Breaking the Wall

March 28, 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:

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
9.551.000.001.1211.67

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-22 08:26:20
Workout Totals: Distance11.676Time1:36:57.50Pace8:18.24
Today Jenny and I did 1 mile time trials down the Provo Canyon. Jenny ran 6:10.3, my goal was to break 5:00, and I reached it with Benjamin's help - 4:56.6. That is the first time I went under 5:00 since turning 40 on something that compares to sea level flat (not counting a few crazy splits in the Big Cottonwood half down 8% grade) , and it has been 2 years. So after all maybe my slow down as a master is more training than age related - I am running decent mileage, but my the volume and intensity of my intervals and tempo runs has been way down.

Joseph and Jacob did 100 meter time trial racing each other. In the first attempt Joseph did 16.0, Jacob 16.2. In the second, Joseph got 16.2, Jacob 16.3, in the third they tied with 16.4.

Jenny's splits were 90,94,93,93. Mine - 73,75,73,75. The first quarter was perfect, Benjamin eased off too much in the second quarter, then overcorrected in the third - amazingly it did not drop me, and then I did not have as much juice in the last one.

Joseph is about 1 second faster than Benjamin was at the age of 10, and Jacob is about 2 seconds faster than Benjamin was at the age of 8. Not sure what that means. Benjamin right now will run about 13.0, and probably 12.0-12.5 as an adult. I am not expecting Jacob to run 10.0 as an adult, but possibly 11.0, which coupled with the endurance would make him competitive in the 5,000 and 10,000.
Leg 1:Distance0.700Time6:09.70Pace8:48.14
Warm up with Benjamin and Jenny.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:10.30Pace6:10.30
Jenny's time trial.
Leg 3:Distance1.120Time10:06.90Pace9:01.87
Recovery jog with Benjamin and Jenny.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time4:56.60Pace4:56.60
My mile time trial.
Leg 5:Distance1.000Time9:03.10Pace9:03.10
Recovery jog with Benjamin.
Leg 6:Distance1.100Time10:54.40Pace9:54.91
To the track with Joseph, Jacob, and Julia.
Leg 7:Distance0.250Time2:12.10Pace8:48.40
A lap with Benjamin.
Leg 8:Distance0.062Time0:16.20Pace4:21.29
Joseph and Jacob's first 100 meter attempt.
Split 1:Distance0.062Time0:16.00Pace4:18.06
Cumilative:Distance0.062Time0:16.00Pace4:18.06
Split 2:Distance0.000Time0:00.20Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance0.062Time0:16.20Pace4:21.29
Leg 9:Distance0.430Time3:59.90Pace9:17.91
A jog with Benjamin.
Leg 10:Distance0.062Time0:16.20Pace4:21.29
Second 100 meter attempt, Joseph's time.
Leg 11:Distance0.690Time6:07.20Pace8:52.17
Jogging with Benjamin.
Leg 12:Distance0.062Time0:16.40Pace4:24.52
Third attempt - they tied.
Leg 13:Distance1.200Time12:29.20Pace10:24.33
Back to the house.
Leg 14:Distance1.500Time12:06.30Pace8:04.20
Extra distance with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 15:Distance1.500Time11:53.00Pace7:55.33
Extra distance alone.

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