Breaking the Wall

March 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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to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 25.00 Year: 668.87
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
18.600.000.900.5020.00

20 miles total. Benjamin did 11.5, Jenny 4, Julia and Joseph 3, Jacob 2, William 1, Stephen 0.75. Benjamin and I started the 8 mile tempo, but he felt he just did not have it in him today, so we stopped it around 0.9 into it. Instead I had him run an all quarter on the trail to measure his speed. He did better than I expected - 55.9 - I was expecting something like 58.0 even accounting for the 1% downhill grade. I was fun to watch him disappear as I ran a 67 quarter myself. I was originally planning on running full speed, but I pressed the wrong button, then got flustered by it, and could not find the motivation to sprint, so I just coasted as I watch him in awe.  55.9 even on a aided quarter at the age of early 15 is a very promising result. Barring a health disaster Benjamin will have at least 53.0 on the track as an adult, which with his fiber type - if you see him sprint you will know he does not have a whole lot of fast twitch fibers - is very very promising for longer distances.

Later today we had a medical emergency. Sarah went with the younger kids (all expect Benjamin and Jenny) to the Thanksgiving Point. Apparently William throughout the day did not drink enough water, and passed out or as the doctor described it entered the altered state of consciousness.  We are suspecting he might have a pre-disposition to seizures under some kind of distress - when he was three he had a febrile seizure. This time he was breathing but his face was pale and he was not responsive otherwise. They called the ambulance, and took him to Timpanogos Hospital. He began to come out of it on the way, and started talking once he got there. At the ER he drank some juice and was normal after that. He remembers everything and was able to describe the events. He said he saw some colors, his vision was blurry, his heart was beating very fast, and he felt too weak to talk. We are going to see a neurologist and possibly do an EEG to see if we can get to the root cause of this. What was special about the day is that it was the first time this year the temperatures were over 80F and it got there fast - the morning started at 55 F.

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 20.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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