Breaking the Wall

December 22, 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:	40.31	Year:	3073.12
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

Thu, Oct 06, 2011

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
13.50	0.00	0.50	0.00	14.00

A.M. Total of 12. 5 with Benjamin, 2 with Jenny and Julia, 0.5 with Jacob and Joseph, the rest myself. Did a pickup and ran the last 0.5 in 2:48. One difference I observed between a 2:30 and a 3:00 marathoner. Both are equally comfortable at 7:30 pace. At least the probability of a 2:30 guy choosing to run at 7:30 on his easy run is not that much different from that of a 3:00 guy. However, the difference is that the 2:30 guy has a jet engine that takes some effort to engage but once it gets going he can run 5:40 pace for a long time, though quite reluctantly because of the need to focus. 3:00 guy's does not have it. Now what about a 2:10 guy? That is a different animal. His natural choice of easy pace probability curve is shifted - I do not see him happy at 7:30 pace. He might choose 7:00, but more likely 6:30 or even 6:00. And his jet engine takes him to 5:00.

Maybe what that means is that your average 3:00 guy is really an undertrained 2:40 guy. The 2:30 guy is usually well trained. So really there is not that much of a difference between those two in terms of Quality X, which is why they choose about the same easy pace. The 2:10 guy is well trained, but has a different level of Quality X. So he chooses a faster pace for an easy run. It very well may be that the natural choice of an easy pace is a strong predictor of potential after all, or at least stronger than you would think at first.

P.M. 2 miles.

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 14.00

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

Comments

From Burt on Sat, Oct 08, 2011 at 23:20:37 from 72.223.91.148

Hey Sasha. Long time no talk. Hope you're doing ok.

From Chad Robinson on Sat, Oct 08, 2011 at 23:57:10 from 208.110.158.227

I think that is spot on for the 3:00 and 2:30 guy. 7:30 is my go to easy pace, but 5:40 is a lot of work. I would definately say that I am an undertrained 2:40 guy. BTW, my achilles has been feeling great for a month now but I want to get up to 60 mile weeks before I join you again, which may take me until the end of November (I am taking it slow).

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