Getting Over The Mental Hurdles

2016 has taught me a valuable lesson about using my head not only during races but most importantly beforehand, in fact it has been a valuable life lesson about preparation, planning and mindset.

This season my fortunes and attitude have transformed, and I attribute more than an insignificant proportion of this to my refreshed mental approach. Physical preparation is necessary, of course it is, but anyone can follow a plan for training, when it doesn’t matter, but those who wish to be separated from the others, to reach the pinnacle of their sport/event, have to have something extra. I am no expert at the mental side of things, I have merely scratched the surface, but suddenly I have begun to see a difference with running; this year I have been competing much closer to the top of my event and this post will explain how the mental side of my competition has developed. I am also enjoying putting less pressure on myself and running free.

I put in a great deal of time and effort to my event whilst essentially training alone; this meant I had nobody to chase in training, and although self-motivation is rarely a problem, when the going gets tough it can be difficult to push that little bit extra. This is where my rivals would have an edge on me; however where I can make it up is firstly by not missing any training for any reason (staying injury free etc.) and by preparing, planning better. I made the BUCS Indoors 400m semi-final this year knowing I would essentially have to win the race to make the final (5 semis fought for 6 places in the final, 1 fastest loser), however I was up against the previous year’s champion and championship record holder. My mindset could easily have been negative, easy defeat – writing on the wall etc. (and would have been in previous years), but I instead believed in my training and backed myself to win and if not, be battling out for the coveted fastest loser spot. I ran the race tactically sound, as planned, and secured a fastest loser spot in a personal best time, making the final and knocking out formerly superior rivals because of my mindset. This translated to outdoors as well, I managed to grab silver at BUCS Outdoors 400 Hurdles but came incredibly close to winning, having backed myself to attack the race and go for the win rather than settling for a minor medal.

Planning has also enhanced my chances; having a clear race plan going into the competition and the confidence to execute has allowed me step up to big races. Having plans to accommodate different scenarios such as hitting hurdles or strong winds also reduces the amount of thinking one has to do within a race and hence reduces the chances of things going wrong. Lactic brain can and does hit late in races, so leave as little thinking as possible to then… When I ran the race I knew I could I was no longer nervous before a race, why should I be? That has turned into excitement of the possibilities, for what could happen if I executed perfectly. Positive mindset is key, be excited for what could go well rather than nervous for what could go wrong.

My final note is on ‘controlling the controllables’, the simple life motto which can save lots of space in the mind and lots of anxiety; simply why worry about things you cannot control. One could spend hours deliberating the possibilities of world class performances from opponents, but there is little you can do about this realistically. Instead focus energy on maximising your own performance, which will always maximise your chance of conquering any particular opponent. 

Making Strides: Tactics in the 400 Hurdles

The 400 Hurdles is unique in the sense that it plays host to so many different tactics, largely due to the different stride patterns between the hurdles on top of the unique distance that is the 400m which means one cannot sprint flat-out the entire way. The race is made much more interesting by these various tactics, as the lead seems to change hands at least 2 or 3 times in every international race. Furthermore, interest is heightened when we investigate the history of tactics in the event, in the sense that they do not really seem to have developed since the 1980s, I hope to see why this is and whether a return to these tactics is on the cards.

Ed Moses is the obvious place to start for tactics, dominating the event during the late 1970s and 1980s, winning 122 consecutive races spookily spanning 9 years, 9 months and 9 days. Moses was an extremely determined and competitive man, coming from a scientific background his training was immaculately prepared, focusing closely on biomechanics and conditioning (particularly stretching). His tactics, however, were what set him apart from the rest; he was the first man to complete the 400 Hurdles with 13 strides in between every hurdle. This was hugely beneficial for a number of reasons: firstly it allowed him to take every hurdle on his preferred left leg, allowing him to run less distance around the bends as well as alleviating the risk of trailing and secondly it meant he kept his rhythm for the whole race compared to his rivals who would lost precious time changing down to 14 strides often at hurdle 6-8. Despite the success of the technique however, it really has not seemed to have stuck as the winning formula, as I shall show there are plenty of alternative tactics which have been successful to varying degrees.

