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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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

Wed, Apr 29, 2009

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.90	1.00	0.00	0.10	14.00

A.M. Ran with Jeff and Ted. Dropped Ted off at 6, then did 4 more. The river overflowed and there was quite a bit of water under some bridges. Five Fingers dry out a lot quicker than regular shoes with socks. Did the Fat Mile at the end in 6:00. Fat Mile is a new term I've just invented. You lull your body into burning fats by running a slow pace first for a while, and then you speed up hoping you are still burning fats and can teach your body to rely on fats at a faster pace.Total time was 1:13:36.

Afterwards, 2 more with Benjamin in 17:36.

P.M. 2 with Jenny in 19:04. Julia ran the first 1.5 with us in 14:34, faster than the policeman again.

Vibram Five Fingers Miles: 12.00

Night Sleep Time: 7.67	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.67

Comments

From air darkhorse on Wed, Apr 29, 2009 at 21:17:07 from 76.27.0.45

How do you think this can be accomplished biologically? The ratio of carbs to fats has been proven to be a function of oxygen uptake and utilization. Basically, less oxygen available means more sugar converted to oxygen and lactate for energy production. Is it a running economy adaptation through more efficient use of biomechanics or is it something else?

From Sasha Pachev on Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 16:42:07 from 64.81.245.109

I think the improvement will happen from both the economy and a metabolic change. There is definitely a metabolic component when you do it right, I can feel it. The pace feels unusually hard for a while in a weird way, to the point that you could start asking yourself what in the world has happened to me. Yet if you are willing to get excited and press, you can get out of that gear no problem and start running a lot faster without feeling like you are working too hard. I know that feeling well enough, I just have not quite understood until recently what it meant. What happens is if you suppress adrenaline production, the glycogen is not being released, so the body starts to look for other sources of energy and turns to fat. If you get excited, all of a sudden the glycogen begins to be used, and the pace feels a lot easier. The key is to increase the pace without getting excited about it.

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