Cross Country

[nzsprinter]

yeah , xc would definately not be the best for pole vaulting , someone stated before volleyball etc .. would be a lot better.. because in cross country your muscles are converting your fast twitch fibres to long twitch , i think... and thats not where you want to go , if you want to have a good explosive jump and be accelerating on your last three steps. As Becca stated before if you want to specialise in pole vault; XC would not be the best of events, but i did XC in high school, and i'm a sprinter... it helped in 400m tremendously, and it was fun.

[zack]

Actually, you can't actually convert slow twitch to fast twitch or fast to slow. You're born with a certain number of each and what training does is recruit more muscle fibers. So sprint training would recruit more FT fibers and train them to contract and relax faster while distance running does the same for ST fibers. So it all depends on what you're born with and how well you use it.

[Robert schmitt]

Basically between PVjunkie and lonestar you have covered it wonderfully . Running cross country would only help if you wanted to run the steeple chase and vault over the steeplechase barriers .

Zach: For along time it has been belived and taught that you cann't train to change the type of muscle fiber you have. Unitll three to five years ago it was discovered that you could actually change the type of muscle fibers from slow twitch to fast twitch and visa versa. It is not to a huge extent. You'll never be able to train a world-class sprinter into a Kenyan distance runner. But the fact is the more you work out stresses aerobic/endurance activity, the more your body is going to adapt to that training by building up the slow twitch fibers and converting some fast twitch to slow twitch . What’s worse is you've trained your body to rely on/use the slow twitch muscle fiber over the fast twitch when you run. Yes, even though you are sprinting .

It also really messes up sprinting mechanics . A lot of speed can be learned through proper sprinting form , as lonestar stated. I had a sprint coach explain it to me like this-sprinting is like shooting a free throw. You give anyone a ball and tell them to throw it at the rim; they will get it close and make a few. Just like you can tell some one to run and they will be able to run, but not nearly as fast as they are capable of. Just like in vaulting, there is a lot of technique involved in shooting a basketball consistently, and there is a lot of technique involved in sprinting. As a tall lanky youth I also used to be a long distance runner in high school and it was not until college when I was training with the sprinters that I learned how to run and run fast. I dropped from a 4.7 40-yard dash to a 4.39. I have a lot of form running and drills to thank for that. I also stopped getting stress fractures in my legs after I learned to sprint correctly.

Yes, cross-country does get you into shape more than not doing anything all year. However, I think you would be much better served if you are concerned about the vault by doing pole runs, 100m dashes, and a lot of imitative gymnastics in the off season, Running long distance just works against just about everything you work so hard to do in the vault.

Actually, I do have cross-country to thank for that. My junior year of college myself, another vaulter, and four sprinters went out for cross-country so we could be coached and trained in our events. At the time there was no rule as to how you had to train for cross-country so our workouts were sprinting and vaulting!! We did have to run one race though. The other team was all packed up and just about to leave as we finished the race.

[Robert schmitt]

High School is so much fun to coach Last year I had this discussion with the head coach and distance coach at the school I coach at. Our best female vaulter had decided to run the 2mi b/c she wanted to do more for the team. After explaining what I just explained above to her. Essentially that by training for the two mi you will be really working against your best event. I get two phone calls from the head coach and distance coach. Telling me that I don't make decisions I'
m just the vault coach!!! We'll in the first place I never told her not to run cross country I just told her it is going to really effect her vaulting. esp since the two mi is usually when she would be vaulting at the higher cross bars.

I just needed to vent that out it's been brewing inside me for 9 months now.

[jmayesvaultmom]

We have had an on-going battle between coaches here too. Her cheer coach has them run a 3 mile route twice a week. The good part is that the closer she gets to her competition season, they drop off some of the distance running and just do 17's and red lines in the gym. The workouts that Jodie does for gymnastics team and diving team both work in favor of pole vaulting, but long distance running does not . We had been told the same thing about slow twitch vs fast twitch muscles.

[PvaultinGirl]

i really do value everyone's oppinions and all but i would never change my mind about cross country no matter what you all said. IT'S ALL I HAVE LEFT! GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS! pole vaulting was taken away in my county just recently and NO there are'nt ANY vault clubs nearby and NO ONE is going to help me find a place to vault because NO ONE around my area seems to care. therefore, the only fun thing left for me (and a potential scholarship possibly too) is XC. i have no reason to run track anymore and by keeping you "in shape" i ment IT'S GOOD FOR YOU! It keeps WEIGHT down! i said nothing about xc helping to get people "in shape" for pole vault. a lot of you people obv. haven't run xc before because i don't think that you would be saying all of those things if you had. CONCLUSION: Please don't talk badly about things that you have never tried before. it really is a great sport even if it is nothing like pv.

[Robert schmitt]

Robert Schmitt wrote:

High School is so much fun to coach

[PVJunkie]

Ya know pvaltingirl no one is trying to change your mind. I ran in high school and had a 5k best of 15:15 which got me tons of letters from colleges. Then i found beer. Not really, I just decided i liked to vault more than run. My choice. No one is knocking cc its just that this is a pole vault forum so you are going to be a minority here. I am sure on the distance boards they knock the pole vaulters of the world. The point we were making was simple......distance running is not good for your vaulting.......not that it was bad as a whole. I tell high schoolers all the time to do as many sports as they want cause they wont get that chance in college. So join the chess team and be a cheerleader (now theres an activity for failed gymnasts!!) and enjoy your teen years!!! By the way did i mention that you may have to grow old but you dont have to grow up!!

nothing posted on this site so far has been personal except maybe the girlfriend for Fairbanks..........and hey he needs all the help he can get from what i hear. So just read post and learn.

later, B

[jmayesvaultmom]

What does failing at gymnastics have to do with playing chess????

[PVJunkie]

I was talkin about the cheerleading..............please dont get me started on THAT topic..........my soapbox for that one is so big I need a forklift to haul it out, and if it comes out..........well lets just say it aint pretty. Of course it is just my extremely tainted opinion so.........

later, Bryan

ps - I actually have a level of respect for those who play chess.

[jmayesvaultmom]

Don't get your "fur" up...hahaha Actually if it weren't for cheerleading, Jodie wouldn't have ever started vaulting. She wanted the fun of it and being with friends and when she tried out for cheer, her USAGF coaches told her she couldn't compete team gymnastics anymore because they wouldn't let level 9's and 10's do cheer. So I talked her into trying pole vaulting.... and now she is where she is.... She never failed at gymnastics...she still competes high school gymnastics and was the State Champion on floor last year and second on vault (while also cheering and pole vaulting) anyway... Don't worry...you don't have to drag out your soapbox

[wacky274]

cheerleading? lol, i'm sorry, thats hilarious....i prefer the term "athletic supporter" for cheerleaders