Breaking the Wall

Week starting Mar 09, 2014

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:	40.31	Year:	3073.12
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
64.71	1.00	7.00	0.00	72.71

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 72.71	Schwinn Double Stroller Miles: 4.00

Night Sleep Time: 41.50	Nap Time: 1.00	Total Sleep Time: 42.50

Sun, Mar 09, 2014

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. Matthew for some reason did not want to stay in the Elder's Quorum, but he volunteered to go to High Priests, so I followed him and he was quite happy there. They had a good lesson there on faith and repentance. Alma 34:28-29 was quoted:

And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need—I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith.

29 Therefore, if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth) and is trodden under foot of men.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00	Nap Time: 1.00	Total Sleep Time: 1.00

Add Comment

Mon, Mar 10, 2014

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 - 2014-03-10 08:44:21
Workout Totals
Distance	Time	Pace
12.000	1:33:25.50	7:47.12
Total of 12. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 4, Joseph and Jacob 3, Julia had a weird foot issue, ran only 1, William 1.
Leg 1
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3	25:09.20.	8:23.07	With Joseph and Jacob.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.000	25:09.20	8:23.07
Leg 2
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
6	46:19.70.	7:43.28	With Benjamin.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	6.000	46:19.70	7:43.28
Leg 3
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3	21:56.60.	7:18.87	Alone.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.000	21:56.60	7:18.87

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 12.00

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

Add Comment

Tue, Mar 11, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
8.60	0.00	3.50	0.00	12.10

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-03-11 08:29:46
Workout Totals
Distance	Time	Pace
12.100	1:33:11.60	7:42.12
Total of 12.1. Benjamin did 9.1, Joseph 4, Jacob 2, William 1, Jenny 4, Julia 1 - still the weird foot issue.
Leg 1
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
4	34:49.60.	8:42.40	With Joseph.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	4.000	34:49.60	8:42.40
Leg 2
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3.6	28:53.30.	8:01.47	Warm-up with Benjamin.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.600	28:53.30	8:01.47
Leg 3
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3.5	20:01.40.	5:43.26	Tempo run with Benjamin back to the house. He started struggling after the first 2 miles and could barely run 5:50. Still not fully recovered from the Phoenix half, the heart is still weak I think. I told him to up his sleep and drink hawthornberry tea. I felt quite good on this, better than I expected. We ran the first 1.5 at 5:30 pace, and I was willing to keep it longer.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.500	20:01.40	5:43.26
Leg 4
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	9:27.30.	9:27.30	With William.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	9:27.30	9:27.30

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 12.10

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

Add Comment

Wed, Mar 12, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.04	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.04

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-03-12 08:49:41
Workout Totals
Distance	Time	Pace
12.040	1:35:52.40	7:57.77
Total of 12. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 4, Julia 2, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1. Julia's foot is recovering, but not 100%.
Leg 1
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3	25:48.30.	8:36.10	With Benjamin, Joseph, and Jacob.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.000	25:48.30	8:36.10
Leg 2
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
6	47:50.40.	7:58.40
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	6.000	47:50.40	7:58.40
Leg 3
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	8:05.90.	8:05.90
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	8:05.90	8:05.90
Leg 4
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
2.04	14:07.80.	6:55.59
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	2.040	14:07.80	6:55.59

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 12.04

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

Add Comment

Thu, Mar 13, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.54	0.00	0.50	0.00	12.04

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-03-13 07:17:00
Workout Totals
Distance	Time	Pace
12.040	1:39:11.60	8:14.32
Total of 12. Yesterday Benjamin stepped on a drain plug that popped out of position and had the sharp pins upwards and punctured his heel. So running today required a heroic effort for him. He could only manage 4 miles. Joseph did 4, Jacob 2, William 1, Julia 2, Jenny 4.
Leg 1
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
4	31:49.50.	7:57.38	With Benjamin.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	4.000	31:49.50	7:57.38
Leg 2
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
4	34:55.90.	8:43.98	With Joseph.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	4.000	34:55.90	8:43.98
Leg 3
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
2.04	17:05.00.	8:22.45	With Jacob.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	2.040	17:05.00	8:22.45
Leg 4
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	6:21.30.	6:21.30	Alone, did a pickup for 0.5.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	0.500	3:36.90	7:13.80
2	0.500	2:44.40	5:28.80
Leg 5
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	8:59.90.	8:59.90	With William.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	8:59.90	8:59.90