Athletes such as Kerron Clement and Angelo Taylor found success in the 400 flat as well as the 400m Hurdles, Clement is the current 400m Indoor world record holder with a time of 44.57 and Taylor has a personal best of 44.05 (15^th all time). With excellence like this in the flat event, it’s not a surprise that Taylor won 2 Olympic titles (2000 and 2008) and Clement won 2 World titles (2007 and 2009). Despite these successes, neither Clement nor Taylor used similar tactics to Moses, instead they focused heavily on flat speed, as their 400m times show. Both Taylor and Clement have differentials (400m hurdles time less 400m flat time) of over 3 seconds which suggests that their hurdling was not the same quality as Moses, who’s differential was below 1.5 seconds. One cannot argue with the successes that Clement and Taylor had, however the statistics show that Moses ran faster times much more consistently, where technology (mainly spikes and track surfaces) is surely far superior for modern athletes.

British 400m Hurdler Dai Greene also found success at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, but using a different technique. Dai has a differential of around 2 seconds, which shows his hurdling is strong, however he adopts a 14-stride approach for the start of the race, and then changes down to 15 strides towards the latter stages of the race. Optimal stride patterns may vary depending upon the natural stride length of the athlete, however, as mentioned previously, changing strides during a race can lose the athlete valuable time, although in Dai’s case it did allow him a strong finish. The 14-stride approach does also mean hurdling right leg around the bends, which risks trailing and means the athlete has to run slightly wider around the bend.

What next for 400m Hurdles tactics? The event seems to currently lie stagnant with just 2 times under 47.5 seconds since 2006 and none since 2010 which is staggering considering the latest cutting edge technology which is constantly developing training and competition. Bershawn Jackson’s tactics continue to perplex many, he tends to relax between hurdles 3 and 5 after a fast start, allowing his rivals valuable metres which he isn’t always able to make up with his strong finish. Whether he wins or not, his time would be much faster if he ran a more even race. Perhaps future hopes lie with Nicholas Bett, the Kenyan who rose to prominence after his world championship win this year in 47.79 seconds. Bett’s tactics were a throwback to the great Moses, 13 strides most of the way round (albeit on his preferred right leg) and perhaps we will see him develop this tactic in the years to come. 

Nutrition for Athletes - Part 1

‘I thought it was just about not eating chips’ [lead character Shania on Nutrition in 2012 film ‘Fast Girls’ (see note 1)]. Nutrition for Athletes really cannot be understated, for every time one does any sort of training the muscles are damaged and to be repaired optimally the body needs the correct nutrition. Being no expert in the field, I can only offer the benefit of my own experience which I hope is of help to you. I hope to show you that nutrition is more than just about ‘not eating chips’ but that it can be easy to get right.

If you were to take one thing out of this post, let it be that there is no substitute for sleep and water. Healthy levels of sleep is essential for recovery, the obvious benefits are lower fatigue for sessions, but there are also many more benefits which include reduction of inflammation; whilst lower levels of sleep can lead to increased appetite and an increased loss of muscle mass. Water is equally important, it can flush out the body’s waste products which are significantly increased after exercise and also prevent headaches and increase concentration. It is important to replenish any fluids lost during exercise to avoid cramp. On personal level, I find that even a small amount of dehydration means my ability to recover after races is lengthened – showing the importance to me in hydrating before running rounds.

Carbohydrates are your friends, particularly the correct ones, and particularly if you eat them at the correct times. Quick release carbohydrates (such as Bread, Rice etc.) can be eaten in the morning when blood sugar levels are low, or after a session – where they will replenish lost energy. At other times, the best carbohydrate options are those with slower release energy, such as wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. Some of my favourites are: Porridge Oats contain soluble fibre which lowers blood cholesterol levels, Broccoli contains high levels of vitamin C (an antioxidant) and beta carotene (which boosts your immune system), Kale also contains vitamin C and beta carotene as well as iron, folate (both great for red blood cell formation) and calcium (see note 2). Carbohydrate consumption depends on the amount of activity, for example it would consist a higher part of a long-distance runners' diet than a sprinters'. 

