Letter from the Editor
Welcome, readers, to the March 2014 issue of The Hurdle Magazine, our seventh issue! We have an eclectic group of articles this time around, ranging from the very scientific to the very personal.
It’s been a little while since we did an injury-based article, so this month’s “Groin Strains” piece delves into the causes, treatments, and preventative measures regarding this particular injury as it applies to hurdlers. As always, I called upon the expert insights of podiatrist/track coach Kelsey Armstrong to provide a more broad-based, medical perspective on the nature of this injury.
While we all have felt that playing music while hurdling helps us to get into the flow more easily, “The Effects of Music on Hurdling Performance” looks at this question in greater depth, particularly in regards to how music influences a hurdler’s sense of rhythm and cadence.
In “Relays for Hurdlers,” I look at the positives and negatives of hurdlers participating in relay events. On the one hand relays can help hurdlers improve their flat speed while contributing to the team, but on the other hand it can increase the chance of injury and burnout. This month’s workout, meanwhile, offers a method by which to improve flat speed and to transfer that speed over the hurdles.
For this month’s profile, I took a different approach from the norm. Instead of the usual hurdler bio, we have an in-depth interview with Australian hurdles coach Stuart Anderson, who also competed himself for many years. His personal best of 13.73, set in 2001, made him the 5th-fastest Australian history at the time. In the interview, Anderson discusses his career, his coaching philosophy, and the hurdling environment in Australia as a whole.
And for the first time in the short history of The Hurdle Magazine, we have an article written by someone other than myself. Woohoo! One of my former athletes, Keare Smith, accepted my request to tell the story of his own hurdling journey. In Part One of “The Way of the Warrior: A Samurai’s Approach to Hurdling,” Smith introduces us to his vision of hurdling as being a warrior’s event, as inspired by his reading of The Book of Five Rings by Samurai swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Through vivid anecdotes and thoughtful reflection, Smith allows us to see how his hurdling career has been defined by the warrior spirit. Parts Two and Three of the series will appear in the April and May issues of the magazine, respectively.
This month’s instructional video focuses on the trail arm – how it’s supposed to function vs. how it sometimes functions. If there are any technical issues you would like for me to address (or address in further detail) in a future instructional video, email me at smcgill@hurdlesfirst.com and let me know, and I’ll make it happen.
Special thanks goes out to Keare Smith and Stuart Anderson for their contributions in making the March 2014 issue of The Hurdle Magazine a unique one, as well as to Kelsey Armstrong for his answers to my questions about groin strains. It always fascinates me how much I feel like a beginner when accessing the knowledge of those who share my passion for hurdles and/or are experts in their field. It’s like, the more I learn, the more there is to learn. Which is why, as Smith points out in his essay, being a hurdler is a never-ending journey.
I’d also like to thank my web designer Chris Brajer for troubleshooting all the glitches in the system along the way, and for putting all the magazine articles in order.
Finally I’d like to welcome our new subscribers and thank all of our subscribers for supporting our efforts to bring you quality content each month. As I said about the videos, if there are any topics you’d like to read an article on, or any athlete or coach you’d like to see featured in a profile or interview, don’t hesitate to contact me at smcgill@hurdlesfirst.com. This magazine is yours just as much as it is ours.
For all you athletes and coaches out there who are starting your outdoor season, best of luck, and I hope the weather treats you well.
Steve McGill
