What can I run for the steeplechase?

I have basically the same PRs as you. Depending on your hurdling you could probably go 9:40, but if you hurdle like me it could be more like a 10 flat.

We have two Steeplers on the team. One ran indoor 3k in 8:20 and steeple in 8:50. The other ran 8:25 and 9:20. So it would appear that you can run between 30 and 60 seconds slower than your 3k. Most guys who don’t steeple would be more than 60 seconds off but I am assuming that you wouldn’t be attempting if you were inflexible and uncoordinated.

Don't know until you try. AND...........................gotta run more than once....Some great runners just can't manage the event. Other seem to have a knack for it.

I ran a horrendous first steeple.....around 10:20 with a few swims in the water jump. Swore on my bruised knees and wounded ego that I would never do it again.

Coach needed points later in the season and threw me in another. 9:35 and I got excited about contributing and improving.

The first Steeple a year later 9:01.............and continued to improve in subsequent years.

FYI

What were your 3k an5k PRs? He is trying to gauge his level.

The rule of thumb is generally 30 seconds added on to your 3k time (again, generally speaking). Though, really great hurdlers experience only an additional 20 seconds or so added on. With this being your first steeple and assuming you’re decent, but novice at hurdling I would assume about a 33 second add-on time-wise.

It’s sort of hard to estimate as others have said because some have a knack for it more than others. Also, runners coming from different event disciplines fair off differently from others. I prefer to think that great milers who are decent at cross country seem to do better in the steeplechase. Are athletic enough to hurdle efficiently and have his strength to hold on. Others believe that great cross country runners with average at best miles do best in the steeple. Hard to tell really

This is quality advice, thank you. It sounds like I just have to run one and find out what I am capable of doing!

rickjames wrote:

This is quality advice, thank you. It sounds like I just have to run one and find out what I am capable of doing!

Truer for the steeple than any other race.

Two pieces of advice:

Learn to lead comfortably with either leg. Regaining speed after stuttering will suck the life out of you if you’re doing it a lot. And it is much more tiring to clear a barrier when going slowly than when cruising up to it in stride. There are many good drills for becoming “two footed”.

The first 1000 always feels easy. That will change dramatically with 1000 to go, so be mentally ready for 3 challenging minutes.

Probably faster than Coebra, and he's planning on going to the OT!

9:31 for 2 miles the first year then Indoors the following year 9:16........

During practice I notice when I go over hurdles, I stutter step a lot. How do I minimize stutter stepping before clearing the barrier?

I ran my first steeplechase today in 10:16. Wow that was difficult! I fell twice in the water jump. I think if I improve on the water jump and technique my time will go down. How do I improve my water jumps? As that is my weakest part of the steeplechase.

Your coach should be the one answering these questions for you.

So as not to ruin your ankles and knees by doing too many bad water jumps, I would recommend dragging a barrier to the end of the long jump runway and try practicing water jumps into sand. There is basically no penalty for royally screwing up, and you don't have the fear that I find so often keeps people from having good water jumps. Remember that no matter how bad you feel, always speed up and really charge and attack the water jump.

I guarantee you'l be way faster in your second steeple. The improvement curve is for whatever reason very far from linear in the steeple.

Sorry for the double post, but what were your splits?

faronixx wrote:

Sorry for the double post, but what were your splits?

I know the steeple was hard for your first one, but it is similar to the 8k in XC where it really does get better with experience and time improves dramatically. Some people pick it up quick, some it takes time. I have two people like that this year. One guy ran 9:58 3200 in HS and only started at 9:50s but has dropped down to under 9:10 now. Girl ran 12:00 in JC last year and has dropped to 10:40s. Those are extreme examples, but what I am trying to say is that it will come with time.

To the posters saying that milers make good steeplers...I think they make the BEST ones, but most don’t have the strength to hang on. I feel like if you train as a 5000m runner and get decently efficient as a steepler, you are going to do well. Whatever you can roll for your 3200m is what you can do for the steeple if you train from that way. Get a guy in 14:30 shape, he is going to potentially break 9:00.

quick reference: add 30 seconds to your 3200 time

given the times you mentioned at the top: I give you 10:05 for the first one

I did the ole' steeple in college...first thing, if you are having trouble with stutter stepping into the barrier make sure you consciously speed up going into the barrier; this will help. I, unfortunately, could never do a full hurdle with either foot forward and this was my trick to getting it right.

Stepping on top of the barriers (excluding the water) will slow you down. Try to hurdle all if you can, if you're in a big crowd you might have to step on top. However, I lost a race because I was very tired at the end and decided to step on the last barrier and was kicked down by a guy who hurdled it.

For practicing the water pit: you don't want to always be practicing it on the actual water pit as it will mess with your legs and ankles...the pit is pretty steep and you don't want to injure yourself. We always placed a barrier at the edge of the long jump pit and practiced jumping out from the barrier and then landing in the soft sand. A few reps of this multiple times per week will help a lot.

For practicing hurdling: make sure you are doing a lot of flexibility exercises and stretching. Don't practice with the actual barrier, because if you clip it or mess up, it's gunna hurt and maybe end your seasons. Practice with regular hurdles that are more forgiving.

Disagree with this part--it's ok to fill up the water jump once per week for the athletes. have your assistant coach strategically put cones in different areas that force you to move around--or have injured teammates stand in the water or in front of the barrier. This teaches real-world scenario reaction timing that you cannot get in a long jump pit.

yes to this point. also, doing the hurdle mobility routines will help greatly with hip strength and flexibility.

steepsteeple wrote:

quick reference: add 30 seconds to your 3200 time

given the times you mentioned at the top: I give you 10:05 for the first one

No, you don’t add 30 seconds to 3200m time unless you are absolutely horrible at steepling. Most 8:59 steeple chasers could run maybe about 8:59 for 3200m. They don’t run 8:29. You don’t need to be that fast to run “good” times for college athletes. The event lacks a lot of depth (like the 10k) because everyone wants to do the 1500/5k. If you are a 14:25 5k guy and can hurdle decently, I would say do the steeple and get your regional mark. Many coaches at major conferences find new life in runners who are stagnating at standard distances by turning them into steeplers. There isn’t any shame in that either. That’s just how it is.

If you are 5k strong, take your 5k pace and subtract 2 seconds per lap. Add that up to a 3200m time, get good at hurdling, and go get into a good race.