You've heard of former NCAA swimmers and runners turning Triathletes, well I've got a new one for you...Pole Vaulter turned endurance athlete. It seems such an unlikely story but let me clue you into why I thought it was a great idea, and how its even possible in the first place.
First lets take a look at what each sport entails both physically and mentally. Field events generally incorporate speed, strength and jumping ability or reaction time. Pole Vault is all of that with the use of an implement to further your success. You need the foot speed of a short distance sprinter, the jumping ability of a long jumper or high jumper, and the power of a shot putter. The idea is to run as fast as you can with a 15+' pole about 100 ft and plant that into a 2x2 hole in the ground while at the same time jumping as high and tall as you can. Basically its like running into a wall full steam with your arms out and trying to keep them straight. After you leave the ground a lot of physics take over, your kinetic energy bends and loads up into the pole as potential energy as you swing upside down, then uncoils and tosses you higher and higher as you throw yourself over the bar and to your back to a safe landing.
Im used to hard Olympic lifting, repetitious short springs, fighting a pole to bend and throw me in the right direction, analyzing data and videos, dealing with fear and inner conflict. I was there to use my tools, my knowledge and fight the goal, fight the world. Release pent up energy both mental and physical.
flip the switch and you have endurance racing which is an equally hard mental challenge but instead of dealing with it in short portions, you have to wallow in the decisions being made. Strength, flexibility, technique and external tool utilization are similarly involve in being a triathlete, as well as its included numbers game.
So what transcends the boundaries? Shoulder strength for one. In pole vault they are your pivot point and must therefore be highly developed and flexible to take the stresses placed on them. They are not utilized in the swim for propulsion, on the bike to take some weight off my legs and on the run for that final arm pumping kick.
Another great advantage I have is my running form. It had to be dam near perfect on the runway since I needed to have the exact same run within 6" each and every time. My running is efficient and powerful, with the addition of some endurance since no practice was less then 40 or so jumps and a meet was an average of 9 jumps full throttle.
Training wise, I have mental capacity and body awareness to make better decisions and can handle the lifestyle of having to practice at least once a day. I also know my Olympic lifts and have the tecnique that of any major lifting competitor, so im able to extract every ounce of power outword.
My endurence season has now come to a close and im spending more time on lifting and cross training then I am actual running, biking or swimming. Today I visited a Crossfit gym Flatirons Crossfit for the first time ever. They are a big name in the Western section having sent 2 (male and a female) to the Crossfit games. I have previously dabbled in Crossfit WOD and interval training but they take it too the next level of intensity when they start racing these workouts instead of just trying to get through them. Anyway the owner and I had a chat and he seems to beleieve that you can do 80% Crossfit training and still achieve your triathlon goals. Seems like a Cinderella story to me. Can you imagine not having to bike 300 miles plus a week or having to run countless hours to get your 60+ miles in each week? In the coming months im going look into this. I have been moderately successful at making the switch so far having not cut out on putting in my practice time, but trying to figure out how short intense training can translate to endurence.
Until then, make sure you are conducting proper technique in running, swimming, aero positioning, Olympic lifting and save yourself the wasted energy. Dont handicap yourself from the start, or worse...injure yourself.
Lift:
Snatch: 4x5 90,90, 115, 115
Split snatch: 3x3 115,115,115
Not bad considering it was my first time with snatch in 6.5 years
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