Come-back stories!!!

A forum to discuss overall training techniques, nutrition, injuries, etc. Discussion of actual pole vault technique should go in the Technique forum.
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izzystikchik
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Come-back stories!!!

Unread postby izzystikchik » Sun Jul 23, 2006 11:52 pm

Anyone have any come-back stories from injuries or slumps? Doesn't have to be a miracle story or anything big like that. Just thinking this section could use some inspirational motivation. Don't be shy :)



...I also need some encouragement for my come-back from an ankle injury that happened when running through a vault at an away meet. A break that probably lasted a 10th of a second had cost me 2 months on crutches, 4 doctors, 2 sugeons, rehabbing for the last month, getting screwed by insurance for costs cuz my school screwed up, and one ugly scar. On a lighter note the man who fixed me, Michael Pinzur (highly recommened ankle/sports specialist) told me i could make full recovery :D

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Unread postby JumpinSkiing » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:14 am

Well, last year, my freshman year, I had a great year, started track and started doing well, Pole Vault was great, went up to 10'6", this year, soph year, at the beginning of the season I was psyched for pole vault, thinking I could fly this year, well, practices started and I couldn't make ANYTHING, 9 feet looked like an insurmountable wall. I almost threw in the towel then, because I have a bunch of other events I do. I stuck with it, and started flying, going up to 12'6" consistently. These heights sound low, but they're up there in my state, 12'6" got 4th at states, and now for next year, junior year, i'm the top returner.

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Unread postby vault3rb0y » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:02 am

well ok ive done one already and hope to do another this coming thursday.
1.) 8th grade i started jumping, and the best modified jumper was at 7'6. Everyone told me "oh its harder than it looks, if i were you i would hope for 7'. Well that pumped me up and although i started getting some massive shin splints i worked hard and ended up stiff poling 9'3 for the modified record :-P.

And now.... i just moved to arkansas to get some real work done with the vault, and ive improved tremendously. However none of my improvement has been recorded in a real PR since indoor, so i was looking for one. and now just last week i sprained my ankle and it still bothers me somewhat. I couldnt walk on it the first 3 days, and this is now day 7. This wouldnt matter however the Empire State Games are this thursday and i have a shot of winning if i can stay healthy. Wish me luck and hopefully ill come back with a real inspirational story!
The greater the challenge, the more glorious the triumph

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Unread postby LHSpolevault » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:35 pm

izzystikchik wrote:Anyone have any come-back stories from injuries or slumps? Doesn't have to be a miracle story or anything big like that. Just thinking this section could use some inspirational motivation. Don't be shy :)



...I also need some encouragement for my come-back from an ankle injury that happened when running through a vault at an away meet. A break that probably lasted a 10th of a second had cost me 2 months on crutches, 4 doctors, 2 sugeons, rehabbing for the last month, getting screwed by insurance for costs cuz my school screwed up, and one ugly scar. On a lighter note the man who fixed me, Michael Pinzur (highly recommened ankle/sports specialist) told me i could make full recovery :D


Keep your confidence girl and you'll be fine :D Good luck.

Last August I blew out my knee, tearing my ACL and my lateral meniscus... had surgery in October, couldn't start using a treadmill until February (track started in March), and couldn't start sprinting full speed until practice started. Worked my way back into vaulting, broke my school record about a month into the season (12'3"), then again at the end of the season the week at sectionals. (12'6").

And now I'm trying to deal with the lateral meniscus again, as it was torn again a few weeks ago..

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Unread postby hallvaulter » Sun Jul 30, 2006 5:03 pm

Well, this may be somewhat over the top. But here goes...

Indoor season went great for me, jumped a lot of 16's and finished off with a fourth place finish at NIN and an Indoor State win at NSR. Then outdoor season started and it got off to a not so good start with a bad meet for me down at Texas Relays. I kept going and nothing really felt right, back pain, couldnt plant the pole, so on. I ended up only being able to jump from 10 steps, and jumped decent for most of outdoors, with TONS and TONS of run throughs, something just didnt feel right. After an amazing indoor season for me, the best jump I had gone outdoors was 15'9''. The further the season went on, the more things got out of whack, and the more pain I felt in my back while running and planting the pole. Lead to more run throughs. By the time I got to sectionals, I could not even put a pole up from 6 steps, mental, physical, I dunno, but it was bad. I ended up starting at 12'6'' and making it on my third attempt to barely get through to the regional meet. Regionals I pulled myself together to make qualifying for state at 14'4'' from 10 steps. Then the whole week before state I knew I was gonna have to move back to a longer approach to even stand a chance. So I ended up somehow figuring something out for state, and made it back to a long approach. Warmups at state went really well, I was ready for a big jump. Started at 15 and missed on my first cause I blew through. Second made 15 clean. I passed 15'3'' and came back in at 15'6'', on my first and second attempt I got hit really bad from being under and bailed. On my last attempt I was still under about a foot and a half, but somehow managed to muscle the jump. Things began to not feel so right after that, then my first two attempts at 15'9'' I ran through :o , and once again came back for a third attempt make. With two competitors left the bar went to 16, me losing on attempts so far. I made 16 on my first and clenched the state championship in the pole vault. :yes: Then the next week I went to the doctor to get all checked out about all the pain I had been having. I found out that I had broken my back (A bi-lateral pars fracture on L4) The doctor told me that I could continue jumping with pain and probably have to quit in a year, or I could have surgery and be able to jump again. EASY DECISION! I had surgery very promptly after the state meet and have been recovering ever since. Healing is going VERY well and I cant wait to start jumpin again!

