Breaking the Wall

Week starting Aug 02, 2026

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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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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 62.00 Year: 1845.72
Saucony Type A Lifetime Miles: 640.15
Bare Feet Lifetime Miles: 450.37
Nike Double Stroller Lifetime Miles: 124.59
White Slip Resistant Crocs Lifetime Miles: 3464.44
White Slip Resistant Crocs 2025 Lifetime Miles: 615.95
Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
46.002.000.002.0050.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Mon, Aug 03, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.001.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-08-03 09:20:41
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:57.40Pace7:59.74
Total of 10. Mostly easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance2.000Time17:37.50Pace8:48.75ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew, Mary, Bella, and Leigha
Leg 2:
Distance6.000Time46:24.10Pace7:44.02ZoneEasy Miles
Part with Matthew, part alone.
Leg 3:
Distance1.000Time8:43.50Pace8:43.50ZoneEasy Miles
With Andriy and Stephen.
Leg 4:
Distance1.000Time7:12.30Pace7:12.30ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Tue, Aug 04, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-08-04 09:21:43
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:56.10Pace7:59.61
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance2.000Time17:09.30Pace8:34.65ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, Leigha, and Matthew.
Leg 2:
Distance6.000Time46:27.00Pace7:44.50ZoneEasy Miles
Part with Matthew, part alone.
Leg 3:
Distance1.000Time8:36.60Pace8:36.60ZoneEasy Miles
With Andiy and Stephen.
Leg 4:
Distance1.000Time7:43.20Pace7:43.20ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Wed, Aug 05, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-08-05 09:18:59
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:43.10Pace7:58.31
10 total. Easy pace. Joseph ran with me for part of it and did 0.75 uphill in 4:04 and then later 0.5 downhill in 2:37. His endurance is still lacking, he needs to be more consistent in his mileage.
Leg 1:
Distance2.000Time17:19.90Pace8:39.95ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 2:
Distance6.000Time46:03.40Pace7:40.57ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph.
Leg 3:
Distance1.000Time8:37.30Pace8:37.30ZoneEasy Miles
With Andriy.
Leg 4:
Distance1.000Time7:42.50Pace7:42.50ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Thu, Aug 06, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.001.000.002.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-08-06 07:44:40
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:17:15.90Pace7:43.59
10 total. Did the same 3 mile farlek quarter slow half fast in 19:19. Benjamin paced me. This time Benjamin made sure I got my rest and was rather strict about keeping the slow quarters at 1:50. This enabled me to have 3:01 half as my slowest, but made the overall time slower than last time.
Leg 1:
Distance0.980Time8:00.80Pace8:10.61ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance3.000Time19:19.30Pace6:26.43
Fartlek.
Split 1:Distance0.250Time1:46.00Pace7:04.00ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.250Time1:46.00Pace7:04.00
Split 2:Distance0.500Time3:00.10Pace6:00.20ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.750Time4:46.10Pace6:21.47
Split 3:Distance0.250Time1:50.30Pace7:21.20ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Cumilative:Distance1.000Time6:36.40Pace6:36.40
Split 4:Distance0.500Time2:59.40Pace5:58.80ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance1.500Time9:35.80Pace6:23.87
Split 5:Distance0.250Time1:50.10Pace7:20.40ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Cumilative:Distance1.750Time11:25.90Pace6:31.94
Split 6:Distance0.500Time2:58.40Pace5:56.80ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance2.250Time14:24.30Pace6:24.13
Split 7:Distance0.250Time1:53.30Pace7:33.20ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Cumilative:Distance2.500Time16:17.60Pace6:31.04
Split 8:Distance0.500Time3:01.70Pace6:03.40ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance3.000Time19:19.30Pace6:26.43
Leg 3:
Distance2.020Time16:38.70Pace8:14.41ZoneEasy Miles
To the house.
Leg 4:
Distance2.000Time17:31.90Pace8:45.95ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 5:
Distance2.000Time15:45.20Pace7:52.60ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Fri, Aug 07, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-08-07 08:44:09
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:18:41.00Pace7:52.10
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance2.000Time17:31.20Pace8:45.60ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 2:
Distance6.000Time45:46.40Pace7:37.73ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.
Leg 3:
Distance2.000Time15:23.40Pace7:41.70ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
46.002.000.002.0050.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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