Breaking the Wall

Week starting Jul 27, 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:

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to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	3010.45
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
78.79	0.00	2.00	2.00	82.79

Black Crocs Miles: 82.25	Nike Double Stroller Miles: 7.00

Night Sleep Time: 43.50	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 43.50

Sun, Jul 27, 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.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.00

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Mon, Jul 28, 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 - 2014-07-28 07:04:00
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:32:56.30Pace7:44.69
Total of 12, 3 with Matthew in the stroller. Benjamin did 9, Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob 3, William 1, Stephen 0.5.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time26:24.70Pace8:48.23
With Benjamin, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance6.000Time45:14.20Pace7:32.37
With Benjamin. Pushed Matthew in the stroller for the first 3.
Leg 3:Distance2.500Time17:20.80Pace6:56.32
Alone.
Leg 4:Distance0.500Time3:56.60Pace7:53.20
With Julia.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.00	Nike Double Stroller Miles: 3.00

Night Sleep Time: 8.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.00

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Tue, Jul 29, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.24	0.00	0.00	2.00	13.24

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-07-29 07:52:28
Workout Totals: Distance13.245Time1:46:14.30Pace8:01.26
Total of 13. Jenny did 3, Julia 3, Joseph and Jacob 3, Benjamin 10, William 1, Stephen 0.5. Stephen got a record for 0.5 holding the hand - 4:20. Benjamin and I did a workout. 1.25 up the Provo Canyon, then 3x400 down. Details below.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time25:26.70Pace8:28.90
With Joseph, Jacob, and Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance2.300Time17:47.60Pace7:44.17
More with Benjamin to the start of the interval.
Leg 3:Distance1.250Time6:59.40Pace5:35.52
Interval up the Provo Canyon. The purpose was to break Benjamin's mental block against running uphill. He has an issue getting into a negative mental loop when running uphill. So I figured a 2000 up the Provo Canyon with the target pace of 5:36 per mile (7:00 for the interval) would be a good start. He opened with 78, then 80. I made it that far with him. Then after about 1 K I could not keep the pace anymore. He followed up with 82, 83, 82 finishing in 6:47 - 13 seconds faster than the target. I got 87, 88, 86 and managed to dip a little under 7:00 as well.
Leg 4:Distance0.250Time2:27.40Pace9:49.60
Recovery jog.
Leg 5:Distance3.365Time27:21.60Pace8:07.85
3x400 down the canyon.
Split 1:Distance0.250Time1:12.30Pace4:49.20 Cumilative:Distance0.250Time1:12.30Pace4:49.20
Benjamin got 66.9 on this one.
Split 2:Distance0.180Time1:56.30Pace10:46.11 Cumilative:Distance0.430Time3:08.60Pace7:18.60
Recovery.
Split 3:Distance0.250Time1:13.40Pace4:53.60 Cumilative:Distance0.680Time4:22.00Pace6:25.29
Benjamin got 62.5.
Split 4:Distance0.690Time6:50.50Pace9:54.93 Cumilative:Distance1.370Time11:12.50Pace8:10.88
Longer recovery.
Split 5:Distance0.250Time1:10.70Pace4:42.80 Cumilative:Distance1.620Time12:23.20Pace7:38.77
Benjamin got 60.9. I told him - this is how you run the 400 - in the first 200 the devil is riding on you, after that it is the bear while the devil laughs.
Split 6:Distance1.745Time14:58.40Pace8:34.84 Cumilative:Distance3.365Time27:21.60Pace8:07.85
With Benjamin back to the house.

Leg 6:Distance0.500Time4:20.10Pace8:40.20
With Stephen and Julia. He got a new record for the "hand-held" run with the splits of 2:13 and 2:07.
Leg 7:Distance1.000Time8:44.10Pace8:44.10
With William and Julia.
Leg 8:Distance1.580Time13:07.40Pace8:18.35
With Julia.

