1/31 The extra day off helped. After warm up exercises, Kevin, Eric and Aaron lifted 2x530, 3x510, 5x490. Mike lifted 2x440, 3x420, 5x400. Hurdle mobility drills followed, a couple pickups and then 3x9.14m flys. Bests: Kevin and Aaron PR 9.14mps, Mike =PR 9.05, Eric 8.62. Next, 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 3H, 2H. Timed start to H1 clearance. Bests: Kevin PR 2.06, Mike PR 2.12, Aaron PR 2.18, Eric 2.25. Later reps included time for 9.14m with H2 in the middle. Bests: Kevin PR 1.20, Mike 1.31, Eric PR 1.39, Aaron 1.47.
2/1 Some HJ reps -- about a dozen jumps at challenging heights. Mollie also did some hurdle reps, working over 1, 2 and 3 hurdles. Successfully three-stepped all the sets without overstriding with hurdles pulled in just 1/2 foot.
2/2 Snow day!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Kevin sets 55H school record in win
At Carthage.
Great evening with multiple PRs, and Kevin broke his school record in the 55H, running 7.81, which also set a conference record. He also PR'd in the HJ as did Molly. Karly and Molly both PR'd their 55H. Joe and Alex also performed well in the HJ, reaching season bests.
Kevin 7.90/7.81 [1st PR SR #1 all-time] 6-0.75 [PR]
Alex 6-0.75 [SB]
Joe 5-10.75 [=SB]
Eric 9.34
Aaron NH
Molly 10.18 [PR #4 all-time] 4-7.75 [PR #4 all-time]
Karly 10.00 [PR #3 all-time] 4-6
Complete results
Karly's PR 10.00 is going to get better. Here you can see the lead leg is improved but still floating past the hurdle a while. The other major issue is the trail leg. The knee is pulling through well, but the lower leg is poking out in front of the knee, acting as a brake rather pushing down and back to aid acceleration off the hurdle. Also running a bit flat footed as opposed to remaining high on the ball of foot. There is a little twisting coming off the hurdle, too, as you see the arm crossing over. Lots of improvements were visible in this race, but there's still lots of upside as more improvements can be made.
Kevin's 8.90 prelim has a bit of lead leg swing, toe point and lead leg float. On the upside, the lean and toe off is excellent at takeoff.
Eric is hampered with overstriding. You can see his lead foot landing well ahead of the hip, in effect braking him on every step. Won't be hard to correct. Hurdle clearance and lead leg cut down is very good. Arm action is pretty good, too, though it follows through to the back a bit too far and a bit too straight. Head could be angled downward a bit during hurdle entry and clearance.
Kevin's record-breaking race. Excellent, not perfect. There are some corrections that could bring the time down further. Good start in this one -- though it's hard to see here because of the vault.
Great evening with multiple PRs, and Kevin broke his school record in the 55H, running 7.81, which also set a conference record. He also PR'd in the HJ as did Molly. Karly and Molly both PR'd their 55H. Joe and Alex also performed well in the HJ, reaching season bests.
Kevin 7.90/7.81 [1st PR SR #1 all-time] 6-0.75 [PR]
Alex 6-0.75 [SB]
Joe 5-10.75 [=SB]
Eric 9.34
Aaron NH
Molly 10.18 [PR #4 all-time] 4-7.75 [PR #4 all-time]
Karly 10.00 [PR #3 all-time] 4-6
Complete results
Karly's PR 10.00 is going to get better. Here you can see the lead leg is improved but still floating past the hurdle a while. The other major issue is the trail leg. The knee is pulling through well, but the lower leg is poking out in front of the knee, acting as a brake rather pushing down and back to aid acceleration off the hurdle. Also running a bit flat footed as opposed to remaining high on the ball of foot. There is a little twisting coming off the hurdle, too, as you see the arm crossing over. Lots of improvements were visible in this race, but there's still lots of upside as more improvements can be made.
Kevin's 8.90 prelim has a bit of lead leg swing, toe point and lead leg float. On the upside, the lean and toe off is excellent at takeoff.
Eric is hampered with overstriding. You can see his lead foot landing well ahead of the hip, in effect braking him on every step. Won't be hard to correct. Hurdle clearance and lead leg cut down is very good. Arm action is pretty good, too, though it follows through to the back a bit too far and a bit too straight. Head could be angled downward a bit during hurdle entry and clearance.
