Breaking the Wall

Uneventful Provo River Half Marathon

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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
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
53.262.0015.730.3871.37
Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 71.36
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Church at home.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-06-08 08:07:53
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:30:09.20Pace7:30.77
Easy runs, total of 12 for me, usual distances for the kids, except for Benjamin - he is dealing with his hip strain, ran reduced mileage.
Leg 1:Distance9.000Time1:06:26.00Pace7:22.89
Part with Jacob, part alone, part with Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance2.000Time15:58.00Pace7:59.00
With Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time7:45.20Pace7:45.20
Alone.

Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.051.000.000.0012.05

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-06-09 08:06:21
Workout Totals: Distance12.050Time1:36:17.00Pace7:59.42
Total of 12, easy runs for everybody except Stephen, who attempted a mile time trial, made it to 800 in 3:02, and then just did not have it and finished in 6:24. Benjamin was able to run 12 at an easy pace.
Leg 1:Distance1.050Time9:13.50Pace8:47.14
Warm-up with Stephen and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:24.70Pace6:24.70
Stephen's mile time trials.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time9:07.30Pace9:07.30
Back to the house.
Leg 4:Distance6.000Time47:40.20Pace7:56.70
With Benjamin, part with Joseph, Jacob, and maybe William.
Leg 5:Distance3.000Time23:51.30Pace7:57.10
With Benjamin.

Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 12.05
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.000.002.620.3812.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-06-10 07:59:09
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:29:11.20Pace7:25.93
Total of 12. Did 3 miles with Joseph and Jacob, 6:00 pace for all of it except the last 0.375, which was a kick. Jacob got 1:48, I surprised myself with a 1:49. Joseph had a side ache, but still managed 1:58. Easy runs for other kids.
Leg 1:Distance2.000Time14:58.50Pace7:29.25
Alone.
Leg 2:Distance0.980Time8:09.40Pace8:19.39
Warm-up with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 3:Distance3.000Time17:43.90Pace5:54.63
Workout with Joseph and Jacob.
Split 1:Distance2.625Time15:45.60Pace6:00.23
Cumilative:Distance2.625Time15:45.60Pace6:00.23
Split 2:Distance0.375Time1:49.30Pace4:51.47
Cumilative:Distance3.000Time17:34.90Pace5:51.63
Split 3:Distance0.000Time0:09.00Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance3.000Time17:43.90Pace5:54.63
Waiting for Joseph.
 
Leg 4:Distance3.020Time25:06.40Pace8:18.81
With Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 5:Distance1.500Time11:52.30Pace7:54.87
With Benjamin.
Leg 6:Distance1.500Time11:20.70Pace7:33.80
With Benjamin.

Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-06-11 07:53:39
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:31:41.90Pace7:38.49
Easy runs. Total of 12 for me. Usual distances for the kids. Paced Sarah through 1 mile down the canyon in 6:59 - her first sub-6:00 in 18 years. She ran 6:52 on April 1 2002, and I do not recall her breaking 7:00 ever since.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time7:25.70Pace7:25.70
Alone.
Leg 2:Distance0.980Time7:33.60Pace7:42.86
Alone.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time6:59.50Pace6:59.50
Paced Sarah.
Leg 4:Distance6.020Time45:55.50Pace7:37.72
Alone.
Leg 5:Distance3.000Time23:47.60Pace7:55.87
With Benjamin.

Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.051.000.000.008.05

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-06-12 08:25:57
Workout Totals: Distance8.050Time1:01:15.20Pace7:36.55
A bit of taper before the uneventful half tomorrow. Matthew and Stephen did a mile time trial. We tried an experiment where they run together for the first 800, and then Stephen takes off to see what he can do. It did not go too well - 3:07 for the first 800, and then neither one of them was competitive. Stephen was not able to speed up and ran 6:20. Matthew slowed down to 1:45 in the next lap, and then completely gave up in the last one, so I just caught up to Benjamin and Stephen and finished with them.
Leg 1:Distance1.050Time8:48.70Pace8:23.52
Warm-up with Benjamin, Matthew, and Stephen.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:20.60Pace6:20.60
Matthew and Stephen's time trial.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time8:37.80Pace8:37.80
Back to the house.
Leg 4:Distance5.000Time37:28.10Pace7:29.62
Alone.

Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 8.05
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Race: Uneventful Provo River Half Marathon (13.109 Miles) 01:20:30, Place overall: 3
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.160.0013.110.0015.27

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-06-13 07:39:51
Workout Totals: Distance15.265Time1:38:09.70Pace6:25.83
Uneventful Provo River Half, 1:20:30.

Chad got 1:17:59. Jamison ran 1:22:59. Benjamin was still recovering from the hip strain, so he tried to pace Chad, then due to the altered form he started having issues with his toe, I caught up to him, he paced me for a bit, then could not even run with me, but then he figured out how to run with his toe, passed me on the uphill, and ran 5:30s the rest of the way, and finished the half in 1:16:38.

I struggled with a sustained push. I could surge for a quarter or so, but could not focus enough to hold a good pace.

Joseph and Jacob took the ACT, so they ran only 6 miles at night. Others ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance1.056Time8:26.70Pace7:59.83
Warm-up.
Leg 2:Distance13.109Time1:20:30.70Pace6:08.50
The uneventful Provo River half.
Split 1:Distance6.460Time38:43.50Pace5:59.67
Cumilative:Distance6.460Time38:43.50Pace5:59.67
Bridal Veil Parking lot where letter S used to be split.
Split 2:Distance6.649Time41:47.20Pace6:17.08
Cumilative:Distance13.109Time1:20:30.70Pace6:08.50
The reset of it.
 
Leg 3:Distance1.100Time9:12.30Pace8:22.09
Cool-down.

Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 15.27
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
53.262.0015.730.3871.37
Neon Crocs 3 Miles: 71.36
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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