Black Crocs Miles: 13.24

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

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Wed, Jul 30, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.50	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-07-30 06:47:24
Workout Totals: Distance12.500Time1:38:13.10Pace7:51.45
Total of 12.5. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 4, Julia 3, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1, Stephen 0.5.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time21:00.10Pace7:00.03
Alone
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time26:02.40Pace8:40.80
With Joseph, Jacob, and Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance6.000Time45:59.20Pace7:39.87
With Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance0.500Time5:11.40Pace10:22.80
With Stephen.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.50

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

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Thu, Jul 31, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.50	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-07-31 08:05:19
Workout Totals: Distance12.500Time1:37:12.80Pace7:46.62
Total of 12.5. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 3, Julia 3, Joseph 4, Jacob 3, William 1, Stephen 0.5.
Leg 1:Distance4.000Time34:14.90Pace8:33.73
First 3 with Benjamin, Joseph, Jacob, David and Ryan. We dropped Jacob, David, and Ryan off at 3 miles and ran one more.
Leg 2:Distance5.000Time38:04.30Pace7:36.86
With Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance2.500Time17:39.30Pace7:03.72
Alone.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time7:14.30Pace7:14.30
With Julia. This was the last mile of her run, and I told her to run it under 8:00. She did the quarters of 1:54, 1:55, 1:45, and 1:40.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.50	Nike Double Stroller Miles: 4.00

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

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Fri, Aug 01, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.05	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.05

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-08-01 06:47:22
Workout Totals: Distance12.050Time1:38:32.00Pace8:10.62
Total of 12. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 2.5, Julia 3, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1, Stephen 0.5. Benjamin's friend Nate joined us for 3 miles.
Leg 1:Distance1.550Time11:02.50Pace7:07.42
Alone.
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time26:47.00Pace8:55.67
With Benjamin, Joseph, Jacob, and Nate.
Leg 3:Distance6.000Time46:35.00Pace7:45.83
With Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time9:20.00Pace9:20.00
With William.
Leg 5:Distance0.500Time4:47.50Pace9:35.00
With Jenny and Stephen.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.00

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

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Sat, Aug 02, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
18.50	0.00	2.00	0.00	20.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-08-02 05:25:43
Workout Totals: Distance20.500Time2:34:03.40Pace7:30.90
Total of 20.5. Started the run early to get some miles in because Jacob was getting baptized today. Jacob is our 5th child to get baptized (and he is our 5th child), and so far he came to his baptism with the fastest PRs. Benjamin had a PR of 7:12 in the mile, and 23:31 on a dubious possibly short Payson Onion Days course which I estimated about 10 seconds short. Jenny had 24:01 in the 5 K shortly after turning 8, and I cannot find a record of her mile time trial when she was 7 and approaching 8 - possibly because she did not do one. I am going to guess she was around 7:20-7:30 range. Julia was also hard to talk into a time trial, so the best we've got out of her before she turned 8 is 7:52 in the mile. Joseph had 6:52 in the mile when he was baptized. Jacob, however, came to his baptism with a 21:43 5 K on a certified course (construction-altered version of Draper Days), that was hilly and proven slow by a group of consistent top runners racing for prize money. His best mile is 6:10 in the Provo Canyon, and 6:29 on the track. I must also say that he also was the best of all of our kids so far when it came to explaining the reasons why he was getting baptized when I asked him. Not that our other kids could not explain it, but his answers were very clear and up to the point. I was quite surprised because being articulate and good with words has never appeared to be one of his talents. I ran a total of 20 miles today. Started with 8 on my own, then did 4 more with Benjamin - 2 out easy, 2 back tempo in 11:28, Benjamin did a total of 12, then 3 more with Joseph, Jacob, Julia, Nate, and his brother Jared, one more with Benjamin and Joseph, and the rest with Benjamin. Jenny did 4, William 1, Stephen 0.5. Details below.
Leg 1:Distance8.000Time56:52.30Pace7:06.54
Alone.
Leg 2:Distance2.000Time15:24.90Pace7:42.45
With Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance2.000Time11:28.20Pace5:44.10
Tempo run with Benjamin. First mile in 5:47, and it was rolling down, so it was easy. Second mile was uphill, and Benjamin turned up the heat, but I survived - we ran it in 5:41.
Leg 4:Distance3.000Time25:57.30Pace8:39.10
With Benjamin, Julia, Joseph, Jacob, Nate, and Jared. Only two of them were not mine. Julia has had a hard time waking up early in the mornings, but when she heard that a boy her age that has just moved into our neighborhood was coming, she was ready to run at 7:00 AM with no problems.
Leg 5:Distance1.000Time8:11.20Pace8:11.20
With Benjamin and Joseph.
Leg 6:Distance4.000Time30:43.50Pace7:40.88
With Benjamin.
Leg 7:Distance0.500Time5:26.00Pace10:52.00

Black Crocs Miles: 20.00

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

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Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
78.79	0.00	2.00	2.00	82.79

Black Crocs Miles: 82.25	Nike Double Stroller Miles: 7.00

Night Sleep Time: 43.50	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 43.50

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