Steps vs. Strides

[opalkak]

it really depends on the run.

[Robert schmitt]

How do you count it if you do a walking or hoping start like some vaulters do?

[lonestar]

Steps = total number of lefts and rights - my vaulters are running from 12 steps right now, which many would refer to as 6 lefts, or 6 strides, a stride being both a right and a left. When we move to the next longer run, we move back a stride, which is a right and a left.

We also skip into our run, and don't count the skip as a stride. The added momentum is basically like having 1 more step or a 1/2 stride on your run.

Earl Bell refers to a stride (2 steps) as a magic number. He refers to the total run though in total number of steps, lefts and rights, as in 12 steps (total).

[souleman]

Oh Boy! guys and gals, I'm really getting confused now. (Which is not at all improbable at my age). Ok, I used to start my runs about 110' back of the box. Figuring that my stride was roughly 6 feet means that my steps were roughly 9 lefts? Now that being the case and using the same formula does that means that you guys and gals total approach is roughly about 90 feet? It's gonna take me forever to get me out of the stone age isn't it? Later...................Mike

[Skyin' Brian]

How do you count it if you do a walking or hoping start like some vaulters do?

i would just not count those things. i used to skip, but quit that about about 5-6 years ago.


ok, i guess i thought that stride meant the same thing to everyone, but i guess even that is wrong, and some people step means stride and stride means step. but anyway, i just looked up stride in the dictionary and it could either mean a cycle of movements, as in right, left. or "a long step"
so, i didnt even think of the fact that a stride could actually = 2 steps, but anyway ive always heard people refer to an approach as a 7 step or 8 step or whatever to mean a step = 2 strides, but anyway i guess i just prefer stride to step in termology since it seems more specific. it seems that step or stride can mean either a movement of one foot or of each foot. so lefts does leave less to chance, but taking 6 and a half lefts seems problematic and. anyway, im overthinking this, but i still prefer saying i run from 16 strides since it seems more precise. anyway thanks for the interesting responses.

[Robert schmitt]

I was kind of just joking. Althogh I'm one of those wierdos who is right handed and takes my first step with my left. I usually just don't count that first step as a left and chalk it up to being equivelant to a walking or skiping start. But when people are comparing short run pr's I'll sometimes sayI ran from 4 and a half lefts.

[VAVAULTER]

i use LEFTS when i an talking about 5lefts or higher and STEPS when we are warming up (3s, 5s, 7s, 9s) . it is all the same anyways

[rainbowgirl28]

How do you count it if you do a walking or hoping start like some vaulters do?

Kris made me skip this year, so all my runs with a skip are recorded as 6+skip, 8+skip, 10+skip, etc.

[Robert schmitt]

Oh Boy! guys and gals, I'm really getting confused now. (Which is not at all improbable at my age). Ok, I used to start my runs about 110' back of the box. Figuring that my stride was roughly 6 feet means that my steps were roughly 9 lefts? Now that being the case and using the same formula does that means that you guys and gals total approach is roughly about 90 feet? It's gonna take me forever to get me out of the stone age isn't it? Later...................Mike

Sounds like you have it right. 96' (measured from the back of the box) is around where most males will be when running from 8 lefts. I'm screwy b/c I start with my left foot and have a longer than average stride of 6'6". My starting point for 4.5 lefts is 59'9".

[souleman]

Don't feel like the lone ranger you guys, there's another one out here. When I started, I rocked back on my right foot and the first step on the ground when I started heading for the pit was my left foot. (I think.........it's been a reeeeeeallly long time). Later.....Mike

[Vault&Flip]

Oh Boy! guys and gals, I'm really getting confused now. (Which is not at all improbable at my age). Ok, I used to start my runs about 110' back of the box. Figuring that my stride was roughly 6 feet means that my steps were roughly 9 lefts? Now that being the case and using the same formula does that means that you guys and gals total approach is roughly about 90 feet? It's gonna take me forever to get me out of the stone age isn't it? Later...................Mike

Sounds like you have it right. 96' (measured from the back of the box) is around where most males will be when running from 8 lefts. I'm screwy b/c I start with my left foot and have a longer than average stride of 6'6". My starting point for 4.5 lefts is 59'9".

59'9...only in my dreams could I make it remotely near the pit running 4.5 lefts.

[PVJESS08]

I refer to my run in steps. Its just easier for me than counting lefts - im just lazy that way lol