Breaking the Wall

Week starting May 11, 2014

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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
77.930.990.902.8782.69
Green Crocs 7 Miles: 82.19
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 church. While we were there Sarah's Mother's Day present cleaned the living room. I got her an iRobot Roomba 595 which we gave the nickname of Noo Noo. The kids sang in the Primary Mother's Day program, all that were Primary age that is, except William. He refused, saying: "I do not want people to tell me I am cute. I just want money!" Brief and up to the point. I wonder how in the world we manage to get him out on a run every day - he has never missed for reasons of attitude since he started - and in particular how we got him to run 8:00 mile. I suppose the price for getting a talented kid is that you need to figure out how to deal with his personality.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-05-12 07:30:13
Workout Totals
Distance Time Pace
12.000 1:30:14.50 7:31.21
Total of 12. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 4, Julia 3, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1. Benjamin volunteered a faster aerobic run pace, which I take as a sign of improved endurance along with his 5:24 tempo run pace over 6.25 miles on Saturday.
Leg 1
Distance Time Pace Comment
9 1:05:37.80. 7:17.53 With Benjamin.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 9.000 1:05:37.80 7:17.53  
Leg 2
Distance Time Pace Comment
3 24:36.70. 8:12.23 With Joseph and Jacob.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 3.000 24:36.70 8:12.23  

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.830.990.000.3713.19

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-05-13 08:34:17
Workout Totals
Distance Time Pace
13.190 1:42:28.10 7:46.12
Today was the day of time trials. Benjamin set a new family record in 1000 meters - 2:48.8, beating mine from the time I was 18 by 0.2. Joseph set an 800 record - 2:55.8, and Jacob repeated his 800 record of 3:03.0. Benjamin did 9, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1, Jenny 4, Julia 3.
Leg 1
Distance Time Pace Comment
1.436 12:40.50. 8:49.60 Warm-up with strides.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 8:33.00 8:33.00  
2 0.062 0:17.20 4:37.42  
3 0.062 0:47.00 12:38.06  
4 0.062 0:16.60 4:27.74  
5 0.250 2:46.70 11:06.80  
Leg 2
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.512 2:48.80. 5:29.69 Benjamin's 1000 time trial. I ran the last 600 with him but he dropped me in the kick and gapped me by about 2 seconds. My 600 was a little under 1:45. His splits are below.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.070 0:31.60 7:31.43  
2 0.070 0:34.40 8:11.43  
3 0.124 0:34.40 4:37.42  
4 0.124 0:35.30 4:44.68  
5 0.124 0:33.10 4:26.94  
Leg 3
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.25 2:34.00. 10:16.00 Recovery jog.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.250 2:34.00 10:16.00  
Leg 4
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.496 3:03.00. 6:08.95 Benjamin and I paced Jacob in the 800. He opened in 44, then 46, then the wind messed him up in the next 200 - 48, then he kicked in 45, but it was not enough to break the record, but good enough to repeat it.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.496 3:03.00 6:08.95  
Leg 5
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.496 2:55.80. 5:54.44 Benjamin and I paced Joseph in his time trial. He opened in 42, then 44, then the wind got to him and he ran 46, but then he recovered and kicked in 43 - new record by 2.3 seconds.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.496 2:55.80 5:54.44  
Leg 6
Distance Time Pace Comment
1.5 13:13.90. 8:49.27 Back to the house.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.500 13:13.90 8:49.27  
Leg 7
Distance Time Pace Comment
4.5 37:09.80. 8:15.51 More distance with Benjamin.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 4.500 37:09.80 8:15.51  
Leg 8
Distance Time Pace Comment
4 28:02.30. 7:00.57 More distance alone - went a little quicker.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 4.000 28:02.30 7:00.57  

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 13.19
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.500.000.000.0012.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-05-14 07:25:55
Workout Totals
Distance Time Pace
12.000 1:35:12.30 7:56.02
Total of 12.5. Benjamin did 9, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1, Julia 3, Jenny 4. Stephen asked to take me to the track today, so I did. We ran a 400 in 2:37 without him holding the hand. I suspected he could go faster on second attempt, and he agreed and ran 2:35. He is now excited to start training every day.
Leg 1
Distance Time Pace Comment
9 1:10:02.20. 7:46.91  
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 9.000 1:10:02.20 7:46.91  
Leg 2
Distance Time Pace Comment
3 25:10.10. 8:23.37  
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 3.000 25:10.10 8:23.37  

