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
10.170.000.001.3311.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2016-10-04 07:55:29
Workout Totals: Distance11.499Time1:31:56.60Pace7:59.75
A short run for the kids (8 for me, 8 for Benjamin) in the morning, and then the cross-country race at night. The distance was 3 K. Times:

Benjamin 10:01
myself 10:37
Joseph 11:37 (new course PR of sorts)
Jacob 11:56 (also course PR)
Jenny 12:38 (course PR, breakthrough race)
Julia 13:43
William 14:06
Stephen 16:50

Benjamin felt stronger, but still not 100% - so he took it easy in the middle. Julia also felt better, but still not 100%, so she ran about what I expected her to. Jenny exceeded my expectations - the driver's license (20:00 5 K) has gotten closer. Joseph ran about was I was expecting, and we now have a benchmark comparison of sorts - Benjamin ran 11:32 on a similar course (although we will never know if it was exactly the same length) at the age of 12. Jacob ran a little bit slower, but this can be accounted for by his adding extra distance when dealing with the oncoming traffic of slower runners - at one point the course looped and reversed the direction with faster runners running into the slower ones that were about half a mile behind.

William for some reason just could not find the motivation to push. Stephen never cried or had a big mental flop, which resulted in a respectable time.
Leg 1:Distance2.040Time16:19.80Pace8:00.29
With Benjamin and Grant.
Leg 2:Distance6.000Time45:44.70Pace7:37.45
With Benjamin.
Leg 3:Distance0.500Time4:16.80Pace8:33.60
With Matthew.
Leg 4:Distance0.850Time6:51.50Pace8:04.12
At the cross-country race - warmup.
Leg 5:Distance1.889Time16:50.30Pace8:54.83
The race.
Split 1:Distance1.329Time10:37.80Pace7:59.91
Cumilative:Distance1.329Time10:37.80Pace7:59.91
My time.
Split 2:Distance0.000Time0:59.90Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance1.329Time11:37.70Pace8:44.98
Joseph
Split 3:Distance0.000Time0:18.40Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance1.329Time11:56.10Pace8:58.83
Jacob
Split 4:Distance0.070Time0:41.90Pace9:58.57
Cumilative:Distance1.399Time12:38.00Pace9:01.82
Jenny
Split 5:Distance0.120Time1:05.30Pace9:04.17
Cumilative:Distance1.519Time13:43.30Pace9:02.00
Julia
Split 6:Distance0.050Time0:23.00Pace7:40.00
Cumilative:Distance1.569Time14:06.30Pace8:59.39
William
Split 7:Distance0.320Time2:44.00Pace8:32.50
Cumilative:Distance1.889Time16:50.30Pace8:54.83
Stephen
 
Leg 6:Distance0.220Time1:53.50Pace8:35.91
Cool-down

Saucony Type A Miles: 2.95Khaki Crocs 1 Miles: 8.54
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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