Never Quit: UM 4x400 Relay

[enisthemenace]

Good excuse to move to Iowa, they can only run in 3 events in MS.

You’re right. My bad. She didn’t run the 4x400. Open 400, open 800 and 4x800.

I didn’t know anything about track, but that seemed like a lot. Got to talking to another parent, who was more familiar and they thought it was ridiculous.

Anyway…her program got trimmed quite a bit after the first few meets. She tried LJ in practice and she did pretty well there, so they tried shorter distances.

Thank god, because I think she was close to quitting, and turns out, she can run (short sprints).

 

[VeloClone]

My daughter‘s first middle school track meet she ran the open 400, open 800, 4x400 and 4x800. I wondered if they wanted her to quit or something.

Now she’s in high school. Open 100, 4x100 and long jump

One advantage of being at a relatively smaller school in high school was I could experience a lot of things. Our coach would put together different "crack" relays for each meet. So I got to run 4x4, 4x8, sprint medley and distance medley at different times. (At that time you could do a max of 4 events so I was doing 400, 800, LJ and a relay.)

I had a great showing at the UNI Dome huge season opening meet in the long jump - my first competition ever in the event. My coach thought he had something so he started coaching me on it and I saw my performance consistently coming down. It wasn't until college when I took a coaching track and field class that I learned why. He was coaching me in the exact opposite way he should have been for the long jump. But I don't blame him. This was before the internet so resources were a little more difficult to come by and there is only so much a young coach can do by himself in coaching all of the events - especially the jumping and throwing events.

 

[BCClone]

One advantage of being at a relatively smaller school in high school was I could experience a lot of things. Our coach would put together different "crack" relays for each meet. So I got to run 4x4, 4x8, sprint medley and distance medley at different times. (At that time you could do a max of 4 events so I was doing 400, 800, LJ and a relay.)

I had a great showing at the UNI Dome huge season opening meet in the long jump - my first competition ever in the event. My coach thought he had something so he started coaching me on it and I saw my performance consistently coming down. It wasn't until college when I took a coaching track and field class that I learned why. He was coaching me in the exact opposite way he should have been for the long jump. But I don't blame him. This was before the internet so resources were a little more difficult to come by and there is only so much a young coach can do by himself in coaching all of the events - especially the jumping and throwing events.

Sometimes natural runners make for poorer coaches. They will think it’s all the runner and not understand there is more technique that can help a runner that is just a smidge off.

 

[VeloClone]

Sometimes natural runners make for poorer coaches. They will think it’s all the runner and not understand there is more technique that can help a runner that is just a smidge off.

He was definitely not a natural runner - short and stout. I didn't have a problem with him coaching my running - except for asking me to run a totally different race than I was used to in the last and biggest race of my career. Really it was setting up a hurdle at the end of the runway while practicing my long jumps so I would get more height. I learned in college that the optimum takeoff angle is around 20 degrees.

 

[Saul_T]

A high school friend/teammate & I had discussions about that (many years ago) - we agreed they're probably to 2 most grueling/challenging. He ran 400 hurdles and made it to state (I never did hurdles of any length). I did 400/4x400 and I couldn't imagine doing it while having to clear barriers.

My events were 200, 400LH, 4x400. I ran a few 800's because I wanted to see what I could do and it was a race I would have likely run in college as I wasn't tall enough to get the higher hurdles at the collegiate level.

400 Hurdles is the most mental and physically grueling event not called Steeplechase.

 

[TruClone]

Ran both for ISU and the 400H totally suck!

Also ran the 400H at ISU. I must be a bit off as I loved the race. I preferred it to the open 400. I also ran HS cross country and loved hilly courses, you definitely can squash an opponent’s confidence when you strongly pass going uphill.

 

[Antihawk240]

I’m not sure what is more grueling, 400 hurdles or open 800???

Ran them both at Iowa State. I vote 400 hurdles. Especially in college. High school the height is 30". In college they go to 36". In perspective the High School high hurdle is 39".

