Breaking the Wall

Week starting May 02, 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: 0.00 Year: 870.94
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
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
74.1211.301.750.4087.57
Eva Clogs Black Miles: 87.29
Night Sleep Time: 46.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 46.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to Jeff's daughter's blessing for the sacrament meeting, then to our ward for the other two meetings. The lessons were on the organization of the Church in Sunday School, and on diligence in the Elder's Quorum.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.330.500.000.0012.83

A.M. 10.08 with Jeff in 1:17:28. Started very slow, were trailing the 8:00 guy more than half way, then sped up some. Jeff's calves were sore from the half on Saturday. Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:48. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:51. 2 with Benjamin in 15:49. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 12:49. Benjamin made me run the last 0.5 in 3:00.

Tried rollerblading for the second time in my life. First time was 13 years ago and I went only maybe 50 meters. So this was the first time that I rollerbladed for more than that. It was an interesting experience. I did better than I expected. I thought it would take me a while just to learn to stand, but I was able to do that right a way. And I was able to move right away as well. Then I decided to time myself. My first 100 meters was in 52 seconds, a glorious 14:00 mile pace! Then with some practice I learned to go sub-12:00.  After about 1.5 I was able to speed up to 9:30.

Of course, there was a reason to the madness. I was not going to become a roller-blading bum at the age of 37 all of a sudden just because. I have noticed a pattern that I have run well in the past when I cross-country skied with skating style. So I wondered if perhaps the skating motion helps balance out my hips. I did notice two things when rollerblading. First, the imbalance is more pronounced - my right hip feels a whole lot more out of whack when rollerblading than when running. Second, riding on rough asphalt make the leg vibrate, and it feels like standing on a vibration plate. This could help loosen up deep tight muscles and stretch out the ligaments and tendons.

 

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.83
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.500.000.250.0012.75

A.M. Met Jeff on the trail. We caught up to a runner whose name was Chris and ran with him some. After dropping Jeff off I ran an 84 quarter at the end to finish the run before it started hailing. Total time for 10 was 1:18:55.

P.M. 2.75 with the running group. Benjamin and Jenny did 2.5 including 2 in 16:15. Julia ran 1.5. Joseph did 0.5 in 4:40. Jacob ran 0.25 in 2:40.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.75
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.230.620.000.0012.85

A.M. 10.1 in 1:11:45. Last 1 K in 3:45. Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 1 mile on rollerblades in 9:46. It was not easy, probably around 7:00 running effort in cardio, but I could not go any faster. Odd feeling.  2 with Benjamin in 17:01. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 13:04. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:37. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:35.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.85
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.350.000.000.4012.75

A.M. Met Jeff on the trail. 10 in 1:15:28. Caught up to Sarah and Jenny at the end, and Jenny ran about 0.4 with me. Timed the last quarter, it was 1:39.

P.M. 2.5 miles with the kids running group, including 2x300 with Benjamin in 59.0 and 56.5 - Benjamin ran 2 in 16:15 total time, and a total of 2.5. Julia ran 1.5, including a mile in 8:39. Joseph ran 0.5 in 4:24. Jacob ran 0.25 with Sarah. 

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.75
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.530.001.500.0013.03

A.M. 10.28 in 1:08:28. Did a 1.5 pickup in 8:18. Felt good. Jeff had a calf strain, took a day off.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin and Jenny in 16:19. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 12:37. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:28. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:41.

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 12.75
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.1810.180.000.0023.36

A.M, Ran with Jeff. Because of his calf strain we had a change of plans. We went out 3 miles so we would not be too far away from the house, then turned around, and on the way back kept going and went the other way on the trail to avoid a 180. We also kept the pace slow to avoid stirring the pot - a bit sub-8:00. We went a bit too far, and ended up with 10.43 in 1:20:39. Then Jeff stopped, and I ran the standard 10.18 course in 58:39 with a slight negative split (29:22, 29:17). So that gave me 2:19:18 for 20.63. The average pace for the last 10.18 was 5:46.

I was happy that I was able to sustain the pace.  It felt not so sustainable early on, and I thought I would be slowing down in the second half, especially given that it has some uphill. Turns slow you down more when fatigued as well. But I was able to stay relaxed which allowed me to maintain power in the second half and run a negative split. I found that offering a prayer to clear your mind, and thinking about a peaceful church hymn helps a lot. I like this one:

Lord, accept our true devotion.
Let thy Spirit whisper peace.
Swell our hearts with fond emotion,
And our joy in thee increase.
Never leave us, never leave us.
Help us, Lord, to win the race.

because of "whisper peace" and "win the race".  Idle thoughts fatigue the nervous system. When peace is whispered, and the idle thoughts are gone, the neural output to the legs in the critical phase of the running stride increases and helps in the cause of winning the race.

I also noticed that I was not breathing very hard. My lungs definitely felt underworked. The limit was neuromuscular.

Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 16:13. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 12:45. 0.5 with Joseph. 0.25 with Jacob.

 

Eva Clogs Black Miles: 23.36
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
74.1211.301.750.4087.57
Eva Clogs Black Miles: 87.29
Night Sleep Time: 46.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 46.00
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