Good First Meet!!

Me clearing 12'/3.66m at Belton, Texas

LONG day Friday getting to the meet and transporting poles.  When I went to do my strides and stretching that evening my lower back felt creaky and unstable.  Not very settling to say the least.  Took a hot bath and got to bed early and hoped for the best.

Got up the next morning and had breakfast still not quite knowing what to expect.  Because of this I decided I would start my warm up on my smallest of five 13'7"/4.15m poles, a 165/17.5.  To my complete shock I did not feel my back at all.

My wildest dreams for this meet were to at least get to pole #4 because it is the flex equivalent of my first 14'1"/4.30m pole I hope to try in Reno.  I also hoped to at least get a couple of good jumps at 12'/3.66m.  As it turned out I used all five poles which all proved to be too small, cleared 12' easily and had a really good jump at 12'6"/3.81m.  I am totally trashed physically but am not hurt.  My technique was dead on and a result of the bars, running and lifting changes I put in place.

After talking to Kris Allison  decided to start at only 10'6"/3.21m because there were so many lower level jumpers going that f I waited much higher it would be two hours between warm up and my starting height.  Also I nhd Brazil at 10'6" and we weren't sure how my poles would feel.  So here's what happened;
10'6 from four lefts or 43' on the 17.5.  Made 11'/3.36m on the 17.1 from the same run.  Made 11'6"/3.51m on the 16.6 from five lefts or 53'.  Made 12' easily on the 16.2 though the pole felt too small.  At 12'6"/3.81m I moved to the 15.7 and didn't quite move it so I went back a stride to 63'.  My last jump was a good one but that pole was too small from there.

Hard to find anything wrong with my first outing.  At Reno the intention is only to jump on my 14'1"s.  Thanks so much for being here and for your support.  Hoping for bigger things soon.  Bubba

Van Halen - "Jump" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlq0lYB3iSM