Breaking the Wall

Week starting Jul 07, 2019

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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
63.766.254.644.7579.40
Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 79.39
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.200.000.000.0012.20

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2019-07-08 08:33:05
Workout Totals: Distance12.200Time1:37:36.50Pace8:00.04
Easy 12(9+3), usual distances for the kids, Jenny tried 3+3 today, Benjamin moved up to doing all of the miles with me - 12 a day.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time8:00.00Pace8:00.00
With Matthew.
Leg 2:Distance4.000Time31:54.00Pace7:58.50
With Benjamin and Jacob.
Leg 3:Distance4.000Time32:00.90Pace8:00.23
With Benjamin, William, Stephen, and Joseph.
Leg 4:Distance3.200Time25:41.60Pace8:01.75
With Benjamin and Jenny - part with Joseph and Jacob.

Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 12.20
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.350.000.003.7512.10

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2019-07-09 08:25:59
Workout Totals: Distance12.100Time1:32:13.20Pace7:37.29
Did 3x1.25 in the AM in the canyon - down 6:50, up 7:37, down 6:47. 0.25 recovery after the first, 0.5 recovery after the second. Benjamin paced me through the first, then ran the second uphill hard in 6:36, then paced me through the third. Jacob ran the second one with me. Joseph scored another DNF - made it only to about half way. He complained that his stomach was hurting, but I still wanted him to end the workout on a good note, so he ran 0.5 down in 2:40 - a bit ahead of me in my third interval so he would at least get something for the day. William did 2x0.5 2:43, 2:41. Stephen did 2x0.25 both in 81.

Jacob and I had an odd experience in the uphill interval. We started with 87, then ran 92, then it got even worse and we averaged 94 for the next two quarters. Then in the last quarter we shifted gears and ran 90. Benjamin had similar issues as well. It did not feel like there was a huge headwind, but for some reason all of us struggled on the uphill today.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time7:57.50Pace7:57.50
With Matthew and Benjamin.
Leg 2:Distance1.350Time11:21.90Pace8:25.11
Leg 3:Distance4.500Time29:53.50Pace6:38.56
3x1.25 workout.
Split 1:Distance1.250Time6:50.60Pace5:28.48
Cumilative:Distance1.250Time6:50.60Pace5:28.48
Down.
Split 2:Distance0.250Time3:03.10Pace12:12.40
Cumilative:Distance1.500Time9:53.70Pace6:35.80
Split 3:Distance1.250Time7:37.30Pace6:05.84
Cumilative:Distance2.750Time17:31.00Pace6:22.18
Up.
Split 4:Distance0.500Time5:34.70Pace11:09.40
Cumilative:Distance3.250Time23:05.70Pace7:06.37
Split 5:Distance1.250Time6:47.80Pace5:26.24
Cumilative:Distance4.500Time29:53.50Pace6:38.56
Down.
 
Leg 4:Distance2.250Time19:10.70Pace8:31.42
Cool-down.
Leg 5:Distance3.000Time23:49.60Pace7:56.53
With Benjamin - part with Joseph and Jacob.

Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 12.10
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2019-07-10 07:10:03
Workout Totals: Distance12.000Time1:34:34.80Pace7:52.90
Easy 12, usual distances for the kids.
Leg 1:Distance4.000Time31:47.60Pace7:56.90
With Benjamin, Jacob, William, and Stephen.
Leg 2:Distance4.000Time30:59.60Pace7:44.90
With Benjamin and Joseph.
Leg 3:Distance1.000Time7:57.10Pace7:57.10
With Benjamin and Matthew.
Leg 4:Distance3.000Time23:50.50Pace7:56.83
With Benjamin - part with Joseph and Jacob.

Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.413.002.000.0012.41

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2019-07-11 08:22:22
Workout Totals: Distance12.405Time1:33:24.40Pace7:31.79
Adventurous day today. First we tried a race William against Stephen over 3 miles down the canyon with William starting 1 minute behind. It did not go very well for Stephen as he threw a fit and stopped shortly after the mile - his mile split was 6:33. Jacob and William passed us and I joined them. William - paced by Jacob - ended up with 18:22 (6:07, 6:12, 6:03).

Then it was Joseph's chance for redemption in the uphill 1.25, which he did not take. After the first 0.5 in 3:10 he slowed down to basically a jog, and then shortly after - not even reaching the mile - just quit - again. I told Benjamin to pull me to 2 miles so I could get some kind of a workout, and after the first mile in 6:25 we ran 5:51, which gave us 12:16. I was happy that I found 5:51 on the uphill in myself.

Benjamin earlier ran 3 miles down the canyon in 14:54 (4:56, 5:04, 4:54). I was happy to see that except for the 5:04 - his target was 5:00 pace.

Joseph punished himself for his DNF. First he went to the wrong park forgetting where we had parked. Benjamin and I ran back, did not see him, assumed he just ran home. Then came home, he was not there. We assumed he had come home and was hiding somewhere as he often does after a bad workout. After a couple of hours we still could not find him. So we drove back to the Canyon Glen Park, and found him there. He just sat there and waited - instead of running home. He learned that quitting during a workout and then not following Dad and his brothers results in natural consequences - no breakfast :-)

I recall my coach in Russia telling me about how Vladimir Kutz used to coach - drop the runners off 12.5 miles away from the base, and tell them lunch is in one hour. So today somewhat on accident Joseph got a bit of the Kutz method.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time7:41.40Pace7:41.40
With Matthew.
Leg 2:Distance0.110Time0:56.60Pace8:34.55
Warm-up with the boys.
Leg 3:Distance3.000Time18:53.00Pace6:17.67
Part with Stephen, part with William and Jacob - down the canyon.
Leg 4:Distance0.625Time6:07.70Pace9:48.32
Back to the start of Joseph's interval.
Leg 5:Distance2.000Time12:16.90Pace6:08.45
Up the canyon - with Benjamin, part with Joseph.
Leg 6:Distance2.670Time23:40.40Pace8:51.99
Cool-down with Benjamin.
Leg 7:Distance3.000Time23:48.40Pace7:56.13
With Benjamin.

Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 12.40
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.432.001.250.0012.68

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2019-07-12 08:32:00
Workout Totals: Distance12.680Time1:33:29.30Pace7:22.37
Today was the day of redemption for Stephen and Joseph. Which meant some extra fast running for me and Benjamin, and Jenny as well. Stephen's target was 6:40 pace down the canyon for 3 miles. He ran the first one in 6:37, then slowed down to 7:20, and then just threw a fit and stopped. In the evening he behaved better and was able to run 12:55 (6:24, 6:31) for 2 miles down the canyon in spite of the 85F temperature (though it was not as bad in the shade). This was also a good run for Jenny as she has struggled with shin splints and side pain and had not been doing very much fast running lately.

Joseph also redeemed himself by running 7:48 for 1.25 up the canyon.

Jacob and William ran easy. Julia has been trying something new. She runs at around 7:40 pace focusing on high leg turnover. Once she reaches the point where she feels she cannot maintain the turnover, instead of going into a plod, she takes a break for 30 seconds or so, and then continues.
Leg 1:Distance1.000Time7:46.30Pace7:46.30
With Benjamin and Matthew.
Leg 2:Distance0.110Time0:57.10Pace8:39.09
Warm-up with Stephen and other kids.
Leg 3:Distance2.375Time16:36.80Pace6:59.71
Stephen's failed 3 miles down the canyon. He opened with 6:37 as planned, but then ran 7:20, followed by a fit again.
Leg 4:Distance1.250Time7:48.80Pace6:15.04
Benjamin and I paced Joseph for 1.25 up the canyon.
Leg 5:Distance1.670Time13:51.50Pace8:17.90
Cool-down with Benjamin.
Leg 6:Distance2.000Time15:26.20Pace7:43.10
With Benjamin.
Leg 7:Distance0.230Time2:04.40Pace9:00.87
Evening: Warm-up with Stephen, Benjamin, and Jenny.
Leg 8:Distance2.000Time12:55.70Pace6:27.85
Stephen's redemption 2 miles down the canyon. Jenny and Benjamin helped me pace him.
Leg 9:Distance2.045Time16:02.50Pace7:50.66
With Jenny and Benjamin back to the car.

Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 12.68
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
14.371.251.391.0018.01

Fast Running Friend Workout - 2019-07-13 07:56:59
Workout Totals: Distance18.007Time2:20:02.10Pace7:46.60
Total of over 18. Eventful day. First we paced Julia down the canyon for 1.25 in 7:58. Looks like her training routine is working, she improved by 16 seconds from two weeks ago. Then Benjamin had the assignment to run 5:00 pace for 3 miles with the idea that Joseph, Jacob, and I would follow him until we could not or got to the mile. However, those plans did not quite materialize. Benjamin pulled us through the first quarter in 76, but then slowed down to 78. Something was wrong. Joseph and Jacob passed him, I hesitated for long enough for Jacob to open a gap, and then passed him also, but could never catch Jacob after that. Jacob ended up with 5:04 for the mile, I got 5:08. Joseph stopped at 0.75 (3:50). Benjamin just ran a bit faster than 5:12 pace for 3 miles and finished in 15:35. He explained later that he felt this was the right pace for his workout today and did not want to open in 5:00 and then either stop or deal with the fallout of having to run the rest of it after this kind of start.

Afterwards we did another 2 mile tempo down the canyon. I initially asked for 5:44 pace, but after the first 100 decided I wanted 5:36. Benjamin pulled me through the first mile in 5:38. I kept telling him to speed up until he finally sped up to 5:20 over the last 0.5 or so. We ended up with 5:27 for the second mile and 11:05 for 2 miles.

Then I ran with Matthew when we got home, and added a bit more than 4 with Jenny later in the evening.
Leg 1:Distance0.480Time4:10.00Pace8:40.83
Warm-up with Julia, Joseph, and Jacob.
Leg 2:Distance1.250Time7:58.80Pace6:23.04
Paced Julia down the canyon.
Leg 3:Distance1.750Time14:11.60Pace8:06.63
Back to the start of our interval.
Leg 4:Distance1.000Time5:08.90Pace5:08.90
Fast mile down the canyon. Part with Benjamin and Joseph.
Leg 5:Distance5.000Time40:24.30Pace8:04.86
Recovery jog/distance.
Leg 6:Distance1.387Time11:05.90Pace8:00.10
With Benjamin down the canyon.
Leg 7:Distance1.790Time15:06.50Pace8:26.42
Back to the car.
Leg 8:Distance1.000Time7:40.80Pace7:40.80
With Matthew.
Leg 9:Distance4.350Time34:15.30Pace7:52.48
With Jenny in the evening.

Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 18.01
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
63.766.254.644.7579.40
Neon Crocs 2 Miles: 79.39
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
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