Breaking the Wall

Week starting Jan 18, 2015

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

Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
65.22	0.00	8.00	0.00	73.22

White Crocs 1 Miles: 73.22

Night Sleep Time: 50.00	Nap Time: 3.00	Total Sleep Time: 53.00

Sun, Jan 18, 2015

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.

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 2.00	Total Sleep Time: 9.00

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Mon, Jan 19, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.50	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-01-19 08:11:13
Workout Totals: Distance12.500Time1:40:32.40Pace8:02.59
Total of 12.5. Benjamin did 9, Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob 3, William 1.5, Stephen 0.5. Stephen got a new 0.5 record with the splits of 2:10 - 2:18.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time23:43.90Pace7:54.63
With Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time8:26.00Pace8:26.00
With Joseph and William.
Leg 3:Distance3.000Time24:45.80Pace8:15.27
With Jenny and Julia.
Leg 4:Distance5.000Time39:08.30Pace7:49.66
With Benjamin.
Leg 5:Distance0.500Time4:28.40Pace8:56.80
With Stephen and William - new record for Stephen.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.00

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Tue, Jan 20, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.18	0.00	3.00	0.00	12.18

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-01-20 09:28:47
Workout Totals: Distance12.180Time1:30:05.00Pace7:23.76
Total of 12. Benjamin did 10, Joseph and Jacob 4, Jenny did 2 or 3, I think, Julia 2.04. Benjamin and I did a tempo run - 3 miles down the canyon in 16:27.7. Details below. Later in the afternoon Joseph had a bad bike accident. He made an awkward turn and fell on the brake handle in such a way that it badly punctured his right leg in the upper quad area. There was a lot of blood. I took him to Riverwoods Urgent Care - fortunately it is only a 4 minute drive - where he got 7 stitches. Fortunately no broken bones, but this does not heal immediately.
Leg 1:Distance1.500Time12:46.70Pace8:31.13
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance4.640Time30:44.30Pace6:37.48
Split 1:Distance3.000Time16:27.70Pace5:29.23 Cumilative:Distance3.000Time16:27.70Pace5:29.23
Tempo run - splits of 5:23, 5:30, 5:34. Benjamin kept speeding up to 5:15 then slowing down to 5:40 in the first 2 miles. In the last mile I just did not have any juice.
Split 2:Distance1.640Time14:16.60Pace8:42.32 Cumilative:Distance4.640Time30:44.30Pace6:37.48

Leg 3:Distance4.000Time30:33.90Pace7:38.48
Leg 4:Distance2.040Time16:00.10Pace7:50.64

White Crocs 1 Miles: 12.18

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.00

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Wed, Jan 21, 2015

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 - 2015-01-21 07:00:26
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:30:58.20Pace7:34.85
Total of 12. Benjamin did 9, Jacob 3, Jenny 3, Julia 2 - they have not been feeling well. Joseph still not able to walk but his range of motion has improved. His quad is severely bruised. He is showing great attitude, though - very cheerful, very positive, constantly thinking of the silver lining in the misfortune, making plans of recovery and setting and reaching small goals. When I watch him I think - if he lived in the days of the Vietnam War and got captured he would survive the POW camp. Or maybe if he lived in the days of Gulag he would survive that as well. His two great grandfathers were in Gulag, one survived 18 years and came out, the other died after 7. William did not feel 100% today he ran only 0.5.
Leg 1:Distance9.000Time1:08:09.20Pace7:34.36
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time22:49.00Pace7:36.33

White Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 1.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.00

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Thu, Jan 22, 2015

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 - 2015-01-22 09:27:41
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:29:07.70Pace7:25.64
Total of 12. Benjamin did 9. He paced me through 2 miles in 10:48. Joseph is still not walking, Jacob did 3, William had a fever and did not run, Stephen did 0.5, Jenny did 3, Julia 2. Sarah got sick as well. We have a little bit of a war zone at our house with various levels of sickness. At least I am still OK.
Leg 1:Distance4.700Time37:28.80Pace7:58.47
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance2.000Time10:48.30Pace5:24.15
Tempo run. Splits of 5:25 - 5:23. Was happy to get a negative split.
Leg 3:Distance2.300Time17:32.50Pace7:37.61
Cool-down with Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance3.000Time23:18.10Pace7:46.03
With Jacob. It was lonely without Joseph.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.00

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Fri, Jan 23, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.04	0.00	0.00	0.00	11.04

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-01-23 07:21:18
Workout Totals: Distance11.040Time1:26:51.00Pace7:52.01
Did only 11 today due to time constraints and accounting for the fact that there will be additional responsibilities around the house due to family sickness. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 3, Julia and Jacob 2, William and Stephen 0.5. Jacob started to feel a sore throat coming on, so I had him cut the mileage. The big news is that Joseph started walking - with a big limp at first, then less of a limp. His quad is gradually regaining the range of motion. In the afternoon he was ready for a "run" - about 200 meters on the sidewalk. At around 3 pm his time was 4:46, then at 6 pm 3:58, and at 9 pm a blistering 3:23.
Leg 1:Distance9.000Time1:10:37.20Pace7:50.80
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance2.040Time16:13.80Pace7:57.35
With Jacob and Julia.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 11.04

Night Sleep Time: 7.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 7.00

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Sat, Jan 24, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
10.50	0.00	3.00	0.00	13.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-01-24 07:42:34
Workout Totals: Distance13.500Time1:43:49.20Pace7:41.42
Total of 13.5. Cut it short due to scheduling and to avoid too much stress on the body on a busy day while the infection is circulating in the house. Chad joined me and Benjamin for 12 miles today. Benjamin did 12, Jenny 3, Julia and Jacob 1 (sore throat), William 1 (recovering), Stephen 0.5. Sarah is holding on, ran 2 miles today. Benjamin and I did a 3 mile tempo down the canyon in 16:27.9. The original plan was 5:40 pace, but I felt a bit stronger than that and asked Benjamin to pull me faster. Joseph made some good improvements. At 9 am he improved his time on the 200 meter course from 3:23 last night to 2:45, and at 12 pm he got 2:14 - this time he occasionally had some semblance of running and felt he actually got some exercise out of it. To say that he has a resilient spirit would be an understatement.
Leg 1:Distance5.700Time47:38.70Pace8:21.53
Warm-up with Chad, and Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time16:27.90Pace5:29.30
With Benjamin. Mile splits were all 5:29, but it was not even pace. Benjamin kept speeding up to 5:15, then slowing down to 5:40. I started faltering in the last 200 meters - felt like my heart skipped a bit and just could not deliver the blood volume that I wanted it to give me. Possibly a weakness due to the stress of the last week. I had something like this before in 2002 which scared me quite a bit back then, and then minor incidents here and there after that but it did not scare me anymore because I knew what it was and what to do about it.
Leg 3:Distance3.300Time27:28.80Pace8:19.64
Cool-down to the house with Chad and Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time8:44.40Pace8:44.40
With Julia and Jacob.
Leg 5:Distance0.500Time3:29.40Pace6:58.80
Alone.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 13.50

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

Comments(2)

Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
65.22	0.00	8.00	0.00	73.22

White Crocs 1 Miles: 73.22

Night Sleep Time: 50.00	Nap Time: 3.00	Total Sleep Time: 53.00

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