurdling isn’t just about the hurdles, but about getting to the finish line first. I like for my hurdlers to have a sprinter’s mentality in that regard. Sprinters don’t relax until after they’ve crossed the finish line; I want my hurdlers to have the same mindset, the same approach.

In all hurdle races, the sprint off the last hurdle is of paramount importance, but none more so than the 400 meter hurdles. It’s a 35 meter run-in off hurdle 10, so a lot can happen in that much space. What happened to Dutch at last week’s Olympic trials, however, wasn’t the usual issue that long hurdlers have, but was more along the lines of the type of mistake we see 110 hurdlers make.

Usually, 400 hurdlers are fighting major fatigue and will stutter into the last hurdle, causing them to lose speed over it, and to then be unable to gain that speed back in time. Dutch last year lost several races in the run-in to the finish line, and it was a flaw in his race that he addressed directly in his off-season and pre-season training, adding in more 800’s in particular.

If you look at the race in real time, it looks like the monkey jumped on his back and then the world passed him by. But if you look at the slow motion replay, you can see that he clipped the last hurdle with his trail leg. He was leading going into hurdle ten, he attacked it in perfect rhythm, but then he was victimized by the lazy trail leg. Probably, he was so focused on the finish line that he forgot to finish clearing the hurdle first.

The reason I say “probably” is because I haven’t had a chance to talk to him since the race. He hasn’t returned text messages and he hasn’t returned phone calls. I’m reading that he is planning on retiring, which means he’s probably in a very dark state of mind right now. And truthfully, without a contract, I can see how the struggle to continue can be too much at this point. It’s amazing how one clipped hurdle can have such a major effect on one’s entire life and one’s entire outlook on life.

But getting back to the lesson, clipping the last hurdle is a problem that is much more common among 110 hurdlers than 400 hurdlers. With the finish line finally in sight, and knowing that they have to get back on the ground to make that final push, 110 hurdlers will sometimes forget to clear that last hurdle in the same manner that a wide receiver in football will forget to catch the ball before sprinting into daylight.

The high school 300 meter hurdle race is a different animal altogether, and I’m kind of at the point where I’d like to see all states switch to the 400 meter hurdles. That’s the distance run in youth track starting at age 15 anyway. And while the 400 meter distance seems daunting for the average high school kid who has no visions of competing at the collegiate level, the kids who seem to have the most trouble with it are those who have grown accustomed to the much more athlete-friendly 300 meter distance.

With only a five-yard run-in to the finish line, the 300 meter hurdler MUST attack the last hurdle in rhythm, with his or her energy going forward, through the hurdle. Even if it means taking an extra stride or two, the key is to have the momentum going forward so that the momentum over the hurdle carries the athlete through the finish line.

My advice to coaches is to stay vigilant when it comes to the last hurdle in practice. That way, you won’t have to worry about it in races.

[/am4show]