What is better: obstacles of three or five threads? Becki Hall asks the Neuff Ambassador, Mensah Elliott
If you have the leg following the speed, strength and mobility tips of Mensah Elliott of the first part of this series, then you undoubtedly feel fast, strong and (lucky) flexible.
Then, it is time to address something that almost all masters obstacles will fight at some point: the space of obstacles constantly changing.
Three strides or five strides: The biggest challenge of Masters Hurdler!
As some of those who have been fighting with this enigma exactly 35 in September 2023, I have a slightly fortified interest in making Elliott this question. Three strides are too far. If I have five threads, the obstacles get too fast. And I have more possibilities to run a marathon (totally out of discussion) than to be able to hinder competently in both legs to allow me to four positions.
And it is a challenge with which many teachers that I know have also fought.
“Look, three positions will always be the fastest: the optimal one,” Elliott begins. “Then, before opting for five strides, try everything to get three first.”
At this point in the conversation, I had to try to hide my disappointment!
The first thing Elliott recommends trying is to “tighten obstacles.” That is, bringing them so that they are closer than the distance from the race.
“Keep the first obstacle in the first brand, which never changes, and then places the rest of the obstacles two, three or four feet inside; until they are close enough to force you to make three strides,” he explains. “Start with five or six obstacles, then add more. If you bring them close enough, you will get 12 or 13 obstacles in 100 m, or 14 or 15 in the distance of 110 m. Do this will increase your speed, your strange and resistance.”
And Elliott advises that as soon as you feel that you have to shorten or cut your step, go back the obstacles again by one more or less foot.
This is a method that can be guaranteed from the perspective of an athlete and a coach: regulate its athletes trains around obstacles that are one or more Mark’s feet.
“The absolute sausage to do is good obstacles in Marcos and have to overcome massively to bet on some,” explains Elliott.
“That affects their technique a lot. While if you bring them and you can run and hinder with a better technique, you gradually reach the point where obstacles feel too close and you can start overcoming them again.”
Elliott also recognizes that a large part of the challenge with obstacles is a lack of trust when it comes to the takeoff distance, which says it can affect its real technique.
“One thing that I have noticed, either, of Hurvas as those of my club, the S-Factor Academy, is the main leg of IS abroad instead of going directly on the obstacle; because they are mentally going to Itfe Bhaef Bhaphe to have been so many Bave, so they have been so many that have been so that they have been so that they have been so they have been so that they have been so. Look.
“That leg that goes out to the side slows you down, breaks your way and makes it more difficult to reach the next barrier. The goal is to attack the obstacle and break that leadership and generate impulse.
“It is a case of being brave enough to understand that it can take off further from the obstacle with the speed and impulse that you have already built.”
And maintaining the impulse is another problem with which the masters hurdlers can have difficulties: review the 10 obstacles in an outdoor race of 100 million obstacles or 110 million obstacles is a challenge.
“Once you have the space, to get to the end, you have to do a lot of sprints of 120 and 150 meters in the training,” he advises.
“If I had to make an obstacle race of 110 ma beginning of spring, it would have difficulties because I spend all winter training 60 meters inside. But for me, as soon as the interiors end in March, I am outside running 150 and go.”
Many masters obstacles fight to make the distance to the first obstacle; Or it is too far or too close because the distances of the obstacle have changed. What would you recommend?
Similar to three of three, there is also an “ideal” number of steps for the first obstacle. “If a Masters athlete still has the same strength and power in those first steps, and they can keep eight strides at the first obstacle, then it is better,” he says.
“I still use eight strides. Many of the young obstacles, with that, I mean international obstacles in their 20 years, now they are running only seven strides to the first obstacle. I still didn’t try it yet, but I know that M50, I’L, i’l. Closer to me.”
And obtaining that first obstacle is essential for the rest of its execution.
“For me, the first obstacle is the most important,” explains Elliott. “If your configuration is wrong, you ruin the entire race. Then you are playing to reach, and if you are running against athletes of the same caliber, it is too late to fix.”
For those who fight to make the eight positions work, there are some options.
“An option is to exchange legs in the blocks and fit in seven strides, especially if you are fighting because the first obstacle is too close,” explains Elliott.
