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THE LONG HURDLES
- Using a left lead leg on the curve/curves allows the hurdler to run a shorter distance.
- Learn to hurdle with either leg as the lead leg. When fatigue sets in, your stride length will probably have to shorten and you will have to add a stride. With only one lead leg, you will have to add two strides and this costs extra time.
- An extra stride = extra time. Work to increase your stride length by reducing the distance between hurdles slightly, cutting out a stride or two. Then gradually increase stride length and hurdle distance without adding back the extra stride.
The importance of learning to hurdle with the other leg can not be overemphasized. In the long hurdles, if you are using 15 strides between and because of fatigue have to increase the number after hurdle four, going to 17 strides would add 12 steps. By going to the other leg after four, you would have to lead with this leg on only three clearances. By doing this, you would use a 16-stride pattern and add only 6 strides. No other training will save you as much time. (In the 1992 US Olympic Trials, seven of the eight finalists in the men's long hurdles changed lead legs during the race.)
If at all possible, have someone record your touch-down times during a race. You should expect to see some normal slowing, but major changes can point toward the area where your skill/speed/strength needs improvement.
Related Articles:
SPECIFIC FLEXIBILITY IN THE HURDLES
Reflections on a change in the height of the hurdles in the women's sprint hurdles event
Components Of The 400m Hurdles
THE SHORT HURDLES PAGE - DEVELOPMENT OF ELITE HURDLERS: ASSESSMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPRINT HURDLES
Hurdling_abstracts: DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPRINT HURDLES
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