‍What does your in-season fitness/training schedule look like?

‍In season, we have specific NCAA hour guidelines that we have to follow to make sure we aren’t overtraining. These hours change once we get closer to season. I start my day with waking up at 6:45 to get to morning weights at 7:30! We have a morning lift that is a little different each morning. After that I shower and eat at the athletic dining hall. Practice in the afternoon is usually around 1:00/2:00 depending on what our workout is that day or if we are pole vaulting along with our workout.

We don’t actually pole vault everyday even though we train everyday. We typically have a Wednesday practice that is on our own and then Sundays off. Fall training is pretty tough and definitely mentally and physically exhausting, but it’s what sets us up to have a great competition season!

‍What does your off-season fitness/training schedule look like?

‍Depending on how far you make it into competition season, you get the month of June to workout on your own. This allows you to have a mental and physical break before having slightly more structured workouts in the months of July and August. I like to do activities like golf, line dancing, Zumba, circuit training, swimming, and going on walks! I love to be active, but also venture out to keep working-out fun! I don’t stress too much about being too structured because I’m so structured once fall training begins.

Some days I’ll go walk for 3 miles and then hit the gym later on! Other days I’ll just go line dance or stay in the gym for 2 hours just lifting. It’s important to me to just move my body and stay fit, but also love what I’m doing so that it stays fun.

‍What is your cardio vs weight-lifting ratio?

‍As a pole vaulter, our cardio looks a little different than most. A lot of our cardio is what I like to call quick deaths! It’s more explosive work and not for long periods of time. We definitely do cardio on a daily basis but it’s to build power and speed rather than cardio to lose weight. Of course, it gets us into shape but it’s more about performance rather than looks.

We lift 4 times a week with two of those lift days having cardio-involved circuits. I can honestly say we dread those days, but they are so good for us.They build character.

‍Do you do heavy weights with fewer reps, or lighter with more reps?

‍In the fall we start out with lighter weight and more reps and then move into heavier weights with fewer reps the closer we get into season. We have a day where we max-out to help figure out how much we should be lifting and for how many reps. Thank goodness I have an amazing strength coach named JD O’Brien.

He understands all of the science behind it and how important it is to do the heaviest weight as quickly as possible during our Olympic lifts. If you aren’t moving it fast enough, you aren’t building power. If it isn’t heavy enough, you also aren’t building power. It’s pretty neat how science and math play into all of our training.

‍Do you have a nutritionalists or someone who guides your diet?

‍We do have a team nutritionist. We have access to a DEXA to figure out our muscle to fat ratio. This allows us to adjust our eating to meet our bodies needs to become the best athlete we can be. As a female who has struggled with finding a healthy relationship with food, it’s important to have a nutritionist that is good at educating athletes so we understand what our body’s needs are and why they need those things.

I have had to change my way of thinking so that I’m fueling my body to perform rather than eating very little and staying away from carbs so I can be smaller. It is so important for me to fuel up with protein and carbs so that my body is holding on to muscle and fueled to make it through those tough workouts. Track athletes come in so many shapes and sizes and it’s so hard not comparing ourselves along with comparing ourselves with girls who aren’t athletes.

I have had to be kinder to myself and love my body for what it accomplishes for me rather than focusing on having cellulite on my legs or being a little more muscular than other women. All in all, I am very thankful to have such a supportive team and staff that educates me on how to be successful both physically and mentally. You can’t be successful in one area and not the other.