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
Sat, May 29, 2021
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.140.005.000.3816.52

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-05-29 07:29:33
Workout Totals: Distance16.520Time2:02:51.20Pace7:26.20
16.5 total. Did a 5 mile tempo down the canyon with Chad, Joseph, and Jacob. Joseph was running without a watch or splits being called out to him, and was given a task to run whatever pace he thought was honest for 5 miles. We ended up with 30:03, splits 6:08, 6:03, 5:58, 6:00, 6:02, 5:52. However, after 2 miles Joseph was having panic attacks of his style in bursts so the pace was very uneven - he kept micro-surging, then slowing down. But in spite of all of that, he finished the workout at a respectable pace. Benjamin went through a similar period when he was 15, it got a lot better when he was 16, but did not completely go away until he returned from a mission.

I did the salt pill experiment, and it went well. The first one, which I took during the tempo, did not seem to do much as the weather was still cool and we were not too far into the run. The plus was that I could take it at 6:00 pace and it did not create any problems. I took the second one about 14 miles into the run, and then about a mile or so later did a pickup with Bonnie for 0.375 in 2:06, and it felt unusually good for the end of 16 miles.

Chad was struggling today as he just got his second shot of the COVID vaccine. It manifested itself in a sudden onset of fatigue in stress spots - the end of the 5 mile tempo, and the end of the entire run.

Benjamin has had his SI-join problem get out of hand resulting in imbalance and knee pain. So for his workout he only was able to manage 3 miles in 15:30 and decided not to do the second interval to avoid making things worse.
Leg 1:
Distance2.480Time20:24.70Pace8:13.83ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up with Chad, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:
Distance5.000Time30:03.30Pace6:00.66ZoneThreshold Miles
With Chad, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 3:
Distance2.540Time20:49.10Pace8:11.77ZoneEasy Miles
With Chad, part with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 4:
Distance6.000Time46:55.10Pace7:49.18
With Bonnie, part with William, Stephen, Matthew, and Chad.
Split 1:Distance5.510Time43:52.10Pace7:57.70ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance5.510Time43:52.10Pace7:57.70
Split 2:Distance0.375Time2:06.20Pace5:36.53ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance5.885Time45:58.30Pace7:48.70
Split 3:Distance0.115Time0:56.80Pace8:13.91ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance6.000Time46:55.10Pace7:49.18
 
Leg 5:
Distance0.500Time4:39.00Pace9:18.00ZoneEasy Miles
With Bella

Brown Crocs 4 Miles: 16.52
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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