Profile


Name: James Webster
PB: 400mh 52.41
Event/Distance: 400m Hurdles
Achievements:  Represented England, 4x British Universities Medallist, English Schools Silver, National U20 Bronze, 4x Northern Champion



About you


How did you to get into running?
I’ve always been sporty and mainly played football growing up. In my first year of high school, I went to a hurdles club because I was relatively fast and thought it looked fun! We had to race to see who got into the athletics team. I won that, was selected for the team and went on to win my first race. It was a sprint hurdles race on a grass track and I’ll never forget that winning feeling which hooked me in.
I trained at my local club after that race with Nev Jones who became an incredibly important part of my life. I kept improving and started to take it more seriously.
When I was 16 I moved from sprint hurdles to 400m hurdles because clearly there wasn’t enough lactic acid in my life! I finished my first 400m hurdles race in 62.7 seconds, then through the years managed to bring it down to 52.21!
I’ve had the opportunity to train with some incredible coaches and training groups throughout my athletics career and I’ve learnt so much from all of them.
Describe what a typical training week looks like for you?

Pre and post lockdown training has looked considerably different for me, but if I were doing normal sessions, my training week would look like this:
Monday: Non-running aerobic session i.e. Watt bike session
Tuesday: 3x6x150 (50m walk recovery, 10 mins between sets)
Wednesday: Gym Session, similar to Sunday + a few plyos
Thursday: Hill runs
Friday: Rest Day
Saturday: Lactic - 3x runs to hurdle 8
Sunday: Big gym session - olympic lifts, squats and a variety of other core and specific strengthening.
I’ve been training on my own so it’s nice to have the freedom to pick my own sessions and listen to my body to decide what sessions I need to do, so the typical week will vary quite a lot!


What are your goals for the 2021 year?
The aim for 2021 has to be to get back under 53 seconds for 400m hurdles. I’ve also thought about stepping up to the 800m so it would be fun to run a good time over that distance!
I always love running at the British Champs so running in those champs which will also be the Olympic Trials would be an aim as well as getting some races abroad.


How would you encourage people to get involved in your sport or keeping active in general?
 
While you do need some technical training to start out with hurdles, the best thing about our sport is all you really need is a pair of trainers!
For me consistency is the key. Starting out can seem unrewarding initially but there’s always a moment where it clicks, you just have to be patient for that moment.
 

About RT Kit



What were your initial thoughts on the kit when it arrived?
 
I knew I’d made a good choice as soon as I opened the kit. They came in separate packaging with a personal note which was really nice to see. The colours stood out immediately and taking them out of the bag I could feel the quality of the material! I was just excited to give it a run out!
How does it feel and look once you put your kit on?
 
It’s exactly the type of kit I needed! The quality is fantastic. It’s lightweight, comfortable and looks amazing. The long sleeve top I received has thumb-holes as well which I always love.
 
What type of training would you wear this kit for?

The best thing about this kit is I can wear it for all my sessions. I received a t-shirt, a long sleeve top and a hooded jacket. Now that it’s warm, the t-shirt is ideal but when it gets colder I can use all three layers. The jacket is great because it really keeps the wind out. I’ve trained in the kit in the sun, wind and rain at its been great in all conditions! I even wear the kit around the house because its so comfortable!
 
You can follow James' journey via instagram here: @jwebster400h
December 04, 2020 — admin