Hurdling without rhythm is like trying to dance the tango with two left feet— indeed disastrous. Since the hurdle race has several different components to rhythm, athletes with high cadence typically make great hurdlers. A hurdler’s rhythmic stride pattern begins the moment they take their first step out of the blocks. In hurdle races, the…
Archives for stride length
Running Cadence
It is well known by scientists through academic studies, and with coaches working in the field, that the two measurable factors that determine speed of performance in an endurance runner are stride length and stride frequency. A common term for stride frequency is cadence, and this word refers to the rate of leg gait cycling…
The Human Stride
The human foot is designed to only do two things, propel the body forward and absorb the shock of doing so. The center of mass of the body must balance itself on a broad, saddle-shaped pelvis that distributes the weight of the organism equally on either side of the sagittal plane straight down to…
Why Usain Bolt Is So Fast
In past articles, I have discussed why stride length and stride frequency should never be taught directly. That they are byproducts of what really determines speed: The amount of force applied to the ground, as well as the length of time and the direction it is applied. To get a clearer understanding of what force…
Young Sprinters Struggle with Erectile Dysfunction
Young Sprinters Struggle with Erectile Dysfunction by Marc Mangiacotti, Brown University Sprints/Hurdles As soon as you read “erectile dysfunction” you probably thought about a problem some men have as they grow older. For them…there is a blue pill to help fix their dilemma. Young sprinters struggle with a different type of erectile dysfunction. Youngsters…
Don’t teach this…
I was on the phone last night with Harvard University sprints/hurdles coach Marc Mangiacotti. He had just returned from his Conference Championship where he got some outstanding results with his sprinters and hurdlers. His top sprinter won both the 100 and 200 with personal bests. Ultimately, his success came down to finally showing patience during the…