Breaking the Wall

March 29, 2024

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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:

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
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
16.500.003.000.0019.50

A.M. Did 12 with Chad, then 7 with Benjamin, total of 19. Chad and I did an interesting tempo run on my 3 mile Provo Canyon Course going down. He started 1:00 ahead of me, then I was trying to catch him, and he was trying to not let me catch him. I went through the first mile in 5:13, and thought I was feeling good. Then I started feeling a little weak, but I still did a 79 quarter, 6:32 at 1.25. Then I felt even weaker, and slowed down to around 81-82 seconds per quarter pace. My second mile was 5:24. My next three quarters were 81, 82, 82. 82 did not feel too miserable actually, but I just could not go any faster. Then I saw Chad in the last quarter and was able to shift gears some to run 77, but it was too late. He finished 7 seconds ahead of me in 16:51, which is a very good time for him, and suggests that with proper marathon endurance he should be running Ogden/DesNews/Utah Valley type of course around 2:42. I got 15:59, which is not too terrible, but the splits suggested there was a problem. Based on how I felt after 5:13, this should have been something like 5:20, 5:18 afterwards - not 5:24, 5:22.  Not sure what to make of it. This could be due to the fatigue from running 5 miles with dumbbells the day before, or could be some other form of fatigue.

Jenny, Julia, and Joseph ran 2, Jacob did 1.

P.M. 0.5 with William. 

 

Green Crocs 4 Miles: 19.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments
From steve ash on Wed, Aug 08, 2012 at 09:37:03 from 174.52.177.84

Don't underestimate outside influences, exercises etc, on fatigue and recovery rates. When I started to ride the bike and work a job that required regular lifting I noticed that 50-60 mpw seemed like a lot to me at first.

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