Vaulting in the Big Leagues

up to 15’5″… and it is getting easier as i go!!!

So i finally got fifteen feet this weekend at the harvard meet. While a PR is nice, i am still looking for much larger heights. I am hoping that i will have a break through soon and the numbers will soar. There is still a long season to go though, so there is no holding my breath.

P.S. – If anyone talks to jillena i would ask her about the huntington news…

So i had my first college competition in a long while on saturday at Reggie, and it felt great to be back in uniform. Jumping didn’t go as well as i would have like (hieght wise) i am finally figuring out how to jump. I am finally on poles that can put me places, and the great part about saturday is that i was blowing through these larger poles. While it was a decent day in terms of getting off the ground, it set a good baseline to work from for the rest of the season. Now its time to hit it hard at harvard this weekend and see if we can make some hieght happen.

As far as classes go i am ready to be done. I have my last final tomorow morning and i am ready to have no work to do apart from trainning. The best part is once i finish this final i am done with classes for about 7 months because i am going on co-op. I am going to be working as an orthopedic techinician at BMC, which means putting people in casts, removing stiches and staples, and other fun stuff! it will be interesting to see how a nine hour day affects my practices which will be directly after them.

I hope to see some PPVC people around at meets this winter, and good luck to everyone who seasons just started.

-Brian

So after a season lost to surgery, a summer full of work with some training, and a crazy preseason, i am finally back to jumping. With a whole new attitude towards training things are starting to come together. Even this early in the season i am on bigger poles then i ever have been, and i have not gone back farther then five steps. With the way things have been going it could be a good season. The main goal for this year is simply to stay healthy.  

this is just a quick update for now. there will be more to come throughout the season

-Brian

It has been about 5 months since i have been on a runway, and as of about ten minutes ago i am now cleared to start three steppers and some half approach work! this is huge! it means i am finally back! While there is a very slim chance that i will be back competeing in this outdoor season, at least i get to train. For the past couple of weeks i have been doing some pole drills along with my running and the knee is feeling great. As far as i know at this point as long as i handle the short stuff with no pain i am allowed to go full very soon.

Apart from this exciting news, school has been going great. My grades are higher then they have ever been in my life and i am excited. This year has proven to be very informative, and i feel like my knowledge of athletic training has tripled. I only have about 5 more weeks until i am out for the semester which means training can kick off fully. Its time the bring back the old days of jumping with the club!

I will keep posting on how the progress of jumping goes but hopefully i will see everyone soon as the summerrolls around!

Just to add on to my excitment with the elites, i found out today that this saturday i will be working on the floor as an athletic trainer at the Boston Indoor Games!!! As far as i know that Station is set up right behind the pole vaulting pits so it is possible i will be feet away from a world record jump!

okay so it has been a little while since my liast post, but life has been hectic. My surgery went well and i got off crutches about two weeks ago so life became a little bit easier, however right before i got off of them my schedule went nuts! I know have 4 classes and 3 labs, which is busy enough, but on top of that i have practice, rehab, and now clinical. My clinical site is Leslie Univ. in cambride so it is a bit of a T ride, which means i have to set aside an extra two everytime i go, in order to have enough time to get places. It’s a ton of work but it is paying off because i am learning a ton!

The knee recovery is going great, hopefully monday i get to start my running progression and hopefully get back on the runway in another two or so weeks after that. The closer it gets to being back the more anxious to get back.

One last exciting thing, the eilte vaulters were at northeastern tonight! it was amazing. Steve Hooker was taking 4 steps and jumping about 18 feet on a 5 meter pole…. again from FOUR STEPS!!! what was really cool is we would tape for him then he would come over and go ove the tape with us… I learned some cool things and hopefully i will be able to use them when i get back. What was even better is i got to pick up and do a few plants with the pole he is attempting the record on! IT WAS HUGE!!!!! it was over 5 meters, and the flex was 11.1 however it wasn’t big enough so he is getting a 10.9 flex. Insane! i plan on going and seeing them on saturday and hopefully i will see the coaches there.

Remember train hard, but always have fun doing so.

Brian

So i had my surgery on tuesday and it went really well. They were able to repair my meniscus, however that means a longer recovery, and let me tell you recovery hurts… alot. Everything i do now takes twice as long, and going anywhere is like an epic journey. Im trying to take as little pain meds as possible, and take the pain for what it is, but sometimes it is overwhelming. I just cannot wait to get back on the runway and release some intensity.

Other then that classes are over, i only have one more final and i am good to go. It seems like next semester is going to be a whole new start for me, real classes and new knee, and what i think is a new outlook on life.

Brian

so i regestered for my classes for next semester alreadey because this one is almost over!!! However i am very excited because i am taking three classes, but also because i go on my first clinical affiliation, which means i will be in an athletic training clinic, working as an AT! My classes are also great because each of the classes has a lab to go along with it. while this is alot of work it is also great because it is all hands on. The three classes are Therapuetic Modalities (ultrasound therapy, e-stim, icing, heating, etc), Therapuetic exercise (essentailly basic physical therapy), and clinical physiology (more excerise and body movemnets).

So as of next semester i am buried to my head in athletic training, and i am pumped about it. One last thing the surgery on my knee is occuring december 9 at childrens hospital in boston, and is being preformed by sports medicine specialist Dr. Yen.

so i talked to the surgeon today and the results are ine. The problem is officialy a torn meniscus with a strained MCL due to the syst. The plan  of action is to do orthoscopic sugery. With this sugery two things could happen depending on the condition of the meniscus when they go in. The first (the better option) they are able to repair the meniscus, they do that and clean everything out. This would put me on crutches for about 6 weeks, and full recovery will take 4-5 months…. the other option is a minesectomy (i think thats how you spell it?) where the meniscus is to degrated and the cut it the injured part out. This recovery is one week on crutches and maybe a month full recovery, however i am gauranteed arthritis and pain would remain.

As for now i can not do any impact training(including lifting) and i have to wear a hinged brace. This means alot of pool, bike, and elipitcal for me. The surgery should be within the next couple weeks. I will keep you posted.

brian