Breaking the Wall

April 25, 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
Thu, May 29, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.883.050.000.0012.93

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-05-29 07:27:53
Workout Totals
Distance Time Pace
12.922 1:44:26.60 8:04.96
Time trial day. Successful 800 for Julia, unsuccessful mile for Joseph and Jacob. Benjamin did 9, Joseph and Jacob 3.5, William 1, Julia 3, Jenny 4, Stephen 0.5. Details below.
Leg 1
Distance Time Pace Comment
1.1 9:34.60. 8:42.36 Warm-up to the track with Joseph and Jacob.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.100 9:34.60 8:42.36  
Leg 2
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.45 2:59.70. 6:39.33 Jacob opened with the first lap in 96, but then started to panic. I stopped him at 750.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.450 2:59.70 6:39.33  
Leg 3
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.6 3:44.80. 6:14.67 Joseph opened with the first lap in 89, then ran 94, and then lost confidence in himself and started slowing down. I stopped him at around 950. I decided to nip the problem in the bud and do something to get the boys' attention emphasizing that you must not let the thought of how much longer you have left affect the pace. If it starts creeping in, we stop the time trial right then and try again. Once the same day, if it does not work, then wait a few days to recover and try again.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.600 3:44.80 6:14.67  
Leg 4
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.18 1:30.10. 8:20.56 Some jogging with Benjamin and David.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.180 1:30.10 8:20.56  
Leg 5
Distance Time Pace Comment
1 6:36.70. 6:36.70 Jacob try 2. I told him his job was to keep contact, if he lost it we would stop. He opened with 1:31, then did 1:40, but then was able to speed up in the third lap to 1:39. He panicked at the start of the fourth lap, but I did not stop him since he only needed to run 1:37 to get his record, but all he had was 1:43. The positive, though, was that he was able to get through the first three laps at record pace on second try, and had he been fresh he would have stayed calm and got it. We will try again next week.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 6:36.70 6:36.70  
Leg 6
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.496 3:09.90. 6:22.86 Joseph's try 2. Since he had gone longer that Jacob in try 1 before I stopped him, try 2 was more difficult to succeed in. Plus, this is Joseph. He is stubborn. If he begins to believe he does not have it, he is much harder to convince that he does than Jacob. So he went through the first lap in 91, but then started slowing down a lot, so I stopped him at 800.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.496 3:09.90 6:22.86  
Leg 7
Distance Time Pace Comment
1 8:41.40. 8:41.40 Back to the house.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 8:41.40 8:41.40  
Leg 8
Distance Time Pace Comment
5 40:23.20. 8:04.64 With Benjamin.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 5.000 40:23.20 8:04.64  
Leg 9
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.5 5:17.80. 10:35.60 With Stephen.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.500 5:17.80 10:35.60  
Leg 10
Distance Time Pace Comment
1.1 9:27.60. 8:36.00 To the track with Julia.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.100 9:27.60 8:36.00  
Leg 11
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.496 3:00.50. 6:03.91 Julia's 800. I told her to keep contact, and if she lost it I would stop her. If she lost the contact before the first 400 she would get no reward, but if she made it past it she would still get a small reward even if I had to stop her. This approach worked. I pulled her through the first 200 in 42, which was too fast, but I wanted a reserve against a mental blow-up. Then we slowed down to 46 with 88 at the quarter. She started to slow down, but I told her she would miss her record by a second if she gave in, and that got her going. She ran 48 for the next 200, but then kicked in 45 and got the record by 1 second.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.496 3:00.50 6:03.91  
Leg 12
Distance Time Pace Comment
1 10:00.30. 10:00.30  
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 10:00.30 10:00.30 Back to the house with Julia.

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 12.92
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments
From ACorn on Tue, Jun 03, 2014 at 07:58:20 from 71.213.41.74

Your Fast Running Friend Workout is a very neat tool. I'm sure your kids will enjoy looking at your entries when they're a bit older.

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