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 12.04

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

Add Comment

Fri, Mar 14, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.00	1.00	3.00	0.00	13.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-03-14 08:59:12
Workout Totals
Distance	Time	Pace
13.000	1:38:28.90	7:34.53
Total of 13. Jacob and Joseph did a mile time trial on the track. They both missed their PRs by a little bit - possibly because it was too windy. They did 3 miles. Benjamin did 4, William 1, Jenny 5.5, Julia 2.
Leg 1
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	9:24.40.	9:24.40	Warm-up to the track.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	9:24.40	9:24.40
Leg 2
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	6:43.90.	6:43.90	Time trial with Joseph and Jacob. I paced Joseph, Benjamin paced Jacob. Joseph got 6:13.5, Jacob 6:43.9. Joseph missed his PR by 1 second, Jacob by 7 seconds. He had a hard time breathing even though I gave him the inhaler before. Maybe I did not give to him quite right and it was not fully effective.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	6:13.50	6:13.50	Joseph opened in 89, then 93 - so far so good, but then he slowed down to 96, and could not kick at the end with the last lap being only 93, which killed the record.
2	0.000	0:30.40		This split is waiting for Jacob and Benjamin. Jacob struggled with asthma, which made him slow down to 1:44 in the third lap, and the record went out of the window with that.
Leg 3
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	8:53.90.	8:53.90	Cool-down.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	8:53.90	8:53.90
Leg 4
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3	21:43.70.	7:14.57	Alone.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.000	21:43.70	7:14.57
Leg 5
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
4	34:13.60.	8:33.40	With Jenny and pushing Matthew in the stroller.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	4.000	34:13.60	8:33.40
Leg 6
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3	17:29.40.	5:49.80	A short tempo run from the house out and back on hills.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.000	17:29.40	5:49.80

Schwinn Double Stroller Miles: 4.00	Green Crocs 6 Miles: 13.00

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

Add Comment

Sat, Mar 15, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.53	0.00	0.00	0.00	11.53

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-03-15 06:22:14
Workout Totals
Distance	Time	Pace
11.530	1:30:23.80	7:50.41
Total of 11.5. The run was spread throughout the day. Benjamin and I took Julia, Joseph, Jacob, and William to the Utah Elementary Chess Championship. Julia, Joseph, and Jacob got 4 points out of 6, William got 2.5 out of 6. Julia won 3 games, drew 2, and lost 1. Joseph and Jacob won 4 each and lost 2 each. William won 2, drew 1, and lost 4. Some highlights of the tournament - Joseph lost his first 2 games. I asked him how. He said his opponent checkmated his with overwhelming material. I asked him why he did not have the material to defend. He did not have a good answer. Then I told him I did not care if he won or lost his next game, but I wanted him to know exactly how his pieces were disappearing from the board. Then he won his next 4 games. Jacob impressed me by checkmating his opponent with a king and a rook in the last round. This is a difficult checkmate for a 7 year old, and particularly difficult after playing for 6 hours. William played in the kindergarten division. This was a good experience for him in learning how to deal with realities of life. By a miracle he managed to win 2 games. The first one I think was through psychological methods - his opponent decided to resign. He drew when his opponent stalemated him with a king and a queen. He lost one game on time - he and his opponent played for so long that they were the only ones left in the round after some time. So they were put on the clock. William by a miracle actually had a winning position, but at the age of 5 he did not know how to win it. In another game he won legitimately with checkmate, although we have a strong suspicion that there were some illegal moves en-route to it. But the most important experience was learning how to be accountable for his losses. When you finish the game, you are supposed to go to the tournament official and report the result. William was happy to do it when he won, but did not want to do it when he lost. He eventually learned. Benjamin ran a total of 7.35 miles, Jenny 4, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob 2.1, William 1.
Leg 1
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
3	20:59.80.	6:59.93	Alone in the morning.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	3.000	20:59.80	6:59.93
Leg 2
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	9:54.30.	9:54.30	With William.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	1.000	9:54.30	9:54.30
Leg 3
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
2.1	16:52.50.	8:02.14	With Joseph, Jacob, Julia, and Benjamin at the U of U track after the tournament.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	2.100	16:52.50	8:02.14
Leg 4
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
0.18	1:18.00.	7:13.33	To the car.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	0.180	1:18.00	7:13.33
Leg 5
Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
5.25	41:19.20.	7:52.23	With Benjamin late at night.
Split#	Distance	Time	Pace	Comment
1	5.250	41:19.20	7:52.23

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 11.53

Night Sleep Time: 6.50	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 6.50

Add Comment

Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
64.71	1.00	7.00	0.00	72.71

Green Crocs 6 Miles: 72.71	Schwinn Double Stroller Miles: 4.00

Night Sleep Time: 41.50	Nap Time: 1.00	Total Sleep Time: 42.50

Debt Reduction Calculator

Featured Announcements

Most Recent Entries:

New Kids on the Blog
(need a welcome):

Lone Faithfuls
(need a comment):