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
Fri, Sep 22, 2017
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.251.000.001.258.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2017-09-22 08:39:21
Workout Totals: Distance8.498Time1:02:44.70Pace7:23.01
Jacob suggested we should do a mile time trial today, so I took the little boys to the track. I was excited to test what that 75.1 uphill quarter at the end of 8 would show on the track. I was planning to pace Joseph (and Jacob if he could keep up) for the first three quarters, and then kick to see what I had in the last lap.

So I took Joseph through the first 400 in 77 high which did not feel as easy as it should have been based on the uphill run on Wednesday, and then lost power. He had to step forward and help me with the pace. Our next two laps were 83 and 85. He kicked in the last lap running it in 82 and nearly dropped me. We finished side by side in 5:30.0 missing his record by 2 seconds.

Jacob struggled, ran the first lap in 84, then got discouraged and finished the mile in 5:54.

Matthew struggled as well in the 800, some of it was mental. He ran the first lap in 1:55, then he had 3:26 with 100 to go, but then just let his guard down and missed his not very strong record of 3:58.7 by a little over a second in the last 30 meters. He tried again, but only could run 4:16.

William also struggled in the mile - opened with 87, then it all went down to pot and he finished in 6:15.

Stephen did a bit better, but still missed his record in the 800 running 3:20.8. Splits - 47, 52, 53, 48.

I went for more distance after this and noticed that I was very sluggish choosing about 8:00 pace. Yesterday the same level of effort was giving me 7:10. I tried the uphill sprint at the end to get another data point and ran 83.4. I felt the stride length was too short but just did not have the power.

We did have a weather change - temperature dropped about 10F to 44F, there was a light drizzle, and 96% humidity. This should make things a bit harder, but not that hard. There was something else at play. What is odd is that it affected everybody.
 
Leg 1:Distance0.496Time4:00.10Pace8:04.07
With the crew pacing Matthew.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time5:54.00Pace5:54.00
Pacing Joseph.
Split 1:Distance1.000Time5:30.00Pace5:30.00
Cumilative:Distance1.000Time5:30.00Pace5:30.00
Joseph's time and mine as well.
Split 2:Distance0.000Time0:24.00Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance1.000Time5:54.00Pace5:54.00
Jacob's time.
 
Leg 3:Distance0.496Time4:16.30Pace8:36.73
Crew pacing Matthew for try 2.
Leg 4:Distance0.496Time3:20.80Pace6:44.84
Pacing Stephen - alone.
Leg 5:Distance1.000Time6:15.90Pace6:15.90
Pacing William - alone again.
Leg 6:Distance5.010Time38:57.60Pace7:46.59
More distance alone.
Split 1:Distance4.760Time37:34.20Pace7:53.57
Cumilative:Distance4.760Time37:34.20Pace7:53.57
Split 2:Distance0.250Time1:23.40Pace5:33.60
Cumilative:Distance5.010Time38:57.60Pace7:46.59
 

Red Crocs Miles: 8.50
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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