Surgery, Recovery, Getting Back, 5.20+

[joebro391]

Hey everyone, just got out of surgery yesterday and I figured while I'm held up in this hotel bed, recovering for the next few days, that I should come up with my workout plans for the next year or so. It's been a rough year (had this injury just over a year now), and a lot of things have changed. First I'd like to thank everyone that was there and encouraged me and helped me out before getting the surgery; VaultPurple, kcvault, Matt Galup and many others in and out of the PoleVaultPower community and especially my lovely girl friend that put up with my grumpiness when I was in pain and/or training wasn't quite going my way.

As it turns out I had sports hernia and had an experimental procedure performed on me at the UVA Hospital in Charlottesville, VA. Basically my adductor-longis was rubbing on my pubic bone which made it look like a stress fracture (which is why nothing was done) until this specialist at UVA recognized the symptoms. The surgeon told me after the surgery that he could see the inflammation all that good stuff (confirming the diagnosis) and that the surgery was successful and i should be making a speedy recovery (the rehab the guy gave me has me jogging a mile after about 2 weeks and doing sit-up's again in 3 or 4). I talked it over with the doc, and considering that it's only May, I'll actually be giving this more rest than is required (about an extra week or 2 than scheduled), just to ensure a proper recovery; but in the meantime, I need to look to the future and I hope we could use this thread to shoot some ideas back and fourth to get me into the best vaulting shape I can be in and have me jumping higher than ever.

I did not participate in any team-activities this past outdoor season so I CAN get this season back, depending on what I plan to do after I graduate in 2 more years. Honestly, I'm not that concerned with what jersey I wear as long as I'm jumping high. That being said, I've been reading a lot into the "struggling athlete" threads that have been going on in the American Elite forum and it really doesn't make me feel easy about the possibility of a post-collegiate vaulting career for me. It'll be tough, I know it'll be tough, but as long as it fits into my schedule, I'll train. But let's not worry about that this year...

This past year was a struggle between vaulting and then taking a few weeks off due to pain and then repeat... The only thing that gave me any type of relief was lifting. And I mean heavy lifting. The doctors weren't sure why, but they said it was fine to continue because of the relief it game me. Fortunately I had Matt Gallup and kcvault send me some solid lifting programs which I adapted to my needs (certain stuff I couldn't quite do), and knowing I was headed for surgery I aimed at adding as much weight as I could over the course of the next few months and upped my max's by an average of 40lbs and put on 10 solid pounds of muscle (lifted 3 times/week). For the record, my 3 main max's are as follows:

Back Squat: 305
Power Clean: 195
Bench: 205

I really don't know if these numbers are good at all, but these were done this past week and @ 138lbs, I don't think it's too bad. Every week the weight seemed to just add on so I feel if I was able to continue the program for longer, the numbers would go up even more. (ask for other values, though I didn't do 1-rep max's in anything else, more stuff in 3-rep max's). I am (was until this morning), in the best lifting-shape of my life, so I'll probably stick to this program for a few months once I resume lifting (though i won't baby it so much this time).

ANYWAY, I don't have too many specifics written down at this time, but I do have a few time-frames that I believe will aid in a pretty good outdoor season (2012) that work with what I believe to be ideal training for a pole vaulter.

***UPDATED (5/19/2011)***

May/mid-June (2011): Recovery

15th June/mid-july: Begin light jogging, Calisthenics (push-up's, sit-up's, pull-up's, various others). Starting near the end of June, jog 3 times/week and continue adding distance/time until speed-workouts begin at which point distance runs are phased out (or reduced to just once/week).

15th July: Begin solid lifting again (starting light) and eventually building back to max's (3 times/week) Continue until competitions approach at which point lifting drops down to twice/week.

August: Begin 100's & 200's (alternating every other day).

September: Begin stairs/hill workouts and plyometrics twice/week, continue with 100's and 200's

October: Join club Gymnastics team and continue until I feel it's no longer necessary (yea, might just do gymnastics instead of doing indoor track).

November: Begin Sprint workouts/drills; lesson 200's

December: Begin working with a long-jump coach to obtain a near-perfect penultimate. Around mid-December, begin straight-Poling. I'd prefer not to start bending a pole until I can comfortably straight-pole (swing up) with a 12'1+ grip and possibly move a 12'5-ish grip into the pit with or without a swing). Reduce Mass-Building lifts, focus more on explosiveness (drop split-squats, start squat-jumps, for example)

January: Begin bending a pole from 3 Lefts and once certain goals are met, move to 4 Lefts (if I DO go out for indoor track, i'd be willing to compete from short run).