Kevin's record-breaking race. Excellent, not perfect. There are some corrections that could bring the time down further. Good start in this one -- though it's hard to see here because of the vault.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Kevin's turn for NAC award
Kevin was named the Northern Athletics Conference Student Athlete of the Week for his outstanding performance at the Whitewater Invitational last week, winning the highs and finishing fourth in long jump. With Emily winning it last week, we are dominating this award. Congratulations!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Weekly highlights 1/24 - 1/26
1/24 After 6 bodyweight exercises, Kevin, Eric and Aaron deadlifted 2-3x530, 3-4x510, 4-5x490; Mike did 3x440, 4x420, 4x400. 1 set of mobility hurdles followed and 2 pickups. Then 2x9.14m flys: Kevin 9.23mps, Aaron 8.87, Mike 8.70, Eric 8.01. Next, 1x30m accel from blocks: Kevin 3.88, Mike 4.05, Aaron 4.25, Eric 4.33. Some 5-step reps over 3H, then 3x1H+finish. Auto time bests: Kevin 2.10, Mike 2.16, Aaron 2.19, Eric 2.20. Ended with 2x3H+finish side by side. Stretched.
1/26 Warm up then 2x370, 3x350, 5x330 deads and single leg hops. 1 set of mobility drills, 2 pickups followed by a 30m acceleration. Auto bests: Emily 4.63, Karly 4.85, Molly 4.85. Next, 2x8.5m flys. Bests: Emily 7.94mps, Karly 7.65, Molly 7.33. Then, 3x1H. Emily made a major improvement, running all 3 at 2.11 or faster, including a PR 2.08. Molly and Karly also PR'd at 2.25 and 2.26. Finished with 3x3H (-1). Auto timed the 8.5m segment around H2. Bests: Emily 1.34, Karly 1.41, Molly 1.52. Conversion (fly/h): Emily 79.9%, Karly 78.7%, Molly 76.3%. Over time, you look to convert a higher percentage by improving hurdle technique. Very good practice. Very good performance.
1/26 Warm up then 2x370, 3x350, 5x330 deads and single leg hops. 1 set of mobility drills, 2 pickups followed by a 30m acceleration. Auto bests: Emily 4.63, Karly 4.85, Molly 4.85. Next, 2x8.5m flys. Bests: Emily 7.94mps, Karly 7.65, Molly 7.33. Then, 3x1H. Emily made a major improvement, running all 3 at 2.11 or faster, including a PR 2.08. Molly and Karly also PR'd at 2.25 and 2.26. Finished with 3x3H (-1). Auto timed the 8.5m segment around H2. Bests: Emily 1.34, Karly 1.41, Molly 1.52. Conversion (fly/h): Emily 79.9%, Karly 78.7%, Molly 76.3%. Over time, you look to convert a higher percentage by improving hurdle technique. Very good practice. Very good performance.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Results 1/22
At Whitewater.
Kevin nearly equaled his school record in the 55H, posting a 7.83 in the win. Emily also ran her best of the year, running 9.08 in the 55H final. The men's high jumpers also performed well, with Alex and Joe both scoring and Aaron reaching a season best. Karly 3-stepped the whole rack for the first time and ran a PR 10.18 in the 55H.
Kevin 7.93/7.83 [1st]
Mike 9.90
Eric 8.96
Aaron 5-3
Alex 5-10.75 [T5]
Joe 5-10.75 [T5]
Emily 9.22/9.08 [2nd]
Karly 10.18 [PR #3 all time] 4-5
Molly 10.60 4-3
Complete results
Kevin nearly equaled his school record in the 55H, posting a 7.83 in the win. Emily also ran her best of the year, running 9.08 in the 55H final. The men's high jumpers also performed well, with Alex and Joe both scoring and Aaron reaching a season best. Karly 3-stepped the whole rack for the first time and ran a PR 10.18 in the 55H.
