Breaking the Wall

Week starting Oct 31, 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: 133.01 Year: 776.88
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: 1312.70
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
69.201.901.002.9075.00
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 75.00
Night Sleep Time: 38.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 38.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. The talks in Sacrament were on tender mercies of the Lord. The lesson in Sunday School was on temples and family history. It was the fifth Sunday of the month, so we had a joint meeting of the high priests and elders which focused on home teaching.

Night Sleep Time: 8.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.600.400.000.0012.00

A.M. 9 with Mike. Did a pickup for 600 m in 2:08 at the end. 3 more with Benjamin in 23:18. Joseph ran the first mile with us in 7:55. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Jacob.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.500.000.000.5012.00

A.M. 12 miles total. Ran with Mike, we did a pickup for 0.5 in 2:27.6, 3 with Benjamin, including 1 with Joseph. Jenny and Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Jacob.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M. Ran with Mike. Total of 9. Jenny and Julia ran 2, including 0.5 with Jacob.

P.M.  3 with Benjamin including 1 with Joseph.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M.Total of 12. Ran with Mike, then 2 with Benjamin including 1 with Joseph. Jenny and Julia ran 2, including 0.5 with Jacob. Benjamin asked me how to sustain fast pace for a long time. I thought for a moment, and a parallel came to me. I said, view it as eating an orange. It is sour, but also sweet. If it was just sweet, it would not be an orange, and it actually would not taste so good. We are able to enjoy oranges because we allow the sour component of the taste to enhance rather than detract from the sweetness.  When you run fast, things get sour because of the pain, but they are also sweet because of the pace. To be a good runner you must learn to enjoy the mix, take it as a whole. Speed alone without the pain to reach it is worthless. Driving 120 mph gets old fast, and frequently results in a fine, while running 10 times slower (5:00 mile) never does and frequently results in prize money. Why? Because the former is an orange without the vitamin C and other important nutrients that contribute to its sour taste.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.501.501.000.0015.00

A.M. Total of 15. Ran with Mike, then 2 with Benjamin including 1 with Joseph. Mike and I did a 2.5 pickup in 14:23. It started very slow - first quarter in 94, then we sped up. Last mile was 5:38. Jenny and Julia ran 2, including 0.5 with Jacob.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 15.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.600.000.002.4012.00

A.M. Went to the Utah XC Championship to watch Benjamin and Jenny. Ran 4 miles while there. Benjamin got 6th in the 3 K in 13:09 in Midgets - good race. Jenny was 3rd in Bantums with 16:11 - she was not feeling well, but the competition was not very deep. The course was either slow or long or both. Aiden who had just run 18;55 5 K could only pull off 12:07 in a competitive race. Julia ran 2 including 0.5 with Jacob.

P.M. Added 8 more miles, 7 with Sarah riding alongside on a bike, and 1 with Joseph. Felt like I was getting over the traces of the cold that threatened to develop into trouble, so I decided to do a few pickups targeting 5:20 pace. First 2000 in 6:34 (5:15 pace), then 1200 in 4:02, and 600 in 2:00.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
69.201.901.002.9075.00
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 75.00
Night Sleep Time: 38.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 38.50
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