“The other option is to adjust the block position. You don’t always have to place your hands on the exit line. One of my highest athletes fought to reach the first obstacle, so I will tolerate cleanly.”
Another adjustment can be made in the first steps.
“You Can Also Look at Your First One Or Two Strides. If the First Hurdle Is Too Far Away, Make The First Stride Big – Or The First Two Big – The Turn Over Quickly From There. Or If You’re Getting Too Close To The Tenhes, Shorts To The Dens, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts, Shorts Shorts, Sheds to the Hurorts and Hurorts, Sheds to the Hurorts, Shorts and Hurorts, Shorts To The Tenhorts and Hurorts.
And if none of the other adjustments work, moving the blocks, changing the first steps, there is one more option: but it comes with a warning.
“If the distance to the first obstacle is still too far, try nine steps. But if it does, it has to be a quick spare. Nine steps can become nine very short stretching steps, so they must be fast;
We have a lot of ghosts about the obstacles that can maintain their form while making the transition from senior’s obstacles to Masters, but how would you recommend that people who have never advanced before starting?
One of the best things in the athletics of Masters is that it attracts new people who join the community and try sport for the first time, as well as those that are already involved in athletics that assume new events when they reach 35.
As part of his voluntary role as an Ambassador of FEUFF, Elliott is passionate about encouraging other master athletes to intensify it.
So, if you have inspired, Elliott also has good advice for you.
For complete beginners, the best focus is to start by little. “Get some SAQ obstacles, keep the first in white, tighten the following and simply develop your trust,” he suggests. Instead of trying to hit three strides between obstacles, athletes must first focus on simply running between them.
“It is very unlikely that some that have never been hindered before can put them in an almost complete brand and advance in three strides,” he explains. “Just get used to running between them first, using the same lead leg every time, so maybe try five first strides.”
As you have more confidence, keep the height down but space obstacles. When you feel that you are cutting your stride, that is your signal to lift obstacles slightly, space them again and start trying three steps.
If three steps are too challenging, return to five, generate trust and then try three again. Mensah warns that increasing the height of the obstacle can also change its technique, partly the path of the path, so it is important to gradually progress.
Finding a coach who achieves knowledge can be useful, but Mensah acknowledges that obstacle coaches are rare. “Just when I was a senior athlete, there were very, very few specialized obstacles coaches,” he says. “But there are many things on YouTube, some good, others not so good, but if you stay with the basics, you will get somewhere.”
Put your mind and the body synchronized: and listen to the latter
The longevity in the obstacle is not about advancing with the same approach he was in his 20 years, it is about adapting. The mobility of prioritization, strength and intelligent training will not only keep it competitive, but will also help prevent injuries and prolong their time in sport.
“When I return after my five or six years, mentally, I was still at the place of an elite athlete. I thought I could train six days a week, as before,” he says. “So I went to the track, I made a session, I felt good. The next day, I made another session: the hamstrings were.”
It was just a tear of degree one, but kept Elliott for longer to adapt to what was accustomed. And that was the time when reality hit: recovery was not going to be as fast as it used to be. “When I was younger, something like that would delay a few days. These samples of weeks!”
HE SAYS IT TOK AROUNOUR 18 months for his brain and body to full “Sync” Up Again, For Him to listen to What His Body was counting Him and Accept That Sub Things – Like The Heavy Lifting He Spoke About In Part One Of This Art. Lined to significant, lined to significant, read, leded, leded to significanty and significant, leded, leded to significanty and signant, leded to signanty, mobility, needed more attention than ever before.
Now, Elliott is more aware of changes in his body, but he is doing everything possible to prolong his career. “I still have problems with my back,” he admits. “I have had those days in which I have hung from that with so much pain. Now I am more sensible with my training. Fortunately, I do not think I started to lose the height because of the wait yet, I think that I think I am” “” ”
And, after taking advantage of its success over the years, its advice is clear: maintain flexibility, develop functional strength and not neglect speed work. For Masters Hurdlers, success is reduced to consistency and makes the right decisions for long -term progress. Keep refining, keep improving and you will continue to clean obstacles in the coming years.