Breaking the Wall

Week starting Feb 15, 2009

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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: 133.01 Year: 776.88
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
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
35.306.550.000.0041.85
Saucony Type A Miles: 30.35
Night Sleep Time: 45.00Nap Time: 4.00Total Sleep Time: 49.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Our family has been hit with a cold. Stayed in bed most of the day. Made it to the sacrament meeting in another ward, so that I could stay home with the sick kids during our block while Sarah went to church. She felt good enough to go.

Started feeling better in the evening after some salt water gargling, garlic chewing, and horseradish sniffing and swallowing. Remembered a Russian saying that horseradish is no sweeter than radish. I'll tell you that for sure.

Benjamin is growing up to be my son. I convinced him to try my horseradish treatment before he went to bed. His immediate comment was that there would be no way in the world he would do it again, but then in the next instant he opened the fridge, pulled out a piece of garlic and started sucking on it. I suppose garlic tastes like candy after horseradish.

Night Sleep Time: 10.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 12.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.000.000.000.004.00

A.M. Felt better this morning, but still not 100%. Thought 4 miles would be a good idea. Ran with Jeff, Daniel, and Mary Ann. Felt better than I expected, but decided to err on the side of caution anyway. Total time was 34:33. 

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.000.003.50

In the morning the fever was still around 100, so I rested. It dropped to 98.9, and I felt like I wanted jog a little bit to breathe some fresh air. Ran 0.5 with Julia in 5:07, and then 3 alone in 21:29.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.000.000.000.0010.00

Felt solid in the morning even though an earache kept me up most of the night. Had the blood coming out of my nose, there was some kind of bleeding going on as well. Felt thirsty all night, had to get up to go to the bathroom, but then was so thirsty I had to drink, but then that would lead to another bathroom trip. Why can't the body just use the water I give it, or at least not dump it so fast?

Figured since there was some serious dehyrdation going on I'd better take a bottle with me on a run. Was not sure if I was going 2 miles or more. Surprisingly felt good the whole way. Used the bottle only once. Ran with Jeff, Daniel, Chauncy and Mary Ann.

Felt good after the run too, and got too excited. Did too many things, and the fever was back by the evening. So the kids had to run by themselves around the block. Benjamin and Julia ran 1.05 in 12:13.


Saucony Type A Miles: 10.00
Night Sleep Time: 2.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 2.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

The first part of the night was rough. Kept going to the bathroom, felt thirsty, drank, the cycle repeats. Fortunately the earache subsided and I was able to sleep in between bathroom trips. Decided to start the day easy, sleep in, and not run in the morning.

Felt better in the evening, not 100%, but good enough to run the kid's pace for a little bit. And I had been inside for long enough to want some fresh air. So I ran a mile with Julia in 10:07, another with Jenny in 10:29, and one more with Benjamin in 9:07.

Night Sleep Time: 10.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 12.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.800.300.000.0010.10

A.M. Ran with Jeff, Matt, and Mary Ann. The night before was the best I've had this week. I was able to sleep through the ear infection pain since it is reduced, and did not get up to go to the bathroom as much. Did not talk much during the run because talking made me cough. Ran with a bottle just in case but did not use. Noticed an increase in aerobic capacity compared to Wednesday. On Wednesday I was huffing and puffing at 6:20 pace during the post-VPB tempo. Today I averaged 5:52 pace for 600 meters, around 5:40 towards the end, and I did not feel as challenged in the way of breathing. Probably has something to do with all the bleeding on Wednesday that has mostly stopped by now.

10.1 miles total in 1:14:23.

Saucony Type A Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.006.250.000.0011.25

A.M. The ear infection has subsided some, but is still there. Decided to just go ahead and run through it. Ran with Jeff, Daniel, and Mary Ann. The plan was to pace Mary Ann through a long tempo at 6:20 pace until failure or until 20 miles was reached. This is a solid pace for a girl - 2:46:03 marathon, an OTQ. And we are also doing it at altitude on an out-and-back course.

To avoid overstressing the body I went only 6.25 with them. Daniel stopped at the same place as well. Our split was  39:13, which is 6:16 average. Then Daniel and I ran back to the house.

Mary Ann made it to 15 miles on pace with one stop at 10 to eat some snow. We will work on better hydration techiniques.

P.M. 1 mile with Benjamin, Jenny, and Julia in 9:58.

Saucony Type A Miles: 10.25
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
35.306.550.000.0041.85
Saucony Type A Miles: 30.35
Night Sleep Time: 45.00Nap Time: 4.00Total Sleep Time: 49.00
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