Payton Chadwick IG Live
Track and Field Forever featured Payton Chadwick on Instagram Live on August 10th, 2020. She spoke about her training, track in general, and her life as an athlete.
Click here to start reading her advice on how to get faster.
Payton Chadwick is an elite track and field hurdler and sprinter. She competed and graduated from the University of Arkansas. She is currently a professional athlete with Asics. You can follow her on social media on Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.
Payton Chadwick Training | Image Via Instagram @payydayy
About Payton Chadwick
What events do you run?
100 meter hurdles and 200 meters.
In college, I did the heptathlon.
When did you start running track?
Fourth grade.
In fourth grade. I went to my first meet, and I did the 100m and long jump. I won both. From then on, I was like this is my sport.
I did play other sports. I didn’t start focusing on track until my sophomore year of high school. I played basketball, which I hated.
Highschool times?
100m Hurdles - 13.9 ; 200m - 24.1
Long Jump - 19’ ; High Jump - 5’6”
In high school, what meets did you go to?
All my high school meets.
Also, Texas relays, Texas A & M meets, Kansas Relays, & New Balance Nationals.
How is your training spaced out?
Because I am a sprinter & hurdler, a lot of the time I do sprint hurdler work. Maybe once a week I do something slower, like 200-meter repeats at 30 sec with 100m walk rest.
How often do you weightlift?
3 Times a Week
When do you start hurdle training for the indoor season? What month?
General training in September. Hurdles in November.
In college, I started training in September. We didn’t start hurdling until November. For pro, about the same.
Will you be at the Olympic Trials?
Yes.
I was planning to be here this year. I qualified.
We have to re-qualify for the trials next year. But, I will definitely be there.
Favorite go-to meal?
Fajita bowls.
It’s super easy. Marinate the chicken all day. Make some rice. Throw it into a bowl and whatever else I want on it.
Bacon or steak?
I like bacon.
Hardest workout?
400 meters - 300 meters - 200 meters - 100 meters.
Honestly, I’ve done a lot of hard workouts.
Probably the hardest that I’ve done was 400 meters - 300 meters - 200 meters - 100 meters. The 400 had to be 54 sec. Then, we had 10 minutes of rest. 300m at 42 sec, 200m at 27 sec, give everything at 100. We had four 100s.
At that point, you are just running. You don’t even know what’s happening.
Sprinting & Field Event Advice
Tips to be faster?
Weight room.
Getting faster happens in the weight room. Being able to lift heavy weights quicker increases your speed.
On the track, do lots of 30 meters and 60 meters sprints. Get that quickness out of the back because that's where your race starts.
Tips for running 300 meter hurdles quicker?
Running 400 meters or 200 meters.
Running lots of 400 meters, so that your endurance for the 300 is better and you will be able to run faster.
Or lots of 200 meters at full speed, like 4 x 200m with full recovery.
Being a 200 meter person, what off-season work should I do to get stronger?
Run farther than 200 m.
To run a great 200, you have to run for a farther distance than the 200m.
The 300 meters is great. Sometimes in practice, we will do a 4 x 60 meter sprint at full speed. We will get a full recovery after that. Then, we will do a full-speed 300 meter sprint. It’s super tough. But, it helps you get stronger and ready for those longer races. It also helps for 100-meter hurdles.
Best advice for long jump?
Mechanics.
Getting off the board is super important. If you are behind your hips, your jump is not going to be as good. If you are right on top of yourself as you jump off the board, you are going to jump really far.
Just like hurdles, being on top of yourself and being in the right position is what helps. So, mechanics [are really important]. Practice your long jump mechanics.
How focused should long jumpers and triple jumpers be focused on speed work compared to 100m and 200m runners?
About the same.
When Jarrion Lawson was at Arkansas, he was an amazing long jumper, and he also did sprints. I think that really, really helped him as a long jumper. It helped him be stronger and quicker down the runway.
Best advice to increase your vertical?
Plyometrics and speed jumps.
General Advice
How to balance school and track at the college level?
All about time management.
You have a lot of homework, school, practice, weights, and you have to eat in between.
The first few weeks on campus are overwhelming. But, once you are there, you start to figure out your schedule, and you can ask the older athletes questions.
Suggestions for a diet?
MacroStax App.
Get the app MacroStax. It really helps to track my Macros, and what I need on a daily basis for how much I train.
How to feel less nervous before a race?
Going out there with the confidence knowing that you’ve put the work in.
That took a lot of practice. At first in college, I was super nervous all the time before races.
But once you practice and train every single day, you know that you are putting in that work. Then, there is no reason to be worried or scared about your race because you have done it a thousand times. They prepare you for meets so you don’t have to second guess. So, really just going out there with the confidence knowing that you’ve put the work in.
The above was a summary transcript from Payton Chadwick’s IG Live on @_trackandfieldforever_ on August 10, 2020.