Be wary of Protein, whilst it is essential to repair cells after exercise it should not be over consumed on the assumption that athletes need more protein, what athletes really need is more of everything! High percentage protein diets can put a strain on the liver and kidneys, hence protein should be consumed as part of a balanced diet. Personally, I supplement with my diet with diet whey protein, which keeps my weight down as it allows me to avoid higher fat protein (note 3). Red meat can be high in fat and one should stick to fish and white meat as much as possible to avoid higher cholesterol levels (and higher costs).

Cheat days happen, every athlete knows that, but there are ways of making your cheating better: replace your thin McDonalds chips with thicker chips, which have less fat, go for chicken with no skin, which is full of fat, and instead have an athletes favourite Nandos chicken (note 4) or go for a curry with a non-creamy sauce, which have significantly less fat. Finally, replace your Beer with a double Gin & Tonic (less calories) (note 5) if you need something stronger than water. 

Note 1: This advice is about as loose as the film’s plot. (I wasn’t a fan).

Note 2: As you can see, Kale is so good for you, you can’t not eat it!!!!

Note 3: Great abs are about 80% down to diet, lower fat proteins are good for this.

Note 4: Other chicken restaurants are available. 

Note 5: If you get photographed with a clear liquid in your glass, you tell your coach it's water. This does not work with Beer.

(Images from discoverkale.com and the Daily Telegraph respectively.)

The Mankiller – Get to know the 400m Hurdles

“How do you do 400 Hurdles? You must be mad” (frequently overheard in an athletics setting). Having not trained full time for any other events, it is certainly not my place to comment on the difficulty of the event compared to others, but it is certainly a unique blend of different skillsets from many different events which I believe makes it the most interesting both to watch and to take part in.

The first recorded 400m hurdles race was in Oxford (c.1860) and there were 12 barriers to negotiate over 440 yards, however the event became standardised in 1900 for the Olympics: 45 metres to the first hurdle, 35 metres between each and then a gruelling 40 metre run to the finish line. Originally, if a competitor knocked more than three hurdles over then he was disqualified – however this rule was removed in 1930 when the authorities realised it wasn’t actually an advantage to knock over hurdles. The hurdles are now set at 91.4cm (36 inches) high.

The start of the race takes place out of blocks, which are mandatory at major championships due to false starting rules, which means competitors need a strong start around the first bend to position for the first hurdle. Hurdling is clearly another necessary skill to master, and particularly important is efficiency – trying to minimize the energy lost over each hurdle; for this, a small lean with the lead leg and a quick trail leg lever is required. Due to the anticlockwise bends of the track, it is more efficient to hurdle left leg lead as this minimizes the distance travelled around the bends – this also lowers the risk of ‘trailing’, the act of bringing ones trail leg around the hurdle in order to gain the advantage of not hitting it. The next important aspect is rhythm, maintaining a stride pattern between each hurdle. Good rhythm allows the one lap hurdler to take each hurdle in their stride and not stutter (which costs valuable time and energy), and also to maintain a stride-pattern for as long as possible, as time can be lost changing down during a race.

The overarching attribute needed by 400m Hurdlers is what I will call ‘speed endurance’. I say overarching because, if an athlete doesn’t have speed endurance then their hurdling and rhythm can quickly disappear towards the end of the race. Between hurdles 6-8 (220m-290m) athletes will reach the lactic zone and, to succeed, a 400m Hurdler needs to be able to maintain their stride pattern rhythm and hurdling technique through this lactic zone using their speed endurance, which can only be developed through hard graft (running reps until you drop!). It is this aspect of the event which normally leads to it being called the ‘mankiller’ (see note 1).

Finally, an aspect that is perhaps overlooked is the mental strength of the one-lap hurdler. Not only to push through and finish a race strongly when both body and mind are tired, but more importantly to be patient with training all aspects of the event, as a 400m Hurdler cannot be built in a day, in fact, it can even take years to master the event.

