In the sport of Track and Field, there are runners, jumpers, throwers, and then there are Hurdlers. What started out as a desire to do the thing few others wanted to try turned into the greatest training ground for this thing called LIFE. Being a hurdler didn’t only mean I was strong. Being a hurdler made me strong.
“Being a hurdler didn’t only mean I was strong. Being a hurdler made me strong.”
Hurdles parallel life. Here are 10 reasons being a hurdler taught be how to be successful off the track;
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Hurdles leave a scar.
Hitting a hurdle hurts. Sometimes you hit it with your knee, once, twice, repeatedly, and you bruise. Sometimes you come down on the corner of the hurdle and slice your leg, and you bleed. Other times you hit the hurdle when it’s almost behind you, and it takes your feet from underneath you, and you burn your arm, stomach, face on the track. Bruises, blood, burns can leave scars others can see. Then there are the times you hit the hurdle in the biggest moment of your life, and you stop, stumble or spill. That scar seeps deep on the inside only you can feel. Hurdles hurt. Life hurts too.
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Hurdles won’t change.
The hurdles are strong, sturdy and solid. They are meant to stay put. Hurdles don’t hurt any less the further you get in the race. They are constant. If you keep hitting the hurdle with your knee, you learn to keep your knee high. If you hit the hurdle with your back foot, you learn to bring it in tighter. If you clobber the hurdle with your lead leg, you learn to take off further away. The hurdle will always be there. You just got to get better at clearing the barrier.
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Breaking a hurdle is liberating.
Sometimes you just smash into a hurdle so fast, so hard, that it breaks. You cheer, celebrate, sign and date it, and then nail it above your bed.
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Progress takes practice, and persistence.
Hurdling is challenging at first. Confusing. Frustrating. Discouraging. Your steps are off. You’re not fast enough. Not strong enough. Your form is embarrassing. You consider something easier. But then you have a moment, a moment where it clicks. So you keep sucking. You keep screwing up. Until one day, you suck just a little bit less. Then after days upon days you notice you’ve actually gotten pretty good. Good thing you didn’t give up.
Me from high school, 2001 to college, 2006.
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Stay focused on your lane.
She is winning. The girl one lane over. So you take your eyes off the hurdles in front of you and you start watching her. You fall into her rhythm, one step behind. You never catch up. Watching another girl’s race, syncing to another hurdler’s rhythm, admiring another girl’s speed, makes you a spectator. Not a competitor. Get back in the race. Stay focused on your lane all the way to the finish line.
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Take one hurdle at a time.
If you are too focused on getting to the tenth hurdle at all cost, you won’t do the little things necessary to easily clear the hurdles in between. You’ll drop a knee, leave a dangling foot, even find yourself flat on the track. If you anticipate the finish before you’ve reached it, a hurdle will surprise you. Each hurdle demands attention and focus. You must clear the first hurdle before you reach the second hurdle. Mistakes happen when you take that for granted.
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True teammates pick you up.
A hurdle teammate isn’t like a teammate on the court. They don’t pass you the ball, play a different position, or even come off the bench to give you a breather. They run the same race. They compete against you. Even beat you. Yet their best makes you find your best. Their competition challenges you. Their victory humbles you. Ultimately they teach you that the biggest rival in a race is Y-O-U. A hurdle teammate sees you fall, picks you up, and says “Let’s do this!” So you do. And it’s pretty sweet.
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Little things make a big difference.
0.001 is the difference between victory and defeat. You literally sweat the small stuff.
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Discipline determines destiny.
You watch film, analyze every aspect of your form, and experiment with new techniques to improve your finesse and foot speed. You sit in hurdle position while watching TV and work on your flexibility. You spend summer on the track, training, preparing, dreaming. You spend offseason in the weight room increasing your power, confidence. Every ounce of you disciplined to your craft.
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You must get back up!
Every hurdler falls. Every. Single. One. But not every hurdler gets up. Staying on the track, sulking in ‘what-if’s’ and ‘why me’s’, walking away, all of it is the same as defeat. You must get back up. You must try again and again and again. No one said hurdling was easy. But it is worth it. You are worth it. So get back up!
Whether competing or coaching, hurdling has always been bigger than one race.
What has being a hurdler taught you?
Please share with all your successful hurdle friends!
Play Now, Play YOU!
XO, Coach D
*Special thanks to Andrea Rouw and Tony Sehman for the great pictures.
**Always a special thanks to my talented, beautiful, successful hurdlers, pictured or not!
Sydney, my heart will be on your shoulder this season. You have worked on every task you have faced and you are always at your best. Not only physical challenges but mental challenges as well. Work hard and keep your head hi! I love you! Your coach must be a remarkable heartfelt person.
Grandma and Snickers