What kind of running workout?

[vault3rb0y]

This was mainly due to time constraints but also because we were very conscious of the concept of specificity in training - 400 training is an absolute load of rubbish for a vaulter.

I have never agreed with any statement more in my life!! LOL

Sooch, because i am lazy and dont do anything in the off-season, our running workouts in the beginning of the season involve at the maximum 6 200's, not all out, just so that when the time comes to take tons and tons of vaults in practice, you dont get worn out. We do them in 2 sets of 3 with walking recovery, about 2-3 minutes. You do need SOME base conditioning. As the season goes on, we end up with workouts like 8 150 buildups (50 easy, 50 medium, 50 all out) and eventually only 8 30's all out. We run twice a week, and it is pretty much a filler between vaulting workouts. Its way more important to have high knees and upright posture during your running workouts than it is to run a 23 second 200. I think The best kind of vault-running workouts you can do are 50m pole runs!!

[jumpbackin]

It seems like there are better ways to develop conditioning

Care to elaborate?

[vault3rb0y]

Pole vaulters need to worry on conditioning their legs, not their lungs. Unless you are winded and cannot breath after a 30m sprint, a 150m buildup or 200 medium speed is all the conditioning you need. Your legs build lactic acid 15 seconds into running, so these kind of sprints will condition your legs while minimally winding you. If you do the short-recovery 50s like you are talking about, your legs have time to drain lactic acid and you end up working your cardio more than your muscular endurance.

[jumpbackin]

Pole vaulters need to worry on conditioning their legs, not their lungs. Unless you are winded and cannot breath after a 30m sprint, a 150m buildup or 200 medium speed is all the conditioning you need. Your legs build lactic acid 15 seconds into running, so these kind of sprints will condition your legs while minimally winding you. If you do the short-recovery 50s like you are talking about, your legs have time to drain lactic acid and you end up working your cardio more than your muscular endurance.

Again, how long a rest period we are talking about is critical for the discussion. I would never say start a next sprint while still winded. A little heavy breathing is ok as long as you're ready to perform a quality rep.

Training the lactic system shouldn't be a high priority for a Pole Vaulter. Running 150's and 200's does develop the lactic system which is good in that it helps an athlete do more quality 150's and 200's in the future but a pole vaulter isn't competing in 150's and he never has a problem keeping his knees high due to lactic burn.

Short sprints allow for muscle and tendon development with out sacrificing form while building a capacity for more work. It is a valid training tool. Alan's and Becca's comments were vague but it sounded like they don't think this type of training belongs in the tool kit.

[powerplant42]

Mixing it up every once in a while doesn't hurt. Do a few every now and then, making SURE you're doing them with perfect form and with a good rest in between reps. I think that training some endurance is a good thing, because it helps with other events, and will help with a tough training schedule and really long competitions.

[sooch90]

blah, I'm getting so frustrated with stubborn high school coaches. For 2 weeks in a row, I wanted to get a quality long run vaulting practice in. I only have 1 long run vaulting practice per week, so these practices are pretty vital. However, for 2 weeks in a row, my coach, the day before and the day of, would make me do his running workouts. I thought that if I did them as hard as I could and as well as I could, I would demonstrate that I'm in good condition and maybe he would let me do my own thing more often. However, this ended up with my legs feeling extremely worn out and in horrible condition for long run vaulting. When I tried to vault, I couldn't even get on my smaller pole, so I just stopped before I hurt myself.

These running workouts also take up time from doing the more productive pole runs which I usually have scheduled the day before the long run vaulting practice. So it's difficult to find time to improve my run and cadence.

Also, the non vaulters on the team, usually get annoyed when the vaulters are given opportunities to vault while the rest of the team has to do continuous 200s or something. This makes me feel guilty for not having to do them. Ugh it's all so stupid.

Now my left ankle (the ankle that I broke) is feeling pretty crappy after I tweaked it at the last meet from taking off under (which again I can't fix because I don't get many opportunities to do pole runs).

sorry, I'm just venting now, so I'll stop. I can't wait to graduate

[pvtaz]

Tell your coach what you feel, but do it in such a way that you get a decent compromise... something like "Coach, I would like to be able to take full advantage of the long pole run days, but after doing the running workouts with the team, I'm too tired the next day to make any noticeable improvements on my log run. Could we try to figure out a better day to do these workouts that won't leave my legs so tired?"

[rainbowgirl28]

It seems like there are better ways to develop conditioning

Care to elaborate?

If I really thought a kid needed more fitness to vault better, I would have them get in the pool and swim once or twice a week, maybe an easy 2-4 laps on the grass at the end of practice, a longer warmup in the beginning of practice... we do half a lap of skipping forward, half a lap skipping backward, and half a lap each side. When I was in HS it was a 4 lap warmup that often involved zigzag running and kareoka (sp?) etc.

My HS vaulters always do the sprinters' workout, usually before they vault, but it is usually either short quality stuff or longer (up to 200, but usually not more than 100) tempo stuff at like 60%. I think their hardest workout is 130-110-90-70 at 90% speed with walking almost a lap in between each one.

[altius]

From reading all of the above I sense folk are doing too much inappropriate running in training and not doing enough vaulting - certainly not enough specific run up work with a pole - or enough drill work -ie sand pit take off from 6/8 steps. In the vault - the run up - important though it clearly is - is only a means to an end - an effective take off. Remember the principle fo specificity in training.

I sense that a lot of the running workouts outlined here dont make a lot of sense for athletes in other events either. Remember specificity.

[vault3rb0y]

I know there is a time and place for working on speed, but as far as i know, i thought you had to lift, run, do plyos, and stretch in order to get faster. If you dont run more than 30m dashes i feel like, especially for a high school athlete, you will have a hard time getting faster. Eventually you gotta do some all out sprints for 100m or even more!

[txpolevaulter_k25]

Try being on the mile and sprint relay team while vaulting, and lifting every day...fun stuff!!

[altius]

"Eventually you gotta do some all out sprints for 100m or even more!"

No you dont gotta do ----- ! Good job you are still an athlete and not a coach 3po. Take a look at training theory for developing increased sprint speed.

Stick to asking questions - or even try reading a book or two - rather than expressing opinions of dubious accuracy. Then we will stay pvp buddies.