Kevin 7.93/7.83 [1st]
Mike 9.90
Eric 8.96
Aaron 5-3
Alex 5-10.75 [T5]
Joe 5-10.75 [T5]
Emily 9.22/9.08 [2nd]
Karly 10.18 [PR #3 all time] 4-5
Molly 10.60 4-3
Complete results
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Emily gets NAC award
Emily was named the Northern Athletics Conference Student Athlete of the Week for her outstanding performance at the Private School Invitational at Carthage last week. Congratulations!News release
Monday, January 17, 2011
Weekly highlights 1/17 - 1/19
1/17 Kevin and Eric lifted 2x490, 3x460, 5x440. Aaron and Mike lifted 2x420, 3x400, 5x370. One set of mobility hurdles, then 3 pickups and 3 9.14m flys. Bests: Kevin 9.62mps, Aaron 9.14, Mike 9.05, Eric 8.87. Auto timed some splits before and after H2. Bests: Kevin 7.55mps, Mike 7.20, Eric 6.35, Aaron 5.78. Percentage of flat speed to hurdle speed: Kevin 78%, Mike 80%, Eric 72%, Aaron 63%. The goal is to try to move that number higher through better technique while trying to move your flat speed higher as well. Converting 80% or more is good efficiency. After three of those, we did 3x3H with an extended 12-step start to carry more speed through the hurdles. Kevin ran splits in the 1.11-1.15 range, Mike in the 1.12-1.20 range, Aaron 1.30-1.80. Eric 1.30-1.45.
1/18 High jumpers did 5 run-throughs, 5 jumps off 5-6 step approach, 5 full-run jumps about 2" below last week's best jump. Alex had a clearance of 5-11 on the short approach.
1/19 Emily and Molly lifted 2x350, 3x320. Karly lifted 2x350, 3x320, 5x300. Mobility work followed along with 2 pickups and then 8.5m flys. Bests: Emily 8.33mps, Karly 7.66. Molly did bike intervals to lay off her aching shins but rejoined the group for 4x1H+finish. Auto timed bests: Emily 2.19, Karly 2.34, Molly 2.34. Finished with 4x3H with extended 12-step start (30 reg). Best splits: Emily 1.19/1.16, Karly 1.32/1.40. Stretched.
1/18 High jumpers did 5 run-throughs, 5 jumps off 5-6 step approach, 5 full-run jumps about 2" below last week's best jump. Alex had a clearance of 5-11 on the short approach.
1/19 Emily and Molly lifted 2x350, 3x320. Karly lifted 2x350, 3x320, 5x300. Mobility work followed along with 2 pickups and then 8.5m flys. Bests: Emily 8.33mps, Karly 7.66. Molly did bike intervals to lay off her aching shins but rejoined the group for 4x1H+finish. Auto timed bests: Emily 2.19, Karly 2.34, Molly 2.34. Finished with 4x3H with extended 12-step start (30 reg). Best splits: Emily 1.19/1.16, Karly 1.32/1.40. Stretched.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Results 1/15
At Carthage College.
Good opening meet. Many good performances. Emily finished second in the highs and Alex fifth in HJ for our top finishes. Mike had a good debut in the 42" hurdles, with his 8.43 making him the second to Kevin on the all-time 55H list. Mollie's 10.24 is third all time. Karly's PR sixth all time.
Kevin 8.03 5-10.5 (#4 all time) in pentathlon
Eric 8.99/8.91
Mike 8.43/8.51 (7th #2 all time) 5-9.75 (=#5 all time)
Alex 5-11.5 (T5th)
Joe 5-9.75
Aaron 5-3.75
Emily 9.25/9.27 (2nd)
Mollie 10.24/10.73 (#3 all time) 4-7 (#4 all time)
Karly 10.49/10.84 4-9 (T6th #6 all time)
Complete results
Video:
Karly's plant is bit too far out and she had to take a long last step to get there. Lead knee is lifting well but not rotating toward the shoulder to get perpendicular to the bar. The lower part of the lead leg is straightening out rather than staying under.
Mollie is launching toward the bar but the rest of this is good -- plant, arm block, rotation and layout are good. Just need to hit the vertical before going into the layout.
Karly and Mollie can be seen in this shot. Coming off the first hurdle in this sequence, you can see Karly's first step off the hurdle going too far. Nearly all of the strides are too long, which puts her back on her heel and creating braking forces that slow down momentum. Important to rise up on the ball of foot and keep pushing forward. Karly's clearance is quite high compared to Mollie's. That hang time contributes to a loss of momentum as well. While they both take off at almost the same time, Mollie is down quicker because she has a lower trajectory.
Emily looks in good form here. Left arm is pretty high when swinging back and she could be a higher on the ball of foot at both takeoff and landing. Best to keep the heels off the ground all the time.
