PP42's Senior Year Training Blog

[KirkB]

... My downfall was that I was healthy. If I had been in more pain, I would have qualified for States.

Convoluted logic ... I'm not buying it!

Thanks for everyone's help and support!

You're welcome. You have my unconditional support ... as always. Too bad you couldn't get any higher, but don't beat yourself up about it. Live and learn.

Kirk

[powerplant42]

Convoluted logic ... I'm not buying it!

It was mostly sarcastic. (But not completely... I would have been running slower if I had hurt more! But still, the bigger error was not jumping at 10'6", changing poles, or jumping on a pit earlier that week.)

You're welcome. You have my unconditional support ... as always. Too bad you couldn't get any higher, but don't beat yourself up about it. Live and learn.

[superpipe]

PP,

You are obviously obsessed with the pole vault. That's awesome and I hope you continue to pursue training and jumping. Don't take this the wrong way, but unless you have some genetic disorder/s, you have absolutely been training incorrectly during your high school years. Injuries happen for a reason and you have had far too many, especially for a young athlete. You seem to know what has to happen pretty well in the vault, but training and how to get there correctly, is much more difficult (This is also what defines true excellence in coaching ). If you continue training and jumping, which I assume you will and should, you really need to fix your training methods ( everything from what, where, when and how ) in the vault.

DJ always talks about using longer runs in the vault for extremely good reasons. One thing I've noticed from your posts is you are way too obsessed with short run vaulting ( maybe this was due to your constant injuries ). Guys that can clear 16' from a 5-left sure didn't get there from only ever using a 5-left and sure don't use a 5-left as their competition approach run. You need to be working a 6-left, at minimum, for a competition vault alot more. Of course this means you need to work on approach run mechanics to handle longer runs, but the fact is, you need to generate speed to vault high.

Good luck with your post high school vaulting.

[powerplant42]

I messed up my back before (and early during) high school.

The injuries are what keep me on short runs. Before I initially hurt my hamstring, I was on full runs probably a bit too much.

Since I have gotten hurt, I have neglected my strength training. You know I talk all the time about the importance of technical training far exceeding that of strength development for younger athletes, but I did not apply the concept of "what is technically desired must be physically possible" to being able to sprint and take off, not even sprint and take off correctly, just sprint and take off at all. A nice plant doesn't do much good when your take-off leg cramps up during and after every serious vault. If I had strengthened my hamstrings more, I am sure that there would not have been nearly as much of a problem. (I'm going to go lift in just a few minutes actually!)

At least I had fun... and learned a lot.

[vault3rb0y]

Hey dude

my back got jacked up this year too. Turns out, I didn't have enough base training and improper running and vaulting mechanics, which caused some muscle imbalances, etc etc, my lower back was killing me. So before you stress the importance of technical ability over physical prowess when you get to college, realize that you can't paint a beautiful picture without a big enough palate. Becoming a better athlete starts with learning how to stay injury free, and following some rules in your training too. I would suggest running 9-12 miles a week and doing basic lifts until you start in the fall. Being injured is not an excuse, it just suggests improper training. Then, there are injuries you can fight through and those you can't. Gotta learn the difference. Just remember that the best athletes aren't the ones that need to be told to keep vaulting or running, they are the athletes that need to be held back and kept from doing too much. The highly motivated ones that can shut off their minds and just do what they are told are always gonna be most successful. Get in touch with your coach, but yo definitely need to get a solid base before fall. And if you aren't going to listen to what your coach wants you to do, save yourself the pain of 4 frustrating years and quit now. If you don't trust your coach to take care of you, you will have a repeat of high school. He/she is not petrov or launder, but that doesn't mean they can't help you improve. But it will only happen if you trust them. If you want to argue over training techniques with your coach, you will probably get kicked off, and if they don't kick you off you will get free reign just like you did in high school. How did that turn out? Sorry bud

[rainbowgirl28]

PP, you need to assume that they are going to overtrain the heck out of you this fall. Remember college track usually starts practicing in August or September.

It will be more running and lifting and everything than you have ever done in your life. Vaulterboy's advice is right on. You need to spend the summer getting a little mileage in, because you need to get your body strong enough to handle the running workouts of the fall. You need to spend time in the weight room all summer, and also do a ton of body weight exercises. Doing the high bar stuff is fine, but it should be secondary at this point.

All of that just to try and avoid getting injured in the fall, because if you get injured in the fall you will probably have a crappy season and you'll probably get cut from the team at some point. Walk-ons are counted in Title IX totals, most schools can't afford to keep that many males on the team.

You also need to get mentally prepared to stop thinking for yourself. You need to be willing to trust what they are doing 100%.



This is assuming your walk-on spot is secure regardless of PR. If they told you that you need to jump 13' to walk-on, then you'd better work on that, but from the way you talk it sounds like they are willing to give you a chance as-is.

[KirkB]

3P0 and RG's advice aside, I wouldn't dive straight into hard training just yet. You need some time off to let your body recuperate ... from whatever's been ailing it. Maybe in the short term, a rest is better than MORE hard training. Just saying.

The other thought I have is about getting hungry. This can occur if you take some time off ... maybe not the full summer, but SOME weeks (not days or months). You MIGHT benefit from missing PV so much that you'll be all that much more hungry to get back into it in prep for college ... so much so that you'll "turn over a new leaf" and train SMARTER rather than harder.

I realize I'm being vague ... purposely ... you need to work out the details of this in your own head.

Just saying.

Kirk

[powerplant42]

Really, I have been "taking time off" for a few weeks already. I don't call withdrawing from meets after just a few heights because of my leg not being able to take more speed "vaulting". And I haven't touched a pole since last Saturday. I'll take next week off too, at least no pole-work... It's super-busy anyway.

I'm doing a lot of low weight reps with my hamstrings right now, mostly RDL type things. Some light squats, might start throwing some upper-body in there.

Moving my high-bar to my friend's house soon!!! I'm actually moving to Kentucky at the end of June.

[powerplant42]

I'm going to make a new thread in a few weeks, but what does everyone think of these goals...? Am I micro-managing a bit too much?

Freshman year – 13’9” indoor, 14’6” outdoor
Sophomore year – 15’ indoor, 15’8” outdoor
Junior year – 16’ indoor, 16’6” outdoor
Senior year – 16’9” indoor, 17’ outdoor

[rainbowgirl28]

I think your goal should be staying healthy and not getting cut from the team. If you can achieve those two things, the heights should take care of themselves.

[powerplant42]

I wrote this down in my log the other day when I was outlining goals:

"Firstly, stay healthy. Don’t miss more than one or two meets due to injury. Don’t miss more than 10 practices in all four years due to injury. Ice, stretch, elevate, compress, and massage anything that needs it DAILY."

[rainbowgirl28]

I wrote this down in my log the other day when I was outlining goals:

"Firstly, stay healthy. Don’t miss more than one or two meets due to injury. Don’t miss more than 10 practices in all four years due to injury. Ice, stretch, elevate, compress, and massage anything that needs it DAILY."

Why are you so injury-prone and what are you going to do about it?