Breaking the Wall

March 29, 2024

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Location:

Orem,UT,United States

Member Since:

Jan 27, 1986

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Olympic Trials Qualifier

Running Accomplishments:

Best marathon: 2:23:57 (2007, St. George). Won the Top of Utah Marathon twice (2003,2004). Won the USATF LDR circuit in Utah in 2006.

Draper Days 5 K 15:37 (2004)

Did not know this until June 2012, but it turned out that I've been running with spina bifida occulta in L-4 vertebra my entire life, which explains the odd looking form, struggles with the top end speed, and the poor running economy (cannot break 16:00 in 5 K without pushing the VO2 max past 75).  

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for the US Olympic Trials. With the standard of 2:19 on courses with the elevation drop not exceeding 450 feet this is impossible unless I find an uncanny way to compensate for the L-4 defect with my muscles. But I believe in miracles.

Long-Term Running Goals:

2:08 in the marathon. Become a world-class marathoner. This is impossible unless I find a way to fill the hole in L-4 and make it act healthy either by growing the bone or by inserting something artificial that is as good as the bone without breaking anything important around it. Science does not know how to do that yet, so it will take a miracle. But I believe in miracles.

Personal:

I was born in 1973. Grew up in Moscow, Russia. Started running in 1984 and so far have never missed more than 3 consecutive days. Joined the LDS Church in 1992, and came to Provo, Utah in 1993 to attend BYU. Served an LDS mission from 1994-96 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Got married soon after I got back. My wife Sarah and I are parents of eleven children: Benjamin, Jenny, Julia, Joseph, Jacob, William, Stephen, Matthew,  Mary,  Bella.  and Leigha. We home school our children.

I am a software engineer/computer programmer/hacker whatever you want to call it, and I am currently working for RedX. Aside from the Fast Running Blog, I have another project to create a device that is a good friend for a fast runner. I called it Fast Running Friend.

Favorite Quote:

...if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie

 

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 133.01 Year: 776.88
Saucony Type A Lifetime Miles: 640.15
Bare Feet Lifetime Miles: 450.37
Nike Double Stroller Lifetime Miles: 124.59
Brown Crocs 4 Lifetime Miles: 1334.06
Amoji 1 Lifetime Miles: 732.60
Amoji 2 Lifetime Miles: 436.69
Amoji 3 Lifetime Miles: 380.67
Lopsie Sports Sandals Lifetime Miles: 818.02
Lopsie Sports Sandals 2 Lifetime Miles: 637.27
Iprome Garden Clogs Lifetime Miles: 346.18
Beslip Garden Clogs Lifetime Miles: 488.26
Joybees 1 Lifetime Miles: 1035.60
Madctoc Clogs Lifetime Miles: 698.29
Blue Crocs Lifetime Miles: 1164.32
Kimisant Black Clogs Lifetime Miles: 720.62
Black Crocs 2023 Lifetime Miles: 1312.70
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.763.420.500.0018.68

A.M. 16.18 with Jeff in 1:44:01 (6:25.7 avg). I decided the detour was adding only 0.04 each way instead of 0.05 because we hit 1 mile + detour in 5:57 while consistently hitting 86 quarters in the measured area.

This was a recovery long run, if there is such a thing. Part of the reason was that Benjamin and I were going to the chess camp later today. Part of the reason was to avoid overtraining from the hard 20 in the last 2 weeks, with the one last week done on a sick stomach. So the plan was to maintain about 6:40 average, and then run a bit quicker in the last couple of miles.

We pretty much followed the plan, except we got a little anxious to be done and hit the gas with 3.91 to go covering the distance in 22:31 (5:45.5 average). In the way of Soviet era style 1913 comparison bragging, this was slightly faster than my average race pace in the Thanksgiving 4 miler. The quarters varied from 86 to 89 in the first 1.5 miles (8:48 at 1.5), then they became a steady 86 until we got to the bridges and the uphill afterwards in the last mile. We put in the same effort but it produced only 88 and 89. Then Jeff shifted gears (I responded) and we did 81 and 79 for the last two quarters. Last mile was 5:37.

It was a lot easier to run fast with a properly functioning stomach. 5:56 pace felt like a jog. 5:44 felt comfortable. 5:20 was bearable even with the turns, at least for half a mile. I was happy that Jeff did not drop me in the last mile.

About 7.8 into the run we caught up to Luz. I saw the opportunity to help her break the mental block and challenged her to run with us until she could not. She managed about 0.2 at 6:40 pace. Some of what I consider to be my most significant growing experiences happened when I ran with guys that are much faster than me without them slowing down for me. There is some form of communication that takes place when you do that. You learn something very valuable that is difficult to describe even if that one race ends up slower because you were not fit to run that pace yet and it broke you down.

Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 16:40. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 12:55. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:29. Jacob had a sore knee and did not run.


Water Clogs 3 Miles: 18.68
Night Sleep Time: 7.83Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.83
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