Breaking the Wall

December 22, 2024

15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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:	40.31	Year:	3073.12
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:						1743.12
White Slip Resistant Crocs Lifetime Miles:						759.93

Mon, Nov 30, 2009

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.20	0.00	0.00	0.25	12.45

A.M. Exciting news. I am now passing the thoracic flexibility test. A whole week of foam roller and no progress at all. Then a day of two tennis balls duct-taped together, and I go from almost no improvement to passing the test. My explanation of it - the lack of flexibility was caused by the muscles, and the muscles responded very well to the tennis ball massage. That is actually quite remarkable. Dr. Jex tried to loosen those muscles with his magic tool and it did not do a whole lot. But there was something about doing crunches while laying on the tennis balls.

So I was cautiously excited, if there is such a thing, to see what would happen when I actually ran. What was different is that I was able to lean forward without it feeling unnatural. Jeff noticed that the legs moved with no problems. However, the shoulders were still very tense and there was still a whole lot of shoulder rotation.

To get a better idea of the form change we ran a quarter in 74.5. I liked the feel of it. 1% of the distance covered at the right pace and not feeling too bad, something to get excited about.

Total time for 10.2 was 1:14:25.

Jenny ran with Sarah.

P.M. 1.5 in 13:34 with Benjamin and Julia. Then 0.5 with Joseph and Benjamin in 4:25. That gave Benjamin 17:59 for 2 miles. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:53.

Airwalk Clogs Miles: 12.45

Night Sleep Time: 8.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.00

Comments

From Paul on Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 14:19:55 from 174.23.191.243

Sounds like you released some trigger points with the tennis balls. Keep with it, as those muscles will probably be prone to lock up again and again until you train them to do otherwise.

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