Breaking the Wall

Week starting May 22, 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
71.5510.000.005.3586.90
Green Crocs 1 Miles: 86.40
Night Sleep Time: 31.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 32.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. Had a lesson on baptism in Sunday school. Then a lesson on Elder Cooks General Conference talk "Let There Be Light". We had an interesting discussion. The teacher asked about the objection that is often raised that the teachings of the Church need to be more "in line with the times". A thought came to me which I did share, and feel is worthwhile sharing again. As the time goes forwards, many things improve. But not everything. For example, while I would much rather have computers of the modern day, I would be much happier with the gas and food prices of 20 years ago. Somehow as the time progresses "the new morality" manages to earn the glory of being associated with improved technology, while avoiding the blemish of increased cost of living and increased waist line that have arrived with the modern times as well. Behaviors that are destructive to the family are by no means a step forward. Not any more than being 50% overweight.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.750.000.000.7512.50

A.M. Ran with the kids. 4 with Benjamin (1 with Joseph), and then 2 with Jenny and Julia. 6.5 more to finish 12.5. Did pickups, 0.75 worth of them.

 

Green Crocs 1 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
12.700.000.002.6015.30

A.M. Did a ladder workout on the trail, all flat. 1200 3:58.0 - 1000 3:16.3  - 800 2:37.7 - 400 71.7 - 200 33.6 with 200 recovery. Felt sluggish at first, but hit relatively decent splits. Was rather surprised by the improvement in the 400 and 200 compared to last week. Then ran with the kids - 4 with Benjamin (1 of it with Joseph), and 2 with Jenny and Julia. Total of 14.3 miles.

P.M. "Always on the run" mile.

 

Green Crocs 1 Miles: 15.30
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.000.5013.50

A.M. Total of 12.5. Ran with the kids - 4 with Benjamin (1 with Joseph), 2 with Jenny and Julia. Then Sarah went with me on a bike for 3 miles and I did 4x200 pickups. Was able to hit 32.3 chasing her, which gave me some encouragement as I struggled cracking 33 lately. Then 3.5 more.

P.M. "Always on the run"  mile.

Green Crocs 1 Miles: 13.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.600.000.001.5013.10

A.M. Total of 12.7. Ran 1.5 mile in 7:53 (78,78,78,81,81,77). This was encouraging, especially since I was able to do it alone. Then ran with Benjamin (4 miles, 1 with Joseph), and 2 with Jenny and Julia. Had an accident - tripped and fell down, scraped the hand and bruised a bone in the hand.

P.M. Went to the chess tournament with Benjamin. Jogged 0.4 with him in between the two games. Won one and lost one. Benjamin did the same. My rating now is 1439, his is 1402. He has finally crossed the 1400 barrier and is catching up to me. That makes both of us class C players. After that you have class B, class A, expert, national master, international master, and grandmaster.

Green Crocs 1 Miles: 13.10
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.500.000.000.0012.50

A.M. 0 sleep time is not a mistake. The hand bone bruise from yesterdays fall got worse at night and I could not sleep at all. I laid in bed and pondering the meaning and purpose of pain. At first I prayed for it to go away. Then I remembered that Christ had suffered more pain than all of us combined, and thus, if we are to know Him (John 17:3), then how can we without experiencing at least some pain?

Fortunately I was still able to run. I had to hold my hand in a vertical position, though. But if Murray Halberg could win the Olympic 5000 with his crippled arm hanging down, I figured I could run 12.5 miles with a less severe impairment. Part of it was with the kids - 4 with Benjamin (1 with Joseph), and 2 with Jenny and Julia.

P.M. Went to the doctor. The X-ray showed no broken bones, but he still wanted the hand immobilized, so he put it in a splint.

Green Crocs 1 Miles: 12.50
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 1.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.0010.000.000.0020.00

A.M. My first run ever wearing a splint. I woke up feeling that the hand was almost 100% better. So the pain finally went away. Sometimes prayers take at least 24 hours to get answered. Sometimes even longer, but in this particular case there was a quick resolution. Nevertheless I decided to wear the splint for a couple more days just to be sure. I ran full 20 miles, to Bridal Veil and back. First 10 in 1:09:36, then tempo on the way back. I was happy with how the tempo went. I hit the first 5 miles in 28:08, then it flattened out and got a bit warmer, and on top of that I got somewhat complacent seeing that I would "easily" reach my goal of running faster than last week. So I let the pace slip to 5:55-6:00 range, and the turns in the last 3 miles were not helping my motivation as they broke my rhythm. When you've run 17 miles already it is one thing to just keep going, but you are too tired to keep accelerating back to pace every time you get knocked down by a turn or a bridge. But then I was finally done with the bumpy nasty part, and got down to business in the last mile some running it in 5:48. Last 10 miles in 57:26 (5:44.6 average), and 2:07:03 (6:21 average) for the whole thing. 

I finally felt like I had some semblance of being in shape. This run gave me encouragement that I may perform decent in the Utah Valley marathon.

The children ran on their own. Benjamin - 4.2, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1.05.

Green Crocs 1 Miles: 20.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
71.5510.000.005.3586.90
Green Crocs 1 Miles: 86.40
Night Sleep Time: 31.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 32.00
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