Breaking the Wall

December 21, 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: 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 16, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.660.003.000.1312.79

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-10-16 08:31:52
Workout Totals: Distance12.790Time1:36:26.30Pace7:32.41
Did a 3 tempo run with Benjamin. Then time trials with the little boys. Joseph ran 400 in 79.0, Jacob in 80.4, William did 800 in 3:34.2, Stephen in 4:47.3. All got their PRs. Also helped a high school runner named Brandon with a workout pacing him through 1600 in 5:37.
Leg 1:Distance4.800Time39:03.10Pace8:08.15
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time16:16.50Pace5:25.50
Tempo run. The target was 5:20 for the first 2 miles for both of us, then Benjamin was going to do his best, and I was going to do my best. We opened with 76, which killed me, then the pace stabilized, but I payed for that 76 for the rest of the run. Our mile split was 5:16, then 7:57 at 1.5. After that I could not keep up anymore, at 2 miles Benjamin had 10:35, I got 10:40. Then neither one of us felt too good - Benjamin struggled through the last mile in 5:15, while I got 5:36.
Leg 3:Distance1.690Time15:01.80Pace8:53.61
Cool-down to the house.
Leg 4:Distance0.030Time0:19.10Pace10:36.67
Hit the button at the track during warm-up.
Leg 5:Distance0.530Time5:06.20Pace9:37.74
Warm-up with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 6:Distance0.124Time1:20.40Pace10:48.39
Jacob's 400. He opened with 18 high, then 38 high at 200, and 59 300. For a while I thought he was going to crack 80 which would have been quite remarkable given that Joseph could only do 85 at Jacob's age, and Benjamin was not even breaking 90. But 80.4 is still quite remarkable, although there are kids Jacob's age that can go faster than this for the whole 800. I suppose there is a huge variance in development at this age. E.g, I am not expecting that Jacob will be running 8/9*58.9 = 52.35 when he is 15. Or who knows, maybe he will - we will have to see. I do think, however, that it is safe to say that the current national 8 and under record holder in a quarter (Anthony Valentine, 65.50) will not be running 42.35 at 15, which is what I get if I multiply Benjamin's 15 year old track PR by the ratio of their 8-year-old PRs.
Leg 7:Distance0.124Time1:19.00Pace10:37.10
Joseph's 400. He opened in 17 high, I did not know he had that much raw speed, then 37 high, 58, and finished in 21. First time under 80.
Leg 8:Distance0.498Time4:47.30Pace9:36.91
Stephen's 800. He opened with 1:05 200, then 1:15, 1:15, and 1:12. Record by 2 seconds.
Leg 9:Distance0.498Time3:34.20Pace7:10.12
William's 800. He opened with 52, then 54, 55, and 53. Improved by 4 seconds.
Leg 10:Distance0.126Time0:39.70Pace5:15.08
Helped Brandon at the end of his interval.
Leg 11:Distance0.250Time2:17.70Pace9:10.80
A jog with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 12:Distance0.996Time5:37.50Pace5:38.86
Paced Brandon for 1600.
Leg 13:Distance0.124Time1:03.80Pace8:34.52
A brief cool-down to the car with the boys.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.79
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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