Mike's technique also is sound other than crouching a bit on the takeoff. Best to be in a taller attack position to minimize up and down motion, allowing a flatter trajectory in crossing the hurdle.
Mike launches a bit toward the bar and could keep his head back a bit more on layout to help keep the hips up, but the plant and rotations are good.
Good jump here by Alex at 1.87. Take off point was closer than on some earlier jumps. Might need to ride the vertical up a bit longer and remain patient for the layout, but this is a solid jump.
Joe always has great technique. On this jump, though, he jumps toward the bar, too. But he does the best "heels to head" of anyone. Trying to form that reverse "C" over the bar is good because it puts the center of mass below the bar.
Joe and Eric are attacking well. Eric is running a bit "heavy" -- going heel to toe on the foot strikes.
Emily is running third here but finishes overcomes an early deficit to move into second.
Good opening meet. Many good performances. Emily finished second in the highs and Alex fifth in HJ for our top finishes. Mike had a good debut in the 42" hurdles, with his 8.43 making him the second to Kevin on the all-time 55H list. Mollie's 10.24 is third all time. Karly's PR sixth all time.
Kevin 8.03 5-10.5 (#4 all time) in pentathlon
Eric 8.99/8.91
Mike 8.43/8.51 (7th #2 all time) 5-9.75 (=#5 all time)
Alex 5-11.5 (T5th)
Joe 5-9.75
Aaron 5-3.75
Emily 9.25/9.27 (2nd)
Mollie 10.24/10.73 (#3 all time) 4-7 (#4 all time)
Karly 10.49/10.84 4-9 (T6th #6 all time)
Complete results
Video:
Karly's plant is bit too far out and she had to take a long last step to get there. Lead knee is lifting well but not rotating toward the shoulder to get perpendicular to the bar. The lower part of the lead leg is straightening out rather than staying under.
Mollie is launching toward the bar but the rest of this is good -- plant, arm block, rotation and layout are good. Just need to hit the vertical before going into the layout.
Karly and Mollie can be seen in this shot. Coming off the first hurdle in this sequence, you can see Karly's first step off the hurdle going too far. Nearly all of the strides are too long, which puts her back on her heel and creating braking forces that slow down momentum. Important to rise up on the ball of foot and keep pushing forward. Karly's clearance is quite high compared to Mollie's. That hang time contributes to a loss of momentum as well. While they both take off at almost the same time, Mollie is down quicker because she has a lower trajectory.
Emily looks in good form here. Left arm is pretty high when swinging back and she could be a higher on the ball of foot at both takeoff and landing. Best to keep the heels off the ground all the time.
Mike's technique also is sound other than crouching a bit on the takeoff. Best to be in a taller attack position to minimize up and down motion, allowing a flatter trajectory in crossing the hurdle.
Mike launches a bit toward the bar and could keep his head back a bit more on layout to help keep the hips up, but the plant and rotations are good.
Good jump here by Alex at 1.87. Take off point was closer than on some earlier jumps. Might need to ride the vertical up a bit longer and remain patient for the layout, but this is a solid jump.
Joe always has great technique. On this jump, though, he jumps toward the bar, too. But he does the best "heels to head" of anyone. Trying to form that reverse "C" over the bar is good because it puts the center of mass below the bar.
Joe and Eric are attacking well. Eric is running a bit "heavy" -- going heel to toe on the foot strikes.
Emily is running third here but finishes overcomes an early deficit to move into second.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Weekly highlights 1/10 - 1/15
1/10 After warm up ex, Kevin and Eric lifted 2x460, 3x440 and 5x 440. Mike 2x410, 3x390, 5x370. Followed sets with 2x4 low hops and then swings. Did a once through set of hurdle mobility, two laps of progressive speed and acceleration and then a couple 9.14m flys: Kevin 9.62mps, Mike 8.54, Eric 8.46. Moved into 3x3 (42) 5 steps, then a down-up ladder, going 3H (42 -1 stand), 2H (42 -1 3pt), 1H, 2H, 3H (blocks, regular). Finished with side by side 2H+F. Caught some auto time splits. Bests: Kevin 1.21, Mike 1.28, Eric 1.38. Approximate hand times: Kevin 1.15, Mike 1.25, Eric 1.35. Stretched.
