Breaking the Wall

Week starting Apr 25, 2010

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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
79.195.801.504.5090.99
Eva Clogs Black Miles: 91.00
Night Sleep Time: 46.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 47.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. The sacrament talks were on following the prophet. The Sunday school lesson was on covenants. The lesson in the Elder's quorum was on service.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.440.001.250.2515.94

A.M. Uneventful half course (with the detour, so 13.19) with Jeff in 1:38:54. Did a 1.5 pickup in 8:16.3. First 1.25 in 7:02 at a fairly even pace, then the last quarter in 74. Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 17:27. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 13:19.  0.5 with Joseph in 4:28. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:46.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 15.94
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.350.000.002.5012.85

A.M. 10.1 in 1:14:39. Met Jeff on the trail. We did 10x400 with random rests varying from a 200 meter jog at 8:00 pace to as long as 0.75. The reason for the randomness was being in odd places on the trail, and we did not always have a nice quarter without bridges or sharp turns. The target was 75 seconds. The purpose of the workout was to learn to run 5:00 pace relaxed. We did err a couple of times, but otherwise stayed fairly close to target. The splits were: 77.3, 73.5, 74.0, 73.8, 72.3, 69.7, 75.8, 75.6, 73.3, 72.0. During the cool down after I had dropped Jeff off I met a guy named Jason and we ran together some. In line with the Provo young man running tradition he ended up being fluent in a foreign language, which was Spanish this time. He had served a mission in Buenos Aires in Argentina. 

P.M. 2.75 with the running group. Benjamin and Jenny did 2.5, including 2 in 16:36. Julia ran 1.5. Joseph ran 0.5 in 4:22. Jacob ran 0.25 in 2:41.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.85
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 8.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.030.000.000.0013.03

A.M. Jeff did not make it this morning, but Jason was there. Ran with Jason a bit. Did 10.28 in 1:16:41. Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 17:30. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 13:22.  0.5 with Joseph in 4:36. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:40.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 13.03
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.250.500.001.5013.25

A.M. Met Jeff on the trail. 10 in 1:13:44. Did 2x1200 in 3:59.3 and 3:58.7. The first one was a slight uphill (last 0.75 of the Fast Running Blog 5 miler course). The second was from Union Pacific bridge to 820 N, which is more uphill. This was Jeff's race pace practice for this Saturday.

P.M. Ran with the kids running group. Ended up with a total of 3.25. Benjamin ran 2 including a mile in 6:12. Jenny did a total of 4 including a mile in 7:10. Julia ran 2. Joseph ran 0.5 in 3:58.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 13.25
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.350.000.250.2512.85

A.M. Met Jeff on the trail. Ran 10.1 in 1:19:23. We did a quarter pickup in 78. The weather was bad enough for us to discuss global warming for a few miles. Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin and Jared. Benjamin ran 16:46 with the last quarter in 90. Jared started falling back in the last 0.5, so I waited at the 1.75 mark to make sure Jared would follow the course, then chased Benjamin down and ended up with an 83 quarter. I was also carrying Jared's jacket, but it surprisingly did not seem to make a whole lot of difference. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 13:09. 0.5 with Joseph and Jordan. Joseph ran 4:56, Jordan fell back a bit at the end and finished in 5:01. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:40.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.85
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
17.775.300.000.0023.07

A.M. Long run. 20.33 in 2:10:40. Ran the last 5.05 hard - 29:33, 5:51 avg. The run was full of adventures. First it rained. Then I saw the Provo City Half in progress. Then I met Steve Cuttitta and he ran with me for a couple of miles. We saw Jeff and I knew he was headed for something faster than 1:09:30 I was optimistically expecting in a solo run. He looked smooth at 11. He ended up with 1:08:56, new course record by almost 2 minutes, read his race report for details. The we saw the whole crowd.

On the way back I ran the tempo. The rain picked up. Now I was going in the same direction as the race. This was perhaps better than going the other way. Passed Marion with about 2 miles to go, recognized her by the jacket, she was moving OK, estimated she would finish around 2:15-2:20 (she ended up with 2:21)  but unfortunately did not have enough time to say hi. The tempo felt good, the form felt actually quite smooth, no fuel issues. I was seeing 86 quarters at times when I got a stretch with fewer people, and 88-89s when I had to weave through traffic. Slower on sections with turns and bridges. I tried to shift gears, though, but they were not shifting. Perhaps a combination of being alone and the rain.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 16:55. He made me run a quarter in 86. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 13:11. Jenny ran 2.5 in the morning with Sarah. 0.5 with Joseph. 0.25 with Jacob.


Eva Clogs Black Miles: 23.08
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
79.195.801.504.5090.99
Eva Clogs Black Miles: 91.00
Night Sleep Time: 46.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 47.00
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