Breaking the Wall

Week starting Nov 07, 2021

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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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
35.00	1.00	0.00	0.00	36.00

Amoji 2 Miles: 33.00

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

Sun, Nov 07, 2021

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 our ward, then to the Russian branch. Fast Sunday.

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

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Mon, Nov 08, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
8.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	8.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-11-08 08:44:50
Workout Totals: Distance8.000Time1:03:42.40Pace7:57.80
Only 8 total for me. The IT band was giving me problems. I had to tough it out, kept telling myself to run one more step. Stretching it help a bit, but unlike on Saturday, even with with the TFL stretched I was still feeling quite a bit of pain on the side of the knee. Ordered a knee brace and anti-inflammatory cream. Easy runs, usual distances for the kids.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time31:45.30Pace7:56.32ZoneEasy Miles
With Jacob, William, Stephen, and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance4.000Time31:57.10Pace7:59.27ZoneEasy Miles
With Jacob, part with Joseph.

Amoji 2 Miles: 8.00

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

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Tue, Nov 09, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
2.00	1.00	0.00	0.00	3.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-11-09 18:00:36
Workout Totals: Distance3.000Time25:17.70Pace8:25.90
Only 3 total today. The IT band flared up. At first I did not think I would be able to run at all. Then I figured something out. If I speed-walk sort of on the right leg, and run normally on the left I can run. At first I could not do even 9:00, but then I learned the hang of it and managed to speed up to almost 8:00. Then in the evening I ate some onions and noticed that it was reducing my pain. So I ate some more, and used an onion compress on the affected spot. Then ran another mile. At first 8:15 pace was all I could do, but then I put my mind into a tempo gear, and was able to get to the tempo level of breathing by just working the left leg. I sped up to 7:20 pace, and finished the mile in 7:55. Jacob did 2x1 mile, one up the canyon in 5:39, then one down in 5:15 with 0.25 recovery. Benjamin did 9+3 with strides. William, Stephen, and Matthew did a fast quarter down the canyon. William did 72, Matthew 77, Stephen 80. Joseph did easy 8. Mary did her usual 1.5, Bella 0.5.
Leg 1: Distance2.000Time17:22.00Pace8:41.00ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.
Leg 2: Distance1.000Time7:55.70Pace7:55.70ZoneMarathon Pace Miles
Alone later in the evening.

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

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Wed, Nov 10, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-11-10 08:54:59
Workout Totals: Distance6.000Time48:06.30Pace8:01.05
6 total for me. Did 4 in the morning with the boys, then added 2x1 mile one in the afternoon, and one late at night. During the morning run the start was very rough, but I was able to find the rhythm and we even broke 8:00 average. The afternoon and the night runs were basically speedwalking on the right and running on the left. The kids ran easy for their usual mileage.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time31:38.50Pace7:54.62ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph, William, Stephen, and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance1.000Time8:21.00Pace8:21.00ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.
Leg 3: Distance1.000Time8:06.80Pace8:06.80ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Amoji 2 Miles: 6.00

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

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Thu, Nov 11, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
5.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	5.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-11-11 08:39:00
Workout Totals: Distance5.000Time39:55.20Pace7:59.04
Another rough day. 5 total. Did 4 in the morning, and 1 more at night. The IT band attachment pain is still bothering me a lot, but I figured out a way to "run" to maintain some semblance of fitness. I cannot walk without a severe limp, but somehow I am managing to average sub-8:00 pace for my run. The pain feels like it is moving around. My knee brace has arrived, tried it out today, I think it made things better. Will see what happens tomorrow.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time31:46.60Pace7:56.65ZoneEasy Miles
With Jacob, William, Stephen (part), and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance1.000Time8:08.60Pace8:08.60ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Amoji 2 Miles: 5.00

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

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Fri, Nov 12, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
6.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	6.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-11-12 09:08:24
Workout Totals: Distance6.000Time46:59.10Pace7:49.85
6 total for me. Did 4 in the morning and 2 at night. The knee brace help a lot. I slept with it, woke up, then ran. Starting out I did not feel quite as miserable, then as usual figured out a way to power in spite of the limitation and get some decent pace going. I even ran 1 mile in 7:20 in the middle. Then wore the brace all day long with the idea of C(ompression) in RICE, and I think it did something. By the end of the day I was able to walk up the stairs without holding onto the rail. It is still puzzling to me how someone could average sub-8:00 pace for 4 miles when he needs to hold onto the rail when walking up the stairs even though I've been doing it myself every day this week until today. I suppose maybe the strengths can compensate for weaknesses in surprising ways. In the evening I went for 2 miles and those were my best two miles in the evening this week so far. Each step was painful in the sense of having to concentrate to maintain stability, but no longer actually painful unless I misstepped into instability, which happened every once in a while. The kids tapered for the XC state championship tomorrow. Joseph and Jacob 4, William 3, Stephen and Matthew 2. Mary and Bella ran their usual distances.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time31:29.50Pace7:52.38ZoneEasy Miles
With Jacob, part with William, Stephen, and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance2.000Time15:29.60Pace7:44.80ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Amoji 2 Miles: 6.00

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

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Sat, Nov 13, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
8.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	8.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-11-13 16:54:12
Workout Totals: Distance8.000Time1:00:51.50Pace7:36.44
Total of 8. The pain is receding, my method of recovering from injury is working again. I am happy to see that. The kids ran in the cross-country championship. Results: 2K: Mary 11:02.3 (5:29.4, 5:32.9) Bella 11:48.6 (5:49.1, 5:59.5) 3 K Matthew 12:48.4 (4:02.0, 4:27.2, 4:19.2) Stephen 14:20.9 (4:03.0, 5:13.9, 5:03.9) 4K William 17:05.5 (03:49.3,04:24.2,04:28.6,04:23.4) 5K Jacob 18:31.7 (03:24.1,03:39.0,03:40.1,03:54.5,03:54.0) Joseph 19:55.3(03:32.9,03:50.5,04:08.9,04:16.3,04:06.7)
Leg 1: Distance8.000Time1:00:51.50Pace7:36.44ZoneEasy Miles
Alone.

Amoji 2 Miles: 8.00

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

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Totals

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
35.00	1.00	0.00	0.00	36.00

Amoji 2 Miles: 33.00

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

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