Breaking the Wall

Week starting Dec 07, 2014

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:	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
79.94	0.00	0.00	4.50	84.44

Black Crocs Miles: 84.44

Night Sleep Time: 43.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 43.00

Sun, Dec 07, 2014

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. We had a Fast and Testimony meeting. Benjamin, Jenny, and Julia bore their testimonies. I spent a good amount of time in the hallway with Mary.

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

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Mon, Dec 08, 2014

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 - 2014-12-08 07:11:51
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:33:29.60Pace7:47.47
Usual run - 12 total. Kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance9.000Time1:09:00.10Pace7:40.01
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time24:29.50Pace8:09.83
With Joseph and Jacob. Jacob's foot was hurting again, this time in a different place and there was no household accident this time. Putting two and two together - I think he is experiencing some growth which makes his feet more tender.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.00

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

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Tue, Dec 09, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.38	0.00	0.00	2.00	13.38

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-09 07:52:13
Workout Totals: Distance13.380Time1:49:33.80Pace8:11.32
Today was the day of Benjamin's workout. He did 3x1 mile down the canyon with long rests. The target was 4:48, he did 4:44, 4:45, 4:48. I did 2x0.5 + 1 mile. In the 0.5 s I stayed with Benjamin through the first quarter or so, then fell back a little. In the last interval I stayed with him through the first 300, then eased off and finished the mile. Details below. Joseph moved up to 4 miles today. William ran 1.5. Julia did 3.5. Other kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time24:08.50Pace8:02.83
With Joseph and Jacob. Jacob's foot was feeling better, but still hurting so we ran a little slower than normal.
Leg 2:Distance4.640Time38:31.30Pace8:18.13
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance4.100Time32:31.80Pace7:56.05
The workout.
Split 1:Distance0.500Time2:24.60Pace4:49.20 Cumilative:Distance0.500Time2:24.60Pace4:49.20
Benjamin had 2:21 and finished the mile in 4:44.
Split 2:Distance1.100Time11:36.90Pace10:33.55 Cumilative:Distance1.600Time14:01.50Pace8:45.94
Recovery. This was longer than planned due to Benjamin going to the bathroom. I think the longer recovery allowed him to hit 4:45 in the second internval.
Split 3:Distance0.500Time2:26.60Pace4:53.20 Cumilative:Distance2.100Time16:28.10Pace7:50.52
Benjamin had 2:21 or 2:22 and finished in 4:45.
Split 4:Distance1.000Time10:43.70Pace10:43.70 Cumilative:Distance3.100Time27:11.80Pace8:46.39
This recovery was shorter which made it harder for Benjamin in the third inverval.
Split 5:Distance1.000Time5:20.00Pace5:20.00 Cumilative:Distance4.100Time32:31.80Pace7:56.05
Both of us made our targets. I was shooting for 5:20, Benjamin hit 4:48, but he had to kick in 69 to make it as he was tired and lost some steam between 0.25 and 0.75. He also did not have the markers on that stretch to know how fast he was going.

Leg 4:Distance1.640Time14:22.20Pace8:45.73
Cool-down back to the house with Benjamin.

Black Crocs Miles: 13.38

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

Comments(2)

Wed, Dec 10, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
12.10	0.00	0.00	0.00	12.10

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-10 07:21:15
Workout Totals: Distance12.100Time1:34:18.80Pace7:47.67
Regular 12. Kids ran their usual distances except Joseph did 4, and William did 1.5.
Leg 1:Distance9.100Time1:10:32.50Pace7:45.11
With Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance3.000Time23:46.30Pace7:55.43
With Joseph, Jacob, and Julia.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.10

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

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Thu, Dec 11, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.15	0.00	0.00	2.50	13.65

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-11 08:18:16
Workout Totals: Distance13.650Time1:43:56.60Pace7:36.89
Did a workout with Benjamin. Today was my day but we modified it a little bit so that he could practice his kick. So we did 2x1.25 down the Provo Canyon with a long recovery. He paced me for the first mile in both, then kicked. He was able to kick 63, and then second time around 61 off a slightly sub-5:20 pace. This is quite encouraging as it shows that 5:20 pace is quite easy for him. He said afterwards he is not afraid to start at 5:20 pace in Phoenix and hold it "till the standard bearer fainteth". I was also happy that I was able to hold 5:20 better than I did last week. Joseph did 4 - he has moved to 4, William did 1.5 just because he wanted to, other kids their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time23:24.70Pace7:48.23
With Joseph, Jacob, and Julia.
Leg 2:Distance3.600Time28:45.40Pace7:59.28
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance1.250Time6:38.60Pace5:18.88
First 1.25 with Benjamin. He paced me through the mile in 5:18, then kicked in 63 and finished in 6:21.
Leg 4:Distance1.250Time12:25.40Pace9:56.32
A very slow recovery jog back to the start of the next 1.25.
Leg 5:Distance1.250Time6:36.40Pace5:17.12
Second 1.25 interval. Benjamin paced me through the first mile in 5:19 then kicked in 61 finishing in 6:20.
Leg 6:Distance2.300Time19:13.30Pace8:21.43
With Benjamin back to the house.
Leg 7:Distance1.000Time6:52.80Pace6:52.80
With Joseph.

Black Crocs Miles: 13.65

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

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Fri, Dec 12, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
13.10	0.00	0.00	0.00	13.10

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-12 08:30:57
Workout Totals: Distance13.100Time1:41:41.70Pace7:45.78
Usual day. Kids ran usual distance. Joseph is doing 4 now.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time23:58.00Pace7:59.33
With Joseph, Jacob, and Julia.
Leg 2:Distance9.100Time1:10:21.40Pace7:43.89
With Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time7:22.30Pace7:22.30
With Joseph.

Black Crocs Miles: 13.10

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

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Sat, Dec 13, 2014

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
20.21	0.00	0.00	0.00	20.21

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-13 09:09:28
Workout Totals: Distance20.210Time2:33:55.40Pace7:36.97
20 mile run. Did it with all of the children except Jenny. Well, none of them individually ran 20 miles. But Benjamin ran 14.6, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob did 4, William 1.5, and Stephen 0.5. And Jenny did 4 by herself because she slept in. Details below.
Leg 1:Distance4.110Time32:13.30Pace7:50.39
With Julia, Joseph, and Jacob. About half way through we ran into three runners - Jake Tall, his wife whose name I forgot, and their friend that looked just like the wife which made me think they were twins at first. We joined them for most of the remainder of the run. Julia fell back some, but still ran decent pace. I finished with Jacob and then ran back to Julia. Joseph got 31:15, which is his course record. 31:18 is also Jacob's course record. Julia also ran a decent time - this is her 4 mile record as well.
Split 1:Distance4.000Time31:18.90Pace7:49.73 Cumilative:Distance4.000Time31:18.90Pace7:49.73
Finished with Jacob.
Split 2:Distance0.110Time0:54.40Pace8:14.55 Cumilative:Distance4.110Time32:13.30Pace7:50.39
Ran back to Julia and finished with her.

Leg 2:Distance1.000Time8:43.40Pace8:43.40
With William.
Leg 3:Distance0.500Time5:07.30Pace10:14.60
With Stephen and William.
Leg 4:Distance14.600Time1:47:51.40Pace7:23.25
With Benjamin.

Black Crocs Miles: 20.21

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
79.94	0.00	0.00	4.50	84.44

Black Crocs Miles: 84.44

Night Sleep Time: 43.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 43.00

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