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, Nov 13, 2006

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.25	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.25

With the help of large doses of garlic and onions, the cough has reduced from the level of AK-47 to the sound of a less automatic rifle. Did not feel like going for a run at all. Was not sure if it was sickness or plain laziness, so decided to go out and see how I felt. Ran a mile in 7:30. Coughed so hard afterwards that I almost lost my lunch. HR got up to 130. Then a mile with Benjamin, Jenny and Abby in 9:31. HR was 119 at 10:00 pace. Normally it gets there at 8:00 pace. Then another mile with Benjamin in 7:52, HR at 130, lots of coughing afterwards. Decided to go for another 2 miles. Felt miserable on the first. That kicked in the fighter instinct, and I started feeling strong on the second. Decided to add another mile. Ended up with 3 miles in 22:12, HR hovering around 137-138. Not a lot of coughing afterwards.

A little later ran 0.25 with Julia.

Felt better in the evening. I think part of it was maintaining a solid consentration of garlic in the system throughout the day, but I also credit the arousal of the fighter instinct that came from pushing through a miserable mile.

There is a fine balance in training when sick that needs to be maintained. If you push too hard, the body does not have the energy to fight the illness. However, if you take it too easy or not train at all, the mind quits and the body also along with it. I think I overdid it on the trip, but today finally hit a good balance.

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

Comments

From Zack on Tue, Nov 14, 2006 at 19:49:32

Hope you get to feeling better, no fun to be under the weather.

From Cody on Wed, Nov 15, 2006 at 21:39:01

I feel sorry for Sarah and the kids. That much garlic and onion in the system must make the aroma around the house real pleasant. I can smell the garlic seeping out the pores from Logan. Whatever it takes to clean out the crud. Good luck.

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