Breaking the Wall

Week starting Oct 25, 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: 0.00 Year: 2540.01
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
56.770.005.001.5063.27
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Mon, Oct 26, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-26 10:26:32
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:18:09.10Pace7:48.91
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance8.000Time1:01:54.90Pace7:44.36ZoneEasy Miles
Part with Matthew, part alone.
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time16:14.20Pace8:07.10ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Tue, Oct 27, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.005.000.0011.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-27 08:22:47
Workout Totals: Distance11.000Time1:20:27.90Pace7:18.90
11 total. Benjamin paced me through a 5 mile tempo run. We started at Nuns Park and finished about a quarter mile away from the house. First 3.25 were the standard canyon downhill grade, then it was rolling with some uphill. I was happy to be able to run 31:33. This is my best 5 mile run time of the year even comparing with the normal canyon downhill course which is currenty unavailable due to the avalanche blocking it.
Leg 1:
Distance1.000Time8:23.40Pace8:23.40ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance5.000Time31:33.30Pace6:18.66ZoneThreshold Miles
Tempo run.
Leg 3:
Distance3.000Time23:49.80Pace7:56.60ZoneEasy Miles
Back to the car.
Leg 4:
Distance2.000Time16:41.40Pace8:20.70ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Wed, Oct 28, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-28 10:00:40
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:21:56.70Pace8:11.67
10 total. Easy pace. Jacob came home today from his mission.
Leg 1:
Distance8.000Time1:05:24.50Pace8:10.56ZoneEasy Miles
Part with Matthew, part with Benjamin.
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time16:32.20Pace8:16.10ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Thu, Oct 29, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.770.000.000.5010.27

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-29 08:54:18
Workout Totals: Distance8.269Time1:07:16.40Pace8:08.14
Total of around 10. Matthew did mile time trial. Jacob and Benjamin paced him. He ended up doing 5:15 with more or less even splits. This is a PR for him, and a big breakthrough. I ran the last 800. I was able to keep up for 600 but then did not have any juice left for the last 200 and finished in 2:47 7 seconds behind them. Still, 2:47 is a good result for me for the 800.
Leg 1:
Distance1.070Time9:04.70Pace8:29.07ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance0.819Time5:22.10Pace6:33.28
Matthew's time trial.
Split 1:Distance0.083Time0:39.70Pace7:58.31ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.083Time0:39.70Pace7:58.31
Split 2:Distance0.077Time0:37.10Pace8:01.82ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.160Time1:16.80Pace8:00.00
Split 3:Distance0.083Time0:39.80Pace7:59.52ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.243Time1:56.60Pace7:59.84
Split 4:Distance0.080Time0:38.40Pace8:00.00ZoneEasy Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.323Time2:35.00Pace7:59.88
Split 5:Distance0.496Time2:47.10Pace5:36.90ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Cumilative:Distance0.819Time5:22.10Pace6:33.28
Leg 3:
Distance1.100Time9:55.60Pace9:01.45ZoneEasy Miles
To the car.
Leg 4:
Distance2.000Time17:02.40Pace8:31.20ZoneEasy Miles
With Jacob, Matthew and Benjamin, if I remember right.
Leg 5:
Distance3.280Time25:51.60Pace7:53.05ZoneEasy Miles
Do not remember much about this.
Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-29 20:13:57
Workout Totals: Distance2.000Time17:34.70Pace8:47.35
Leg 1:
Distance2.000Time17:34.70Pace8:47.35ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Fri, Oct 30, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-30 10:19:13
Workout Totals: Distance10.000Time1:18:18.90Pace7:49.89
10 total. Easy pace.
Leg 1:
Distance8.000Time1:03:01.50Pace7:52.69ZoneEasy Miles
With Jacob, part with Matthew - if I remmeber right.
Leg 2:
Distance2.000Time15:17.40Pace7:38.70ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Sat, Oct 31, 2026
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.000.000.001.0012.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2026-10-31 10:34:22
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:37:16.90Pace8:06.41
12 total. Did 2x0.5 down the canyon with long recovery. It was slippery, so I got 2:42/2:43, short of my goal of 2:40. The motivation for the workout was my crash in the last 200 on Thursday. I am wondering if the last 200 of the 800 is what I need to fix in order to see improvements in longer distances.
Leg 1:
Distance0.980Time8:37.70Pace8:48.27ZoneEasy Miles
Warm-up.
Leg 2:
Distance0.500Time2:42.20Pace5:24.40ZoneVO2 Max Miles
First interval
Leg 3:
Distance0.500Time4:42.10Pace9:24.20ZoneEasy Miles
Recovery
Leg 4:
Distance0.500Time2:43.60Pace5:27.20ZoneVO2 Max Miles
Second interval
Leg 5:
Distance7.520Time1:01:09.20Pace8:07.93ZoneEasy Miles
Distance with Jacob - part with Benjamin, Stephen and Matthew.
Leg 6:
Distance2.000Time17:22.10Pace8:41.05ZoneEasy Miles
With Mary, Bella, and Leigha.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
56.770.005.001.5063.27
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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