Douglas High senior sprinter A.J. Thurston hits the backstretch during his 400 meters at the Big George Invite. Thurston has the second-best 200-meter dash time in the Class 5A North at 22.53.
Photo by Carter Eckl.
Shaving tenths-of-a-second off sprint times in track and field can be a grueling process.
One of the priorities has to be how each athlete approaches training from a mental standpoint.
For Douglas senior A.J. Thurston, the buy-in over the last two track seasons has seen him rise to be one of the quickest runners in several events.
April 5, Thurston posted personal records in the 100-meter (11.22) and 400-meter dashes (51.53), taking advantage of his home track.
The mark in the 100 is the fifth-quickest time in the Class 5A North this season. His 400 is ninth.
However, the 200 is where Thurston has found the most success and, maybe by some relation, the most enjoyment.
Three days after a PR in the 100 and 400, Thurston put up a 22.53 in the 200-meter dash at the Galena Invitational.
It’s the second-quickest mark of the season in the Class 5A North and 10th fastest time in the state, regardless of classification.
“The biggest change is personal – how much I want to put into training. We have a new training program this year that has been really helpful for my speed or endurance,” said Thurston.
Staying loose
Every moment matters, even prior to the starting gun.
Douglas High assistant coach Steven Nelms, who was a track athlete at the University of Jamestown, emphasized that it’s vital for sprinters to avoid getting tense in a race.
“A lot of kids when they try to run fast, they run tight,” said Nelms. “The largest thing we’ve worked on is making sure he’s running fast, running smooth.”
Nelms is focused on everything from hand placement to shoulder tension and how to keep every limb relaxed.
It’s a delicate balance when you’re running as hard as you can, but Thurston has been able to capitalize on the training and continued to shave seconds.
Last season, Thurston was fifth at the Class 5A North regional meet with a time of 23.07.
He also competed on the Tiger boys 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams that qualified for state, taking seventh in both events.
“The main thing is power out of the blocks. Lift my arms up, getting that knee down and pacing out through the whole race,” Thurston said.
Thurston said he feels like he’s best in the 200 because there’s more to consider when it comes to race strategy.
“The way you come out of the curve makes a big difference on your last 100,” said Thurston. “I enjoy it because I like getting up to speed, I guess you could say.”
The starting blocks for the 200 directly impact how Thurston is able to most efficiently make the turn.
“As soon as you can stop running that corner and merge out to a straightaway. You’re trying to run as straight of a line as possible in that curve,” Nelms said.
His technique is working as the Tiger senior qualified for the Sacramento Meet of Champions in the 100 and 200 with his quickest times, but he’s always trying to go lower.
“I want to go lower 11’s on the 100. Sub-11 would be a dream. Low 22’s would be a dream for the 200,” Thurston said.
Playing soccer has been another way for Thurston to stay in shape, as he was the varsity goalkeeper for the Tigers the last three seasons.
This summer, he’s considering club track as a way to stay in shape and potentially see what kind of future he may find in the sport.
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