Personally, I can only keep getting stronger at each aspect – my start and my hurdling efficiency continue to improve whilst I continue to enjoy the challenge of tough speed endurance work due to my mental strength and desire; and whilst my rhythm on the dancefloor may be lacking (see note 2), I can only practice my stride pattern over and over to find my race rhythm.

Notes:

1)      Personally neither I nor any of my friends have ever been killed by 400m Hurdles or 400m Hurdles training, so please take ‘mankiller’ figuratively.

2)      Except when ‘That’s Not Me’ comes on… 

The Art of Winning

It can be easy to forget how to compete if one has just been running against times in training all year. Even if running with a training group all year, it is easy to settle into a rhythm with them, which is no replacement for competition. Running for a pure time is a science, however if you introduce competition then winning becomes an art; there will be few athletes with any level of experience who have not been overcome by emotions at some point during a race, most often it is somebody overtaking you unexpectedly or just putting pressure on you. This pressure can do odd things to an athlete: hurdlers may clip or smash a hurdle if not fully focused, throwers may tense up and release too early and flat runners may just lose their form. It would be impossible to tell how you’d react emotionally until you’ve experienced that pressure and more importantly learnt to deal with it, learnt how to win as such.

The most high profile example of this was the World Championships 100m final this year, which saw Track and Field’s ‘Good vs Evil’; Justin Gatlin, unbeaten all year, suddenly made a mistake at 80m which cost him the world title, and I believe the reason for this is because his 100m race had become too scientific and he had forgotten the art of winning, purely because he had not been tested all year. What can be done? Not much really beyond surrounding yourself with healthy, varied competition and doing so regularly, only then will you be able to train your emotions and fight to win races/competitions in the future. There really is no substitute for a competitive race where the pressure is on. Athletes: to become winners you have to become artists… 

Introduction - Who am I?

I am an energetic, enterprising young man from South-West London making big strides in track and field as a 400 meter hurdler. I began Athletics at Sutton Grammar School in 2008, converting to track after competing as a cross country runner after discovering a turn of speed, making me ideal, so the teachers said, for the 400 meters. I find the tactics of the race fascinating and set about adapting my own to get the best out of my ability, to varying degrees of success initially.

Having delved in various team sports, in 2013 I finally decided I enjoyed the pain of lactic acid and took up 400 Hurdles full time. I had done a few races over 400 meters and hurdled whilst at school so thought my best chances of success were training hard and competing in the 400 Hurdles. My opportunity for this came when I was found at Sutton Arena , lost and confused, by Judy Vernon (former Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion!), who pointed me in the right direction and sent me to train with Marina Armstrong, who I am still coached by today and will be for many years to come. The group includes international junior stars Jacob Paul and Shona Richards among other fine athletes. 

I took to winter training slowly, initially struggling with long sessions at the end of long days at school, however I shook these troubles off and, after a successful warm weather training, managed to have a very successful first season in 2014. I achieved a silver medal at the Under 20 South of England Championships before winning the English Schools Championships 400 Hurdles at my first and last ever try, achieving a pb of 53.39 in the final to steal victory on the line. 

During winter 2014 I was following the training plan from the University of Birmingham, and was lucky enough to have some strength and conditioning help from UB Sport, returning home occasionally so Marina could critique my hurdling. I took to the training a lot better in my second year, pushing on from the times I achieved the year before and working a lot harder. After another successful Warm Weather training in Spain, the season took off early for me as I took 5th place at BUCS (British University Championships) with a new pb. I then achieved more pbs racing in Belgium, breaking the 52 second barrier for the first time, but never really kicked on from these times for the rest of the year, which was disappointing. However I continued to race well, picking up good wins at Loughborough EAP and British League at Watford and was consistently under 53 seconds, topping the year off with an England senior silver medal at Bedford, my first senior medal. 

2016 promises to be my most exciting year yet, with a tour of the USA coming up this Easter and the Olympic trials coming up before main event in Rio. Winter so far has been my best yet, so I am looking forward to some great results this coming year. Thank you for supporting this blog and thank you for your support, past, present and future! 

First International Vest - Cardiff 2014.

Taking victory at Loughborough EAP meeting.