Breaking the Wall

Week starting Sep 21, 2025

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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: 0.00 Year: 2715.71
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: 3424.44
Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
53.631.009.000.0063.63
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Mon, Sep 22, 2025
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.000.000.000.009.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2025-09-22 09:31:18
Workout Totals: Distance9.000Time1:19:41.20Pace8:51.24
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance2.000Time17:05.60Pace8:32.80ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time23:13.70Pace11:36.85ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew.
Leg 3:
Distance5.000Time39:21.90Pace7:52.38ZoneEasy Miles
Alone or with Benjamin.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Tue, Sep 23, 2025
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.001.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2025-09-23 09:17:02
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:19:37.40Pace7:57.74
10 total. We did a mile time trial today at the Timpanogos track. Matthew paced Bella, Stephen paced Mary, and I paced Leigha. We did a rabbit chase. Leigha ran a PR breaking 6:00 for the first time - 6:59. Splits 1:41, 1:48, 1:46, and 1:42. Mary started about 11 seconds behind and could not quite catch her, but still got a PR of 6:50. Matthew started Bella about 40 seconds behind Leigha by mistake, she floored it and ran her first lap in 90. Then she was out of gas, but still was able to repeat her PR of 6:37.
Leg 1:
Distance0.500Time4:51.20Pace9:42.40ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance1.000Time6:59.10Pace6:59.10ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Pacing Leigha.
Leg 3:
Distance0.500Time4:38.30Pace9:16.60ZoneEasy Miles
To the car.
Leg 4:
Distance3.000Time23:52.60Pace7:57.53ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew.
Leg 5:
Distance5.000Time39:16.20Pace7:51.24ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Wed, Sep 24, 2025
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.150.003.000.0010.15

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2025-09-24 09:28:13
Workout Totals: Distance10.150Time1:17:00.30Pace7:35.20
10 total. Did a 3 mile tempo with Matthew. Thought he would run away from me in the last mile, in fact that was his assignment, but he was out of juice. So I ended up with 18:04, he got 18:08.
Leg 1:
Distance1.730Time14:02.10Pace8:06.76ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance3.000Time18:04.10Pace6:01.37ZoneThreshold Miles
Tempo run with Matthew.
Leg 3:
Distance1.420Time13:01.50Pace9:10.35ZoneEasy Miles
To the car with Matthew.
Leg 4:
Distance4.000Time31:52.60Pace7:58.15ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Thu, Sep 25, 2025
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.480.002.000.0010.48

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2025-09-25 10:06:03
Workout Totals: Distance10.480Time1:18:32.80Pace7:29.69
Total of about 10.5. Paced Stephen in a 2 mile tempo. He ran a PR of 12:23 with a negative split - 6:15, 6:08.
Leg 1:
Distance0.730Time6:26.70Pace8:49.73ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time12:23.30Pace6:11.65ZoneThreshold Miles
Tempo run with Stephen.
Leg 3:
Distance7.750Time59:42.80Pace7:42.30ZoneEasy Miles
To the car shop.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Fri, Sep 26, 2025
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.000.001.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2025-09-26 08:46:22
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:16:39.60Pace7:39.96
10 total. Paced Bella in a mile time trial along with Matthew. Used this as a lesson for him on how to pace. I made a mistake between 100 and 200 meters and ran it too slow. When I realized it, instead of speeding up suddenly, I started gradually increasing the pace. Our first lap was 1:41 - we were targetting 1:36. Then the second lap was 1:36. Bella started to fall back. I yelled at her to keep contact, she refocused and I believe achieved a mental breakthrough. She was used to starting out fast and then fading. So out of habbit she went into fading even though she did not have a fast start. But being conservative in the first lap left her with physical energy to run faster, and she found it when she started digging. Then her third lap was 95, and she kicked in 93 achieving a PR of 6:29!
Leg 1:
Distance0.500Time4:25.90Pace8:51.80ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance1.000Time6:29.00Pace6:29.00ZoneThreshold Miles
Pacing Bella.
Leg 3:
Distance0.500Time4:33.50Pace9:07.00ZoneEasy Miles
To the car.
Leg 4:
Distance3.000Time21:55.50Pace7:18.50ZoneEasy Miles
With Matthew.
Leg 5:
Distance5.000Time39:15.70Pace7:51.14ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Sat, Sep 27, 2025
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.000.003.000.0014.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2025-09-27 07:52:06
Workout Totals: Distance14.000Time1:48:48.00Pace7:46.29
14 total. Did a 3 mile tempo run with Chad and Matthew. My goal was to help Chad run under 18:30. Matthew's goal was to run the last mile fast. Chad and I got 18:26 as planned. Matthew was able to speed up in the last mile, but could only run 6:00 with the total time 18:16.
Leg 1:
Distance0.980Time8:19.70Pace8:29.90ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance3.000Time18:26.40Pace6:08.80ZoneThreshold Miles
Tempo run.
Leg 3:
Distance2.020Time17:28.90Pace8:39.26ZoneEasy Miles
To the house.
Leg 4:
Distance2.000Time16:59.00Pace8:29.50ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.
Leg 5:
Distance1.000Time7:50.90Pace7:50.90ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary.
Leg 6:
Distance5.000Time39:43.10Pace7:56.62ZoneEasy 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
53.631.009.000.0063.63
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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