Gillette's Gabby Drube nears UW record in 400 hurdles

“I was surprised at my time in itself,” Drube said. “I felt good in the run, and felt like once I got over the last hurdle that I’d probably have another (personal record). I was shocked, and a bit overwhelmed, but excited with the results.”

The run comes at a time where Drube is focusing on entering meets without a goal time in mind. Drube feels she runs better when she isn’t stressing about times and has put trust into what she’s done in practice.

Running the 400 hurdles requires repetitions to master the rhythm needed for the event. The run isn’t an all-out sprint and requires finesse and timing to achieve top results.

“The event is always kind of batted around,” UW sprints coach Ben Santos said. “What’s the hardest event in track and field? The sprinters and hurdlers will probably tell you the 400 hurdle.

“You have to be tenacious and locked in. She’s the type of person to focus her effort the right way. You have to learn how to pace your effort.”

Added Drube: “I get out to the first hurdle and try to get to a point to where I’m still excelling. I want to push, but be comfortable enough to get over the hurdles and set myself up for the second half of the race.

“By the 200 mark, I want to pick up my rhythm and effort through the finish.”

Santos referenced Drube’s mentality as a key factor in what makes her a great athlete. Drube has had the success she’s had in brown and gold because of a relentless approach to get better.

He mentioned Drube being the type of athlete that always wants to know the why in what she’s doing. Drube wants to do the work required to be great, and has worked with Santos to develop a plan for consistency.

“After every race, I am thinking ‘where can I get better?’” Drube said. “And, ‘Where did I mess up? Where can I Improve?’ that helps me be more conscious throughout the race.

“Then I can tell myself, ‘Hey, this is what I’m working on here.’ I want to perfect the race so badly that I am thinking about all of those things throughout the race.”

Santos and Drube like to time her between hurdles and base expectations for the race off of those results. Drube’s expected time for the run in Fort Collins based off of practice was 58.4, meaning she was able to ideally pace herself, finishing just .01 away.

Drube also focuses on her set up for a hurdle and notes that curved hurdles are the hardest to judge.

“The goal is to set yourself up for the next hurdle,” Drube said. “If you get off balance, it’s going to be be a lot harder to keep momentum.”

She made a point to be more consistent than her sophomore season after finishing with a 59.7 in the event. Santos helped her come to the realization that she started too fast in races and forced herself out of rhythm.

Drube felt like none of her races displayed consistency last season. As a result, she’s turned to trusting the process more.

“Starting too fast would hurt her around hurdle eight or nine,” Santos said. “We look at film and get an idea of how many steps there are between each hurdle. Then, I ask why she may have been slower or faster at certain points and how she felt.”

Added Drube: “I can tell when I am practicing that almost every rep feels the same. That’s what I’ve been working so hard to master, and I think if I can continue to be more consistent, I can run in the low 58s.”

Coming into the season, Drube wanted to reach the podium at every meet and shoot for a time in the 57-second range. She understands those goals were lofty, but believes you have to aim high in Division I sports.

“She has a ways to go to reach those goals,” Santos said. “But, (she) is working and we have the plan in place. She’s ticking boxes off slowly and steadily. I’m proud of how she’s approached the goal and taken the steps to get there.”