[wisconman]

wisconman on March 12, 2007 at 5:05 am #12856

Ok, I realized why I'm really slow, it's because my stride length is embarassing. I discovered this while trying to work on my rythm through the High Hurdles, the reason my strides are so "forced" and stretched out is because even when I was running over cones I couldn't make it through seven hurdles without really stretching. Now, I do dynamic stretching in my warmup before running, and I can squat 50 pounds over double my bodyweight, so I don't think it's a strength issue either. I know it's a little late in the season to address this, but none of my coaches have seen this until I found it out today. The only thing that I think it could be is my spikes, which are basically really really beat up middle distance spikes that cost $20 new, but I still think I should be able to three step without much of a problem.  I know some people on here don't think much of mach drills, etc. but I'm so slow that I can't imagine them actually hurting my form. So, what can I do to fix my stride length?     

[Daniel Andrews]

Daniel Andrews on March 12, 2007 at 12:36 pm #63296

I doubt it's the shoes, unless they fit improperly.  There is not much difference in mid-distance shoes and older sprint spikes.  It can be ROM problem and it can be a recruitment, summation, and synchronization problem of your muscles and the required action.  This a problem with too much lifting and not enough sprinting, or lots of lower speed running (less than 85% maximal intensity for a particular distance).  A couple of things I would look for in a tape is how your footstrikes the ground, and the angles of your limb segments till push off.  It could be a dROM problem, an eccentric strength problem, an elastic strength problem, and it could the aforementioned neuromuscular attributes.  Find out what it is and then correct, start with what is happening on the ground first, then you can move on to dROM and sequencing issues. 

How well do you perform over your first 3 hurdles?

[wisconman]

wisconman on March 12, 2007 at 11:25 pm #63297

So I should tape my running and analyze it? I don't have alot of race experience, I've ran the 110s three times, and the 100 six times, but like I said I know my stride is really poor, but in my best 110 race I felt my first three hurdles were really quick, and it was only at about my fifth hurdle that my form really broke down and I had to start really stretching to three step the whole race.

[Daniel Andrews]

Daniel Andrews on March 13, 2007 at 7:21 am #63298

Elastic and eccentric strength work are most likely what you need.

[wisconman]

wisconman on March 13, 2007 at 10:00 pm #63299

I checked my form, and I am leaning back WAY too much. I'm upright, and ridiculously straight, but my hips are far in front of my torso. As for eccentric and elastic work, is that like plyos and bounding??

[flow]

flow on March 13, 2007 at 10:15 pm #63300

plyos help,  also does regular strenth work,  overloaded eccentric work etc.
first getting your form right is the way to go.