Breaking the Wall

April 24, 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: 882.94
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
Thu, Dec 31, 2020
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.240.501.740.0012.48

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-12-31 12:37:09
Workout Totals: Distance12.478Time1:35:28.60Pace7:39.10
12 total. Did workouts with the kids. Stephen was supposed to run a 1200 in 4:30 to gain confidence to attack 6:00 mile on the track. After running the first 800 in 3:01 he just mentally quit and ended up with 4:50. I slowed down as much as I could but still ended up with 4:41.

Needless to say, he got to do the interval again. It is OK to struggle, but I expect the children to run their honest best even when they have problems, and a 1:49 quarter was not going to count as an honest best. So he did it again, this time with the splits of 90, 93, 94, and got 4:37.

Jacob - paced by Benjamin - ran 3:50 with the splits of 74, 77, 79. For some odd reason he has a mental block past 1000. A month or so ago he was able to do 1000 in 3:00, and he has very good endurance. Looks like this mental block sensed that it is being knocked out and decided to fight to the bitter end. Ironically, Benjamin - at the age of 11 and the barrier of 6:00 mile had a similar mental block, except a lot more dramatic.

Julia did 800 in 3:13.7 (94, 99) + 400 in 90.9. She said it got her legs working - in the past she felt the heart quit before the legs.

Benjamin - after pacing Jacob - went to the canyon and did 2x1 mile down, 4:35 and 4:38. On the second one there was significant headwind. This is good progress. Hopefully we can repeat this workout in better conditions achieving sub-4:30 on both, and then work on getting him to sub-4:20.

Joseph had a sore throat, did only 5 miles. William and Matthew still have sore throats, but are starting to feel better - they both still ran only 1 mile, though.
Leg 1:Distance1.060Time8:17.10Pace7:48.96
Warm-up with the boys.
Leg 2:Distance0.744Time4:41.70Pace6:18.63
Stephen's first 1200.
Leg 3:Distance0.250Time2:13.90Pace8:55.60
Recovery jog.
Leg 4:Distance0.744Time4:37.60Pace6:13.12
Stephen's 1200 re-do.
Leg 5:Distance1.250Time10:55.00Pace8:44.00
With Stephen back to the house.
Leg 6:Distance1.000Time8:01.20Pace8:01.20
With Matthew and William.
Leg 7:Distance2.000Time15:54.70Pace7:57.35
With Jacob.
Leg 8:Distance2.000Time14:40.40Pace7:20.20
Alone.
Leg 9:Distance1.060Time9:14.40Pace8:43.02
With Julia to the track.
Leg 10:Distance0.497Time3:13.70Pace6:29.74
Julia's 800.
Leg 11:Distance0.873Time4:04.90Pace4:40.53
Recovery + Julia's 400.
Split 1:Distance0.625Time2:34.00Pace4:06.40
Cumilative:Distance0.625Time2:34.00Pace4:06.40
Split 2:Distance0.248Time1:30.90Pace6:06.53
Cumilative:Distance0.873Time4:04.90Pace4:40.53
 
Leg 12:Distance1.000Time9:34.00Pace9:34.00
Back to the house with Julia.

Brown Crocs 3 Miles: 12.48
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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