Breaking the Wall

Week starting Apr 19, 2015

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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:	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
74.71	1.00	5.00	1.12	81.83

White Crocs 1 Miles: 26.04

Night Sleep Time: 21.00	Nap Time: 2.00	Total Sleep Time: 23.00

Sun, Apr 19, 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. Was very tired in the afternoon and took a long nap. Went for a walk in the neighborhood in the evening.

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

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Mon, Apr 20, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
13.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	13.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-20 07:18:43
Workout Totals: Distance13.000Time1:39:40.50Pace7:40.04
Usual run - total of 13. Kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance9.000Time1:09:59.80Pace7:46.64
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance4.000Time29:40.70Pace7:25.18
With Joseph and Jacob. Joseph ran ahead and finished in 29:32. Their first half was 15:38. So 13:54 second half for Joseph, 14:02 for Jacob.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 13.00

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

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Tue, Apr 21, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.04	0.00	1.00	0.00	13.04

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-21 09:22:49
Workout Totals: Distance4.030Time32:54.60Pace8:09.98
I turned 42 today. Jacob, and Joseph did a mile time trial of sorts in the canyon. I told them to just go quick and enjoy the speed with no particular goal in mind, just something faster than what they did on the track. They went through the first half mile in 2:55, then Jacob more or less maintained the pace, but Joseph sped up. Joseph got 5:43.3, Jacob 5:50.4. Julia had the assignment to run the first half mile with the boys but she was not feeling well, so after trying to get her to go some decent pace for 600 meters I told her to just keep running straight to the mile at whatever pace she was running and sped up to catch with Joseph and Jacob. I really had to move because I was already about 10 seconds behind. So I hit 800 in 3:01, and then caught up to Jacob at around 1000 meter mark. I stayed with him until 200 meters to go, and then surged to catch up to Joseph so I could time him. Julia finished in 6:40.1. Then we ran home.
Leg 1:Distance0.750Time6:37.80Pace8:50.40
Warm-up with Joseph, Jacob, and Julia.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:40.10Pace6:40.10
The time trial.
Split 1:Distance1.000Time5:43.30Pace5:43.30 Cumilative:Distance1.000Time5:43.30Pace5:43.30
Joseph's time.
Split 2:Distance0.000Time0:07.10Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance1.000Time5:50.40Pace5:50.40
Waiting for Jacob.
Split 3:Distance0.000Time0:49.70Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance1.000Time6:40.10Pace6:40.10
Waiting for Julia.

Leg 3:Distance2.280Time19:36.70Pace8:36.10
Cool-down.

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-21 11:19:06
Workout Totals: Distance9.000Time1:10:29.50Pace7:49.94
With Benjamin after his Computation and Optimization 2 final.
Leg 1:Distance9.000Time1:10:29.50Pace7:49.94

White Crocs 1 Miles: 13.04

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

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Wed, Apr 22, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.55	1.00	0.00	1.12	11.67

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-22 08:26:20
Workout Totals: Distance11.676Time1:36:57.50Pace8:18.24
Today Jenny and I did 1 mile time trials down the Provo Canyon. Jenny ran 6:10.3, my goal was to break 5:00, and I reached it with Benjamin's help - 4:56.6. That is the first time I went under 5:00 since turning 40 on something that compares to sea level flat (not counting a few crazy splits in the Big Cottonwood half down 8% grade) , and it has been 2 years. So after all maybe my slow down as a master is more training than age related - I am running decent mileage, but my the volume and intensity of my intervals and tempo runs has been way down. Joseph and Jacob did 100 meter time trial racing each other. In the first attempt Joseph did 16.0, Jacob 16.2. In the second, Joseph got 16.2, Jacob 16.3, in the third they tied with 16.4. Jenny's splits were 90,94,93,93. Mine - 73,75,73,75. The first quarter was perfect, Benjamin eased off too much in the second quarter, then overcorrected in the third - amazingly it did not drop me, and then I did not have as much juice in the last one. Joseph is about 1 second faster than Benjamin was at the age of 10, and Jacob is about 2 seconds faster than Benjamin was at the age of 8. Not sure what that means. Benjamin right now will run about 13.0, and probably 12.0-12.5 as an adult. I am not expecting Jacob to run 10.0 as an adult, but possibly 11.0, which coupled with the endurance would make him competitive in the 5,000 and 10,000.
Leg 1:Distance0.700Time6:09.70Pace8:48.14
Warm up with Benjamin and Jenny.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:10.30Pace6:10.30
Jenny's time trial.
Leg 3:Distance1.120Time10:06.90Pace9:01.87
Recovery jog with Benjamin and Jenny.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time4:56.60Pace4:56.60
My mile time trial.
Leg 5:Distance1.000Time9:03.10Pace9:03.10
Recovery jog with Benjamin.
Leg 6:Distance1.100Time10:54.40Pace9:54.91
To the track with Joseph, Jacob, and Julia.
Leg 7:Distance0.250Time2:12.10Pace8:48.40
A lap with Benjamin.
Leg 8:Distance0.062Time0:16.20Pace4:21.29
Joseph and Jacob's first 100 meter attempt.
Split 1:Distance0.062Time0:16.00Pace4:18.06 Cumilative:Distance0.062Time0:16.00Pace4:18.06
Split 2:Distance0.000Time0:00.20Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.062Time0:16.20Pace4:21.29

Leg 9:Distance0.430Time3:59.90Pace9:17.91
A jog with Benjamin.
Leg 10:Distance0.062Time0:16.20Pace4:21.29
Second 100 meter attempt, Joseph's time.
Leg 11:Distance0.690Time6:07.20Pace8:52.17
Jogging with Benjamin.
Leg 12:Distance0.062Time0:16.40Pace4:24.52
Third attempt - they tied.
Leg 13:Distance1.200Time12:29.20Pace10:24.33
Back to the house.
Leg 14:Distance1.500Time12:06.30Pace8:04.20
Extra distance with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 15:Distance1.500Time11:53.00Pace7:55.33
Extra distance alone.

