Bit of A Breakthrough

Bit of A Breakthrough

Today I jumped with my friend from Omaha, Chris Sidles and his brother Chad.  My objective was to try and cleanly get through the first pole from 3 lefts/6 steps/32' and get to 4/8/42' and try and get some shots at 11'/3.35m.

I started at 10'/3.05m instead of 9'6/2.90m, mainly because Chris did and I also felt it was the right height based on my clearance height in the last session.

Again I made 10' and 10'6/3.20m from the short run on my smallest 1360/18.0.  Didn't get in quite as deep as last time but it was close.  Moved back to to 4/8/42' and up to the 17.5.  Immediately the pole was too small so I moved up to the 1365/17.0 and made 11'/3.35m twice.  YAY!!  

I haven't made 11' in practice in a very long time.  I was hoping to at least have some decent jumps, but two clearances was a real boost.  My goal is to be able to jump that height from that run every day.  Knock on wood but I think I'm there.

Hopefully I can do it again next time and move back yet another stride and up a pole or two.  obviously the work needs to continue but this was very encouraging.  If this can become my new normal benchmark, I can build from it.  Have a great day and thanks for hanging in there with me.  Bubba

MIA

MIA

Been a weird week of work and our my stepdaughter was visiting.  OK, last Sunday the headwind was horrid and I decided not to risk injury by jumping.  Good week of training and will jump tomorrow.  Thanks for hanging in there!  Bubba

Humpty Dance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I2zbB1-MV4

Waiting & Wondering!

Waiting & Wondering!

Interested to see if I can vault every Sunday.  Pretty sore in the right hamstring this week but felt nothing before or after jumping.  I think it's either me over massaging it, or it's sore from deep hack squats.  It felt reasonably good yesterday during my running so we will see.  If I can jump this weekend, and then again next weekend, I think I'll be in a good spot.  Thanks for checking in.  Bubba

Sublime - "Same in the End" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxRDuF29Gu8

Fast Results!

Fast Results!

Nothing happens overnight, but apparently my weeks and weeks of lifting sets of 8 have paid off when I decided last week to start moving my weights up with sets of 8,6,4.  

On a good day I could hot 8X135 as my last set for bench.  When I first tried 1X155 last week it felt heavy and I thought I would hurt my shoulder.  Yesterday I did 2X155 easy and got 1 at 165.

That's not a huge deal but it's a start.  On incline I would get at my best 4-6X115.  Last week I made 135 once and was thrilled.  Today I easily did 3X135.

Before I hurt my shoulder before New Zealand I could bench 2-4X175 but I've been nowhere close to that since.  My max was 205.  Suddenly it's looking like it's going to be possible again.

I'm having the same results on the other lifts where I also switched out of 3X8 and went to 8,6,4.  I'll hang in there and take it slow, but I'm feeling a lot stronger and my shoulder doesn't hurt at all.  I'll keep you posted.  Thanks for your support!  Bubba

Megadeth - "Dread & Fugitive Mind" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbEzx9PL95U

Jump Day!

Jump Day!

I've been feeling pretty good all week, so I was hoping for a good jump day.  Though we had a rare really crappy wind, I still jumped 9'6/2.90m, 10'/3.05m and 10'6/3.20m from my 3 left/6 step/33' run. I was on my smallest of 8 poles, a 1360/18.0 Pacer Carbon.  My grip was 11'8"/3.56m.

I was very pleased with my technique, especially considering I've been coming in light lately.  I'm eating more protein and will start lifting heavier, but this base training has knocked an easy 5-7 lbs. off of me.  When that happened before I couldn't get on my poles nor raise my grip.

The goal is to jump every Sunday.  Because of that goal, and the crappy wind, I didn't push my luck by moving up a pole from a longer run.  Hopefully next week will be a pick up from here.  Thanks for checking in on me!   Bubba

Untouchables - "I Spy for the FBI" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHItHKfzW7A

Crawling Progress!!

Crawling Progress!!

For me over the past two years, my life has been about juggling work and training.  I'm traveling less which has made me more consistent.  My main goal is to continue showing up every day and make cumulative progress.  

You learn things along the way.  I keep pointing out that at Reno last year I was at 6 lefts/12 steps with an 11'10" grip.  At Auckland, same pole one stride closer and a 12' grip.  Then at Grand Haven, same pole and now I'm blowing through at 4 lefts/8 steps gripping 12'2".  This is cumulative progress.

Just before Auckland I did a strength test and benched 205 at 165 in body weight.  That same day on a heavy lat pull at 180 I felt a pop in my shoulder.  It didn't affect my vaulting at Auckland but suddenly even 95 lbs. felt heavy on bench, and 80 lbs, on the lat pull really hurt.  I couldn't do my bars at all.  I'm back to normal or ahead everyplace but bench which I've intentionally been overcautious.

So Auckland I'm benching 205 and at Grand Haven I could only do 135 X 6, yet blew through bigger poles with a higher grip from a shorter run.  This has made me re-think how far I need to push in certain areas.

For six weeks before Grand Haven I did a twice a week running program of shorter "sprints" for rhythm.  It's a 14 week program.  I felt good on the runway and it clearly helped me get through the pole easier.

Leading up to the Gill Masters PV Symposium, I started that program again and got through week 5.  I was on a bigger pole there, and yesterday I finished week 8 of 14.  I expect to get through this entire 14 week running program two more times before Malaga next September.  The next 14 weeks will be with 1.5 lb. ankle weights and the next will be with 2.5 lbs. which I have used for the last three years.

Long story short, running, vaulting more on the Pacer Carbons, and a slow raise of my bench (all other lifts are at Auckland strength test levels), and count on this continued cumulative result.

Pole vaulting is about speed and I'm getting much better there.  I think I can dial in my technique since I have a perfect series of manageable poles.  I'll continue to lift heavier weights slowly rather than do the higher reps since my shoulder is greatly improved.  I really think this will be a winning formula.  Thanks so much for hanging in there with me.

Tubthumbing (I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc

Good Gym Day/New Plan!

Good Gym Day/New Plan!

Felt good to get my regular long Monday.  I'm thinking I may try to jump every Sunday instead of every other Sunday.  I've got a masters friend that could jump with me most days which could help.  I'm tron because I have less lifting but the reality is, I'm strong enough.  My shoulder ding right before Auckland dropped my bench press by 40 lbs. yet I still had no problem moving the same poles and grips.  We will see how it goes but it's worth a test.  Have a great day!  Bubba

April Wine - "Roller" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usWQOPTORn8