Breaking the Wall

April 19, 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:	0.00	Year:	870.94
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:						1312.70

Mon, Jun 15, 2009

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.00

A.M. Was a bum, slept it in, and did nothing. Figured quads could wait until the evening.

P.M. 2 alone in 15:01, 2 with Jenny in 17:52 (Julia 1.5 in 13:46), 2 with Benjamin in 15:01. Sub-8:00 average in spite of running 2/3 of the run with the kids. And I did not have to push too hard on the solo part to make it sub-8:00. The left quad was almost 100% recovered but the right quad was very sore. This was very revealing. With Five Fingers, there was more pounding on the quads. So it exposed form weaknesses more clearly. It appears that I use the right quad for support a whole lot more than the left one. This makes sense because my right glut always feels unused, and somewhat incapable of being used. So the quad then picks up the slack. But why is the right glut being weird? That is a big question.

Five Fingers 2 Miles: 6.00

Night Sleep Time: 9.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 9.00

Comments

From Kory on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 16:01:40 from 134.50.223.250

Maybe it was the route where you were leaning more on the right side with all the turns. What type of soreness are you feeling? My right quad as well is more sore than the left.

From Sasha Pachev on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 16:24:56 from 64.81.245.109

Kory - No, it is not the route. It is a deep rooted problem I have had for years. Something is structurally out of balance. I've had chiropractors and PTs look at it, but they were like a chess player that sees he can get a rook for a knight, but does not see a mate in three. Human anatomy is complex enough when your stationary, and is exponentially more complex when you start to move. It takes an experienced and inspired eye to diagnose a problem, and after a few tries I realized I do not have the time and the money to look for that inspired eye on my own. If it is God's will for it to be fixed, He will provide a way.

From neumannator on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 20:44:34 from 71.213.56.223

nice job on you marathon. The Glut is being weird because it is being a butt.

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