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.500.000.002.0012.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-05-15 07:48:55
Workout Totals
Distance Time Pace
12.500 1:39:28.40 7:57.47
12.5 total. Benjamin did 9, Jenny 4, Julia 3, Joseph 3, Jacob 2, William 2, Stephen 0.5. David joined us for the first 3 miles. Benjamin and I did a 2 mile tempo run. William set a new mile record of 7:52.4 going under 8:00 for the first time in his life. To put this in context, William will be 5 years and 7 months old on May 24th. Benjamin ran 7:58.8 on the track at 5 years 11 months. Jacob ran 8:00.4 at 5 years and almost 9 months, and then 7:27.8 the day before turning 6. Joseph did not break 8:00 until he was 6.5 but I attribute this more to his defiant personality than to the lack of athletic talent. So William so far is ahead of Jacob, which is quite remarkable because Jacob is very obedient and William has a defiant personality that is much worse that Joseph's. Details below.
Leg 1
Distance Time Pace Comment
4.7 40:18.10. 8:34.49 Warm-up.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 4.700 40:18.10 8:34.49  
Leg 2
Distance Time Pace Comment
2 10:27.60. 5:13.80 The tempo run. I set the pace in the first 0.7 or so, then Benjamin pulled alongside and eventually took the lead. Our first mile was 5:15. I was hanging on for dear life, but was able to maintain contact. We closed in 5:12 - Benjamin gapped me by about half a second in the last 100 meters. Overall I am very happy with the result - this is my fastest 2 mile time of the year. I was not sure I could even break 10:40, so being 12.4 seconds faster is very good.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 2.000 10:27.60 5:13.80  
Leg 3
Distance Time Pace Comment
2.3 19:15.40. 8:22.35 Back to the house.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 2.300 19:15.40 8:22.35  
Leg 4
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.5 5:41.90. 11:23.80 With Stephen.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.500 5:41.90 11:23.80  
Leg 5
Distance Time Pace Comment
1 8:26.20. 8:26.20 With William, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob. I asked William at the start if he wanted to get his record, but he declined. Nevertheless, as soon as we finished he said he was full of energy and wanted to try for his record even though this would mean running one more mile.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 8:26.20 8:26.20  
Leg 6
Distance Time Pace Comment
1 7:52.40. 7:52.40 William's record run on the little boy course (out and back), assisted by Jacob, Joseph, and Julia. He opened in 1:56, then lost concentration and ran 2:03, with 3:59 at half way. At that point all of us started cheering him with increased energy and he picked up the pace with 2:00 for the next quarter. In the last quarter he smelled the barn and kicked in 1:53.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 7:52.40 7:52.40  
Leg 7
Distance Time Pace Comment
1 7:26.80. 7:26.80 With Joseph and Julia. I told them they were not allowed to run this one slower than their little brother.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 1.000 7:26.80 7:26.80  

Green Crocs 7 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
12.500.000.000.0012.50

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2014-05-16 07:25:38
Workout Totals
Distance Time Pace
12.500 1:40:43.20 8:03.46
Total of 12.5. Benjamin did 9, Joseph and Jacob 3, William 1, Jenny 4, Julia 2.
Leg 1
Distance Time Pace Comment
9 1:09:41.30. 7:44.59 With Benjamin.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 9.000 1:09:41.30 7:44.59  
Leg 2
Distance Time Pace Comment
3 25:47.70. 8:35.90 With Joseph and Jacob.
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 3.000 25:47.70 8:35.90  
Leg 3
Distance Time Pace Comment
0.5 5:14.20. 10:28.40 With Stephen
Split# Distance Time Pace Comment
1 0.500 5:14.20 10:28.40  

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
18.600.000.900.5020.00

20 miles total. Benjamin did 11.5, Jenny 4, Julia and Joseph 3, Jacob 2, William 1, Stephen 0.75. Benjamin and I started the 8 mile tempo, but he felt he just did not have it in him today, so we stopped it around 0.9 into it. Instead I had him run an all quarter on the trail to measure his speed. He did better than I expected - 55.9 - I was expecting something like 58.0 even accounting for the 1% downhill grade. I was fun to watch him disappear as I ran a 67 quarter myself. I was originally planning on running full speed, but I pressed the wrong button, then got flustered by it, and could not find the motivation to sprint, so I just coasted as I watch him in awe.  55.9 even on a aided quarter at the age of early 15 is a very promising result. Barring a health disaster Benjamin will have at least 53.0 on the track as an adult, which with his fiber type - if you see him sprint you will know he does not have a whole lot of fast twitch fibers - is very very promising for longer distances.

Later today we had a medical emergency. Sarah went with the younger kids (all expect Benjamin and Jenny) to the Thanksgiving Point. Apparently William throughout the day did not drink enough water, and passed out or as the doctor described it entered the altered state of consciousness.  We are suspecting he might have a pre-disposition to seizures under some kind of distress - when he was three he had a febrile seizure. This time he was breathing but his face was pale and he was not responsive otherwise. They called the ambulance, and took him to Timpanogos Hospital. He began to come out of it on the way, and started talking once he got there. At the ER he drank some juice and was normal after that. He remembers everything and was able to describe the events. He said he saw some colors, his vision was blurry, his heart was beating very fast, and he felt too weak to talk. We are going to see a neurologist and possibly do an EEG to see if we can get to the root cause of this. What was special about the day is that it was the first time this year the temperatures were over 80F and it got there fast - the morning started at 55 F.

Green Crocs 7 Miles: 20.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
77.930.990.902.8782.69
Green Crocs 7 Miles: 82.19
Night Sleep Time: 46.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 46.00
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