1/11 Some jumped early. After warm up and short-range jumps, Mike, Aaron, Mollie and Karly took run throughs and then 3-4 jumps at a low height, approximate opening height and a challenging height. Continued to work for consistency in run-up, plant and going vertical before horizontal. Video of Aaron, Mollie and Karly jumps below.
1/12 Warm up exercises then Emily, Mollie and Karly (6 p.m.) lifted 2x340, 3x320, 5x300. Hurdle mobility, 2 pickups and 2x8.5m flys: Bests: Emily 8.41mps, Karly 7.80, Mollie 7.26. 2 sets of hurdle drills followed and then 4x2H and 2-3x4H (-1). Emily ran most splits sub-1.30, Molly in the 1.4-1.6 range before leaving with sore shins, Karly in the mid-1.2s up to 1.5, though she was consistently under 1.3 on the 2H reps. Stretched.
Mollie's run up is in good position and plant is OK, but she is looking to her right -- right at the bar. If you are looking there, you will likely launch yourself in that direction, which she does. Read the earlier post on where to look. At the plant, you should be looking down toward the end of the crossbar at point slightly higher. Mollie's head is leading her into the bar. She is leaning toward the bar even before the takeoff foot leaves the ground. Need to go vertical first. Double arm action is good but going across the bar rather than up. Knee drive, rotation and layout over the bar, including head position and kick out look good. Just need to work on the takeoff position to improve vertical lift before going into layout.
Aaron also is leaning into the bar quite a bit. Plant looks parallel rather than angled. Other positions look good. Nice layout. Maybe kicking out a bit early.
Karly is not running much of a curve here at the end, charging in fairly straight. The curve sets up the rotation, so that needs some attention. Plant is negative as she tries to put her back to the bar prior to take off. No double arm block, and if going for a single arm, the lead arm should go up and over the bar in more of a reaching motion. Even before leaving the ground, Karly starts leaning toward the bar and starts arching back. The lead knee remains parallel to bar rather then moving up toward the opposite shoulder to help with rotation needed to get perpendicular to the bar. Those two actions have her going nearly sideways across the bar. Karly arches well and knee drive is pretty good, but the angle of the lead leg (parallel to the bar) causes trouble with clearance and rotation.
1/11 Some jumped early. After warm up and short-range jumps, Mike, Aaron, Mollie and Karly took run throughs and then 3-4 jumps at a low height, approximate opening height and a challenging height. Continued to work for consistency in run-up, plant and going vertical before horizontal. Video of Aaron, Mollie and Karly jumps below.
1/12 Warm up exercises then Emily, Mollie and Karly (6 p.m.) lifted 2x340, 3x320, 5x300. Hurdle mobility, 2 pickups and 2x8.5m flys: Bests: Emily 8.41mps, Karly 7.80, Mollie 7.26. 2 sets of hurdle drills followed and then 4x2H and 2-3x4H (-1). Emily ran most splits sub-1.30, Molly in the 1.4-1.6 range before leaving with sore shins, Karly in the mid-1.2s up to 1.5, though she was consistently under 1.3 on the 2H reps. Stretched.
Mollie's run up is in good position and plant is OK, but she is looking to her right -- right at the bar. If you are looking there, you will likely launch yourself in that direction, which she does. Read the earlier post on where to look. At the plant, you should be looking down toward the end of the crossbar at point slightly higher. Mollie's head is leading her into the bar. She is leaning toward the bar even before the takeoff foot leaves the ground. Need to go vertical first. Double arm action is good but going across the bar rather than up. Knee drive, rotation and layout over the bar, including head position and kick out look good. Just need to work on the takeoff position to improve vertical lift before going into layout.
Aaron also is leaning into the bar quite a bit. Plant looks parallel rather than angled. Other positions look good. Nice layout. Maybe kicking out a bit early.
Karly is not running much of a curve here at the end, charging in fairly straight. The curve sets up the rotation, so that needs some attention. Plant is negative as she tries to put her back to the bar prior to take off. No double arm block, and if going for a single arm, the lead arm should go up and over the bar in more of a reaching motion. Even before leaving the ground, Karly starts leaning toward the bar and starts arching back. The lead knee remains parallel to bar rather then moving up toward the opposite shoulder to help with rotation needed to get perpendicular to the bar. Those two actions have her going nearly sideways across the bar. Karly arches well and knee drive is pretty good, but the angle of the lead leg (parallel to the bar) causes trouble with clearance and rotation.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Weekly highlights 1/3 - 1/5
1/3 After warm up exercises, Eric and Kevin lifted 3x3x450, Aaron and Mike 3x3x400 along with power jumps and leg swings. Followed with 2 sets of hurdle mobility drills then a couple pickups and 3x9.14m flys. Top times: Kevin ran 9.86mps, Mike 9.04, Aaron and Eric 8.78. Next, 4x1H+finish (39) (video below) and 4x2H+finish (42 -1). Average split times for the 2H reps: Aaron (1.38), Mike (1.28), Eric (1.33), Kevin (1.14). Stretched.
