The Pole Vault Diaries

David Gordon Pole Vault

After many months of frustration and ‘switching off a little’ due to some niggles, it’s funny how I manage to get myself up and running for a big competition. This time it’s the European Masters, (veterans, but we prefer ‘Masters’…) in Madrid, in March. I suspect it’s because I get more motivated the closer it gets. There’s a lesson here – perhaps if I was more diligent earlier I could manage it, well, earlier. Being a 49-year-old pole vaulter, or a 49-year-old anything, requires more ‘pre-hab’ than when I was younger. I was never very good at rehab after injuries, so you can imagine how ‘pre-hab’ goes down – at least half of all the training I do is to help me avoid injury. It’s a might tedious but it’s the rule of the game.

My first competition since winning the World Masters Games in April is this Sunday. I suspect it won’t be very auspicious. I’ve done 3 jumps in that time, off a very short run up. But I don’t care, the buzz of competition and being part of it is intoxicating. So, this week’s moral: It’s better to be rubbish than not to be at all. It could be a slogan, like for example, I don’t know, “Sport for All” or something like that. It will be embarrassing on Sunday when I’m announced as a World Champion, followed by my actual rubbishy effort, and spectators saying ‘seriously?’ but it’s worth the embarrassment just to be allowed to play. Whatever you do, do something, however rubbish it might be.

Have a great weekend.