Breaking the Wall

Week starting May 20, 2012

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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: 133.01 Year: 776.88
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: 1312.70
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
67.3012.001.004.5084.80
Green Crocs 3 Miles: 84.80
Night Sleep Time: 49.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 49.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. We had another missionary couple from our ward speak. They will be living in their home but serving full time at the Missionary Training Center in Provo. What I really like about our ward is that we have a large number of missionaries - both young and old. There is something special about a senior couple going on a mission. Sarah and I are planning on that once we grow up. It will not happen for another 18 years, though, unless they change the rules as we are expecting our eighth child.

The lesson in Sunday School was on Abinadi. Whenever I read that part of the Book of Mormon I am always amazed at Abinadi's calm and thoroughness in teaching as he speaks to king Noah and his wicked priests as they are getting ready to burn him to death. When we read the story somewhat superficially at first we just see the courage and conviction of Abinadi as he refuses to recant his words under the threat of death. That is what I got out of it after reading it for about maybe the first 20 times. But then I began to see more - Abinadi gives a very thorough explanation of how the law of Moses points to the Atonement of Christ as he quotes and explains the prophesies of Isaiah. There is a certain special rhythm, for lack of a better word, to his discourse. It sounds like inspiring music to me as it lays out the Plan of Salvation before the reader.

Then the lesson in the Elder's Quorum was on scripture study. 

Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M. Ran with Ariel, then with the kids. Total of 12 miles. Benjamin did 6, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 2, Jacob 1, and William 0.3. 

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.750.000.002.2513.00

A.M. Ran with Ariel first. Did a workout - 2x400 up 76.0, 77.0 with 100 recovery at 9:00 pace, then 2:30 rest, 2x400 down with 100 recovery at 9:00 pace in 71.4, 71.9, then long rest and 600 in 1:42.7. Got home, did 6x100 uphill starting at 18.2 and finishing at 17.4. Then ran with the kids. Benjamin did 6, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 2, Jacob 1, William 0.3. Total of 13 miles.

P.M. We had a convert baptism in our ward.  A newlywed sister from Korea got baptized by her husband, who is also Korean, but has lived in the US for some time. Her father-in-law is good friends with Elder Choi of the Seventy, some may remember his talk I Love Loud Boys. He came to the baptism, spoke, and performed the confirmation. I am sure glad that Elder Choi loves loud boys. While our bishop was speaking about how Alma baptized in the waters of Mormon, my 7-year-old son Joseph exclaimed - "And he baptized 204 people!". When the bishop complimented him on learning well in Primary, Joseph responded: "I did not learn that in Primary, I read it myself!" Joseph reads his scriptures every day.

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 13.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.502.000.000.0013.50

A.M. Ran with Jeremy and Ariel. We did a 2 mile time trial/6:00 pace "till the standard bearer fainteth". I learned a few things from last week and tried to do a better job pacing holding it back in the first 0.5. I also learned Ariel's patterns of losing contact better, and yelled "Da me cinco!" (Give me five) when I sensed he was about to lose contact in the next 5 seconds. In the past I asked him for a low five after he had lost the contact, but that did not work for him. I needed to ask while he was still in contact as a matter of prevention. This would give him an immediate goal to focus on instead of thinking negatively that he could not keep the pace. Right before the end of the first mile, which we did in 6:00 he said he could not go anymore. I told him he was not allowed to quit, and to give me five. He did. He ended up running the second mile in 5:58 for the total of 11:58 for 2 miles. Jeremy pulled ahead in the last quarter and finished in 11:53. So there is a lesson to learn from that. It is possible for the mind to perceive that you are not able to keep the pace any longer and believe that this is true enough to vocally protest at the point when in truth you are able to run twice the distance even speeding up slightly in the second half.

This is not to say that you can think and visualize yourself into running beyond the body's true limit. Your body has a real physical limit on any given day. The only way to raise it is to improve your health, training and recovery. But you will never find out what that limit is if you allow your mind to set limits on your body. Just go until you cannot, and then keep going at the same pace one more step at a time. One more step, one more step. 

After that I ran with the kids. Benjamin did 6, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 2, Jacob 1, and William 0.3. Total of 13.5 for me. 

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 13.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.250.000.002.2513.50

A.M. Ran with Jeremy and Ariel. Did my regular workout. 2x400 with 100 recovery up in 77 and 78, then long rest, 2x400 down with 100 recovery in 70.6 an 69.4, then long rest and 600 in 1:42.0 with Jeremy and Ariel joining me for the first 200. HR hit 170. I think this routine has been effective for kicking the low HR problem whatever its cause was. I was concerned enough about it to get a blood test done, which, no surprise, revealed nothing. Got home, did 6x100 uphill ranging from 17.9 to 17.2 at the end. Ran more with the kids. Benjamin did 6, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 2, Jacob 1, and William 0.3. Total of 13.5.

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 13.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.500.001.000.0012.50

A.M. Ran with Ariel for the first 6.5 miles. Then with the kids. Benjamin did 6, Julia and Joseph 2, Jacob and Jenny 1, William 0.3. Benjamin and I saw Jeremy shortly before our turnaround and chased him down running a mile in 5:35. Total of 12.5 miles for me.

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.3010.000.000.0020.30

A.M. Long run. 20 miles total. Started with Ariel, he ran 3.25 miles with me then turned around as he had to be done early. I got through the first 10 miles in 1:15:25, then turned around and ran my usual 10 mile tempo. There was more headwind today than last week, I think, judging from the splits. At times I would hit splits that were much faster over relatively short segments, and then at other times go the same or slower which seemed to coincide with gusts of wind. I ended up hitting the 3 mile tempo stretch in 16:58, but the first mile of it was 5:34 and then the wind slowed me down. My split at 8 miles was 45:16. Benjamin came to rescue me in the last mile. It helped a lot to have him around on those hills. I ended up with 56:57 for 10 miles. HR hit 162 on the last hill. Most of the time through the last 5 miles it was around 153.

Jenny and Jacob did 1, Benjamin 6, Julia and Joseph 2. 

A.M-2: 0.3 with William. 

Green Crocs 3 Miles: 20.30
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
67.3012.001.004.5084.80
Green Crocs 3 Miles: 84.80
Night Sleep Time: 49.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 49.00
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