Breaking the Wall

Week starting Sep 01, 2024

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:	72.31	Year:	3105.12
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
55.91	0.00	12.21	0.00	68.12

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

Mon, Sep 02, 2024

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
5.90	0.00	6.21	0.00	12.11

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2024-09-02 06:44:12
Workout Totals: Distance12.114Time1:33:52.80Pace7:44.98
Payson Onion Days 10 K, 41:08, 7th overall. We decided to run Payson Onion Days together as a family. Results: 10 K Benjamin 36:20 1st Jacob 36:48 2nd Matthew 42:04 8th 5K William 21:37 Bella 22:19 PR, 8th woman Stephen 24:49 Mary 26:59 Leigha 29:01 PR Maddy 29:46 Sarah 36:36 Benjamin had the stumbling problem get worse again. Jacob had problems with endurance. I had problems with the loss of strength. Ran the first 6 miles with Bill Cobler, then he outkicked me. Matthew had problems with endurance and the Momo miserable syndrome - fell back at 4 miles and lost almost a minute. William learned the hard way that if you slack off on the training and are sloppy about the recovery regimen you get out of shape fast. I learned that even though I wonder sometimes when our kids who train consistently beat by other kids their age that do not about the benefits of consistent training for kids - the results would be a lot worse for us if our kids did not train. Stephen was having some back pain issues again. Mary ran OK for her current mental state. Some days she goes out and is barely breaking 10:00 on her runs. So I was happy she was able to average sub-9:00. Sarah had some fatigue issues, but was able to make it through the distance at sub-12:00 average. However, Bella and Leigha ran PRs. I was especially happy about Bella's performance. She earned a laptop.
Leg 1: Distance1.400Time11:52.50Pace8:28.93ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2: Distance6.214Time41:08.60Pace6:37.26
Race.
Split 1:Distance1.000Time6:30.00Pace6:30.00ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance1.000Time6:30.00Pace6:30.00
Split 2:Distance1.000Time6:30.50Pace6:30.50ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance2.000Time13:00.50Pace6:30.25
Split 3:Distance1.000Time6:37.80Pace6:37.80ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance3.000Time19:38.30Pace6:32.77
Split 4:Distance1.000Time6:39.40Pace6:39.40ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance4.000Time26:17.70Pace6:34.42
Split 5:Distance1.000Time6:59.00Pace6:59.00ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance5.000Time33:16.70Pace6:39.34
Split 6:Distance1.000Time6:35.70Pace6:35.70ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance6.000Time39:52.40Pace6:38.73
Split 7:Distance0.214Time1:16.20Pace5:56.07ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance6.214Time41:08.60Pace6:37.26

Leg 3: Distance4.500Time40:51.70Pace9:04.82ZoneEasy Miles
Distance.

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

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Tue, Sep 03, 2024

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
10.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	10.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2024-09-03 10:02:30
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:25:18.80Pace8:31.88
10 total. Easy pace. Decided to lower the mileage on easy days to try to get some freshness and strength in the legs for the workout days.
Leg 1: Distance3.000Time26:55.10Pace8:58.37ZoneEasy Miles
With William.
Leg 2: Distance5.000Time39:44.80Pace7:56.96ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.
Leg 3: Distance1.000Time9:38.90Pace9:38.90ZoneEasy Miles
With Leigha.
Leg 4: Distance1.000Time9:00.00Pace9:00.00ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary.

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

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Wed, Sep 04, 2024

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 - 2024-09-04 07:23:54
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:35:35.90Pace7:57.99
12 total. Had an interesting experience. Iain, Conner, Clayton and other BYU guys caught up to us and we ran with them for a little bit. They were going around 6:30-6:50 pace up the canyon. I was surprised that I was conversational at that pace because 2 days ago I raced a 10 K at that pace on a faster terrain. It seemed like something significantly changed for the better over the last two days, but I cannot think of any particular reason except that the cumulative training and recovery efforts bore fruit all of a sudden.
Leg 1: Distance10.000Time1:17:45.40Pace7:46.54ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin. Part with Jacob and the BYU team/alumni.
Leg 2: Distance1.000Time9:00.60Pace9:00.60ZoneEasy Miles
With Leigha.
Leg 3: Distance1.000Time8:49.90Pace8:49.90ZoneEasy Miles
With Bella.

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

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Thu, Sep 05, 2024

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.00	0.00	6.00	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2024-09-05 09:15:01
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:32:05.20Pace7:40.43
12 total. Decided to test if my feeling different yesterday was a fluke or if I really got stronger all of a sudden. So I had Jacob and Benjamin pace me through an out and back 6 mile tempo run in the canyon. The result confirmed that I got stronger. I ran 39:00 with the splits of 6:36, 6:56, 6:58, 6:16, 6:14, 6:02 even though there was very strong headwind in the second and third mile. So I was able to average 6:30 going out and back with a headwind for 2 miles vs 6:37 on a mostly flat course - just a couple of hills in the last two miles and no noticeable wind on Monday. I also felt more energetic and motivated.
Leg 1: Distance2.000Time16:34.20Pace8:17.10ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2: Distance6.000Time39:00.50Pace6:30.08ZoneThreshold Miles
Tempo run.
Leg 3: Distance2.000Time18:01.00Pace9:00.50ZoneEasy Miles
Leg 4: Distance1.000Time9:37.00Pace9:37.00ZoneEasy Miles
With Leigha.
Leg 5: Distance1.000Time8:52.50Pace8:52.50ZoneEasy Miles
With Bella.

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

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Fri, Sep 06, 2024

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
10.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	10.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2024-09-06 08:39:08
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:20.50Pace7:56.05
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1: Distance5.000Time39:41.10Pace7:56.22ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew and Benjamin - if I remember right.
Leg 2: Distance5.000Time39:39.40Pace7:55.88ZoneEasy Miles
This one was either with Benjamin or alone.

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

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Sat, Sep 07, 2024

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.01	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.01

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2024-09-07 09:58:35
Workout Totals: Distance12.014Time1:29:49.90Pace7:28.63
Ran 12 miles in Lancaster, CA. We went there for Julia and Oliver's wedding reception.
Leg 1: Distance12.014Time1:29:49.90Pace7:28.63ZoneEasy Miles

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
55.91	0.00	12.21	0.00	68.12

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

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