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, Aug 05, 2014
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.100.000.001.0012.10

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-08-05 08:01:08
Workout Totals: Distance12.103Time1:30:43.80Pace7:29.79
The boys did a time trial today. Jacob got a PR of 6:24.1 in the track mile. William ran a PR in the 400 - 1:42.5. Stephen broke 30 in the 100 for the first time - 29.4. Joseph was not having a good day, and had a bit of an attitude, but after a 6:18 bummer in the mile he corrected it, and ran a decent follow-up 2000 in 8:06.
Leg 1:Distance0.400Time4:15.00Pace10:37.50
Warm-up with Benjamin, Joseph, Jacob, William, and Stephen.
Leg 2:Distance1.000Time6:18.30Pace6:18.30
Paced Joseph through a mile time trial. Benjamin paced Jacob. Jacob got his track PR - 6:24.2 - improvement by 5 seconds. Joseph was not having a good day, but was on pace to break 8:00 in 2 K, so I told him in the last lap to run one more, but he refused.
Leg 3:Distance0.200Time1:31.50Pace7:37.50
William's attempt at 800 time trial. About 0.2 into it he said he did not want to get the record, and he is stubborn, I would say the most stubborn of all of our kids. So it took some instruction and negotiation before try 2.
Leg 4:Distance0.248Time1:42.50Pace6:53.31
William's try 2. I knew from his splits in the failed 800 that he could get a PR for the quarter, so I told him to just run a quarter. He ran a PR with the splits 49,53.
Leg 5:Distance0.062Time0:29.30Pace7:52.58
Stephen's 100 meter time trial. All of the kids joined him and cheered him on. He did not hold a hand, and this was his first timed sub-30 100.
Leg 6:Distance1.243Time8:06.40Pace6:31.31
Joseph redemption 2000. I felt it was important to teach him a lesson on obedience and good attitude when things are hard. If he does not learn this in the family, life would have to teach him that, and such life lessons are much more painful.

So I told him he was not getting his RC boat unless he ran a 2000. Adjusting for the fatigue I gave him a time target of 8:10, and I actually was willing to still give him the boat if he was slower but it was truly from fatigue and not attitude. My estimate turned out to be reasonable - beat the target by 4 seconds. He ran the splits of 95,98,98,1:41, and 94. His last 200 was 45.
Leg 7:Distance0.400Time4:30.50Pace11:16.25
To the car with the gang of 5 boys ages varying from 3 to 15.
Leg 8:Distance5.500Time40:16.80Pace7:19.42
With Benjamin. We did a pickup that was supposed to be 5:20, but Benjamin had neighing horses in him.
Split 1:Distance4.300Time33:43.00Pace7:50.47
Cumilative:Distance4.300Time33:43.00Pace7:50.47
To the magic spot in the Provo Canyon.
Split 2:Distance1.000Time5:04.70Pace5:04.70
Cumilative:Distance5.300Time38:47.70Pace7:19.19
We opened with two quarters in 78, and then Benjamin opened the barn gate and ran a 71. Somehow I managed to hang on. He eased off in the last quarter but still dropped me finishing in 5:01 (74 last quarter), I got 77.
Split 3:Distance0.200Time1:29.10Pace7:25.50
Cumilative:Distance5.500Time40:16.80Pace7:19.42
Cool-down to the car.
Leg 9:Distance3.050Time23:33.50Pace7:43.44
First mile with Julia in 8:30, the rest alone.

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