Painful Change!!

When I settle in to training I am at my happiest because I know I can gain momentum.  I've just finished my first rotation and I'm a little beat up but not too bad.  It's not like I've taken a year off.  That said, the hardest part about what I do is the familiarity.  I know it works, and understand why I've gotten away from the consistency - move, work, etc..  But it's like driving from Texas to California.  I've done it before but I know its going to be long and painful. I'm OK with it but I'm anxious to have some time under my belt.  So as much as it seems like change, it's really for the most part going back to the bulk of a routine I am familiar with.

I had a very stupid revelation today about my poles and as soon as I'm done here I will send this to Bruce and Kris.  Back in 2008 I moved to 14' 1" (4.30m) poles.  I had six of them with a 17.5 being the smallest.  The conditions had to be perfect for me to roll ANY of those poles, so we cut 5" off the bottom of them so I could use the entire series.  Now I can jump on a 17.5 from 6 steps. Me and Kris made the decision at the time that once I got to the top of that cut 14' 1" pole series that we would just order a full length 14' 1" and that should work.  I still cut the tops off so they can't come through and hit the bar, but the functional part of the pole was a 14' 1".  Here is me jumping 4m (13' 1 1/2") in Sydney, Australia on a full length 15.7 - http://www.bubbapv.com/Images/Sydney/4m.MOV, and here is me jumping 13' 1" three months later on a 15.4 - http://www.bubbapv.com/Images/Movs/13-1.MOV.

In 2009 when we got the 14' 7" poles I had the same problem so Kris and I got together and cut 5.5" (14cm) off the bottom so I could roll them. Here is me jumping 13' 6" at Reno in 2010 on a cut 14' 7" flexed to be a 14.5 on a 14' 1" span.  It's a 14.5 so I SHOULD be higher - http://www.bubbapv.com/Bubba-410m.mov  My biggest currently is a 14.3 but I'll be holding higher and running from further all year except for the first few months.

I don't know about you, but even though I have a lot of height at 13' 6" there wasn't much bend and it certainly wasn't as smooth as the 14' 1" pole jumps.  Let's see, 14' 7" pole - 6" cut = 14' 1" pole.  My best jumps are on 14' 1" poles.  I think the guess work is over - I need to overlap by cut 14' 7" poles with full length 14' 1" poles and I am home free.  Am I crazy or is it that simple?  I think it is.  Bruce and Kris?  I think I need 16.0, 15.5, 15.0, 14.7, 14.4, 14.1, and maybe later a 13.8 and 13.5.  Boys?

Have a great day and happy mother's day where it applies!  Bubba
Offspring - "Dammit I've Changed Again"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2rjbVlUKkE&feature=related