1/4 Kevin, Mike, Aaron, Mollie and Karly focused primarily on plant angle and approach. Kevin, Aaron and Mollie made good progress -- not always consistent -- but in good position more often than not. Mike and Karly struggled to hit the plant angle, though Mike started to improve that and eliminated the bounding penultimate step and takeoff point near the bar's midpoint. Karly still had some negative plant angles but on the times were it angled even slightly toward the pit, she had some nice jumps. More work to do. New marks: Mike 12/50, Karly 13/48.
Eric is looking very good here. He's driving out nice and low, not looking up too soon and keeping good alignment into the hurdle. Lead leg knee leads nicely and he is taking it straight on. Well squared to the hurdle. Sometimes the trail leg doesn't finish all the way to the front, but it's pretty good on this one. Trail leg foot hits on pull through so the only thing to do there is to pull that knee forward a bit longer before pulling it up, which drops the foot lower and into the hurdle.
Like Eric, Kevin is in very good form here. Even the lead leg is leading with the knee rather than the foot. Good posture and alignment. Excellent drive into and through the hurdle. Up nice and tall on ball of foot and coming down off the hurdle with great drive.
Here's Aaron. There's a lot going on here. First, too much bend at the waist when pushing out of blocks you want to push out so your ankle, knee, hip and shoulder are aligned and out at an angle around 45 percent. Bending at the waist limits extension and pushes the hips back, potentially causing stumbling as well. Although he has a right leg lead, he is pushing out way to his left and never gets aligned to the right side. Weaving side to side is wasted motion and getting on the wrong half of your lane can put you in contact with the runner in the next lane. Arm action is pretty good. Lead leg is tracking straight ahead, which is good, but it's locked out. Keep a bit of flexion there so you can activate the glute better as you push it down and back as it the foot crosses the barrier. Can't really tell the take off distance, but Aaron needs a more aggressive lean into the hurdle. Upper body is fairly upright on entry. The lean must be established while the takeoff foot is on the ground. If you lean after that, you bend at the waist and set up sommersault rotation that cuts speed. The major issue you see, however, is the trail leg, which is coming forward and upward far too soon -- a common error among beginning hurdlers. At one point, it appears that both feet are actually ahead of the hips. Avoid this by getting a good split into the hurdle and don't rush the trail leg. Focus on the lead leg, a good split and just let the trail leg follow naturally. You can see how Aaron gets it up into his chest before he even crosses the hurdle. That shouldn't happen until the hips are past the hurdle. Because the trail leg is there too early, it's almost like two-footing the landing. To avoid that, he holds that trail leg up there until the lead leg gets down but then has no momentum left for the getaway step. For comparison, look at the other three hurdlers as to where there knee is when is right above the hurdle rail.
Here's Mike. Similar to Aaron, Mike goes off in the wrong direction rather than holding alignment on the right side. If you look at the penultimate step (try to pause it there), you will see the foot pointed to his right at nearly a 45 degree angle as he tries to go back to the right. Lead leg is moving outside-in rather than straight ahead, but the heel tuck is good, and he is driving into the hurdle well. Lead leg is locked out and pretty high. Better to keep it a bit flexed and moving downward as the foot passes the hurdle rail plane. It's just hanging out there straight too long, adding a bit of float on clearance. Arm action, trail leg action and getaway step look pretty good here. Major things to fix are lane position, lead leg alignment and lead leg flexion as it passes the hurdle.
