Breaking the Wall

Week starting Jan 02, 2022

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:

Click to donate

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

Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
68.50	0.75	6.75	0.00	76.00

Amoji 3 Miles: 72.00

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

Sun, Jan 02, 2022

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

Day of rest. Went to church. First our ward, then the Russian branch. Fast Sunday.

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

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Mon, Jan 03, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.50	0.00	0.50	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-03 13:21:24
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:35:55.90Pace7:59.66
12 total. Did an uphill pickup with Matthew for 0.5 in 3:20. Benjamin did the same stretch in 2:28. Jacob ran 2:37. Otherwise easy runs.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time33:58.60Pace8:29.65
With Jacob, Benjamin, Stephen, and Matthew.
Split 1:Distance3.500Time30:38.60Pace8:45.31ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance3.500Time30:38.60Pace8:45.31
Split 2:Distance0.500Time3:20.00Pace6:40.00ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance4.000Time33:58.60Pace8:29.65
Matthew's uphill pickup.

Leg 2: Distance5.000Time40:07.80Pace8:01.56ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph, part with Benjamin and Jacob.
Leg 3: Distance3.000Time21:49.50Pace7:16.50ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Tue, Jan 04, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.00	0.75	2.25	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-04 13:49:37
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:34:14.90Pace7:51.24
12 total. We did a rabbit chase. William had a cold, did reduced mileage. Stephen has hurt his toe. There is something wrong with his feet. They get injured easily just when he is playing. But we have not figured out what it is or even if there is anything we can do to help it. I told him to ice his toe. Joseph was recovering from his cold, and I am still recovering from the knee injury. Matthew was mentally not into running hard today. But we had Benjamin. The trail was plowed and salted, but not all of the snow had melted yet. So we did it like this. I started with Matthew with the target of 20:00. Joseph started 30 seconds behind with the plan that once he catches up he becomes Matthew's pacer, and I speed up to my own pace. Jacob started with the target of 16:30, and Benjamin started with the target of 15:00. I ran 5:02 for the first 0.75 with Matthew, and then once Joseph caught up sped up to about 6:10 pace and finished in 18:53. I felt out of shape, but I was happy that I was able to break 19:00 with this pacing. Matthew ran 20:49, Jacob 16:24, and Benjamin 14:50.
Leg 1: Distance2.050Time16:53.80Pace8:14.54ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2: Distance3.000Time18:53.70Pace6:17.90
Tempo run.
Split 1:Distance0.750Time5:02.60Pace6:43.47ZoneMarathon Pace Miles Cumilative:Distance0.750Time5:02.60Pace6:43.47
Split 2:Distance2.250Time13:51.10Pace6:09.38ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance3.000Time18:53.70Pace6:17.90

Leg 3: Distance6.950Time58:27.40Pace8:24.66ZoneEasy Miles
Cool-down/distance.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Wed, Jan 05, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-05 09:59:38
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:32:57.30Pace7:44.78
12 total. Easy runs for everybody. Got a good amount of rain.
Leg 1: Distance12.000Time1:32:57.30Pace7:44.78ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, part with Joseph, Jacob, and Matthew.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Thu, Jan 06, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
10.00	0.00	2.00	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-06 10:09:26
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:31:17.80Pace7:36.48
12 total, Benjamin paced me through a 2 mile tempo run. I gave him the target of 6:10 pace, then once we started upgraded it to 6:00, but ended up doing 5:54, 5:47. This was my first sub-6:00 mile in over a month, and even two of them back to back for a bonus. I was happy about that. Afterwards, Benjamin did his own 2 mile tempo in 9:48. He found a trick to get a better balance by rotating his torso, and his form looked very smooth when he passed me. Jacob did a pickup for 0.5 uphill by the house in 2:39. Otherwise, easy runs. Joseph had a sore throat, ran only 4. Otherwise, usual distances.
Leg 1: Distance4.020Time31:42.20Pace7:53.18ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, part with Joseph, Jacob, William, Stephen, and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance2.000Time11:41.70Pace5:50.85ZoneThreshold Miles
With Benjamin.
Leg 3: Distance5.980Time47:53.90Pace8:00.59ZoneEasy Miles
Part alone, part with Benjamin.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Fri, Jan 07, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-07 09:38:09
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:34:27.30Pace7:52.27
12 total. Benjamin left yesterday for Austin. Joseph and William along with me paced Matthew through 3 miles down the canyon in 19:56. It was somewhat slippery, but better than on Tuesday, I think. Jacob did total of 8 with 12x0.25 with 0.125 recovery. His target was 70. I told him to take longer recovery if he was struggling to hit the target. He had to take a longer recovery (0.25) only once after running 73, but as he discovered later, this was more due to the footing than to him running out of juice. Otherwise, he had a couple of 71s, and the rest were 69-68.
Leg 1: Distance0.980Time8:45.50Pace8:56.22ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 2: Distance3.000Time19:56.10Pace6:38.70ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 3: Distance8.020Time1:05:45.70Pace8:11.98ZoneEasy Miles

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Sat, Jan 08, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
14.00	0.00	2.00	0.00	16.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-08 08:59:18
Workout Totals: Distance16.000Time2:03:22.50Pace7:42.66
16 total. Did 12 in the morning with Chad, part with the kids, then 4 more at night after the chess tournament. Chad and I did a 2 mile tempo run down the canyon. It was slippery, so we struggled to hit our target of 6:10 pace, but we made it - barely - with 12:19. Jacob did 8, Joseph 6, William and Stephen 5, Matthew 3. Benjamin did 2+3+1 at about 5:10 pace in Austin. He struggled some with the spasm, but less than usual, so he was happy about it.
Leg 1: Distance12.000Time1:33:44.70Pace7:48.72
With Chad, part with the kids, part with Sarah.
Split 1:Distance4.330Time34:19.20Pace7:55.57ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance4.330Time34:19.20Pace7:55.57
Split 2:Distance2.000Time12:19.80Pace6:09.90ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance6.330Time46:39.00Pace7:22.18
Split 3:Distance5.670Time47:05.70Pace8:18.36ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance12.000Time1:33:44.70Pace7:48.72

Leg 2: Distance4.000Time29:37.80Pace7:24.45ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
68.50	0.75	6.75	0.00	76.00

Amoji 3 Miles: 72.00

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

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