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Unread postby vaulter870 » Sun Jul 30, 2006 8:32 pm

now if that story dosnt SCREAM insperational i dont know what dose.those indiana boys are a little crazy but man a broken back and still jumping. gotta love what we will do to be good
If you cant do it right , do if 10000 more times till you can

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Unread postby nitro » Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:11 pm

vaulter870 wrote:.those indiana boys are a little crazy


well i should just add to the list

a week or two before my sectional meet i jumped 15 10 and barely missed 4.90(while 4.94 is the freshman national record) at sectionals i hurt my back didnt think much of it the next day i could barely walk with all the pain still tried to go to practice but took about one runthrew before my back just hurt too bad to walk so i jumped one time before state after that... regionals and made 1 bar which was a qualifying mark to go to state... at state i took only two warm ups to keep my back from hurting then my warm up jump http://media.putfile.com/coeryshankcrash that happend i know that everyone that knew my was worried that i wouldnt even be able to jump because that just looks like it would hurt my back but i ended up placing third at the state meet when before the meet i was just hoping i could take off ended up i had a broken back too but it can go from low to high within one day
pain is only temporary victory is forever

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Unread postby vaulter870 » Mon Jul 31, 2006 11:49 am

i think that this proves my point. 2 guys from indiana jumping with broken backsa and placing 1st and 3rd in their state meet. now that is just impressive
If you cant do it right , do if 10000 more times till you can

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Unread postby vault3rb0y » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:00 pm

that really is a testament to mind over matter when it comes down to it. Get job guys that really impresses me :yes: . But now that the season is open your mind DOES matter and i hope you both heal up for great seasons coming up, starting in november. If you both jump around 16 with broken backs, imagine what you can do with real hard training and a totally healthy body, 17's anyone??
The greater the challenge, the more glorious the triumph

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Unread postby fx » Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:17 pm

After sophomore year, I'd jumped about 11'6. I did a lot of work over the summer, and my PR got to be 12'3, but I was feeling good. Well I was still jumping in the fall, and I had a pole break that tore a ligament in my hand, and a piece of my bone ripped off with it. I got surgery. Ended up coming on this website a lot while I was recovering. My first indoor meet that I could kind of jump at again I got 12'6, a PR for me. Next indoor meet I got 13'0, another PR. Then outdoor season I ended up with a PR of 14'6. It was pretty cool.

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Unread postby Duncan » Tue Aug 01, 2006 1:08 am

Didn't Dave Volz break his ankle in college - and was told he would have to give up vaulting? But he made a comeback and went to the Olympics - clearing 19'2" in the trials? I think I remember something about him landing on his feet on the mats and destroyed his ankle. I may be wrong. I am not sure how much time there was between the break and the Olympics.

I broke my ankle last summer on April 17th 2005. I vaulted 15' at the end of July 2005 which is not a bad jump for me. I was very lucky that I did not injure any tendons or ligaments - which is very hard to do when you break your ankle. It was a very minor break as breaks go - broke he small bone (fibula) down near my ankle. The doc put a metal plate on it and I was able to start some basic rehab only a few weeks after the break. So, not much of an inspirational story, but the point is you can come back from a broken ankle and be 100%.

Duncan

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Unread postby vault3rb0y » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:04 am

My Pole vault coach was jumping 32 inches over his handhold his freshman year at college, from 5 steps getting over 15'7. Then in indoor of sophmore year he was lifting a mat that goes outside the vault mats, and he separated 2 vertabrae in his back. a year of recovery and hes still not 100%.... the doctor told him theres not a lot they could do about putting the bones back together, and that he was done vaulting. He wasnt gonna listen, and kept vaulting. now hes 25 and still vaulting 15'6 from a 5 step, same exact handhold.
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