Breaking the Wall

Week starting Mar 01, 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: 25.00 Year: 668.87
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
80.992.000.001.9584.94
Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 40.40Vibram Five Fingers Miles: 20.20
Night Sleep Time: 53.75Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 53.75
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.600.000.000.5014.10

A.M. 10.1 in 1:14:00. Ran with Jeff, Mary Ann, Daniel, and Matt. Did explosions. Also ran 200 in 39 and a quarter in 79 catching up.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 16:16, 2 with Jenny in 18:33. Julia ran the first mile with Jenny in 8:56.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.350.000.000.7514.10

A.M. Warm day. Ran in shorts and Five Fingers. Usual company - Jeff, Daniel, and Mary Ann. In light of Jeff's difficulty in going under 5:10 we introduced a mild injection of speed. We do have to be careful - Jeff gets injured very easily. However, on the positive side of things, since he's done very little speed work lately, even a very mild injection of speed would serve as a stimulus. 

So he did 5x400 with full rest in 70. I was not sure if I was healthy enough for that (yes, that's pretty bad, but you have to live with the reality), so I decided to do 200s with him. Mary Ann and Daniel skipped the speed due to the fear of being injured. My 200s were 34, 35, 35, 36. On the last one I felt good and decided to go the full 400 about 100 into the interval. I was happy that I was able to run 71 and it felt good. Total time for 10.1 was 1:19:51.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 16:23, 2 with Jenny in 17:58, Julia ran the first mile in 9:11.

Vibram Five Fingers Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.100.000.000.0014.10

A.M. Ran early with Jeff and Mary Ann. Instructed Jeff on PHP programming for most of the run. 1:22:44 for 10.1.

P.M. Pushed William in the single stroller. 2 with Benjamin in  16:52. 2 with Jenny in 17:22. Julia ran the first mile with us in 8:57.

Vibram Five Fingers Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.600.000.000.5014.10

A.M. Ran with the usual group. Continued the micro-injection of speed experiment. Jeff's assignment was 1 mile in 5:00. Due to poor health I ran only the first half (2:28). It felt hard, but I was thankful that I could run sub-5:00 pace for at least half a mile and live. So I must not be doing too bad. Jeff finished the mile in 4:58. Mary Ann skipped the speed due to a tender achilles. Total time for 10.1 was 1:18:15.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 15:53. 2 with Jenny in 19:00. Julia threw up last night and felt tired today so she ran only 0.5 with us (5:10).

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.340.000.000.1014.44

A.M. Ran with Jeff, Mary Ann, Daniel, and Matt. Usual sequence of events. Did explosions. The total time for 10.1 was 1:19:22. Ear still congested. I have considered using an antibiotic, but decided against it. Let the illness run its course, let the body learn how to fight it. I have read a number of posts on health forums of people having much worse symptoms for months in spite of using antibiotics and their doctor having no clue how to make it better. In my case I can run, I can work, and aside from feeling like my left ear is underwater all the time and running a bit slower, yes a bit slower, 15 K in 54:39 vs 50:43 is only a bit slower, it could have been 1:15 or worse, I can still average 5:51 for 15 K, aside from those two there are no other symptoms. So I'll keep on treating it with natural remedies, and just be patient.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 15:58, 2 with Jenny in 18:51. Julia ran the first mile with us in 9:02. 0.34 with Joseph in 3:45. Jacob also wanted to run today. I took him for 200 meters in 1:43.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.002.000.000.1014.10

A.M. Had to get my run done early because Sarah was going to Salt Lake for Benjamin's singing concert and for a home schooling conference. Ran alone at 5:00 AM. It was dark. I thought I'd be dragging. But my legs were actually quite energetic. I started at 8:00 pace, then sped up to 7:20, then 7:00, then I decided to go after the 7:00 guy and sped up to 6:40. Did explosions in the middle. Then decided to run the last 2 miles at 6:00 pace. Once I sped up the legs felt not too weak, but I had a hard time at faster speeds because the increased breathing was bothering my ear. I did manage to hit the last 2 miles in exactly 12:00, although I did have to run the last quarter in 85. On the positive side of things, I could run a quarter in 85 at the end once I focused in spite of the darkness. Last week my last quarter of the 15 K was 89 in broad daylight. Total time for 10.1 was 1:09:05.

Had some struggles with the new Fast Running Blog/St. George Running Center server. I am planning to host it at my house again to save money and to avoid being dependent on a data center in Michigan. Solved the problems and in the process discovered a New Definition of Happiness.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 16:40, 2 with Jenny in 18:05. Julia ran the first mile with us in 9:12. 200 with Jacob in 1:31. Almost fast enough to count towards mileage.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 6.75Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 6.75
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
80.992.000.001.9584.94
Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 40.40Vibram Five Fingers Miles: 20.20
Night Sleep Time: 53.75Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 53.75
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