Breaking the Wall

April 18, 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:	870.94
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

Tue, Jun 21, 2011

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.75	0.00	0.00	0.75	12.50

A.M. Did a warm-up, 2x100 strides, then ran 1000 on the trail in 3:01.6. Was running steady to 600 (1:46), then a bear jumped on me. That is actually good. The idea was to fight the bear for a little bit so I would want to take a nap in the afternoon.

Ran with the kids. Benjamin did 4, Jenny, Julia, and Joseph 1.5. Joseph set a record for 1.5 with 12:06 and the last mile in 7:58.

P.M. Nap.

Some thoughts. I have been assuming for years that the biggest hangup that keeps me from running better is biomechanics. But perhaps I was wrong after all. I am starting to think that the hang up is the lack of muscle power relative to body weight. In other words, the problem is that the muscle needs to be this big to produce only so little power, and when it does get this big, then we are in a vicious cycle because now that it has more power it has to carry its increased weight. It manifests itself in bad biomechanics, and poor speed at the same time. The supporting evidence for this explanation is this - I have observed that the average 120 lb male that does not do weight training can lift more weight than me even if I do lift weights. My weight is 145 lb. Now, of course, this is just arm strength, so there are flaws in the argument. But this does point to a problem of some kind that could very well apply to the legs. Another argument to go with it is that my quads are quite large for a guy that struggles to run 100 in under 14.

Green Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50

Night Sleep Time: 7.50	Nap Time: 1.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.50

Comments

From Rob Murphy on Wed, Jun 22, 2011 at 19:01:02 from 75.100.43.173

I've been in the wilds of Northern Minnesota the past week and have run into two actual bears while on my runs.Fortunately they both went the other way.

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