Breaking the Wall

Week starting Dec 21, 2014

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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: 0.00 Year: 2724.68
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 MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
79.730.002.500.5082.73
Black Crocs Miles: 24.04White Crocs 1 Miles: 58.69
Night Sleep Time: 49.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 50.00
Sun, Dec 21, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church.

Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
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Mon, Dec 22, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-22 08:46:49
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:43:23.90Pace8:36.99
We got some snow today. It made the roads slick so we had to slow down to keep from falling. Usual distances for everybody. 12 total for me.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time26:04.60Pace8:41.53
With Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time9:06.30Pace9:06.30
With Joseph, Jenny, William, and Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance8.000Time1:08:13.00Pace8:31.62
With Benjamin.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Tue, Dec 23, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.040.000.000.0012.04

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-23 09:33:16
Workout Totals: Distance12.040Time1:31:13.20Pace7:34.58
12 total. Kids ran their usual distances. Joseph did a fast mile at the end of his 4.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time23:24.20Pace7:48.07
With Julia, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:35.90Pace6:35.90
With Benjamin and Joseph. This was Joseph's fast mile to prepare for the end of a 5 K.
Leg 3:Distance8.040Time1:01:13.10Pace7:36.85
With Benjamin.

Black Crocs Miles: 12.04
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Wed, Dec 24, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.320.002.500.5012.32

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-24 09:00:45
Workout Totals: Distance12.320Time1:32:26.10Pace7:30.17
Today was a historically significant day. Throughout my running career I have tried to break 15:00 on the 3 mile course down the Provo Canyon - a course I have used for workouts so much that I know every turn, drop, rise, road crossing. If you placed me at a random location within seconds I would be able to tell you how far into the run it is with high precision.

I like that course because it provides just enough downhill to compensate for our elevation and allows fairly accurate estimates of what you can do at sea level.

In spite of my best efforts over the years the fastest I could do was 15:15. That was achieved with the help of Steve Ashbaker and a fairly strong tailwind. On my own the fastest I ever ran it was 15:23. In fact, in my best shape I could never make it through 2 miles at sub-5:00 pace.

Today Benjamin gave me the best Christmas present ever. He ran that course in 14:53 with the splits of 4:55, 5:04, 4:54 and the last quarter of 65. I stayed with him through the first 0.5 in 2:26 then eased off to a tempo pace and finished 3 miles in 16:35 which was a decent result for me. The conditions were on the cold side, although the road was clear.

Other children ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance3.040Time24:14.80Pace7:58.55
With Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance4.640Time37:41.40Pace8:07.37
Warm-up with Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance3.000Time16:35.40Pace5:31.80
Benjamin's epic 3 mile run.
Split 1:Distance0.500Time2:26.60Pace4:53.20
Cumilative:Distance0.500Time2:26.60Pace4:53.20
With Benjamin.
Split 2:Distance2.500Time14:08.80Pace5:39.52
Cumilative:Distance3.000Time16:35.40Pace5:31.80
Backed off and finished the distance at my own pace. The splits were 5:18 at the mile, then 10:58 at 2 (5:40) and 5:37 for the last mile.
 
Leg 4:Distance1.640Time13:54.50Pace8:28.84
Cool-down.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 12.32
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Thu, Dec 25, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.600.000.000.0012.60

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-25 08:24:32
Workout Totals: Distance12.600Time1:44:38.00Pace8:18.25
Merry Christmas to all! It was white. We got some snow today. Did the best we could to get through our runs. I did a total of 12.6. Kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time26:15.50Pace8:45.17
With Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time9:02.10Pace9:02.10
With Jenny, Joseph, William, and Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance0.500Time5:02.40Pace10:04.80
With Stephen and William.
Leg 4:Distance8.100Time1:04:18.00Pace7:56.30
With Benjamin.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 12.60
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Fri, Dec 26, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.700.000.000.0013.70

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-26 09:44:47
Workout Totals: Distance13.700Time1:55:33.30Pace8:26.08
Still dealing with snow. Kids ran their usual distances except Benjamin upped his mileage and ran 10.7 today. I did 13.7.
Leg 1:Distance3.000Time27:15.20Pace9:05.07
With Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time9:07.70Pace9:07.70
With Benjamin, Jenny, Joseph, and William.
Leg 3:Distance0.500Time5:01.90Pace10:03.80
With Benjamin and Stephen.
Leg 4:Distance9.200Time1:14:08.50Pace8:03.53
With Benjamin.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 13.70
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Sat, Dec 27, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
20.070.000.000.0020.07

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-12-27 09:16:06
Workout Totals: Distance20.074Time2:36:31.60Pace7:47.85
Total of 20. Ran with all of the kids today. William did 1.5, Stephen 0.5, Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob 4, Benjamin 15. Joseph was eager to run a faster pace, so I had him help me block the wind for Jenny and Julia - although they commented as little as he is he was not providing much of a wind block. Jacob did not need a wind block but was happy to use it.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time8:41.60Pace8:41.60
With William.
Leg 2:Distance4.000Time33:09.50Pace8:17.38
With Jenny, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob out-and-back in the canyon.
Leg 3:Distance0.574Time4:55.70Pace8:35.16
With Benjamin, Stephen and William.
Leg 4:Distance14.500Time1:49:44.80Pace7:34.12
With Benjamin.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 20.07
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Totals
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
79.730.002.500.5082.73
Black Crocs Miles: 24.04White Crocs 1 Miles: 58.69
Night Sleep Time: 49.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 50.00
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