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, Nov 21, 2020

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
8.30	0.00	8.00	0.00	16.30

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2020-11-21 08:58:23
Workout Totals: Distance16.300Time1:55:00.20Pace7:03.33
16+ total. Chad joined us today. We did 2x4 down the canyon again. It was cold, but the wind was friendly. On the first one, Benjamin ran 19:55 passing us shortly after the 3 mile mark. Joseph struggled again, but less than before, and was able to run 23:50 with the closing mile in 5:56. Chad and Jacob pulled ahead at the end by a couple of seconds, I stayed with Joseph. William joined us at the 1 mile mark. His target was 3 miles. He made it on pace to a bit after 1, then fell back, but did not completely give up, and finished 3 miles in 18:27. On the second one, I experienced what I believe to be the wonders of Testogen again. The first mile was 5:56, and did not feel super easy. Then the wonders began - 5:45, 5:46, 5:35 with the last quarter in 79 - that one I felt took me over the edge, I felt like was about to throw up, but I could do it. Last 5 K was around 17:44 - wearing winter clothes with 10 miles in my legs already, 5 of them at a tempo workout pace. The fastest 5 K I've run fresh this year in shorts on that same course is 17:28. We will see if any of those wonders will show in the Thanksgiving race. Chad finished maybe half a second ahead of me - I lost contact in the last 50 meters dodging bikers, and was not strong enough to shift gears and fully regain it in that short amount of space. Benjamin did very well also on the second interval - 19:39 with the last mile in 4:46. He passed us around the 3.5 mark. This is his 4 mile course PR, I believe.
Leg 1:Distance1.480Time12:03.20Pace8:08.65
Warm-up.
Leg 2:Distance4.000Time23:50.90Pace5:57.73
With Chad, Joseph, and Jacob, part with William.
Leg 3:Distance4.150Time33:55.00Pace8:10.36
With Chad and Benjamin.
Leg 4:Distance4.000Time23:02.10Pace5:45.52
With Chad.
Leg 5:Distance2.670Time22:09.00Pace8:17.75
With Chad and Benjamin.

Brown Crocs 3 Miles: 16.30

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

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