Breaking the Wall

Week starting Oct 18, 2015

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:

Click to donate

to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	40.31	Year:	3073.12
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
70.73	2.25	0.00	4.86	77.84

White Crocs 2 Miles: 77.83

Night Sleep Time: 51.00	Nap Time: 2.00	Total Sleep Time: 53.00

Sun, Oct 18, 2015

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: 2.00	Total Sleep Time: 10.00

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Mon, Oct 19, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.12	0.00	0.00	1.00	13.12

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-10-19 07:20:33
Workout Totals: Distance13.125Time1:34:42.30Pace7:12.94
Today was a better day for me. Benjamin paced me to a 5:04 mile down the canyon, splits 75,79,74,76 - an improvement over the last week. Otherwise it was a usual day - total of 12, kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance4.720Time38:06.90Pace8:04.51
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time5:04.90Pace5:04.90
Fast mile.
Leg 3:Distance2.280Time18:14.20Pace7:59.91
Back to the house.
Leg 4:Distance5.000Time32:00.40Pace6:24.08
With Joseph. Jenny and Jacob started with us, but then I had them stop and wait a couple of minutes while Joseph and I went ahead. Joseph has been having an odd mental issue, maybe not that odd for a competitive 10 year old. When something is slightly wrong, maybe his legs are a bit sore, and he is running with other kids, he starts feeling competitive, but at the same time he feels his body does not quite respond normally. So he starts getting tense and that makes things worse. To complicate the problem, he is naturally stubborn - when he was 3 years old I joked that he was born into a Protestant religion. So I can keep telling him to relax but it goes into one ear and out of the other. So he runs and moans. I decided to try the experiment and have him run without the other kids. The moaning magically stopped. Not sure what the solution is, maybe just time and maturity, but I will try a few things.
Leg 5:Distance0.125Time1:15.90Pace10:07.20

White Crocs 2 Miles: 13.12

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

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Tue, Oct 20, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
10.63	0.00	0.00	1.86	12.49

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-10-20 08:26:43
Workout Totals: Distance12.491Time1:35:40.30Pace7:39.55
8 in the AM with Benjamin, kids did a warm-up. Cross-country race at the Kiwani's Park in the evening. Times: Benjamin 9:44 myself 10:36 Joseph 11:50 Jacob 12:10 Jenny 12:59 Julia 13:32 William 15:25 Sarah 15:57 Stephen 18:27 This was Joseph's first 3 K under 12:00 in cross country. Hopefully the distance was right. But regardless, he's run 19:47 in the 5 K on the road on a certified loop course, so he does have a legitimate 3 K under 12:00 to his credit.
Leg 1:Distance8.000Time1:03:27.80Pace7:55.98
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time7:45.00Pace7:45.00
With Joseph, Jacob, Jenny, and Julia - I think.
Leg 3:Distance0.125Time1:09.10Pace9:12.80
With Matthew - he got a new record.
Leg 4:Distance0.606Time4:50.80Pace7:59.87
Warm-up for the cross-country race.
Leg 5:Distance2.760Time18:27.60Pace6:41.30
Cross-country race - 3 K.
Split 1:Distance1.860Time10:36.50Pace5:42.20 Cumilative:Distance1.860Time10:36.50Pace5:42.20
My time.
Split 2:Distance0.900Time7:51.10Pace8:43.44 Cumilative:Distance2.760Time18:27.60Pace6:41.30
Stephen's time.

White Crocs 2 Miles: 12.49

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

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Wed, Oct 21, 2015

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 - 2015-10-21 07:27:37
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:34:03.40Pace7:50.28
Usual run. Benjamin did 8 + 3.8, other kids their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance8.000Time1:02:03.30Pace7:45.41
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance4.000Time32:00.10Pace8:00.02
With Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob. I think William might have joined us for the first mile, and then Jenny or Julia took him back.

White Crocs 2 Miles: 12.00

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

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Thu, Oct 22, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.11	0.00	0.00	1.00	12.11

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-10-22 09:55:44
Workout Totals: Distance12.114Time1:35:04.50Pace7:50.90
Today Benjamin had an interview with Qualtrics, so we rearranged the running and work schedule a bit. I ran with the kids in the morning, and then with him in the afternoon. Kids ran their usual distances, Benjamin did 8 + 3.8, including 4x0.25 with me down the canyon. We got some headwind, so the times do not quite reflect the effort. I think maybe we were a second or two slower on each interval than what we normally would have been if we had done it in the morning.
Leg 1:Distance4.000Time31:02.10Pace7:45.52
With Joseph, Jacob, Jenny, and Julia starting, then we had some separation, not sure who went where.
Leg 2:Distance0.125Time1:17.10Pace10:16.80
With Matthew.
Leg 3:Distance4.414Time34:52.00Pace7:53.95
With Benjamin, part of the 400 workout.
Split 1:Distance4.039Time32:18.80Pace8:00.02 Cumilative:Distance4.039Time32:18.80Pace8:00.02
Split 2:Distance0.250Time1:14.40Pace4:57.60 Cumilative:Distance4.289Time33:33.20Pace7:49.39
Split 3:Distance0.125Time1:15.10Pace10:00.80 Cumilative:Distance4.414Time34:48.30Pace7:53.11
Split 4:Distance0.000Time0:03.70Pace0:00.00 Cumilative:Distance4.414Time34:52.00Pace7:53.95

