What kind of running workout?

[sooch90]

All right, so I'm drastically changing the way I practice and train for this outdoor season. I'm following a more balanced training schedule and limiting myself to about 2-3 vaulting days a week (with only one major long run day and not including meets).

However, I told my coach about this, and he said it was great, but his idea of a "running workout" was to run the mile and do continuous 300s and stuff.

Now, I'm pretty limited knowing what good running workouts are, but I feel like these workouts always end up being focused on building endurance and me feeling sick.

I did read around through some other threads and it seems that to get faster, one needs not to destroy himself during workouts until he throws up. Instead to run short distances like 100s as hard as he cans, while giving himself sufficient recovery time?

I don't know, what're your thoughts on this? The last thing I want to happen is to get sucked in to doing all of my coach's workouts and not getting any better.

[rainbowgirl28]

It sounds like you are more on the right track than your coach. Are there any coaches on your team who know anything about running workouts who can back you up?

[Rhino]

I'm with you sooch. Even 100M is too far to run all out, though some 150s or 200s with good form but medium intensity are good every week. Some coaches don't think it fair that field event performers should get the same medal as the 2 miler without doing the same mileage. If that is your case, I pity you, as I suffered the same travail for two years of my high school and until I quit after two years of the same treatment in college.

In college, we were broken into three groups: sprinter/hurdlers, 400M runners, and distance runners. Fortunately, throwers were exempt. Pole vaulters were 400M runners. Now I am not lazy, having run 17:22 5K and 35:55 10K road races, but I was not enough of an athlete to take the workouts and still be able to walk around campus without limping. I would suggest that this is not conducive to perfection of the vault. I offer the fact that I can clear higher heights at age 49 than I could in college as evidence to support my claim.

This said, you still have to do what your coach tells you. Sorry I can't give you any better advice.

[VaultPurple]

i know everyone has their own cases, but i suffer alot from hip pain and shin splints when i over train. so durring the regular season (expecially the end of outdoor), I do most my work outs in a pool, bike, or strides in the grass.... i use my smallest pole 2 days out of the week, and only run from a full stride with a bigger pole about once a week.

[Sebes]

It seems like most people get hurt because they don't take care of their bodies. I know that thousands of vaulters aren't warm-up well enough...they don't stretch AFTERwards, and they don't take ice baths at all. An ice bath is the best thing you can do after an intense workout...and hardly anybody takes advantage of them. As far as running...do build up 150s and 200s, plyos, stadiums, flying 30s, etc...workouts that will make you strong, fast, and explosive. And don't forget to REST after intense workouts.

[altius]

Try to get hold of a copy of "Complete book of Jumps by Ed Jacoby and Bib Fraley -it has many examples of running workouts for vaulters.

However the general principle of improving flat out running speed is that - because of the high neuro muscular demands - the body cannot operate at full out sprint speed for more than 4 seconds. this means that the best way to try and improve your top end sprint speed is to do short sprints - 'what are termed 'ins and outs' are best - at absolute top speed but with long - up to ten minute recoveries. I can only tell you that the young Adelaide athletes named in BTB2 on pages 87 and 88 never ran further than 50 metres in training and this was usually with a pole. 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.

[newvaulter]

I can tell you what has always worked best for me:
-lots of 150s. Pile them on once a week, twice in the offseason, typically 4-6, nearly all out. Come out hard through the half turn, then stand up and work on form over the last 80m or so. Just turnover the last 30m. Walkback for recovery and start again right up.
-short days, 5x30m, or something like 3xflying30, 3x30 (but if you're not timing them, this is equivalent to 3x50, 3x30). Usually do this once a week as well. Lots of rest here, 3-5 minutes each time.
-Of course, remember that the best thing you can always do is LOTS and LOTS of POLE RUNS.

Hope that helps! Just always work on your form, high knees and toes, that will help with the vault.
As mentioned above, I don't really think it's ever worth it to train with repeats over 200m. 400s will only help in the Fall for conditioning, if they're at a slow enough pace. Definitely can't sprint 'em-

-newvaulter

[sooch90]

hm, what do you guys usually do or have your athletes do during the 5 to 10 minutes of recovery time between each pole run?

also what happens if you do short distance without recovery time? my coach is starting to make the vaulters do this instead of run 300s and continuous 200s

[altius]

"also what happens if you do short distance without recovery time? my coach is starting to make the vaulters do this instead of run 300s and continuous 200s"

Sorry old son - you are misusing the term coach!!

[kmonty51]

hm, what do you guys usually do or have your athletes do during the 5 to 10 minutes of recovery time between each pole run?

also what happens if you do short distance without recovery time? my coach is starting to make the vaulters do this instead of run 300s and continuous 200s

Is pole vault your only event? Does your coach want vaulters to be involved in more than one event?

[jumpbackin]

"also what happens if you do short distance without recovery time? my coach is starting to make the vaulters do this instead of run 300s and continuous 200s"

Sorry old son - you are misusing the term coach!!

Not necessarily so. It's a valid approach to do short sprints on short rest for conditioning instead of doing 150's or 200's. It has the advantage of allowing the athlete to maintain good form while getting the conditioning in.

For example a coach can have an athlete do 6 X 150 which is good for conditioning but the athlete won't be able maintain quality speed or form. Or a coach can have an athlete do 3 X 5, 50's on short rest. The athlete will be able to maintain good form on all reps plus do them at quality speed and get in the conditioning.

I guess we need to understand what the poster means by "without recovery time". Hopefully not literally no recovery time.

[rainbowgirl28]

It seems like there are better ways to develop conditioning and, more importantly, by mid-track season it's a little late to be worrying about conditioning.