Breaking the Wall

Week starting Mar 13, 2011

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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
75.752.703.253.7585.45
Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 85.20
Night Sleep Time: 51.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 53.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. The lesson in Sunday school was on the Atonement. The Sacrament meeting talks were on overcoming addiction. 

Night Sleep Time: 4.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 6.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.5012.50

A.M. Total of 12.5. Ran with the the kids - Benjamin 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5. Did 2x400 towards the end - 70.4 rolling, and 68.7 down.

Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
15.000.003.000.5018.50

A.M. Total of 13.5. Did the 3 mile tempo in 16:52 - splits: 5:32, 5:40, 5:40. Felt strong in the first 1.5, then lost the rhythm after 180 turn. I am wondering if I should do those tempos without a 180 for a while to better diagnose the loss of rhythm problem. Positives: 5:32 felt very easy in the first mile. Negatives: 5:40 felt very hard later on, I felt the form was a whole lot worse. Perhaps I can see the glass as half full. The form felt bad later because it was much better earlier. Did 2x400 while running with Benjamin (he did 3 miles), 70.4 rolling, and 69.1 down. Benjamin did the last one with me and I could not drop him - this is his new PR. Jenny and Julia did 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5.

P.M. Got my lazy bum out for an eventing run for the first time in a long time. Was motivated by the latest HRM observations - HR being 5 bpm too high for the pace in the 5:40 range. Ran 5 miles at about 7:20 pace.

Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 18.50
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.250.5012.75

A.M. Did 12.5 including the kids runs. Benjamin did 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5. Did 2x400 - 70.4 rolling and 69.5 down. Benjamin did a pickup at the end of his run and we ran the last 400 in 86.

Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.950.000.002.2512.20

A.M. Today I tested my Android project. I have been working on a running tool. The goal is to have a 100% replacement for Garmin + more. Android phones have a GPS, an accelerometer, a magnetic field sensor, and Bluetooth capability. So you can read HRM data from a Bluetooth-capable strap, and the with the combination of GPS and accelerometer get a better estimate of the distance than just the GPS. Additionally, accelerometer allows you to detect form abnormalities. 

I started with what was the easiest, but at the same time a stepping stone to more complex operations. Detect a simple form abnormality - excessive lateral swing. So you hold the phone in your hand and try to keep it in the plane that is perpendicular to the ground and parallel to the direction of running. If the angle of the phone's acceleration relative to that plane exceeds the chosen lateral swing tolerance level, the phone vibrates. The goal is to be able to run without making it vibrate.

So I learned my Android basics, and after some trial and a good amount of error came up with something that I could test on my run. I did 6x600 spread throughout 12.2 mile run. The times were 1:49.1 (rolling) - 1:48.7 (down) - 1:47.8 (rolling) - 1:48.1 (down) - 1:49.1 (rolling) - 1:49.8 (down). The "down" is really not that much down - only a second per quarter faster.

I was happy with the performance of my tool for the most part. The core part worked OK - it vibrated like it was supposed to. What I missed is being able to time the splits with the phone as well, which is the next feature. And I need to fix it so it will not let the phone power off half way through the run.

Benjamin ran 3 miles, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5.

Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 12.20
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.302.700.000.0015.00

A.M. Did a medium-long run today of sorts - 15 miles with a couple of pickups. First a mile in 5:51 then another in 5:45, which felt so good that I wanted to just keep going, so I kept going all the way to the house even though it was an odd distances, and ended up with 8;27 for 1.45 or so miles. Tested the phone some more. 

Benjamin  did 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5. Benjamin picked up for a quarter at the end in 87.

Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 15.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.500.000.000.0014.50

A.M. Ran in the Emigration Canyon today because Benjamin was playing in the Utah State Elementary Chess Championship. He played well, winning 5 games out of 6, while losing 1, and took second place in 6th grade. This is the highest he has ever placed. His work paid off. I ran 11 miles. The winds were fierce on the way back,

Jenny and Julia ran 2, Joseph 1, Jacob waited for me to get get back.

P.M. 0.5 with Jacob, and 3 with Benjamin.

Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 14.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
75.752.703.253.7585.45
Gold Crocs 2 Miles: 85.20
Night Sleep Time: 51.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 53.00
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