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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to Ukraine's Armed Forces

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

Thu, Oct 02, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.59	0.00	0.00	0.00	11.59

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-10-02 07:59:43
Workout Totals: Distance11.590Time1:36:14.20Pace8:18.21
Total of 12. Kids ran their usual distances. Benjamin and I did the 3 mile tempo run down the canyon. Later took Benjamin to DMV and he got his driving learner's permit. He complained he was exhausted from studying for the driving test. I laughed - he does hard college math all day long without any problems, but a driving test wore him out. Then I took him for a driving lesson. Made him pass the cone test in the church parking lot, then took him on the roads. Had to use the emergency break a few times because he forgot which pedal was which.
Leg 1:Distance4.900Time39:59.20Pace8:09.63
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance2.000Time16:10.90Pace8:05.45
Tempo run. Splits were 5:25, 5:25, 5:20. Benjamin had an assignment to make sure that I finish in 16:15. The assignment had dual purpose. I wanted to run a faster time, and I wanted him to learn how to run a steady pace. He knew very well that if the pace fluctuated even a tiny bit, that might mean I would reach the target. So he checked himself every 100 meters in the first half mile, and then every 200 meters afterwards all the way up to 2 miles. After that he went by my responsiveness. I asked him to slow down a bit with about 900 to go, but then I found the energy for a 77 last quarter with Benjamin cheering me on - a blessing in my old age - in fact more than one. I am old enough to have a son that is old enough to pace me in a tempo run, I can still run 77 at the end, and he can cheer me and tell me to push all the way.
Leg 3:Distance1.690Time14:35.90Pace8:38.28
Cool-down with Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance3.000Time25:28.20Pace8:29.40
With Joseph and Jacob.

Black Crocs Miles: 11.59

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.00

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