1/5 Emily and Mollie lifted 3x3x330. Karly lifted 2x340, 3x320, 5x300. Hurdle mobility work followed and then a couple pickups and 3x8.5m flys. Bests: Emily 8.17mps, Karly 7.73, Mollie 7.66. Did 1/2-space, 1-step and 5-step drills. Did hurdle ladder, 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 3H, 2H, 1H. Got some FAT splits before and after H2. Bests: Emily 1.32, Mollie 1.34, Karly 1.49. All were at 33, spacing ranged from regular to -1. Video:
Here's Emily. Rising up and looking ahead to H1 too soon. Want to stay in a drive position for 5 steps before looking at the hurdle. Up on the ball of foot very well at takeoff. Alignment and posture is very good going into hurdle. However, lead arm is crossing too far across the body. Right arm is out to the side a bit far -- better to keep it along the side of the torso with hand near hip. And then the lead leg, which is aligned well going in, drifts into the middle as it passes the hurdle and the foot makes its way to the ground. You can see the problem this causes at touchdown -- some balance difficulty because the foot lands in the middle of the lane. This forces some actions to counterbalance this, which is the twisting that occurs next. Trail leg action is very good. No concerns there. If that lead leg can move about a foot to Emily's right, the twist will be gone and the push through and off the hurdle will be better aligned and faster.
Mollie is pushing out well and keeping with her drive for 5 steps before looking for the hurdle -- well done. Sadly, I chopped off the bottom, so we can't see the foot at takeoff. As the lead leg rises, you can see the knee angled in and the lower leg angled out. Better to get this aligned to move straight ahead. Arms are in good position. Coming off the hurdle, Mollie is not maintaining quite enough forward lean, and the lower part of the trail leg is opening too soon. Need to keep that heel tucked under until the knee is all the way around to the front. Overall, technique is pretty good. Just a couple of minor items to improve here.
Karly is making good progress. She is driving out well, though looking for the hurdle too soon. Need to avoid looking for hurdle for about 5 steps to ensure you maximize drive and acceleration into the hurdle. Also, alignment could be better by running along the right side of the lane instead of the middle. We know the takeoff is a foot too close, so Karly needs to quicken the rhythm from the blocks through H1. The close take off is forcing her to go up at a steeper angle that results in going much higher over the hurdle than necessary. The lead leg is locking out and probably more than 18" above the hurdle rail. No need for that to be more than an inch or two. Arms should be carried lower. Lean into and over the hurdle looks good. I think the trail leg action is fine, but because she is in the air so long because of the takeoff angle and high lead leg position, the trail leg timing for landing is thrown off. Also note where that lead leg foot lands -- way over to her left instead of staying aligned along the right hurdle mark, maybe a foot off the right lane line (Karly's right). Those corrections shouldn't be too difficult, and once fixed, will make a major difference in clearance times.
1/4 Kevin, Mike, Aaron, Mollie and Karly focused primarily on plant angle and approach. Kevin, Aaron and Mollie made good progress -- not always consistent -- but in good position more often than not. Mike and Karly struggled to hit the plant angle, though Mike started to improve that and eliminated the bounding penultimate step and takeoff point near the bar's midpoint. Karly still had some negative plant angles but on the times were it angled even slightly toward the pit, she had some nice jumps. More work to do. New marks: Mike 12/50, Karly 13/48.
Eric is looking very good here. He's driving out nice and low, not looking up too soon and keeping good alignment into the hurdle. Lead leg knee leads nicely and he is taking it straight on. Well squared to the hurdle. Sometimes the trail leg doesn't finish all the way to the front, but it's pretty good on this one. Trail leg foot hits on pull through so the only thing to do there is to pull that knee forward a bit longer before pulling it up, which drops the foot lower and into the hurdle.
Like Eric, Kevin is in very good form here. Even the lead leg is leading with the knee rather than the foot. Good posture and alignment. Excellent drive into and through the hurdle. Up nice and tall on ball of foot and coming down off the hurdle with great drive.
