Breaking the Wall

April 24, 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:	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

Tue, Dec 19, 2006

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
11.00	0.50	0.00	0.00	11.50

Ran with Steve Ashbaker and Ted this morning at 5:30 AM. The roads were good. Ran 10.04 in 1:15:19, mostly at a leisurely pace, but picked up on the last half mile. Very cold and slippery. Steve fell down, and then on top of that ran into a gate a few miles later. That reminded me of running into a chain-link fence at about 6:40 pace one foggy morning in Russia. I was lucky to end up only with a broken lip. Another time, again in Russia, I slipped while trying to take a turn on a wet snow-covered trail at 6:20 pace and rammed into a sled, the kind that has sharp metal rods sticking out. I was also wearing shorts. I ended up slicing my shin, but aside from the bloody visuals it did not hurt at all until I was done with the run and got into a shower. Another time, I fell down 4 times in one 12.5 mile run. Lots of things have happened in now over 22 years of continuous running.

Ran with the kids in the afternoon. Went Christmas shopping with Jenny later.

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

Comments

From Maria on Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 17:39:25

Wow, Sasha. You have quite a collection of memories about your falls running in Russia! Makes me feel a little better about being a whimp and running almost exclusively on the indoor track in the winter. Of course, I wasn't even running distance back then. Ironically, though, my worst fall happened on the indoor track during time trials. I was running 100m in about 13 sec. and some kid decided to cross my path right at the finish line. I slammed into him and came down hard and then dragged myself a bit until I stopped. It was very painful and slow healing "rubber burn" from the recortan surface. I also fell running 100m hurdles, slamming into the second hurdle, but it wasn't nearly as bad.

From Kory Wheatley on Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 18:16:01

Wow what a experience Sasha. In the last Marathon I ran (City of the Trees Marathon in Boise, Idaho Nov. 2006) it was raining heavily through the whole 26.2 miles and on the very last mile I slipped and fell flat on my back on the pavement. Luckly I wasn't hurt. I got up and finished the race in 8th place.

From Kory Wheatley on Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 18:16:52

From Clay Simmons on Wed, Dec 20, 2006 at 19:22:48

Sasha, I am just curious what do you wear when it gets cold like it has been the last few day's. I had a base layer on with a thermopolis half zip over that and then leg tights. My legs were fine but my upper core was the coldest I have ever been, what do you suggest?

From Kory Wheatley on Thu, Dec 21, 2006 at 15:51:02

From Sasha Pachev on Thu, Dec 21, 2006 at 16:42:56

Clay:

I wear a T-shirt with a track suite jacket or windbreaker coat over it, and tights. A special bank-robber style hat/hood to cover all of the head except the bare essentials - mouth, nose, eyes - I get funny looks sometimes when stopping at a gas station in it. And a pair of gloves. This works for me down to 10 F. When it gets colder, I start adding extra layers.

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