Leg 4:Distance3.575Time27:53.30Pace7:48.06
The remaining part of the 400 workout after a false start and a watch reset accident.
Split 1:Distance0.250Time1:12.30Pace4:49.20 Cumilative:Distance0.250Time1:12.30Pace4:49.20
Split 2:Distance0.125Time1:23.30Pace11:06.40 Cumilative:Distance0.375Time2:35.60Pace6:54.93
Split 3:Distance0.250Time1:11.90Pace4:47.60 Cumilative:Distance0.625Time3:47.50Pace6:04.00
Split 4:Distance0.250Time2:30.30Pace10:01.20 Cumilative:Distance0.875Time6:17.80Pace7:11.77
Split 5:Distance0.250Time1:12.10Pace4:48.40 Cumilative:Distance1.125Time7:29.90Pace6:39.91
Split 6:Distance2.450Time20:23.40Pace8:19.35 Cumilative:Distance3.575Time27:53.30Pace7:48.06

White Crocs 2 Miles: 12.11

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

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Fri, Oct 23, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.65	2.25	0.00	1.00	12.90

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-10-23 07:20:09
Workout Totals: Distance12.892Time1:33:41.50Pace7:16.05
Today was the day of records. Benjamin got a small PR on our 3 mile course down the canyon - 14:49, splits 4:57, 4:58, 4:54. Looks like he is getting back to full health and fitness. William ran 6:45.0 in the mile on the track one day before his 7th birthday - 6 second PR. Splits 1:37, 1:41, 1:44, 1:40. Family record in the 6 and under age division. Julia ran the mile on the track in 6:28.8 - 3 second PR. Splits 1:34, 1:36, 1:40, 1:36. Joseph and Jacob attempted an 800 PR, but both fell about a second short. I think it was too windy. William and Julia got theirs because theirs were weak.
Leg 1:Distance4.930Time39:26.60Pace8:00.04
Warm-up.
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time17:26.00Pace5:48.67
Benjamin ran 3 miles in 14:49, I did the first 0.5 with him, then rested a quarter and ran a tempo the rest of the way.
Split 1:Distance0.500Time2:26.80Pace4:53.60 Cumilative:Distance0.500Time2:26.80Pace4:53.60
Split 2:Distance0.250Time1:46.40Pace7:05.60 Cumilative:Distance0.750Time4:13.20Pace5:37.60
Split 3:Distance2.250Time13:12.80Pace5:52.36 Cumilative:Distance3.000Time17:26.00Pace5:48.67

Leg 3:Distance1.640Time14:53.60Pace9:04.88
Cool-down with Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance0.180Time1:50.30Pace10:12.78
Warm-up with the kids at the track.
Leg 5:Distance0.496Time2:45.20Pace5:33.06
Jacob's 800.
Leg 6:Distance0.496Time2:40.50Pace5:23.59
Joseph's 800.
Leg 7:Distance1.000Time6:45.00Pace6:45.00
William's mile.
Leg 8:Distance1.000Time6:28.80Pace6:28.80
Julia's mile.
Leg 9:Distance0.150Time1:25.50Pace9:30.00
Cool-down.

White Crocs 2 Miles: 12.89

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

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Sat, Oct 24, 2015

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
15.22	0.00	0.00	0.00	15.22

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-10-24 09:14:27
Workout Totals: Distance5.000Time37:50.60Pace7:34.12
Ran 5 with Joseph and Jacob in the morning, then 10 more with Benjamin in the afternoon. He had a math competition (Virginia Tech) in the morning. So far he has done well in the preliminary Putnam team selection competitions, and has earned enough BYU gift cards to have a good supply of lunches. This is rather ironic - when he was little and wanted an extra snack, I usually had him solve a math problem. Now BYU has him solve a math problem when he wants some food.
Leg 1:Distance5.000Time37:50.60Pace7:34.12
With Joseph and Jacob.

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-10-24 16:28:21
Workout Totals: Distance10.225Time1:20:14.00Pace7:50.81

Leg 1:Distance10.100Time1:18:59.80Pace7:49.29
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance0.125Time1:14.20Pace9:53.60
With Matthew.

White Crocs 2 Miles: 15.22

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

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Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
70.73	2.25	0.00	4.86	77.84

White Crocs 2 Miles: 77.83

Night Sleep Time: 51.00	Nap Time: 2.00	Total Sleep Time: 53.00

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