Here's Aaron. There's a lot going on here. First, too much bend at the waist when pushing out of blocks you want to push out so your ankle, knee, hip and shoulder are aligned and out at an angle around 45 percent. Bending at the waist limits extension and pushes the hips back, potentially causing stumbling as well. Although he has a right leg lead, he is pushing out way to his left and never gets aligned to the right side. Weaving side to side is wasted motion and getting on the wrong half of your lane can put you in contact with the runner in the next lane. Arm action is pretty good. Lead leg is tracking straight ahead, which is good, but it's locked out. Keep a bit of flexion there so you can activate the glute better as you push it down and back as it the foot crosses the barrier. Can't really tell the take off distance, but Aaron needs a more aggressive lean into the hurdle. Upper body is fairly upright on entry. The lean must be established while the takeoff foot is on the ground. If you lean after that, you bend at the waist and set up sommersault rotation that cuts speed. The major issue you see, however, is the trail leg, which is coming forward and upward far too soon -- a common error among beginning hurdlers. At one point, it appears that both feet are actually ahead of the hips. Avoid this by getting a good split into the hurdle and don't rush the trail leg. Focus on the lead leg, a good split and just let the trail leg follow naturally. You can see how Aaron gets it up into his chest before he even crosses the hurdle. That shouldn't happen until the hips are past the hurdle. Because the trail leg is there too early, it's almost like two-footing the landing. To avoid that, he holds that trail leg up there until the lead leg gets down but then has no momentum left for the getaway step. For comparison, look at the other three hurdlers as to where there knee is when is right above the hurdle rail.
Here's Mike. Similar to Aaron, Mike goes off in the wrong direction rather than holding alignment on the right side. If you look at the penultimate step (try to pause it there), you will see the foot pointed to his right at nearly a 45 degree angle as he tries to go back to the right. Lead leg is moving outside-in rather than straight ahead, but the heel tuck is good, and he is driving into the hurdle well. Lead leg is locked out and pretty high. Better to keep it a bit flexed and moving downward as the foot passes the hurdle rail plane. It's just hanging out there straight too long, adding a bit of float on clearance. Arm action, trail leg action and getaway step look pretty good here. Major things to fix are lane position, lead leg alignment and lead leg flexion as it passes the hurdle.
1/5 Emily and Mollie lifted 3x3x330. Karly lifted 2x340, 3x320, 5x300. Hurdle mobility work followed and then a couple pickups and 3x8.5m flys. Bests: Emily 8.17mps, Karly 7.73, Mollie 7.66. Did 1/2-space, 1-step and 5-step drills. Did hurdle ladder, 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 3H, 2H, 1H. Got some FAT splits before and after H2. Bests: Emily 1.32, Mollie 1.34, Karly 1.49. All were at 33, spacing ranged from regular to -1. Video:
Here's Emily. Rising up and looking ahead to H1 too soon. Want to stay in a drive position for 5 steps before looking at the hurdle. Up on the ball of foot very well at takeoff. Alignment and posture is very good going into hurdle. However, lead arm is crossing too far across the body. Right arm is out to the side a bit far -- better to keep it along the side of the torso with hand near hip. And then the lead leg, which is aligned well going in, drifts into the middle as it passes the hurdle and the foot makes its way to the ground. You can see the problem this causes at touchdown -- some balance difficulty because the foot lands in the middle of the lane. This forces some actions to counterbalance this, which is the twisting that occurs next. Trail leg action is very good. No concerns there. If that lead leg can move about a foot to Emily's right, the twist will be gone and the push through and off the hurdle will be better aligned and faster.
Mollie is pushing out well and keeping with her drive for 5 steps before looking for the hurdle -- well done. Sadly, I chopped off the bottom, so we can't see the foot at takeoff. As the lead leg rises, you can see the knee angled in and the lower leg angled out. Better to get this aligned to move straight ahead. Arms are in good position. Coming off the hurdle, Mollie is not maintaining quite enough forward lean, and the lower part of the trail leg is opening too soon. Need to keep that heel tucked under until the knee is all the way around to the front. Overall, technique is pretty good. Just a couple of minor items to improve here.
Karly is making good progress. She is driving out well, though looking for the hurdle too soon. Need to avoid looking for hurdle for about 5 steps to ensure you maximize drive and acceleration into the hurdle. Also, alignment could be better by running along the right side of the lane instead of the middle. We know the takeoff is a foot too close, so Karly needs to quicken the rhythm from the blocks through H1. The close take off is forcing her to go up at a steeper angle that results in going much higher over the hurdle than necessary. The lead leg is locking out and probably more than 18" above the hurdle rail. No need for that to be more than an inch or two. Arms should be carried lower. Lean into and over the hurdle looks good. I think the trail leg action is fine, but because she is in the air so long because of the takeoff angle and high lead leg position, the trail leg timing for landing is thrown off. Also note where that lead leg foot lands -- way over to her left instead of staying aligned along the right hurdle mark, maybe a foot off the right lane line (Karly's right). Those corrections shouldn't be too difficult, and once fixed, will make a major difference in clearance times.
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