Reno Report- 1 Video @ Bottom

This will also be my report to my coach, Kris Allison as well so there will be a few more details. Got to Reno early Thursday and did what I always do, spent a lot of time in bed. I try to stay clear of all of the activities and catch up on email, work and mindless TV rather than obsess on a big meet. I kind of go into hiding until it's time to jump.

As mentioned yesterday I had no idea what to expect. I felt good, but having not vaulted in a month, nor run a step without a sled or on the StairMaster, I could only guess. My idea was to jack up all other training in order to improve my power and conditioning. I felt like it worked well but you never know until you get out there.

Warm up went well as I'm pretty quick, usually three jumps from 10 steps and then sit. I try to do just enough to wake my body up but stop short of actually feeling warmed up. I know a few vaulters who jump a lot in warm up and don't have the energy or mental focus left to jump sharply when it counts. Plus I didn't want to risk being hurt. I like to be the first one on the runway in warm ups and be off in 20 minutes. Using this approach I almost always feel much better as far as leg quickness goes when the meet jumps start.

Reno has very large fields so to start the bar goes up in 8" (20 cm) increments, then 6" (15 cm) and then 4" (10 cm) as fewer people are left. I started at 3.55m or about 11' 7 3/4", which I made on my first. By this time we were at 6" increments.

Next we went to 3.70m (12' 1 1/2"). I bailed out in the middle of my jump because the officials were yelling at me to stop as I approached the box. Turns out they had not raised the bar yet so I had to wait for that and then go again.

Next was 3.85m (12' 7 1/2") which I made on my 2nd jump from 12 steps. Now we're at 4m (13' 1 1/2"), where I have seemed to have perfected being on the wrong pole for the past four meets. Not today as I made it clean on my 3rd attempt.

At this point I have won and I'm jumping alone so I go to 4.10m (13' 5 1/4"). First pole is too small so I move up a pole (14.4) and back to 14 steps and make it on my 2nd attempt on that pole. That pole too felt small from that run so I moved up to my biggest pole (14.2).

At 4.20m (13' 9 1/4") I took one jump and had a good jump but was a little out. At that point the officials realized that I was trying an American Record so I was stopped while they made some announcements and then sent other officials over to measure the bar. I lost a little momentum with the wait, yet came up too under at take off on the next jump and then didn't take my 3rd. My rationale was that I was very fatigued after 13 jumps on seven poles from three different run lengths. So if I didn't get in deep enough on #2, then why would I risk injury on the 3rd attempt while running slower and protected?

So Kris - surprises - I moved my standards from 80cm to 70cm for my last at 13' 1 1/2" and they were perfect. I wasn't going to have another meet where I had a ton of height and came down on the bar.

Because that pole felt small, I moved up a pole and the standards back to 80cm for the first at 13' 9 1/4" and it was too small. When I moved back to 14 steps and up to the 14.4, I went back to 80cm but for the next attempts I was at 65cm.

So I tried to stick to our rules, not be stupid, and just advance to a clean slate for the next height. I jumped on three poles I have never left the ground on and would have gotten 2nd had I not made an indoor PR of 13' 1 1/2". So this time I was fortunate enough to do it when it was needed. Jumping higher than I did to win the World Masters Games was also a nice bonus for January.

Off for eight days and then back to the grind for indoor nationals on March 5. Looking forward to the break and then the training. Thanks for being here and for all of your very kind emails and FB messages!! Bubba

This is 12' 7 1/2" according to the person who sent it. Kind of gives you the idea it would be a good night.