Here Comes the Pain - Time to Play the Game!

DANGIT!!  There are few things more painful than lifting legs the day after a meet.  I feel like I have been shot at and missed and sh*%t at and hit.  BUT, that's what makes the body recover as well as step up and respond.  I HATE it but I ALWAYS feel better after it.  I dread it so much that it takes me about an hour to get myself up enough to go do it, and then I very slowly and cautiously build into the session.  Today was no different and I'm so glad I got in a high quality lift and stretch.

As a follow up to yesterday I did not have a good technical day.  My warm up jumps were very nice and smooth but unfortunately the standards don't go back that far, so I spent the day feeling like I was about to go under the crossbar before I even started my swing.  THAT will screw up your timing in a hurry.  Every jump was a save and never was there any control.  Time to switch gears.

After I lifted I took the two 14' 1" (4.30m) poles out of my meet bag and put in two bigger 14' 7"s (4.45m) poles.  The two 14' 1"s will now be the top of my practice series.  I will start my meets from 10 steps on the smallest 14' 7" and try to go two poles per run and see how that goes. 

The problem with jumping at a low level is that you do things technically that get you in trouble when you use REAL poles.  My left shoulder is trashed today because I wasn't actively pressing my hands before the pole hit the box.  I'm not used to that much force because I have only jumped on small poles.  This also explains why I'm needing an extra stride to move poles that used to be very manageable from a stride closer.  Jumping on bigger poles from closer will correct this timing in one day.

This may sound like a formula or invitation to injury but it's really very safe.  I was taught many years ago that when you use bigger poles you should back off your run about 5% and try to hit all of your positions 10% better.  I will still start at 4 steps, 6 steps and then 8 steps in practice, but I will quickly start trying to move bigger poles from each run before I move back. Like a meet, I give myself three attempts before I have to change runs, poles or both. 

I'm hoping I can jump at DHHS next Friday but if not I will wait on the meet on 2/18.  In any case, I like my overall plan and I'm glad I survived today's torture chamber.  Have a great day and thank you so much for caring enough to follow me here.  Bubba

Drowning Pool's, "The Game (Here Comes the Pain)" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MfUHAtEkGU