Breaking the Wall

April 19, 2024

15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

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:	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

Sat, Jul 08, 2017

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
16.41	0.00	4.00	0.00	20.41

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2017-07-08 07:41:58
Workout Totals: Distance20.410Time2:41:35.10Pace7:55.02
Did a long run today with a 3 mile tempo in the canyon on the Draper Days preparation course (0.75 up, 1.5 down, 0.75 up). James Leblow joined me for part of the run, and did Joseph, and Jacob. I also did the follow-up evening run with William and Stephen (Jenny and Julia joined for part) because there was nobody to run with them earlier. I felt tired today. Probably the combination of the race on Tuesday, hard tempo run on Wednesday, and then sprints on Thursday. At the age of 44 I do not recover as fast from the sprints as I did 10 years ago, but I am thankful that sprinting still does not completely incapacitate me. Splits in the tempo run: 4:27, 8:32, 4:35. James pulled me for most of the last 0.75, but even with that help I did not have enough juice to average sub-6:00 pace on that stretch. Joseph and Jacob ran 6.69 miles with a tempo down the canyon - 5:50 for Joseph, 5:53 for Jacob. I stayed with Jacob. It was hot by the time we got out, around 85 F, so they both struggled. Jenny and Julia came back from the girl's camp. Julia ran 3.7, Jenny 4, in the evening.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time8:40.60Pace8:40.60
With Thomas, James, William and Stephen.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time8:31.20Pace8:31.20
With James and Sarah.
Leg 3:Distance2.000Time15:06.90Pace7:33.45
Paced Sarah through her tempo run along with James.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time9:12.30Pace9:12.30
A jog with James up the canyon.
Leg 5:Distance3.000Time17:34.40Pace5:51.47
0.75 up, 1.5 down, 0.75 tempo. James helped me in the last 0.75.
Leg 6:Distance3.020Time26:35.00Pace8:48.15
Back to the house with James.
Leg 7:Distance4.620Time38:46.00Pace8:23.46
With Joseph and Jacob to get the car up the canyon.
Leg 8:Distance1.000Time5:53.70Pace5:53.70
With Jacob down the canyon - Joseph got 5:50.
Leg 9:Distance1.070Time9:35.00Pace8:57.38
Up the canyon with Joseph and Jacob to the car.
Leg 10:Distance2.700Time21:40.00Pace8:01.48
With William and Stephen later in the evening to the bank and back. Part with Jenny and Julia.

Camouflage Crocs 2 Miles: 20.41

Night Sleep Time: 0.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 0.00

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