Breaking the Wall

Week starting Oct 03, 2010

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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: 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
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
69.759.002.251.0082.00
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 70.00
Night Sleep Time: 44.50Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 46.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Got to hear more General Conference. The theme seemed to be following the prophet and obedience with exactness. I think about the power of the Helaman warriors who had so much faith that they could not be killed in a battle in spite of their lack of battle experience. To me it is the synonymous with obedience with exactness, a powerful illustration.

President Packer mentioned a funny story about how an elementary school student proposed to resolve the debate of a kitten's gender by voting.

President Monson spoke about gratitude at the end. I have thought of many things I consider trivial that I should be thankful for. Gravity is one of them. Without it my muscles would be mush even if we could figure out how to solve other problems, such as the air dissipating away from the Earth.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.500.0012.50

A.M. 9 with Mike, did 0.5 in 2:41. 3 with Benjamin in 25:24. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Jacob.

P.M. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:35.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.500.000.000.0012.50

A.M. 9.5 with Mike. 3 with Benjamin. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Jacob.

P.M. Benjamin took Joseph for 0.5.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.500.000.001.0012.50

A.M. 9 with Mike, including a quick one in 5:10.5. I think it is my mile PR for the dark. Jenny and Julia ran 2.

P.M. 0.5 with Jacob and Joseph in 4:11. 3 with Benjamin in 24:45.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.500.000.500.0012.00

A.M. Ran with Mike. Did a total of 9, including 0.5 in 2:43. 3 with Benjamin in 25:41. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Jacob.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.509.001.000.0019.50

A.M. Long run with Mike. Julia is getting baptized tomorrow, so again long run on Friday. We did a warm-up of about 2.5, then ran a 10 mile tempo. I was feeling tired, and Mike struggled last time, and we positive-split so this time the plan was to go out slower and negative split even though the total time would be slower. We succeeded in executing the plan:

5:59 - 5:52 - 5:56 -  5:52 - 5:50 (29:29) - 5:47 + 5:44 + 5:48 + 5:50 - 5:36 (28:45, 58:14). Last quarter was 79.

We traded quarters up until about 5.5, then I started feeling fatigued and Mike was feisty so I just sat back for a couple of miles. Then Mike's steam diminished, and I started helping with the pace more. At the end I was hoping that Mike would just coast it, but he pressed hard in the last quarter. I somehow survived.

3 more with Benjamin in 24:45. Jenny and Julia ran 2.

P.M. 0.5 with Joseph and Jacob in 4:11.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 19.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.750.000.250.0013.00

A.M. Ran early (at 5 am) with Mike. Needed to be done early enough to pick up Benjamin from the scout camp-out so he could make it to Julia's baptism. Total of 9 miles. Jenny and Julia ran 2. Later picked up Benjamin, then baptized Julia, and blessed Stephen. Busy day, but something to be thankful for.

P.M. 0.5 with Jacob in 4:31, 0.5 with Joseph in 4:24, 3 with Benjamin with the last 0.5 in 3:00, last quarter in 83, and last 200 in 39.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 13.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 9.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
69.759.002.251.0082.00
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 70.00
Night Sleep Time: 44.50Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 46.50
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