I feel like the next 7 months or so depend on goals that I have as far as poles, grips and heights. I know better than than most people that this IS NOT a linear sport, but I'm gonna try the best I can to make it as linear as possible. Here's a small chart of my best's and goals for each left. I'd love to hear if these are reasonable or not haha

Best's:

..Run...................PR........Pole........Grip.......Push-Off...Date
3 Lefts (straight)....-----......STIFF.....11'9/12'1....--------.....6/09
3 Lefts:...............13'6.....14' 150.......13'3..........11".......4/10
4 Lefts:...............-----.....14' 150.......13'8.......---------....2/11
5 Lefts:..............4.50.....14'7 160......13'6..........23"......12/10
6 Lefts:..............4.70......15' 155.......14'...........25".......5/10 <== got injured the following week
7 Lefts:..............4.40......15' 160.......14'3..........11"......2/10
8 Lefts:..............4.50......15' 150.......13'9..........20"......7/09 <== haven't run 8 lefts since this date

Biggest Pole: 4.90 145 / 15' 160(STIFF, like stiffer than the 165's we have) <== both from 7 lefts
Best Push-off: 26" (15' with a 13'6 grip from 6 lefts on a 14' 165) <== am on bigger poles from 5 lefts while injured

Goals:

..Run.................PR........Pole.........Grip.........Push-Off
3 Lefts (straight)..-----.......STIFF.....12'1/12'5.......-------
3 Lefts:.............4.30......14' 150....13'3-13'6.......14"-17"
4 Lefts:.............4.60.....14' 55/60...13'9-14'........21"-24"
5 Lefts:.............4.80.....14'7 160.......14'+.........28"-ish <== how do i know what i should be gripping VS. pole stiffness??
6 Lefts:.............5.00......15' 160.......14'6+........30"-ish
7 Lefts:.............5.20......15' 165......14'11+........33"-ish

I feel that these are reasonable figures, but as all vaulters know, most of the time, everything looks a lot better on paper...or an LCD monitor in this case...

I'd prefer not to move back to the next left until I have met or at least come very close to these figures. I've been talking with many athletes and coaches and there are two schools of thought. One is that I'm gripping too low and the other is that I should be gripping the same on much stiffer poles. FOR EXAMPLE: Brian Hancock jumping 17'4 on a 14' 180 with a 13'4 grip weighing 135/140lbs vs. Viktor Chisthikov jumping 18' with a 5.30 grip. Granted I don't feel I'm as athletic as either of these 2 athletes, i'm just saying...

February (2010): Phase out stair and hill-workouts. drop lifting workouts to twice a week and focus more on explosive lifting. Start doing most sprint workouts and less plyo's and stair/hill workouts. During this time, i'll still be trying to hit my goals and going back lefts, accordingly.

March/April/May: continue lifting 2-3 times/week, sprinting twice/week, 2-4 plyo-workouts/month, 3 vaults days/week (one long, one short, one straight-pole)

June/July/August: Lesson workouts in preparation for competitions; eventually reset for next year of training

I'm sorry this is such a long post and maybe I should break this up into smaller threads, but like I said at that start, i'm in this bed for a while and just trying to get a grasp on my athletic career. I don't think this is that unusual of a workout schedule, but I've unfortunately never worked with a coach that could actually ever stick with a set workout. I'm prepared to sacrifice this entire upcoming year of collegiate vaulting to get into the shape I need to be. I'd probably compete during the Outdoor season regardless because I won't be able to get that season back, but due to coaching issues, I might just aim to compete during the summer with a club (like I did in High School).

-6P

[IAmTheWalrus]

Hey Joe,

First of all, good luck with your recovery, I hope all goes well and you are able to get up and running soon and get over 5.20 next year. Secondly, the kind of thing you are doing right now where you are crunching all these numbers is pretty fun. I did the same thing after my college career ended, and it actually helped me stay motivated, since you figure that if you have a 4ft push off you can be jumping 18' on just a 15' pole. Just seeing how high you can jump with a 3-4 ft fly away is a helpful reminder of the value of technique in this event in my opinion. I also did the same thing as you with grip and PR goals for each of my runs. I wouldn't worry as much about the shorter run grip and height PRs, this might actually be a bit detrimental. I'm about to sound like a DJ clone here, but you really need to make sure you are working on your full run approach, because in the end that's the run that matters the most. Use your short and mid range runs to work on technique and get more and more comfortable with additional speed and pole stiffness, but I think spending 3 weeks working on getting your step on from your 4, then 3 weeks getting your step on from your 5, then 3 weeks... (you get the point) is counterproductive. I say all this because its exactly what I did. And while I did iomprove (I did 4 left jups for about a month and a half, then 6L for about 3 months, then 8L for 1 and a half) my 4L PR is 15', my 6L pr is 4.90 and my 8L pr is 4.90. Sop by doubling the length of my run I gained only a foot in height. I realize that this is a long rambling post and I appologize for that, but I don't want you to fall into the same trap I did. I spent all of last year working on my takeoff (perpetually inside) only to discover in May that the reason was because I had a crappy run. That has been my focus since, and its still a work in progress, but its moving in the right direction. I hope this helps, and good luck and a speedy recovery.

