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, Nov 28, 2024
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.631.000.504.0013.13

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2024-11-28 07:19:52
Workout Totals: Distance13.130Time1:43:38.50Pace7:53.61
Earn Your Turkey 4 miler, 25:36

The race deteriorated since the last time we ran it for some unknown reason - perhaps increasing costs of running it. But there was no official results, and the awards were only top 5 overall and the first 3 in each kids races. The course has changed as well. It definitely became longer than 3.95 miles that it used to be. Benjamin's GPS measured 4.08, Stephen's 3.99. I am inclined to believe it was 4.05 based on the splits and the correlation with the stretches that I had measured previously. Maybe we will get around to measuring it to know for sure some time.

Our results:

Myself - 25:36, slowest I have ever run it, but still happy with the result as it could have been slower. Official mile marker splits were 5:59, 6:23, 6:20, 6:53. Based on the position of mile markers 1 and 3 I am confident that the distance between them was 2 miles or very close. First mile - correlated with corner to corner splits - was a bit short, I think. Last mile definitely long.

Sarah - 46:24 - an improvement over Payson Onion Days 5K. Lately she has had issues with a tense back and has not been able to run straight. So that makes her race times slow. She actually runs around 10:00 pace, but it averages out to around 12:00 of real time due to stops.

Benjamin - 23:40 - had severe problems with the stumbling after running the first 2 miles more or less normally - 5:02, 5:20

Maddy - 41:12 - more or less what I was expecting

Jenny - pregnant and injured, so she walked 2 miles

Nate - not pregnant but injured. Walked with Jenny

William - 27:45. Not too bad given his struggles lately.

Stephen - 29:33 - better than I expected given his latest struggles.

Matthew won the boys 11-12 mile in 5:41.

Mary won the girls 9-10 mile in 7:12.

Bella won the girls 7-8 800 on the track in 3:17. She started out with the first 200 in 39 and got to 400 in 87. I got stuck behind the little kids and could not catch up to her until about 350 meters. But then she paid for her fast start and ran the next 200 meters at 8:00 pace before speeding up a bit at the end.

Leigha won the girls 5-6 800 in 3:54, also on the track.

I wish they had done the mile on the track as well. It would have had the accurate distance - though not guaranteed as people often forget to add 9.34 meters to the 4 laps on the 400 meter track.
Leg 1:
Distance2.600Time21:33.60Pace8:17.54ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance5.900Time46:22.00Pace7:51.53
Race + pacing Sarah.
Split 1:Distance4.000Time25:36.70Pace6:24.18ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance4.000Time25:36.70Pace6:24.18
Split 2:Distance1.900Time20:45.30Pace10:55.42ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance5.900Time46:22.00Pace7:51.53
Leg 3:
Distance0.500Time3:54.80Pace7:49.60ZoneEasy Miles
Pacing Leigha.
Leg 4:
Distance0.500Time3:17.80Pace6:35.60ZoneThreshold Miles
Pacing Bella.
Leg 5:
Distance1.000Time7:12.60Pace7:12.60ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Pacing Mary.
Leg 6:
Distance2.630Time21:17.70Pace8:05.82ZoneEasy Miles
Back to the house with Benjamin.

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