Athletics Weekly – July 03, 2019

PERFORMANCE HOW THEY TRAIN: CHRIS McALISTER

seconds? However, as my hurdling

improves, the less I would expect

my differential to be.

AW: What are your strengths at

400m hurdles?

CM: I am getting good at running

even races which I put down to the

hard winter endurance sessions

and relaxing at high speed.

AW: What do you need to work

on some more?

CM: I really need to sort out my

arms over the hurdles. We are

working on it slowly but surely.

AW: What have been the

significant milestones in your

career?

CM: I came into athletics quite late

and I wasn’t a great junior. In my

first year of 400m hurdles I won

the English Schools out of nowhere

really, PB-ing by 1.1 seconds in

the final to nick it. I got a few age

group medals at under-23 level

but otherwise my next major

achievement was probably fourth at

the British Championships last year

and a win in a PB at the Manchester

International.

AW: Do you have any role

models in the sport?

CM: I look up to athletes like John

Akii-Bua (1972 Olympic champion

from Uganda) for the adversity he

went through to make it to the top.

I was also lucky enough to have

a couple of chats to Kriss Akabusi

(UK record-holder with 47.82) last

year who I admire a lot. He gave me

some tips for the event and I hope

to chat to him a bit more to get

some more.

In current athletics it’s all about

Wayde van Niekerk for me. The guy

is all class on and off the track.

AW: Were you a little awestruck

when you had the chance to

run in the Stockholm Diamond

League? (McAlister ran 51.32 in

a non-Diamond League points

scoring race).

CM: Going to Stockholm was a

great experience. It was organised

last minute but being around the

stars was very inspiring. Racing in

the 1912 Olympic Stadium was

incredible. What an arena!

AW: What are your plans for the

rest of the season?

CM: I’m currently in training for a

few weeks before another race block

in July and August. I’m looking to

peak for the British Championships

and will be giving the Doha standard

(49.30) a go in some quick races

over the next few months.

AW: Do you follow a specific

nutrition plan?

CM: No, my diet primarily aims to

get my body all of the fuel it needs

and not worry too much about

being perfect. I eat my vegetables

but I am also quite partial to a Twix

or even a Corona in the summer.

I have obsessed about diet in the

past but it’s not really healthy. We

burn a lot of calories as athletes so

we need to put them back in.

AW: How do you deal with race

nerves?

CM: I think nerves are all about

the unknown ... if something is

unfamiliar to you, you’ll probably

be nervous about it. What I do to

combat nerves is to practice as

close to my race pace as I can so

it feels comfortable. I try and get

myself in good races so that, after a

while, it becomes familiar and then

I can relax and succeed.

AW: What are the key physical

requirements you need when

running 400m hurdles?

CM: I think you need to have a work

ethic to build up the endurance

and put the time into getting your

race right. A bit of speed helps too of

course but most time is lost in the

race in the last 100m so work on

that speed endurance.

AW: What advice have you got

for young athletes wanting to

do long hurdles?

CM: Give it a go! After a few

sessions and races you’ll really

start to get your rhythm and enjoy it.

Also “I can’t hurdle” isn’t an excuse.

Neither could I when I started.

n Follow Chris McAlister on

Twitter @chris_mac16 or

Instagram Chrismac400h

Chris McAlister (left): with

current training partner

Jacob Paul (centre) and

Jack Houghton at the

BUCS Champs in 2016

MARK SHEARMAN

Chris McAlister’s training

Winter

Monday: long track reps, 600m x 5 decreasing in

reps but increasing in speed over winter (average

about 87sec progresses to 600m x 3 by the end).

Tuesday: tempo 200s at ~70% off varying short

recovery

Wednesday: 300m x 6 off 3min ~80%

Thursday: weights – programme varies but

includes cleans, split squat, step ups 3 x 4

Friday: varying speed work and four stride

(alternate leg) hurdles

Saturday: varying aerobic grass runs and

circuits

Sunday: rest

Summer (race week)

Monday: long hurdles – work off

long recovery at race pace eight

hurdles x 3 and fast cleans @70kg

Tuesday: 200m tempo – usually

x6 off short recovery

Wednesday: fast hurdles, full

recovery – either first five hurdles

x 2 or last five hurdles x 2 both race

pace and stride pattern

Thursday: rest/stretch

Friday: warm-up

Saturday: compete

Sunday: jog and stretch