Breaking the Wall

Week starting Jan 25, 2026

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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: 424.23
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: 3424.44
Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
50.000.002.000.0052.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Mon, Jan 26, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-01-26 09:43:43
Workout Totals: Distance5.000Time44:19.90Pace8:51.98
Could barely run today because of the pain in the right calf. Marched heroically with frequent breaks through 5 miles averaging a bit under 9:00.
Leg 1:
Distance1.000Time8:45.60Pace8:45.60ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 2:
Distance0.000Time0:00.00Pace0:00.00ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 3:
Distance4.000Time35:34.30Pace8:53.58ZoneEasy Miles

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Tue, Jan 27, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-01-27 14:31:03
Workout Totals: Distance6.000Time52:25.20Pace8:44.20
Calf pain. Had the kids run on their own. The run went better today - ran 6 miles without calf-forced stops at sub-8:45 pace closing in 8:27 uphill at the end. Never thought I would be so excited about this.
Leg 1:
Distance6.000Time52:25.20Pace8:44.20ZoneEasy Miles

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Wed, Jan 28, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.000.008.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-01-28 17:29:14
Workout Totals: Distance8.000Time1:05:16.00Pace8:09.50
8 total. The kids did a rabbit chase down the canyon for 2 miles. I paced Mary. She started OK, by quarter 1:48, 1:53, 1:55. Then she had a panic attack and felt that her lungs were on fire. Her splits were 2:05, 2:10, 2:05. Then she saw Bella catching her (starting 2:00 behind) and ran 1:40, 1:41 with 15:17 total. I thought my calves would explode, but they did not and I was able to keep up. Today I did a good amount of calf-raises. Never thought that calf raises could heal calf pain - especially when the massage was not doing much. But some magic happened. It activated the calf muscles in better balance and as a result I was able to run more or less normally.

Matthew ran 11:36 if I remember right. Bella had 14:20, and Leigha 14:51. Stephen paced her.
Leg 1:
Distance1.000Time8:25.30Pace8:25.30ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.
Leg 2:
Distance0.980Time8:15.40Pace8:25.51ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up with Matthew.
Leg 3:
Distance2.000Time15:17.80Pace7:38.90ZoneEasy Miles
Pacing Mary.
Leg 4:
Distance3.020Time25:18.70Pace8:22.88ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew.
Leg 5:
Distance1.000Time7:58.80Pace7:58.80ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Thu, Jan 29, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-01-29 12:15:55
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:48.50Pace7:58.85
10 total today. First time after the race. The calf was feeling better.
Leg 1:
Distance4.000Time32:53.00Pace8:13.25ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:
Distance1.000Time7:44.70Pace7:44.70ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin.
Leg 3:
Distance2.000Time16:19.60Pace8:09.80ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 4:
Distance3.000Time22:51.20Pace7:37.07ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Fri, Jan 30, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-01-30 09:45:59
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:00.90Pace7:54.09
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance5.000Time39:37.20Pace7:55.44ZoneEasy Miles
Part with Joseph, part alone.
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time16:00.00Pace8:00.00ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, Matthew, Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 3:
Distance3.000Time23:23.70Pace7:47.90ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin and Matthew.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Sat, Jan 31, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.000.002.000.0013.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-01-31 12:16:56
Workout Totals: Distance13.000Time1:46:04.50Pace8:09.58
13 total. The calf felt good enough not only to do 13 but also to do a rabbit chase. I did 2 miles in 12:23. I ran with Stephen. I thought he would barely manage 6:30 in the first mile and then would be even slower afterwards. I was right about his second half, but not the first. He took me through 0.75 in 4:23 and then I could not keep up. I had 5:57 at the mile, and he had around 5:53. But then his back started hurting and he slowed down. I was quite exhaused from the fast start and being a bit out of shape due to having to cut workouts and even the mileage from the calf pain so I really strugged in the last mile. But I still managed 6:26 and finished in 12:23. Stephen got 12:51.

Benjamin got 9:36. I was very happy about this result. He passed Joseph at the very end who also ran very well - 10:37, which is his post-mission PR for the course. Benjamin started 1:00 after Joseph.

Bella paced Leigha and they ran 14:47.
Leg 1:
Distance0.980Time8:07.10Pace8:17.04ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time12:23.80Pace6:11.90ZoneThreshold Miles
Leg 3:
Distance2.020Time16:06.70Pace7:58.56ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 4:
Distance5.000Time42:28.10Pace8:29.62ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 5:
Distance3.000Time26:58.80Pace8:59.60ZoneEasy Miles

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
50.000.002.000.0052.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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