Well it all seemed to have come to a rather sudden and slightly bloody ending in the Sheffield decathlon. My aductor was well and truly shredded and I thought that was that for 2018. I came back from the BMAF Decathlon championships expecting at least eight weeks of physio and rehab which would take me way past the end of the outdoor season. As an ageing M55 master even I was surprised at the speed of my recovery, so like an idiot I entered the BMAF outdoor championships, I can hear voices saying "Doesn't this guy ever learn?" - well obviously not as my history clearly shows. Anyway, I was back on the track after only 4 weeks, when I say track I mean the field opposite for my sins. I got an additional surprise when I received a selection letter to represent East Wales at the Vault in the Welsh Inter-regional Championships in Brecon the day before the BMAF Pole Vault in Birmingham. I accepted of course, two vaults in two days - easy (?)
The Midlands League followed three weeks after the decathlon disaster, and I had the good sense to drop out for once. Sadly this cost me my No. one pole vaulting spot in the club as my deputant broke his PB by 30cm. At least the team performed outstandingly and we finished mid table instead of being relegated. Seems the team (above) do better when I officiate than when I compete.
I managed to get a track session and one vaulting session in before having to make my way to Brecon on the 25th August for the Inter-Regionals. I had hopes of at least getting a height this time, might even make up for missing out in the decathlon by claiming a medal - well maybe. This minimalistic training approach was new and unproven, true I didn't need to be super fit to vault but it was a basic requirement to have some sort of clue as to what you're doing. I can't say I helped things by cracking open my bottle of Glen Scotia by way of a psychological boost, as this classic Cambeltown malt did slow down the recoveries a bit.
Glen Scotia is not for the feint hearted, it's one of only 3 remaining distilleries in the town of Campbeltown that once boasted 25 and stands apart from the larger Springbank and the recently restarted Glengyle. The house style is rich with spicy fruit, rather like fruit cake with vanilla and toffee, and the Double Cask expression doesn't disappoint if that's what you like. Yes, sorry the different bottlings get called "expressions" in the world of single malts, and Glen Scotia has been expressing itself since 1832 so I think they've earned it. Trouble with something that good and that different is that it doesn't last long enough, so I was forced to open my bottle of Glen Grant Major's Reserve to back it up.
I digress, but it was a tasty digression. But to Brecon. Got there early with my daughter who had also been selected for the 3000m and 1500m, a tough double by anyone's standard. The weather had been kind too, so I was all set for the vault, and according to the time table I would get to watch my Chloe run the 3K first. Ha! Fat chance. The track time table slipped and the 3000m got underway during my warm up for the vault which was going from bad to worse. Now, being a Powell means you're not blessed with a great deal of common sense when it comes to athletics, so it was no surprise to me to see her run herself into the ground and to the point of collapse on the last lap. So I had to grab her inhaler and race from the vault to the 3000m start (20m!) then to the finish where she promptly collapsed having taken the bronze. Having nursed her back onto her feet, I jogged back to the vault, in time to get my opening vault (2.50m) on the 3rd attempt, I really have to stop doing that, my nerves can't take it. Being the greedy type I like to get my money's worth, so I took two attempts at the next height and then three at 2.70m. Beyond that, my legs were giving out, thanks to the minimal training and the round trip to the finish plus the 8 vaults thus far. Unfortunately, I was unable to match my daughter's medal as I just missed out in 4th. At least I wasn't injured, but I had to hold of celebrations for the next day in Birmingham.
Sunday dawned with rain, and a lot of Tom Phillips's photos show how the many masters had to battle the wind that came with it. As I drove up the M5 (again), I found myself doubting the wisdom of this, a dodgy aductor, no fitness and vaulting in the rain. That was only going to end badly, but it was the last hurrah of 2018 regardless. I hadn't entered the World Master's championships due to a lack of holiday entitlement, but now I was glad I hadn't as I was expecting injury any minute, even driving the car was a risk. On arrival at Masters HQ also known as Alexander Stadium, I was glad to be informed the vault had retreated indoors to the High Performance Centre due to health and safety - result! The master's championships are always a bit of a social gathering as well as the renown intense physical battles that take place, so I was able to pass the time before competing chatting to all and sundry in the dry, comparing results and injuries and re-affirming the fact that, no, I wasn't going to Malaga. I began my warm up and could immediately feel my aductor complain about being in England competing, not a good sign. Still the vaulting seemed better and so it was. I started at 2.50m as usual and promptly clattered it, this was becoming a bit of a tradition, and an annoying one at that.Second attempt was bang on the money and we were away. 2.60m came and went first time but the pain had started. Took me a couple of attempts to nail 2.70m and that was as far as I was able to take it, ending my 2018 campaign with three narrow failures and finishing 5th overall.
Looking back over my season, I had a significant set of ups and downs. The year started badly with the passing of my friend and fellow vaulter John Howe, but then, in the indoors, it perked up with 5 medals. I spent the year hoping to break the club's long jump record but missed by 3cm and finally clocked myself with a big injury, thankfully now recovered. Training is progressing as the 2019 indoor season approaches, and once again I will miss the World Masters Indoor Championships, this time I'm off to Madeira which is probably going to be warmer than Poznan.
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