Odd but Good Vault Day!!

Mixed Signals!!

I decided I would have a dry run for a 4 left/8 step, meet simulation, to use December 5th at the meet at our training site. The first shock was not rolling a 12'4/160 from this run when the last session I rolled a 1365 from the same run.  

Finally hit it and found my hand pressure ad made 10'6.  At 11' I went to my smaller 12/4/165 and had a great jump. I left the bar and move up to the bigger 165 because I was going through too fast.  I couldn't time this bigger one and it was frustrating.

I thought about moving down to my tiny poles, but that's what I'm going to do Saturday because  have hard leg lifts tomorrow.  So what does your typical pole vaulter do at this point if they aren't quite ready to stop?  You grab a bigger pole of course.

I started over from 2 steps/1 left and went from a 12'4/165 to my 13'7/165, my first meet pole - a giant leap in stiffness.  Shockingly, from 4 lefts/ steps I was able to get in the same depth in the pit with less effort on this pole, even though it was much bigger. I was even able to turn up twice from 5/10/53'. How is this possible?

Don was telling me that on my 12'4s from 4/8, that I'm not bending the pole and that my vault looks very fragmented.  I figured out today that this is because I am too fast for that grip from 4/8, and because I jump up well, I was literally jumping over the sailpiece and therefore got no arc.  This makes sense as those poles were never meant to be used past 3/6 but that's when I was 8 lbs. heavier.

The longer sailpiece and 3" higher grip pick me up at the take off, but also allow me to bend the pole.  Considering I was hoping to be on this pole by Reno, 1/15/16, and I was on it today from 4/8/43' and 5/10/53' in practice, I must be making some real progress.  Have a great Thanksgiving!!

Living Colour - "Middle Man" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqlVRsA8aFE