Breaking the Wall

December 21, 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:	0.00	Year:	3010.45
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

Sat, Sep 08, 2012

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
13.00	0.00	0.00	3.00	16.00

A.M. Ran with Chad. Total of 15.5. Chad did 20.5, having run 5 miles before we started together. Given the upcoming Top Of Utah Marathon I did an medium long run with a short fast tempo run instead of the full 20 with the last 10 fast. Chad joined me. To spice things up he started 1:00 ahead of me in our standard 3 mile tempo run from Nunns Park to the mouth of the Provo Canyon. This is the third time we've done it like this. The first two times Chad ended up finishing ahead. Today was finally my day. It did help some that Chad was worn out some from the 5 miles earlier and did not have Benjamin to stir him up. Originally we were planning on having Benjamin around, but he had some signs of a sore throat and we decided to have him run less and slower - 4 easy miles with his siblings instead of his usual 7 with me. I ran 15:32 with the splits of 79 - 76 - 78 - 76 (5:09) - 76 - 78 - 78 - 80 (5:12) - 80 - 79 - 78 - 74 (5:11). I passed Chad almost exactly at 2.5 mark He finished in 16:51 in spite of the fatigue and opening with a 74 quarter, which is still a decent time for him.

This is my fastest time this year, 1 second faster than the fastest time last year, and only 17 seconds slower than my best time ever. I experienced an interesting feeling in the tempo. I was breathing very hard the entire time, but I could manage it. Earlier when I was running in the 15:50 range when that feeling came I just slowed down because I could not handle it.

Last year I ran 15:33 in this workout, and then 2:34:15 in TOU. I felt that TOU was an off-race that was salvaged by having somebody to run with (James Moore) for 24 miles. We will see what happens this year. I hit pretty much the exact same time as last year in this workout. I suppose if the conditions are good and I feel good, we will find out exactly how much off I was last year, or maybe if it was just a perception. I wrote 2:29:59 on my entry form for the predicted time. I've run the race 13 times and I do not think I ever quite delivered what I hoped for on the form. Maybe this year I will.

P.M. 0.5 with William.

Green Crocs 4 Miles: 16.00

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

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