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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to Ukraine's Armed Forces

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, May 09, 2012

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
14.50	1.50	0.00	0.00	16.00

A.M. 7 with Ariel and Jeremy. We did 1.5 fast down the canyon. The target was 6:00 pace. They both were holding the pace quite well and ended up running 8:49, 11 seconds faster. The goal is to teach their legs the idea that 6:00 pace is a normal distance race pace, not something reserved for a short speed workout or out of science fiction. Then added 3 more at home. Benjamin did not run this morning because he was taking an AP Calculus BC test. We decided to throw him in the water and see how well he can swim - so give him the hardest math test we knew of that scored something of value. The goal is to score 5 and get credit for BYU Math 112 and 113. From what he described, it sounded like he might have actually gotten it, but we'll have to wait until July to get the results. If not, he is only 13 years old, we will try again next year. This test costs $87. A BYU course costs $600 so it is worth trying it again to get the $1200 worth of credits.

Jenny and Julia ran 2 miles, including 1 with Jacob.

P.M. Benjamin and I did 1 with Mandy, 2 with Joseph, and 3 by ourselves - total of 6.

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 16.00

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

Comments

From jeffmc on Mon, May 14, 2012 at 12:10:08 from 68.227.3.20

Sasha,

I have been thinking more lately in regards to functional levels of flexibility in regards to the tests you had me perform. As a reminder, I was able to touch my head to my knees when standing rather easily. I was not able to touch my toes when sitting, but within a few days I was able to do that. I think I could not initially because I was sick.

Anyhow, I have been thinking more about it, and I think that the quads may play a bigger role than we give them credit for. The quads are shortened every time that we sit down. If we sit a lot (working at a computer, etc) this muscle may become shortened semi-permanently. I also noticed that when I sprint my quads feel tight almost like I can not extend my leg as far behind me as I need to. Just a thought, but I figured you might be interested.

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