Twice the Run = Twice the Fun? Uh, NO!!

Once I figured out I didn't have plantar facitis I decided to make up yesterday's running today.  The problem was that I decided to do it after lunch, at noon at 100 degrees.  So I ran 3 X 200, 2 X 150, 1 X 100, then 3 X 30 w/25 lb. sled, 2 X 30 + 1 X 40 w/30 lb. sled, and 1 X 20, 1 X 30 and 1 X 40 w/35 lb. sled.  Because I am not in good running shape I came as close to vomiting as I have in years.  Oh, well; part of the process.

I have a lift in the AM then two days of a different type of pounding and grinding with business.  Tuesday is my day off from training and I will vault/run on Wednesday afternoon when I get home.  I'm excited to start the day at four steps on my smallest 4m / 13' 1" pole. Hopefully 2-3 weeks of that and I will be ready for my new 4.30m / 14' 1" poles.  Of course the objective is clean technique so I am in zero hurry to move forward unless I have really good control of my vault.

Mike Soule sent me this video from nationals today.  Pretty cool.  Thanks Mike!  Bubba

New Poles & Discovery

My three new Essx Power Force Carbon poles.

Here is the special materials one. The entire pole is made of this.

I posted these on Facebook but forgot to here.  These are 4.30m / 14' 1" poles - 17.9/165, 17.6/167 and 17.0/169.  The smallest one is the exact equivalent of my biggest 4m / 13' 1" pole.  I'm guessing I am maybe 3-4 weeks from getting to them.  My game plan is to jump one day on these and one day on my 13' 1"s and then jump meets on my 14' 7"s.  This plan will give me TONS of practice jumps where I can work to refine my technique. 

NOTE - I went out and did some low level vaulting today even though I had planned to skip it.  It occurred to me that maybe the soreness under my take off foot was at least partially due to my inserts, which I only wear when I run and jump - which I have not been doing.  I felt under my heel where you normally feel plantar fascitis.  No unusual pain so I thought, "why not?"  I did a minimum but all poles from Wednesday were WAY too small even from 2 and 4 steps.  That was encouraging to say the least.  I'll go do my pole plant drills tomorrow but won't run; I don't think.

I had a friend ask me if my song selection from yesterday, "Woman" meant that I thought women were bitchy.  Kidding of course but fair question.  Wolfmother is from Sydney and they were breaking out big when I was there for the World Masters Games.  I saw their concert on TV, heard their song, "Woman" playing in the Olympic Stadium and then again as I entered the stadium to jump.  So in my warped mind I associated the baby crawling as the journey and that song in the Olympic Stadium as the goal.  Long journey toward the reward.  So no offense intended.

I was pleased to have gotten a little jumping today and felt even better that I already had more control of my technique, even at a low level on a tiny pole.  This is exactly how I refined my technique in the first place -  on a tiny pole and slowly advance it to bigger poles.  The reality is that no practice vaults and only jumping on big poles let me get away with a lot of flaws I fought hard to dump.  So it's HUGE fun to be back to jumping a lot.  Have a great day and thank you for your support.  Bubba

Mutha, Bitch, etc. - A LONG Way to Go!!

Me - before during and after training.  I'll never get there at this pace.  Patience Grasshoppa, I must crawl before I walk, run and jump!!

When a component of a workout out has thoroughly kicked my ass, I let out a deep sigh and almost yell, MUTHA, BITCH, or some other shocking statement of pain and survival.  After three days I have muttered or yelled this often.  I haven't significantly run (other than hill/sleds), vaulted (at all in practice, much less 15 jumps at a bar), fill in any blank, in a long time and now it is the core of my training.  I feel like I used to after summer two a day football practices - drained and whipped like a kitten.  Considering the level that I am training this is an embarrassment.  I'm NOT going after ANY intensity, I'm just trying to survive and I am barely making it. 

Of course to me, this is awesome because it means I can get much better after I have completed the first 14 weeks of this training. I'm actually SUPER excited at this prospect.  If it didn't have this affect what drastic improvement could I expect?  NONE!!

Being smart?  How tough is this new training?  After day three I have to take tomorrow off to avoid mild heel pain becoming plantar fascitis.  I'd rather miss one session than the two months it takes to recover from PF.  Oh well.  It usually takes about two weeks to ramp up to a full load.  The first rotation went well except for my pain and bitching.  And with that, I offer you Wolfmother's, "Woman".  Have a great evening and thanks for your support.  Bubba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e93gH7CEJdk

Insanity + Late Add

Today's topic is insanity.  It's often said that the definition of insanity is to expect a different result by using the same approach.  Hence it would be insane to think I will be better as I age if I don't do some things very different for next year. Example - I went to a meet to help an elite athlete.  The conditions were perfect with a big tailwind and he tied his PR on his biggest pole with the standards on 50 cm (20").  He's DONE because he can't move up a pole because his standards are already too close and he barely made the last height with everything perfect.  He will not improve until he goes away and comes back with better physical and technical skills.  And that is EXACTLY where I am right now - a 13' (3.97m) to 13' 6" (4.12m) vaulter. I will only go down as I age if I don't upgrade other areas.  Fortunately I have a TON of running to do and MANY heavy pole plant and take off drills as well as a HUGE number of vaults to take.  We believe this will take me to the next level for next year.

