1. Track & Field Master Class
Hurdling Using the Rhythm Method
Tony Veney

2. Hurdle Mastery
Part I – Training Nuts and Bolts Part II – Hurdle Training Design Part III – Technique – Drills - Analysis

3. Hurdle Mastery Be a REAL Coach:
Don’t get so caught up in coaching the event that you lose sight of coaching the kid!
Know the difference between training and working out!
Understand the concept of training intent and training outcome!
No cookbooks allowed!
Hurdlers are half crazy and some are over qualified (Seagrave)

4. Hurdle Basics The purpose of this course is:
Not to give you examples of what the elite hurdlers can do.
But to reveal and describe the hurdle qualities Gail Devers (12.37) and Allen Johnson (12.93) have in common with Britany “Bang a Barrier” (16.48) and Harry “Hit a Hurdle” (16.01).

5. Hurdle Development Parameters
Strength
Motor Movement (technique)
Elastic Strength
Dynamic Strength (critical for hurdlers)
Special Strength (for hip power)
Energy System Training (Phospho Glycolic)
Conditioning
Psychological

6. Strength
Activation Potential requires lifts in the 90-95% range using 1-3 sets and 1-3 reps. This type of training is misunderstood due to the heavy weights mistaken for building bulk.
Large # of reps is more responsible for deterioration of the body’s ability to activate power, by inhibiting the power response using endurance based low power activities.
But if you cannot lift heavy due training age or lack of experience, then dynamic and/or elastic strength development is the next best bet.

7. Motor Movement
Good hurdle technique is determined by what you do on the ground.
Don’t coach what you see in error correction – coach what happened before you saw the error!
Take-off mechanics
Shuffle mechanics
Lead and trail arm movements
Balance and coordination
Relaxation – major violation here

8. Elastic Strength
The hurdle event is one where responsive running quick ground time changes are critical.
Flat footed runs inhibit the elastic or stretch reflex response from the ground.
Skipping, bouncing, shuffling, and bare foot activities become useful in the development of the elastic response.
Critical for those who can’t get stronger in the weight room, increased power can be developed here.

9. Dynamic Strength
A functional component involving highly coordinated movements related to the hurdle event.
Involves strength and explosive work tied to the technical demands of the event.
Starting strength
Speed development
Speed endurance
Special endurance
Rhythm endurance

10. Special Strength Hip adduction Hip abduction Hip Flexion Hip Extension
Lower back and spine
Gluts
Hamstrings
Core
Strength below the knee

11. Energy Systems What are the time demands of the event? 13-14 seconds
These three hurdle sets all tell you the same thing when trying to determine what types of training to use. The phospho glycolic training area is where they

12. Energy Systems
Duration of Session Energy System Power/Capacity Training Effect
0 to 0.2 sec. Nervous System Reaction
0 to 0.2 sec. Alactic Power Initial Thrust
(Stored muscular ATP)
0 to 1.0 Alactic (CP system) Power Single leg thrust at top
speed
1 to 2.0 sec. Alactic Power Starts
(nervous + stored ATP + CP)
2 to 5.0 sec. Alactic (CP system) Power Acceleration
5 to 15.0 sec. Alactic (CP system) Power Maximum speed
(Fly runs)

13. Energy Systems
Duration of Session Energy System Power/Capacity Training Effect
15 to 30.0 sec. Alactic (Extended CP System) Capacity Speed endurance
(Ability to hold > 95%)
30 to 45.0 sec. Lactate Power Ability to produce energy
without O2 or CP
45 to 90.0 sec. Lactate Capacity As above, plus ability to
tolerate lactic acid
90 to sec. Lactate with aerobic support Aerobic Ability to use O2 to hold up
Power pace as lactate builds up
Lactate Capacity
5 to 10.0 min. Aerobic with minor lactate Aerobic power Max O2 rates
10 to 12.0 min. Aerobic Power capacity Raise anaerobic threshold
20 to 60 min. Fuel: glycogen Capacity Ability to maintain steady
pace

14. Conditioning Fitness training for sprinters: What does that mean?
What are you conditioning your hurdler to do?
What does strong mean?
It’s a delicate balance of speed and aerobic
What are the demands of the race and how well do you recover will be an indication of your fitness.
You must develop the speed you need for the race before you can endure a lesser percentage.
The faster I can run, the faster I can run longer distances at a % of my maximum.

15. Psychology Do we as coaches inhibit their development?
What we say to them versus what they hear.
The “Phone Booth”
“Groucho Glasses”
Emotional Vampires
Mom & Dad
Aunts & Uncles
Boyfriends & Girlfriends
Clingy coaches
Parent Coaches
Coaches that over coach

16. Training Compensation
“The body will only adapt to an unaccustomed stimulus.”
“The body will adapt to stress if it’s slow enough and large enough” (5% per week).
“The organism will respond when the body’s adaptive reserves are developed over 6-8 weeks allowing you to sustain the level of fitness for an additional 6-8 weeks (for the high school track season, this is great!).
This changes the periodization model for the high school coach (Double Dip).

