by Sean Brown, CSCS, CPT
When I first started training with Dean
Starkey my senior year at Cal Poly SLO I knew very little
about the approach. I knew a bit about check marks and how
they worked, but when it came to bringing it down the runway,
I really didn’t know what the “next level”
was all about. Basically for me, the main problem was that
I wasn’t using all of my speed on the runway. I didn’t
know my own boundaries when it came to "maximum controllable
speed".
This flaw in my vault really didn’t become
apparent until Dean and I first began training. I think it
was after our first or second speed workout together when
Dean did something that changed my view of the run forever.
We were running flying 10’s or flying 30’s and
I was clocking times that were close to or as fast as his.
So the next practice he told me that I wasn’t using
all my speed and that I really needed to run all out at the
take off.
Well I took a couple of jumps and even though
I had the best of intentions, basically nothing changed. So
Dean took me off the runway and put me on the track without
any runway or pit distracting me. Basically he isolated the
problem. Not only that, he gave me a little insight. He said
that when I hit those last three strides I need to run as
fast as I can, just like when we do our flying 10’s
and 30’s, as if someone was clocking me. So fast that
I loose control. He said he wanted to see me running so fast
I was out of control.
Because I was off the runway and I didn’t have to worry
about killing myself, I could really see how fast I could
run with the pole. And I got out of control indeed. I ran
so fast that if I had a pit in front of me and I tried to
execute a plant I would have surely ate it.
I was really surprised myself and was a little taken back.
Dean then said to me “that’s how fast you need
to run on the runway”.
The whole point of the exercise was not to get out of control,
but to realize and experience what I needed to ultimately
control. During my best jumps in competition, I could barely
see the box in front of me I was running so fast. But I learned
to control that top speed and execute my vault because I did
the pole runs that way and over time I became familiar with
the feeling of running my absolute fastest with the pole.
So I guess the lesson is to use pole runs
as an opportunity to push yourself and your runway speed.
Pole runs that are performed without this in mind are basically
teaching you how to run slower with the pole and you're selling
yourself short of your best height.
Questions or comments email Sean
Brown.
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