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4 minute read
MAKES & MISSES
By Adele San Miguel
There is plenty of debate on the merits of cross country running as a way to train for pole vault.
In our 13th year as a club, we have a few observations:
There are social benefits to participating in cross country, and for an athlete entering high school, they are hard to overlook. Cross country athletes train 2-3 hours a day with a few hundred other students, and as a way to make friends before school starts, it is an advantageous choice. Practice at a pole vault club gathers students from all over the county, from neighboring counties, and from public and private schools. An athlete may not find new friends they will attend school with at club practice.
As a way to get in shape for pole vault season though, cross country requires a second thought. Cross country running develops slow twitch muscle fibers that are needed for endurance, whereas pole vault is a sprint that requires power and explosiveness, which are developed through quick, forceful movements. Months of long distance training enforce muscle firing patterns opposite to those needed for success as a pole vaulter.
When athletes return to pole vault following their cross country seasons in late October, they are slower on the runway. Their bodies need to be re- trained to sprint. How long does this take? From what we’ve seen, 90 days.
With so many miles on their legs, cross country vaulters are prone to shin splints. As young athletes, many do not understand, and cannot implement, the amount of rehabilitation needed to maintain their bodies optimal performance. Shin splints hinder the run and the physics of pole vault do not allow for an explosive takeoff without an all out sprint.
Developmentally, athletes returning to pole vault are 90 days behind their teammates who have trained to jump through the pre-season. Pre-season athletes have worked on their approach, takeoff, and swing. They are strength training. The cross country pole vaulter notices the difference in their own speed and abilities. This awareness causes their confidence to falter and their frustration to mount.
Indoor season is actually pre-season for the cross country vaulter. This is their time to work on speed, strength, and technique. These athletes must manage their expectations and instead of getting disheartened during indoors, should look ahead to outdoor season and summer track.
In cross country, the top 6 athletes compete and the other athletes, hundreds of them in some cases, act as support. For the time they spend running miles each week, very few get the chance to shine in competition.
In pole vault, everyone jumps if they are part of a club. Each athlete has the chance to see what they can do with a pole, a runway, and a bar.
An opportunity cost is what you give up in order to do something else.
As vault coaches we ask, if you are going to dedicate 2-3 hours a day, 6 days a week to something, will you finish in the top ten or twenty in the state in that sport? What if you took that same 18 hours a week and put it toward becoming faster, stronger, and a better technician in the pole vault? What height could you achieve? That height is the opportunity cost for doing cross country.
If a high school pole vaulter has collegiate aspirations, a college coach may wonder why the athlete did not prioritize year-long training for an event that requires power, explosiveness, and in-air body awareness.
Choosing cross country over pre season pole vault is a personal decision, and one that should be informed. There are exceptions to what is stated here, but exceptions by nature are outliers. Pole vaulting is a commitment and a dedicated pole vaulter has to train differently than athletes in other sports.