17. Hurdle Nitty Gritty Only train what you can bring to the track.
Train your hurdlers in the systems that require a quality performance.
Know why you do what you do.
No cookbook workouts unless you understand the reasons for doing the workouts

18. Hurdle Nitty Gritty
Start with a general model and plug the model into your hurdler’s attributes.
No “hurdle clones”.
Rodney Milburn – Mamie Rawlins – “Bobo J”
Men who coach women need to know how to coach two high hurdle races.
The ground is where you make your money, so even shorter hurdlers can be successful.

19. Hurdle Nitty Gritty
Hurdling is sprinting, so do not bring “failed sprinters” to the event.
The lack of sprint ability is the main reason why the three step rhythm is so difficult to teach for the coach and master for the hurdler.
If your boy or girl can run 100 meters in 12 to 14 seconds respectively, they can three step.

20. The Start Block settings (lead leg in the back block)
General parameters
Leg length Trochanter X 0.55 = distance to the front block from the start line.
Leg length Trochanter X 0.43 = distance from the front block to the back block.
Use the reliable standby – two linear steps from the start to the front block and three linear steps to the back block.

21. The Start
Perform 2-3 double knee hops to load up the legs and back into the blocks.
In the ready position the arms and hands are shoulder width apart.
The toe of the front foot is mid calf of the back leg.
The toes of the sprint spikes are touching the track.

22. The Start The set position is pushed slowly from the front block leg.
Shoulders stay just above the start line. Do not allow the shoulders to move forward as the hips rise (this pulls the heels off the blocks).
As the hips rise, both heels press back into the blocks to cut turnaround time at the gun.

23. The Start The front arm and elbow drives up and blocks at the cheek.
The back arm swings long and behind the body (similar to reaching back for a baton).
The longer you apply force to the blocks the flatter and more powerfully you can leave the blocks.

24. The Start Critical start cues Big arms Knee drive Block patience
Back heel moves forward and not up off the block
Place a clip board over the back block heel to see if the force off the block is forward or releases early (typical of poor starters)
Turn the back block heel toward the right slightly. This will cause the knee of the back foot to line up straight down the track.

25. Hurdle Acceleration
1st four steps are driving similar to the start of the flat sprint race.
Last 4 steps prepare for the take-off by getting quick (I did not say shorten)
Don’t 7 step your hurdler just because he/she is tall. It has a lot more to do with strength, starting power and coordination.
Don’t let your short boy or girl run 9 steps to hurdle one because it cuts the speed needed to get into your rhythm speed (improve their strength and power).

26. Hurdle Prep
Everything that goes wrong in the hurdle race happens before the take-off.
Run tall through the last 4 steps and keep running.
Most young hurdlers want to “set up” the hurdle because the speed is scary and they want to feel comfortable and under control.
The set up slows the hurdler down and the loss of speed makes them feel as if they don’t have enough speed to get to the next hurdle and they abandon their training and over stride.

27. Hurdle Prep You run on your feet but with your hips (car analogy).
The “cut-step” (8th step) or take-off before the hurdle is 4-6 inches shorter than the 7th step.
This forces the hurdler to get the foot under the hips and speeds up the hurdle attack.
The shin bone of the take-off leg is perpendicular (vertical) to the track at the cut step.
Foot position at take-off should be under the hips and the knees of both legs should be side by side.
Any loss of speed going into the hurdle makes each successive hurdle slower and the hurdler abandons their rhythm and they go to a technique that makes them go even slower (quicksand).

28. Take-off Tech Body position at take-off Stay tall and slightly forward
Run into the hurdle from the hips
Vertical shin angles at take-off
Be patient at take-off and stay on the ground as long as possible – leave the foot behind
Drive into the hurdle and don’t hop into the hurdle

29. Take-off Tech
A proper take-off allows the hips to have clearance with speed
Leaving the trail leg behind stretches the hip and stores elastic energy and the trail flys off the ground
If you rush the take-off you lose the time needed to apply force and produce take-off velocity
A rushed take-off kills the stretch reflex of the trail leg

30. Take-off Tech
“Hot-stepping” the take-off will rush the trail leg and is responsible for most of the trail leg hurdle hits.
The cue for the coach is to see if the hurdler’s hips slow down or the hurdler bounces up over the hurdle.

31. Hurdle Finish
When you come off every hurdle, you should be tall and slightly forward.
But off the last hurdle, it’s even more important as you prepare for the push to the finish line.
Your touchdown and trail leg action are the same but now you switch from the shuffle you used between the other hurdles to a flat out sprint finish (like a flat100 meter).

32. Hurdle Finish
It takes 5-6 steps to get to and through the finish line and often a hurdler loses because he/she leans too soon or reacts to the line too late.
After the trail step there a 4-5 steps to the line and on the 4th step you throw the left or right arm down and backward (like a freestyle swim movement)forcing your head and chest through the finish line (I did not say down).
You do your hurdler a disservice if you don’t practice your finish.

33. Part II of the Hurdle Rhythm Method
Training Design