Breaking the Wall

April 23, 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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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

Fri, Nov 11, 2011

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
14.00	1.50	0.00	0.00	15.50

A.M. Total of 15.5. Ran some with the kids. Benjamin did 3 including 0.5 in 2:51 to practice race pace. Jenny did 2. Julia 1. Joseph 1. Jacob 0.5. Then I ran 4 more including 1 mile in 5:39. Then we went to look at a house in Orem near Orem High. We have been thinking of either building a new house or buying one. The Lord has poured out so many blessings there is not enough room to receive them. So we are house shopping. The requirements, of course, are for it to be big enough (2600 sq feet), have at least two full bathrooms, be affordable, and be properly positioned for running. At first I was not considering Orem because the only places that appeared to have easy access to the Provo River trail were exceptionally expensive or just too far away. I needed something withing 0.5 mile I thought. But then I got an idea. If we lived close to Orem High, the little kids could run on the track, and then being a little further from the trail would be OK. So this location is about 0.45 from Orem High, and it is a very nice mostly car free 0.45, and about 0.62 of very nice running from Carterville road access at 400 S, which is just as good as the trail, perhaps even better as you can get to the Provo Canyon with less interactive from the cars on Carterville road than you would coming straight out of the crazy expensive River Bottoms area. I ran 5.5 miles around the area to evaluate it and gave it a go. Sarah looked at the house and gave it a go too. So we made an offer on it. $125 K for 2900 sq feet. The house needs work, but nothing crazy. Short sale, so there are multiple offers and it takes time to get approved. But we can wait.

P.M. 2 miles.

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 15.50

Night Sleep Time: 8.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 8.00

Comments

From Tom on Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 18:59:34 from 137.65.56.2

Congrats on the home purchase!

From jeffmc on Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 21:12:02 from 131.216.80.154

You may have trouble getting access to the orem high track during school hours as PE classes might be using it. I have been kicked off of tracks before (when they were not in use) simply because I was there during school hours.

From Kory on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 01:18:18 from 134.50.201.14

Our you still doing private Linux consulting?

From Holt on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 15:47:12 from 204.113.55.41

Good luck getting the house. Seems like it could be a good move for your fam.

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