Breaking the Wall

April 23, 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:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 882.94
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
7.502.502.500.0012.50

A.M. Did a 5 mile tempo on the Fast Running Blog 5 miler course to access the damage from the lack of training and the foot-caused biomechanical problems. Set a modest goal of breaking 30:00, but still was not quite sure if it was going to happen. Wore an HRM to get a better picture of the problems.

Jeff and I warmed up 2 miles with Benjamin in 15:41, then ran another 1.37 to the start of the tempo. Noticed that HR was 125-127 at 7:30 pace - 5 beats too high.

The tempo went like this (quarter splits, off memory, my own not the watch's): 86 - 89 - 86 - 86 (5:48) - 85 - 87 - 87 - 87 (5:48, 11:36) - 86 - 89 (14:31 at the turnaround) - 84 - 82 (5:41, 17:17) - 88 - 89 - 83 - 83 (5:43, 23:00) - 87 - 85 - 84 - 80 (5:36, 28:36.0). 5:43.1 average, negative split by half - 14:31 - 14:05.

HR was 159 - 160 at 5:48 pace, again about 5 beats too high. I was not lucid enough to check it during pickups to 5:30, but I would guess 166-167, again 5 beats too high for the pace. Those were not intentional. Jeff was having trouble with his sense of pace due to the lack of anything fast in the last 3 weeks, and also due to the fact that the pace was dog slow for him. Nevertheless I was able to check the max HR after the fact and it was 173 probably reached in the last quarter. Not surprising. I nearly threw up when I finished from the effort in the last 200, which was done in 38

Jeff kicked in the last 100 on top of the already fast (for me) pace and managed to gap me by 4 seconds.

Afterwards we cooled down to make the total 10. Jeff then ran 2 more miles.

The foot did OK. I felt it, but it was at about the start of St. George level at the start of the tempo, which was OK but not that great, but what was encouraging is that when I was done it was not any worse!

Overall I was pleased with the results. I finished in the top range of my optimistic exceptations, and was able to do it with a negative split in a fartlek-style run with the pace varying from 5:56 to 5:28 excluding the last quarter. Some cardio power was lost during the layoff. Although most people would not call a training period of 8 weeks that involved 2 marathons quite exactly a layoff. What this tells me is that daily mileage is more important for aerobic power than a long run, even if that long run is long and hard. I did my long runs (TOU and St. George) , both done at almost race pace with at least 2:35 on my feet but my daily mileage was lacking. Thus some aerobic power was lost.

P.M. 2 with Jenny in 18:31. Julia ran the first 1.5 with us in 13:53. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:53.

Saucony Type A Miles: 10.00Airwalk Clogs Miles: 2.50
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
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