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I have a girl on my track team that as a sophomore ran 44.76 in the 300 hurdles, she use to do volleyball in the fall but, realized she was in no shape for winter track and the 50 hurdles. This fall she decided to do cross country to get in shape, which I thought was a good idea. She was fine until someone told her that she would make herself slower for the hurdles by running cross country. Now she's worried. What do you think of this?

Hello I just joined so forgive me if this has been covered, I am the 100m hurdles coach for the girls and boys team and I have a tall girl who is hurdling "down" to the hurdle, as a result her lead leg strikes on her heel and it is hurting her and her times, any ideas as to how to fix this thank you
Will S

I coach hurdlers, jumpers and sprinters at both the High School and Jr. High level. How is her form over the hurdles? Some taller hurdlers, especially girls, because the hurdles are not as high as for the guys for 110, have the tendency to be a little more vertical over the hurdle. Any hurdler wants to have good form over the hurdle, be aggressive, more horizontal than vertical, the more vertical you are, you will have the tendency to come down on the lead leg (snap down leg) more heel, than ball of your feet. You want to be on the ball of your foot, preparing to hit the 3 steps in between the hurdles.

What you can do to work on this, is have her run in practice, a snotch higher on the hurdles if she can, this will work on her being more horizontal, working muscle memorization. Start off slowly with a couple of hurdles, move to the third hurdle when you see she is progressing, continue to add one hurdle at a time after the third hurdle, until you see the rhythm and speed you are looking for. Hope this helps, good luck.