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

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Thu, Apr 23, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.08	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.08

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-23 09:00:44
Workout Totals: Distance12.080Time1:34:31.90Pace7:49.53
Easy run today - total of 12, 2 with the stroller. Benjamin did 6 to taper for the 5000 on Friday. Everybody else ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance1.020Time10:01.90Pace9:50.10
With Stephen running and Matthew in the stroller. Jenny and William ran the first 0.51 with us, then turned around.
Leg 2:Distance1.020Time7:57.60Pace7:48.24
Back with Stephen and Matthew in the stroller.
Leg 3:Distance4.000Time30:55.30Pace7:43.82
With Joseph, Jacob, and Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance2.040Time15:59.40Pace7:50.29
With Benjamin.
Leg 5:Distance4.000Time29:37.70Pace7:24.43
Alone.

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

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Fri, Apr 24, 2015

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 - 2015-04-24 08:01:04
Workout Totals: Distance12.040Time1:38:03.30Pace8:08.65
Total of 12. Benjamin did only 4 in the morning in anticipation of Clarence Robison Invitational 5000 later in the afternoon, but when we got there the event got rescheduled to tomorrow due to lightening red alert. Perhaps for the better - the forecast is 52 F 6 mph SSW wind with cloud cover and only 20% chance of rain - almost perfect, we would like the wind to be 0 for a track race, but that rarely happens. So Benjamin added 1 mile warm up, and 1 mile extra distance after the announcement in the afternoon. Other kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance4.000Time30:56.10Pace7:44.02
With Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time9:51.50Pace9:51.50
With Jenny and Stephen.
Leg 3:Distance4.000Time30:58.70Pace7:44.68
With Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time8:51.30Pace8:51.30
With Julia and William.
Leg 5:Distance2.040Time17:25.70Pace8:32.60
With Julia.

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

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Sat, Apr 25, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
16.00	0.00	4.00	0.00	20.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-25 07:54:11
Workout Totals: Distance20.000Time2:45:37.10Pace8:16.86
20 miles total. Kids ran their usual Saturday distances, except for Benjamin who ran a little less, but not much less than his usual 12 due to a track meet. This was his first collegiate track meet. He ran 5000 in the Clarence Robison Invitational at BYU. It was a little unusual to have a 16 year old, especially in Crocs, running against collegiate crew. Normally a boy this age would not be allowed to run, but because he is a full-time student at BYU he could run unattached. His time was 15:52.25 and he took 7th place out of 11 finishers. Most of the way he followed two Weber State runners - Braden Perry and Derek Day. He hung on with both of them for 9 laps, then Derek fell off pace and Benjamin stayed back with him, and about a lap later he fell back, but he was able to close a good portion of the gap in the kick. So he ended up 2 seconds behind Derek and 12 seconds behind Braden. His splits are below in the chart. To summarize, he opened with 4:55.9 in the first 1600, then ran 5:06.1, 5:15.3, and kicked in 34.9. One take back I have is that he still needs to work on his confidence. He started to fall apart mentally in the 11th lap. Having more aerobic endurance would have helped as well. He said eventually after 10 laps he just could not have his heart beat fast enough and his lungs pump enough air to support the pace.
Leg 1:Distance5.000Time38:42.30Pace7:44.46
With Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time9:41.30Pace9:41.30
With Benjamin, William, and Stephen.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time8:28.70Pace8:28.70
With Benjamin and William.
Leg 4:Distance4.000Time30:01.10Pace7:30.27
Alone - to the 4 mile mark in the canyon.
Leg 5:Distance4.000Time23:23.10Pace5:50.77
Tempo run back to the house.
Leg 6:Distance0.000Time15:52.20Pace0:00.00
Benjamin's 5000 meter race. Splits by 400s, last split is 200.
Split 1:Distance0.000Time1:14.00Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time1:14.00Pace0:00.00
Split 2:Distance0.000Time1:13.00Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time2:27.00Pace0:00.00
Split 3:Distance0.000Time1:13.50Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time3:40.50Pace0:00.00
Split 4:Distance0.000Time1:15.40Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time4:55.90Pace0:00.00
Split 5:Distance0.000Time1:15.90Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time6:11.80Pace0:00.00
Split 6:Distance0.000Time1:16.60Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time7:28.40Pace0:00.00
Split 7:Distance0.000Time1:16.10Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time8:44.50Pace0:00.00
Split 8:Distance0.000Time1:17.50Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time10:02.00Pace0:00.00
Split 9:Distance0.000Time1:17.30Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time11:19.30Pace0:00.00
Split 10:Distance0.000Time1:18.30Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time12:37.60Pace0:00.00
Split 11:Distance0.000Time1:21.20Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time13:58.80Pace0:00.00
Split 12:Distance0.000Time1:18.50Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time15:17.30Pace0:00.00
Split 13:Distance0.000Time0:34.90Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance0.000Time15:52.20Pace0:00.00
Last 200.

Leg 7:Distance5.000Time39:28.40Pace7:53.68
Extra distance with Benjamin.

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
74.71	1.00	5.00	1.12	81.83

White Crocs 1 Miles: 26.04

Night Sleep Time: 21.00	Nap Time: 2.00	Total Sleep Time: 23.00

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