Breaking the Wall

April 19, 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, Apr 14, 2015
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.081.000.000.6211.70

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2015-04-14 08:16:04
Workout Totals: Distance11.702Time1:36:53.50Pace8:16.80
Today was the day of mile time trials. Jacob's was excellent - 5:57.3, new mile PR, first time under 6:00 becoming third child to break 6:00 and first while still 8 years old. Joseph had an OK one tying with Jacob in 5:57.3, also a new PR. Benjamin's was a bummer - he opened in 65.5 and then lost it mentally and just coasted at 5:00 pace finishing in 4:49.2. We will retry Thursday.

Joseph and Jacob opened in 86, Joseph was pushing me to go faster. In the second lap I sensed that Jacob was struggling and slowed it down to the slowest possible that would not make sub-6:00 out of reach - second lap was around 92.5. In the third lap both of them were struggling, but I moved forward to encourage a faster pace. The entire time Joseph was screaming No! I think he was worried about Jacob beating him. This got bad enough that I told him he needed to be quiet or he might ruin Jacob's chance for sub-6:00. Third lap was 91. In the last lap I told them to kick. Jacob needed sub-88 to break 6:00. Joseph did some screaming in the last lap, but not as much as in in the third. In spite of the screaming the last lap was superb - 85 seconds, I was not expecting that at all. Joseph was a couple of steps ahead with 100 to go, but Jacob closed all of it in the kick and they finished together with a new PR for both.

I asked Joseph later to explain the screaming. He said it just came out and he could not control it. I suppose those things happen at the age of 10 when you feel your younger brother is about to beat you.

Other kids ran their usual distances.
Leg 1:Distance1.100Time9:26.50Pace8:35.00
Warm-up with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time5:57.30Pace5:57.30
The epic time trial that resulted in Jacob breaking 6:00 for the first time and earning a guinea pig and Joseph tying with him and running a PR as well.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time9:00.00Pace9:00.00
Cool-down with Joseph and Jacob.
Leg 4:Distance1.606Time13:51.30Pace8:37.62
Warm-up with Benjamin + strides.
Split 1:Distance1.050Time8:51.00Pace8:25.71
Cumilative:Distance1.050Time8:51.00Pace8:25.71
Split 2:Distance0.062Time0:15.90Pace4:16.45
Cumilative:Distance1.112Time9:06.90Pace8:11.82
Stride
Split 3:Distance0.062Time0:48.80Pace13:07.10
Cumilative:Distance1.174Time9:55.70Pace8:27.41
Split 4:Distance0.062Time0:16.30Pace4:22.90
Cumilative:Distance1.236Time10:12.00Pace8:15.15
Stride.
Split 5:Distance0.370Time3:39.30Pace9:52.70
Cumilative:Distance1.606Time13:51.30Pace8:37.62
 
Leg 5:Distance0.496Time4:49.20Pace9:43.06
Benjamin's botched mile time trial. I ran the first and the third lap. Splits are at the 400 intervals except the last one which includes the 9.34 meter tax.
Split 1:Distance0.248Time1:05.50Pace4:24.11
Cumilative:Distance0.248Time1:05.50Pace4:24.11
Split 2:Distance0.000Time1:13.30Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance0.248Time2:18.80Pace9:19.68
Split 3:Distance0.248Time1:15.40Pace5:04.03
Cumilative:Distance0.496Time3:34.20Pace7:11.85
Split 4:Distance0.000Time1:15.00Pace0:00.00
Cumilative:Distance0.496Time4:49.20Pace9:43.06
 
Leg 6:Distance1.500Time13:02.80Pace8:41.87
Cool-down with Benjamin.
Leg 7:Distance5.000Time40:46.40Pace8:09.28
More distance with Benjamin.

White Crocs 1 Miles: 11.70
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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