[joebro391]

Don't worry Nick, I loved listening to you ramble I have heard a few reasons as to why this method would not work so well

1) No work on the full run. As most people have seen, Hooker is capable of jumping 5.31 from 3 lefts and 5.61 from 4 lefts. Math means that he could (should) be jumping 6.40 from 7 lefts, 9 for sure. The reason why he hasn't jumped a new WR however, is because as many people (such as DJ, Kyle Ellis and many others) have pointed out, he doesn't work enough on his full run. He's too obsessed with these short-run PR's that he's not looking at the "big picture". I believe that everyone's right, so about a month after I begin sprint workouts (about the same time I start straight-poling), I'll begin working on 7-Left approach runs with a big pole (just no taking off)

2) You get too used to taking off around in. This is something I've heard from many coaches in the club-circuit; and it's that too many athletes work on their short run and get used to taking off around 11' or so. In turn, when it comes time to go back to a longer approach and take off around 12'6 - 13'6, it always feels for that athlete as though they're taking off around 16' and "forces" the vaulter to run through constantly. I'm still trying to figure out how to get around this problem, and if it means I got to stand at the 15' mark for hours on end, until my subconscious begins to recognize my surroundings, that's what it'll be.

For me, the reason why I'm pushing this whole approach is actually a pretty simple reason. This past year, while injured, my average practice (from full approach, only being 6 lefts) consisted of a few 3-left straight-pole drills gripping about 11'7, followed by going back to 6 lefts and taking off on a 14' 160 with a 13'6/8 grip. Now, I'm normally on this pole from 5 with the same grip, and last year, I would have found myself going straight to a 15' 150 and then jumping on my meet-pole, my 15' 155 with a 14'-grip. But because of pole-restrictions and the shape I was in (probably mostly my "mental limits", this is just what it was. But when the day came when I jumped from 4 lefts (only time in roughly 2 year) and I was blowing through a 14' 150 with a 13'8 grip (no sink/sag in the pole), I knew my grips were all messed up. Obviously something is wrong if I'm only practicing with a 13'8-ish grip and competing with a 13'9/14' grip from 6 lefts (more or less, my current full approach).

The next step is figuring out what I should be gripping and on what pole. I believe that before pole-rating can go up, grip should go up (cause I could probably grip 13'6 on a 14' 175 all day from 6, but that's not helping that much when I could be gripping 14'6 on a 15' 160 from the same run. NOW, maybe it's just me and I'm a wimp...but for me to be gripping that high, I can't just throw my hands up a foot and take-off. I NEED TO BUILD UP, and to me, the best way to do this is build it up from a short run and then keep building up, averaging 6" of grip and about 10lbs in rating per left. Maybe this isn't the best way to do it, but FOR ME, this is just the only way my brain can do it.

-6P

[joebro391]

This has been kicking my butt :X

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkD9LwDBWW0

it says to go through until you hit 100 reps but I (in my terrible shape) have been doing sets of 30 and taking 60 seconds. I'm now up to sets of 36 (12 reps per exercise) with 60 seconds in between and will bump it up to sets of 45 (15/exercise) with 60 seconds recovery until I feel I can definitely do 100 reps straight through. Not sure if this'll bring down my mile-time or help me run 5 miles, but I think this'll be perfect for me to build up the endurance that a vaulter needs to take many jumps in practice and those last few jumps that might be required in a jump-off.

-6P

[joebro391]

Been keeping to my schedule, and just finished my muscular-endurance phases of lifting with some good, explosive cardio in the mix. Monday I start adding the weight to my lifting workouts and on tuesday I start 200's (starting 100's on thursday). Been feeling pretty good with relatively no pain in my hip. So far, So good, not to mention I had the pleasure of meeting to Roman Botcharnikov (agapit) and picked his brain for a few days (really excited to start experimenting the the new things I learned from him!).

For my cardio, I started out on a few long-runs (20 minutes) a week and then found the Mandatory-100 workout on youtube. So I started doing that (as mentioned in my above post) and today (7/30) I did my first M-100 workout, all the way through. here's how it went: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMZwFKctFmQ

So I got some more work to do, but I'm getting there. I'll continue with this until I really can go all the way through without any pauses and while being able to keep the hops as high and springy as in the first few reps. My logic to this workout is that, although distance-running and 400's can build endurance, it's not really the endurance that I need as a vaulter. Who cares if I can run a 58-second 400m? This workout keeps my fast-twitch strong and allows me to use them at full capacity, 12 jumps into a competition/practice. This is one of the biggest changes in my conditioning this year and since my conditioning has never really been that great, hopefully it makes a difference for the better this year and leads to no meets without me having to say "I ran out of gas" -6P