Breaking the Wall

Week starting Dec 26, 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:

Click to donate

to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	3010.45
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
69.75	0.00	1.75	4.50	76.00

Amoji 3 Miles: 76.00

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

Sun, Dec 26, 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 church. We had a convert baptism in the Russian branch. A young man named Zakhar from Perm got baptized. He reminds me of myself at that age in a number of ways.

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

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Mon, Dec 27, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.00	0.00	1.00	0.00	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-12-27 09:23:08
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:37:37.70Pace8:08.14
12 total. Easy pace - mostly - for everybody. The knee felt a lot better. Decided to try a fast mile and was able to run 6:10 from the mouth of the canyon to 1 mile to go to the house. Wanted to go faster, but the knee was telling me it was not a good idea. That was a lot better than a week ago when it was quoting Alma 36, the part before he received the remission of his sins, with every step.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time34:30.30Pace8:37.58ZoneEasy Miles
Part with Sarah, part with Stephen and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance5.000Time38:06.00Pace7:37.20
With Benjamin and Jacob. Part with Joseph and William.
Split 1:Distance3.000Time23:07.80Pace7:42.60ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance3.000Time23:07.80Pace7:42.60
Split 2:Distance1.000Time6:10.50Pace6:10.50ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance4.000Time29:18.30Pace7:19.57
Split 3:Distance1.000Time8:47.70Pace8:47.70ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance5.000Time38:06.00Pace7:37.20

Leg 3: Distance3.000Time25:01.40Pace8:20.47ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin and Julia.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Tue, Dec 28, 2021

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 - 2021-12-28 09:38:43
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:39:55.40Pace8:19.62
Easy 12 for me. Benjamin did 16x0.155 up the hill by the house averaging around 45. Jacob did 10 of them with a similar average, but not with him. His first one was 41, though. William and Matthew did 4, the first three in the 55-59 range, the last one William got 50 and Matthew got 52. My knee pain was mostly gone, but I decided I was not ready for the hill speed yet, so I just ran easy. When the trail is covered with snow, our hill is about the only good place to do any kind of speed.
Leg 1: Distance5.000Time39:43.00Pace7:56.60ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, part with Sarah.
Leg 2: Distance3.000Time26:46.50Pace8:55.50ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin and Julia.
Leg 3: Distance4.000Time33:25.90Pace8:21.48ZoneEasy Miles
Part with the kids, part alone.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Wed, Dec 29, 2021

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 - 2021-12-29 09:22:23
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:39:35.80Pace8:17.98
12 total, easy pace, usual distances. This was Julia's last run with us for the next almost 18 months. We dropped her off at the MTC in Provo. She will be serving a mission in Romania.
Leg 1: Distance6.000Time47:43.50Pace7:57.25ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, part with Sarah.
Leg 2: Distance3.000Time26:49.70Pace8:56.57ZoneEasy Miles
With Julia and Benjamin.
Leg 3: Distance3.000Time25:02.60Pace8:20.87ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph, William, Stephen, and Matthew. I think Jacob ran separately from us.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Thu, Dec 30, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
10.75	0.00	0.75	0.50	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-12-30 09:01:48
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:35:53.40Pace7:59.45
12 total. Found some stretches where I had some traction and did pickups. Jacob paced me. From 2 to 1.5 from the house I was able to run in 2:58 - in spite of some snow at the end. This was my first time running sub-6:00 pace since the knee flared up. Then we also did 4:50 from 0.75 mark to the house, but it was uphill and half of it was covered with snow, so I could not go very fast.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time32:02.60Pace8:00.65
With Jacob, part with William, Joseph, Stephen, and Matthew.
Split 1:Distance2.000Time17:41.60Pace8:50.80ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance2.000Time17:41.60Pace8:50.80
Split 2:Distance0.500Time2:58.10Pace5:56.20ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance2.500Time20:39.70Pace8:15.88
Split 3:Distance0.750Time6:32.20Pace8:42.93ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance3.250Time27:11.90Pace8:22.12
Split 4:Distance0.750Time4:50.70Pace6:27.60ZoneThreshold Miles Cumilative:Distance4.000Time32:02.60Pace8:00.65

Leg 2: Distance8.000Time1:03:50.80Pace7:58.85ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Fri, Dec 31, 2021

