Breaking the Wall

December 30, 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:	72.31	Year:	3105.12
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

Sun, Jul 25, 2010

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

Day of rest. Went to church. Had good talks in the sacrament meeting. The subject was being worthy to receive the Holy Ghost. One speaker quoted Harold B. Lee who compared our ability to receive the Holy Ghost to a tube radio. Yes, the technology has greatly changed from the 50s, but the essence of the Spirit has not. So the analogy still works well even today. If all of the tubes in a radio work, the sound is great.If one fails, the sound is worse, but still audible. If two fail, you can barely hear anything. If three fail, the radio still looks the same on the outside, but you can hear nothing at all. So it is with us. If we keep all of the commandments, the Spirit flows unrestrained. If we start neglecting a few, the flow is diminished. If we neglect more, the flow becomes a trickle. At some point it stops altogether except for the occasional prodding to repentance. We may look the same on the outside, but on the inside we have lost contact with the Lord and are in deep trouble often without quite realizing it.

The lesson in Sunday school was on service. The lesson in the Elder's Quorum was on diligence.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.00

Comments

From Kory on Wed, Jul 28, 2010 at 15:09:18 from 134.50.89.33

We have the spirit of God within us. Jesus had to leave so that the comforter (Holy Spirit) could live inside of us, and as the Gospel books say (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) we will do greater works than Jesus. Our problem is our faith that stops the Holy Ghost from using us.

Speaking in tongues is one that God will use in all of us if we have the ability to spiritually connect with God. (I know some churches don't believe in the evidence of an unknown tongue but thats ok).

From steve ash on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 18:48:41 from 98.202.75.78

I like the analogy, but.. sometimes all it takes is to not have one working and you won't hear anything. Thats a good analogy too maybe? Pull the rectifier and it's essentially dead.

From steve ash on Fri, Jul 30, 2010 at 18:51:11 from 98.202.75.78

Same for other tubes if they are wired in series and not parallel.

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