Breaking the Wall

Orem Thanksgiving 4 Miller - Earn Your Turkey

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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
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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
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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
69.450.250.255.7575.70
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 75.70
Night Sleep Time: 53.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 54.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. We had the Primary children do a presentation during the Sacrament meeting. The lesson in Sunday school was on the Second Coming. The lesson in the Elder's Quorum was on baptism. When I got home, I was tired and took a nap.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 9.00
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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.250.000.000.7512.00

A.M. Total of 12. Ran with Mike, we did 0.75 in 4:01. Then with the kids. Benjamin ran 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.250.000.000.7512.00

A.M. Total of 12. Ran with Mike. We did 0.75 in 3:57. Then with the kids. Benjamin ran 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.5.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.750.000.000.2512.00

A.M. Ran with Mike. We did a pickup for 0.25 in 78. Then with the kids. Benjamin did 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph 1, and Jacob 0.25.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
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Race: Orem Thanksgiving 4 Miller - Earn Your Turkey (4 Miles) 00:22:25, Place overall: 9
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.004.0012.00

A.M. Earn Your Turkey 4 miler - 22:25, 9th place.

It was around 10 F at thes start.  As far as I remmeber, last time I raced in temperatures that cold was cross-country 3 K 1986 in Moscow, and I am not even sure if it was that cold. I remember my time too - 11:08 for the 3 K.  I have trained enough in cold weather to know, however, that there is a world of difference between 25 F and 10 F for performance. Something happens in between. In 25 F you lose maybe 5 seconds a mile. In 10 F you lose a lot more. My original plan was to try to maintain 5:20s, but with the conditions it was out of the window. So I just ran.

The mile markers were placed by the GPS according to Hawk, and sure enough they were in the wrong spots. Back in the old days Hawk used the wheel, and he would get them right expect he would habitually confuse marker 1 and 3 as they were too close together, but far apart enough where you would definitely notice a dog-slow third mile and an impossibly fast last mile even if you adjust for the kick. Anyway, I still remember where the right markers are enough to know when they are not where they are supposed to be, and the GPS ones were not. But I did not know the right marker position well enough to be able to take my splits. So I'll post the "official" marker splits with an adjustment guess.

First mile officially 5:17, more likely 5:23. Second 5:29, probably about right. Third officially 5:56, more likely 5:50. Last mile 5:43, probably about right. I ran with Mike up to about 1.7, then the legs sarted to give out. However, I was able to make a last ditih effort to catch up to a high school runner whose name I have forgotten and latch on. He pulled me to a little bit after 3 miles, then I made a feeble effort to pass him, which he fought off, then with half a mile to go I put in all that I had into passing him and dropping him and was able to gap, but it was not enough to hold him off in the kick. Additionally Clark Nielsen outkciked me as well, but at least I did not get chicked like last year, and the time was 40 seconds faster in spite of much worse conditions. Of course, last year I was recovering from a cold and a foot injury as well so the comparison is not as good as it looks.

Mike had a great race fininshing in 21:56. Who knows what that is worth. Based on workouts I was expecting him to run 21:10 in ideal (for Novermber) conditions, but I could have been wrong one way or the other. Danny Moody won with 20:45. Last year he did 19:38. Amber Andrews won with 24:01 thie year vs last year's 23:02.  Both of them are reasonably consistent performers, but not clock-consistent. But at least we have some baseline.

Then it was time for kids races. They were full of adventure. First William ran 100 meters.  It was too late when we realized his shoes had been left in a bag too far away from the start. So we borrowed the shoes from Jacob which were too big. those fell off once, I put them back on. He made it to the finish in third place in 1:12. That was not as good as Jacob's win in 2008, or Joseph's 46 in 2007, but not as bad as some of Benjamin's DNS'  at that age. The challenge with William is that he does not talk much yet, so it is hard to explain to him what he is supposed to do, especially when it is 15 F temperature. He did quite well for the conditions.

Next it was Jacob's turn. He was in the lead. Half way through Hawk gave me a hard time about holding his hand even though in the past the practice was that parents could hold the kids' hand in the 3-4 age group, and they did not say anything about that at the start. I let go, but Jacob still ran strong and finished in first place in 1:57 for 400 meters.

Then Julia and Joseph ran in the 800 meter race. Julia chicked the field with 3:39, which pleasantly surprised me. She's been having a hard time holding pace in her training runs, so I was expecting her to blow up, but she did not. Joseph took 2nd in his age division with 4:17, which is about what I expected. He has the speed, but not the mental maturity, and if I could hold his hand to help him stay focused, it would have been around 3:45, but in the 5-6 age division you do not hold the hand. In any case, it was not bad given the cold temperature.

The real adventure came in the mile race. They started it without warning, so whoever was at the start at that time got to start on time, and others had to run from behind.  Benjamin got to start on time, while Jenny was about 2:30-3:00 late, which is an absulute disaster in the mile.  Benjamin took 3rd with 6:09 after a 12-year kid whose name I do not remember and Aiden Troutner. Jenny's last quarter was 1:46, and her official time was 9:47 which was good enough for 5th place, but of course does not reflect her true fitness.



Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Comments(4)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M. Ran with Mike, then with the kids, total of 12. Benjamin did 3, Jenny and Julia 2, Jacob 0.5, and Joseph 1 mile.

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
15.200.250.250.0015.70

A.M. Ran with Mike. Cut the long run short due to indigestion. All places from 8;00 to 5:30 felt the same - miserable. Most of the run was at 6:40 pace. So ended up with 15.7 including 3 with Benjamin at the end. Jenny did 2, Joseph 1, Jacob 0.5. Julia had the same problem as me with the stomach, did not run. 

Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 15.70
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
69.450.250.255.7575.70
Gold Crocs 1 Miles: 75.70
Night Sleep Time: 53.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 54.00
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