200 Meter Pickups Workout
by Steve McGill

This month’s workout can function as a good early-season speed-endurance workout for 100/110m hurdlers, or as a speed workout for 300/400m hurdlers. 

A “pickup” is a rep where the athletes pick up speed as they go. I like to do pickups in thirds, so, for a 200 meter pickup, the athletes would run at 75% of full speed for the first 67 meters, 85% for the second 67 meters, and 95% for the last 67 meters.

I generally won’t time the reps, but I might “sneak time” a rep (time one without letting the athletes know they’re being timed) just so I can get an idea of how fast they’re moving overall. Some athletes hear the word “pickup” and think that means they can jog the first third of each rep. 75% is not a jog.

The workout consists of:

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6×200 pickups with a brisk 200-meter walk between reps. If you have some newbies who are out of shape and gassing, divide the workout into two sets and give them a 5-minute rest after the third rep. 

The advantage of pickups (vs. having the athletes go hard for the entire rep each rep) is that gets athletes in the mindset of finishing strong instead of jogging through the line. It’s also a good early-season workout because it helps athletes who are still getting into shape to survive the workout without their running mechanics falling apart. In my personal situation, where my school doesn’t have a track and we often train on the sidewalk, pickups put less pounding on the legs, decreasing the chances of athletes developing shin splints, hip pain, and/or chronic knee pain.

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