Speaking of insanity, here's one of my favorite training songs by Megadeath, "Sweating Bullets".  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOnKCcjP8Qs&ob=av2e Have a great day and thanks for being here.  Bubba

LATE ADD - Speaking of insanity, I ran 3 X 200, 2 X 150 and 1 X 100 this afternoon - 105 degrees.  BTW - was given my first "Seniors Menu" at the Blackeyed Pea.

We Have Begun!

Motivational speaker and teacher, Tony Robbins says that a plane on the way to Hawaii is off course 99% of the time but still gets there because of thousands of minor adjustments along the way.  Today I've already had to make some adjustments.  I jumped 10' (3.05m) from 2 steps but the pole is too small and the next one was too big so I am done with 2 step vaults.  I made 10' 6" (3.20m) from 4 steps and that pole was too small.  Made 11' (3.35m) from 6 steps and that pole was too small.  Long story short, I will start on the pole I used from 6 steps at 4 steps the next time and move on from there.  I have nine 13' 1" (4m) poles and today used #1, so that is a good baseline starting place.

Speaking of 4m, I asked my long time friend, Ken Stone from http://www.masterstrack.com/ for a link to "Single Age Records" to see if I can find some extra motivation while I am in the older part of my group.  Our World and American records are for the entire group of 55-59, but "Single Age Records" are also recognized.  The single age World Record for age 58 is 4m - 13' 1 1/2" and the American Record is 3.99m or 13' 1".  SO that's my goal before the end of the year - the World age 58 record.

Have a great day and thanks for your support!!  Bubba

Start Here!

I got my first light workout in today and will start vaulting and running tomorrow.  Each year around May Kris and I get together and talk about what we want to do in training for the next year.  Sometimes we find we can incorporate it right away but most times it's a new project so we wait.

This year I will vault at least 15 jumps two days a week (Sunday/Thursday).  For the first month I will complete at least 5 jumps each from 2, 4 and 6 steps.  I will start on whatever pole is most comfortable for how I feel on that day.  Maybe be a 13' 1" (4m), 14' 1" (4.30m) or a 14' 7" (4.45m); I don't care.  Whatever won't get me hurt to get a lot of jumps on.

On that day I will also do short sprints and lift legs.  The objective is to beat my legs up all in one day so they have a chance to recover for the next vault session.  The next day will be active rest and upper lifting.  The active rest includes a full warm up followed by speed endurance training (100, 150, 200, etc).  I don't ever run anything for time but rather for my highest sustainable rhythm.  I have found that timing my running and recording my lifting PRs caused me to force me into injuries.  I HAD to get a PR every day so at some point you get hurt.  On this day I will also do a big series of heavy pole drills.  This puts me running, lifting, bars and having contact with the pole four days a week.

In the beginning I will not run more than 20-50% because I have no experience running without a sled.  The warm up alone will be a challenge - 1/2 mile (2 laps) of striding the straights and jogging the curves, followed by 1/2 mile of striding the straights and walking the curves.  THEN, seven sprint drills and  4 X 50m build ups.

I learned a long time ago that low level rhythmical work translates into high powered and fast running in a fairly short time period.  Similar to lifting, if I go to high intensity for too long I lose my base and my overall fitness begins to slide.  So I will work ramp ups and taper downs between the base and raw speed as I go.  Both running programs at 14 weeks in length and I will repeat it three times with different variations.  Here is the speed piece - http://www.bubbapv.com/Pages/speed.htm  I don't do the rest between reps and very little between sets.  At our age, and because it is far less than maximal effort, I just walk back and go again.  This may be a little more taxing on the breathing but it teaches the body to recover and you feel faster quicker.

There will be more as I go but this is the overview.  As always, thank you for being here!!  Bubba

PS - we have meets all year long so I expect to get a 13'+ (3.97m) outdoors before the end of the year.  Hopefully 4m+ (13' 1 1/2").

A New Beginning

On the awards stand in Cleveland - L-R is Me (2nd), Gary Hunter (1st) & Doug Osland (3rd).  Click to enlarge.

 

I always kid about me being one of the smallest of the upper level vaulters - Doug Osland is taller than me yet he is standing on a lower podium and of course Gary is bigger too.  Photo courtesy of my buddy Carl Huff.  BTW - most improved masters vaulters in my age group are Carl and David Angel.  Both guys just did a super job this year with their fitness and technique.  VERY impressive!

As one door closes another opens.  Last season ended Saturday and "next season" starts tomorrow with a light stride/skip/stretch.  On Wednesday I will begin my new running and vaulting program at a very low level.  I have a lot of work to do to get the written new program in order but will share it with you as I go.

Got three brand new Essx 14' 1" (4.30m) carbon practice poles coming in tomorrow thanks to Essx founder Bruce Caldwell. One pole is made of a special material never before used in a pole.  I'm the crash test dummy on this one as it may or may not work.  I had the honor of jumping on Bruce's very first FibreSport pole back in the 70's and also the first Essx.  Now I'm jumping on a material never vaulted on.  CAN'T WAIT!!  Bruce says, "hey it may blow up after a few jumps or it may be kryptonite but let's give it a shot."  How fun is this?!  Have a great evening and thanks for being here.  Away we go again.  LOTS of new changes to training so I will explain what and why as I go.  Bubba