There is 1 event (in my opinion) worse then the 400 hurdles: the 600 meters dash. Ironically enough is what 400 hurdlers have to run most likely during indoor meets.

But regarding the Michigan Ladies 4x4. Nicely done by leg (2). I wonder if she was the anchor and the coach hollered for her to get out on the track after the crash. That would be my guess. I'm curious how much they would have won by if the fall never happened.

 

[cyclones500]

Returning to the main theme: I'm trying to figure out how many seconds the U-M lead-off runner was able to make up after the fall .... she's mostly off-camera until the handoff, which looks like it was ~6 seconds out of 3rd place (I've watched only twice so I'm estimating).

 

[Cyclone27inQC]

Also ran the 400H at ISU. I must be a bit off as I loved the race. I preferred it to the open 400. I also ran HS cross country and loved hilly courses, you definitely can squash an opponent’s confidence when you strongly pass going uphill.

I loved the High Hurdles 42" and stayed focused on those while running for ISU.

 

[cyputz]

I truly enjoyed cheering you boys on at various corners - I threw javelin.

 

[Big_Sill]

Sorry, but I guess I don't see this as that astonishing, the fall maybe cost 5 to 7 seconds in the total race. Great job by coming back, but that time loss doesn't seem all that difficult to overcome for a solid team.

 

[Antihawk240]

Sorry, but I guess I don't see this as that astonishing, the fall maybe cost 5 to 7 seconds in the total race. Great job by coming back, but that time loss doesn't seem all that difficult to overcome for a solid team.

Maybe in high school, or lower levels college. 7 seconds in a Division 1 4x400 might as well be a Day and a Half. What you witnessed was pretty significant.

 

[MnBrPg]

I ran mostly 400s and 800s in high school, but one time we ran a meet in Nebraska and I wanted to do the 300 Intermediate hurdlers. Had never hurdled before, but enjoyed trying as many events as I could. That race was pure fear and pain. I did end up trying the 400mH later that year, and while it was miserable I still found the 800 to be worse. Maybe in part just psychologic with the extra lap I guess?

 

[BCClone]

Wonder if the OSU 2 and 3 runners were not going full out since they had such a lead. It’s hard to run when there is no one there on your heals.

 

[MnBrPg]

Ran them both at Iowa State. I vote 400 hurdles. Especially in college. High school the height is 30". In college they go to 36". In perspective the High School high hurdle is 39".

There is 1 event (in my opinion) worse then the 400 hurdles: the 600 meters dash. Ironically enough is what 400 hurdlers have to run most likely during indoor meets.

But regarding the Michigan Ladies 4x4. Nicely done by leg (2). I wonder if she was the anchor and the coach hollered for her to get out on the track after the crash. That would be my guess. I'm curious how much they would have won by if the fall never happened.

I was wondering the same. It's more common to have the weakest runner at the two spot, generally speaking. She looked so strong.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Wow. They didn’t just win, they won by a landslide.

Does anyone know what the split was for Michigan's 2nd leg? She was flying.

 

[Entropy]

I was wondering the same. It's more common to have the weakest runner at the two spot, generally speaking. She looked so strong.

Agreed.
That was my spot on any relay team I've ever been on.

 

[MnBrPg]

Agreed.
That was my spot on any relay team I've ever been on.

No shame my man, that's where I was too!

 

[Saul_T]

I ran mostly 400s and 800s in high school, but one time we ran a meet in Nebraska and I wanted to do the 300 Intermediate hurdlers. Had never hurdled before, but enjoyed trying as many events as I could. That race was pure fear and pain. I did end up trying the 400mH later that year, and while it was miserable I still found the 800 to be worse. Maybe in part just psychologic with the extra lap I guess?

As a 400hurdler in a previous life, I sense your weakness through the computer. Extra lap? Pal, that's an extra lap to extend your lead!


I always lived for the last 100 meters of the hurdles. Most high schoolers don't have the lung capacity or endurance to finish strong. As long as I cleared the barrier clean, I was winning.