The good news is that I can classify my hamstring on a scale of 1 to 10 to be out .75 to 1. It's there but I've got to do something pretty quick to be able to feel it. Of course this means it is very vulnerable to actually becoming a ding, yet falls well short of an injury. I've never had a take off that felt like that one that didn't cause at least a level 5 injury so I feel I got very lucky.
Fortunately my plan was to go back to hard training for four weeks without vaulting anyway so therefore my base strategy does not change at all. I did make some adjustments to the training but they have nothing to do with my leg.
I'm switching my running from Wednesday to Tuesday so I can do my sleds in the morning when the grass is still damp. Later in the afternoon the sled really bogs down when it hits thick clumps of grass and that has put unnecessary pressure on my right Achilles; the good one. I've also added some warm up running of 8 X 100m grass running. I do two laps of striding the straights and jogging the curves, followed by two laps of striding the straights and walking the curves. It's as much conditioning as it is a warm up. I'm not just running sled pulls between my sprint drills but will rotate with raw speed reps, sled and a heavy pole with a sled.
I was super pleased with how good my run, pole drop, plant and take off felt at nationals and this is a direct result of the extra big pole drills I did during the month. I had several people comment on how good my plant and take off looked and this is normally noticed as my weakest link. It makes since to not only continue those drills but to expand them further since I'm not jumping. After four weeks I will start jumping once a week, trying to use the biggest pole from the shortest run and get the most out of it. I'll jump in a meet on Saturday, April 2 and that will give me my first outdoor mark of the year.
The 2011 indoor rankings close with me at 3rd with 4.10m (13' 5 1/4"), which is an indoor PR. I think it's funny that my two meets over 13' came after four and five weeks respectively of no vaulting and only training my speed, power, bars and plant/take off. My technique needs some refining so I'm looking forward to that. If you look at the above stills from 13' 5 1/4" in Reno and the video from ABQ, the difference is that in Reno I was on a bigger pole so it threw me while I was still in a good position. If that ABQ jump was on a bigger pole, the top would have been clean because it would have thrown me before I could fall out of the right position. So that is the mission; how much can I get out of my smaller poles? Teach myself to hold those positions longer so that in a meet I won't have to. As I always tell my kids, "if you can get a small pole to lift you then a big pole will launch you". It all comes back to being able to hold a good position on a small pole. Then a big pole comes back before you can fall out of the good position. This is HUGE as far as advancing your technique. Priority #1 when I start jumping in practice again.
Besides the four guys over 13' at nationals, we have other Americans who are also at that range; Murray Mead jumped 4.10m last year and Bob Crites, Mike Hogan and Dan West will certainly be there too. These guys will be a factor at Worlds, not to mention a handful of foreigners including world record holder Wolfgang Ritte from Germany. In that meet you may very well see a 13' get 6th.
The bottom line is though I am in a good place I have a ton of work to get done between now and then if I intend to be able to contend for a medal; which I do. If I fall short it won't be from lack of preparation. And here's a secret; I never have taken this year seriously as far as being a factor for a medal. To me it's a "train through year" as I get ready next year for the 2013 Worlds and World Masters Games. Why? I will turn 60 just a few weeks before those meets and will be the youngest in my group, whereas this year I'm on the old side. So the goal has always been to win the National Senior Games at home in Houston, and then make a strong showing at worlds in Sacramento. I'm in a position to do that. So close but SO FAR as work remaining to be done. I figure anything I can do this year is only momentum going into my lead up for 2013. BTW - the offseason 2012 is already in place in writing.
Over the last two meets I have been challenged mentally and did quite well. At Reno I didn't make 4.00m and 4.10m until my last attempt. At ABQ I made my opening height and 12' 6" on 3rd attempts while managing an injury that could blow my leg up on any jump. Certainly not optimal situations but a great test of mental strength and focus. Considering I almost always make my jumps on first attempts, I was thrilled to pass these continuous challenges. My guess is that jumping once a week will give me the consistency back from jump to jump so I can avoid this type of drama. STILL, glad to have pulled out the clutch clearances when needed.
Thanks for hanging here with me. These big meets are really stressful but also very fun. It's been a tremendous outlet to have you all here. Then when go to one of these events and meet so many people who tell me they read this daily, it makes me feel great and keeps me going. I almost always hear, "I feel like I really know you", and they really do. I'm not only comfortable with that but I love it!! PLEASE, come up and introduce yourself as I truly enjoy meeting fellow vaulters. As vaulters, supporters or fans, we are all in this together and we all face the same issues and challenges. So thank you so very much for your support. Now back to work for me - tomorrow. Bubba
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