Breaking the Wall

March 29, 2024

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesSasha Pachev's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
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:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
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
9.760.001.860.0011.62

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2017-06-20 08:17:30
Workout Totals: Distance11.618Time1:30:04.80Pace7:45.21
Did a tune-up 2000 on the track workout with Joseph and Jacob. William was not having a good day - he was supposed to keep up with us for 800, but fell back terribly. Stephen was able to keep up for 200 meters running roughly 42.

Joseph and Jacob had an assignment to maintain 86 per lap to failure. Then for each lap of failure they would do 2x400 at 80 seconds afterwards - at least that was the original plan. Joseph was successful at keeping the pace, and was even able to kick finishing 2000 in 7:07. Jacob, however, only lasted the first 3 laps, and then had a mental breakdown and slowed down to 95 laps finishing in 7:26. I gave him a choice to do 4x400 in 80 or just run 1000 in 3:40, he took 1000.

We need to work with Jacob some more on this mental breakdown. Clearly he has the fitness - his 1000 PR is 3:18. But when the distance gets longer he has a hard time believing he can hold anything faster than 6:00 or sometimes even 6:10. We need to think of workouts that will challenge this.

More or less usual runs for everybody distance-wise.
Leg 1:Distance1.100Time9:45.10Pace8:51.91
Warm-up with the gang of boys.
Leg 2:Distance1.242Time7:26.30Pace5:59.34
Joseph and Jacob did 200, William ran 800 but fell back, Stephen was able to keep up for the last 200 of Joseph's 2000 more or less.
Split 1:Distance1.242Time7:07.30Pace5:44.04
Cumilative:Distance1.242Time7:07.30Pace5:44.04
Joseph's split.
Split 2:Distance0.000Time0:19.00Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance1.242Time7:26.30Pace5:59.34
Waited for Jacob.
 
Leg 3:Distance0.250Time2:23.30Pace9:33.20
Recovery jog.
Leg 4:Distance0.621Time3:38.00Pace5:51.05
Jacob's "redemption" 1000.
Leg 5:Distance0.125Time1:13.70Pace9:49.60
A little jog.
Leg 6:Distance1.000Time9:00.30Pace9:00.30
Back to the house with the gang.
Leg 7:Distance4.000Time29:18.50Pace7:19.62
More distance alone.
Leg 8:Distance0.600Time5:15.70Pace8:46.17
To the park with Matthew and the gang of boys.
Leg 9:Distance2.080Time16:29.50Pace7:55.72
At the park.
Leg 10:Distance0.600Time5:34.40Pace9:17.33
Back to the house with Matthew and the gang of boys.

Camouflage Crocs 2 Miles: 11.62
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):
Recent Comments: