SICK!!

Paying the price for jumping yesterday as I am very sick with a horrible cold. I pretty much figured that would be the case. Obviously I'm not training today so that changes my week. I think I'll do some easy sleds tomorrow and then try and jump Wednesday. If I can start jumping on smallest 14' 7 (4.45m) poles from eight steps instead of 10, I think I will get my timing down quicker to get more out of the poles. No injuries or dings from yesterday so I'm comfortable jumping a practice this week. Plus our weather is supposed to be warm mid-week.

Another thing different for me is that I have been starting at 11' 6" (3.51m) rather than 12' (3.66m). I'm doing this so that I have a chance to work my way through some poles and run approaches before the jumps really count much. So right now I go at 11' 6" from 10 steps on the 15.8; 12' from the same run on the 15.4; 12' 6" (3.81m) from 12 steps on the 15.1 and then 13' (3.96m) on the 14.9 or 14.8. That leaves me two more poles to get to from 14 steps. I think I'm set.

A couple of years ago I got tired of not jumping 12' and having my result be 11' 6" so I decided the best way to make that go away was to never jump at 11' 6", so I just pass until 12'. The problem with that is that I have been sitting around a really long time and it's hard to get going again at a high level that quickly. Even worse, the next height, 12' 6" requires an even bigger pole so I think this is a better plan for my body and a way to progress though poles and runs. Let me correct that - I could make the next height easily on almost any pole, yet I like to move up poles one height before I need to as it gives me a margin of error. In warm up yesterday I jumped 13' on my smallest pole but when I got to that height in the meet I was five poles bigger. That's OK as it is part of the fine tuning process. I can't worry about the height I am on as I need to know I can make the next height too - so I move up early.

Flex numbers on the 14' 7"s have been measured also as 14' 1" (4.30m) poles so I can equate them to the poles I jumped on before. So in Sydney I won World Masters Games on a 15.7 and in Belton I jumped 13' 1" on a 15.4. Now when I get to 13'+ I'm on at least a 14.9 or 14.8 which is a much bigger pole. Once I have the timing a little better I should start putting up bigger heights. Clearly I'm higher in the air on these poles but harnessing that energy and directing it where I want is the immediate goal.

I'm not happy being under 13' but on the other hand, it's not because I don't have the height. I just need to dial in my jump on these poles. All the best and have a fun day! Thanks for being here! Bubba