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
9.50	0.00	0.00	2.50	12.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2021-12-31 13:36:48
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:34:54.70Pace7:54.56
12 total. There was a lot of snow but we figured out a way to do a workout. The trail was plowed for 0.5 from our house. So we did 0.5 mile repeats. Benjamin did 10 alternating down and up. His up were the real intervals. His down were tempo recoveries for him as he was pacing me and Joseph. Joseph and I did 5 down. We had a modest goal of sub-3:00 on all, and we met it. I knew with this being the first formal workout post-knee injury and wearing pants it would not be as easy as I would have expected, and this was the case. My legs did not want to turn over, so it was good to have the downhill pull me. Benjamin did 2:32, 2:29, 2:30, 2:30, 2:23 on his uphill intervals. Jacob did 5 uphill 2:44, 2:45, 2:49, 2:50, 2:45. Other kids ran easy today.
Leg 1: Distance4.000Time33:33.00Pace8:23.25ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph, William, and Matthew. Part with Stephen and Sarah.
Leg 2: Distance5.000Time37:46.60Pace7:33.32
With Joseph and Benjamin.
Split 1:Distance0.500Time2:59.90Pace5:59.80ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance0.500Time2:59.90Pace5:59.80
Split 2:Distance0.500Time4:37.70Pace9:15.40ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance1.000Time7:37.60Pace7:37.60
Split 3:Distance0.500Time2:56.20Pace5:52.40ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance1.500Time10:33.80Pace7:02.53
Split 4:Distance0.500Time4:34.50Pace9:09.00ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance2.000Time15:08.30Pace7:34.15
Split 5:Distance0.500Time2:58.10Pace5:56.20ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance2.500Time18:06.40Pace7:14.56
Split 6:Distance0.500Time4:44.50Pace9:29.00ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance3.000Time22:50.90Pace7:36.97
Split 7:Distance0.500Time2:54.00Pace5:48.00ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance3.500Time25:44.90Pace7:21.40
Split 8:Distance0.500Time4:35.30Pace9:10.60ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance4.000Time30:20.20Pace7:35.05
Split 9:Distance0.500Time2:53.20Pace5:46.40ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance4.500Time33:13.40Pace7:22.98
Split 10:Distance0.500Time4:33.20Pace9:06.40ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance5.000Time37:46.60Pace7:33.32

Leg 3: Distance3.000Time23:35.10Pace7:51.70ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, part with Jacob.

Amoji 3 Miles: 12.00

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

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Sat, Jan 01, 2022

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
14.50	0.00	0.00	1.50	16.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2022-01-01 12:35:18
Workout Totals: Distance16.000Time2:03:30.20Pace7:43.14
My first 16 mile run in a while - finally. Decided the workout yesterday was rather easy, and I had juice for a little bit of action today. There was only one decent stretch available of the ones we use normally - 0.5 miles starting from the house and going down. So Sarah did 3x0.5 down in 3:54, 4:02, 3:55. Benjamin, Jacob, and I paced her on the down, and then they paced me on the up. I was targeting a modest 3:10, but had more juice than I thought - 3:06, 3:02, 3:01. On the last one I felt I had some bounce that I did not have before. Otherwise we had easy pace, usual Saturday distances. The Provo River Trail has been plowed, but they got out too late, so it has a layer of snow which makes it hard too run, but very far from the worst I've seen it. We were able to run 8:00 on it, though speeding up beyond that would have been difficult - at least for me.
Leg 1: Distance2.000Time16:11.20Pace8:05.60ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin, Jacob, Stephen, and Matthew.
Leg 2: Distance2.750Time19:58.70Pace7:15.89
Workout pacing Sarah on recoveries downhill, and then running hard uphill.
Split 1:Distance0.500Time3:54.40Pace7:48.80ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance0.500Time3:54.40Pace7:48.80
Split 2:Distance0.250Time1:57.70Pace7:50.80ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance0.750Time5:52.10Pace7:49.47
Split 3:Distance0.500Time3:06.40Pace6:12.80ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance1.250Time8:58.50Pace7:10.80
Split 4:Distance1.000Time7:57.70Pace7:57.70ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance2.250Time16:56.20Pace7:31.64
Split 5:Distance0.500Time3:02.50Pace6:05.00ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance2.750Time19:58.70Pace7:15.89

Leg 3: Distance1.250Time8:54.30Pace7:07.44
The rest of the workout after a bathroom stop.
Split 1:Distance0.500Time3:55.60Pace7:51.20ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance0.500Time3:55.60Pace7:51.20
Split 2:Distance0.250Time1:57.20Pace7:48.80ZoneEasy Miles Cumilative:Distance0.750Time5:52.80Pace7:50.40
Split 3:Distance0.500Time3:01.50Pace6:03.00ZoneVO2 Max Miles Cumilative:Distance1.250Time8:54.30Pace7:07.44

Leg 4: Distance8.000Time1:03:50.60Pace7:58.82ZoneEasy Miles
With Joseph, part with Jacob and Benjamin.
Leg 5: Distance2.000Time14:35.40Pace7:17.70ZoneEasy Miles
With Benjamin.

Amoji 3 Miles: 16.00

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
69.75	0.00	1.75	4.50	76.00

Amoji 3 Miles: 76.00

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

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