Breaking the Wall

Week starting Dec 13, 2009

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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
69.603.500.003.7576.85
Airwalk Clogs Miles: 70.10Water Clogs Miles: 6.75
Night Sleep Time: 55.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 55.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. It was my turn to teach in the Elder's Quorum. The lesson was on the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. A few thoughts came to me as I was preparing to teach.

I heard about Joseph Smith for the first time in the fall of 1991 from an exchange student from Idaho named Eric Anderson. We had a trade - he helped me with English in exchange for me helping him with Russian. One day I asked him to tell me about the Mormons, and he explained that the religion originated from Joseph Smith. From his account I knew that in 1820 at the age of 14 Joseph Smith saw God The Father and Jesus Christ in answer to his prayer to know which church he should join, that he was told not to join any because the true one was not on the earth, and that he was killed by a mob in 1844. At that point, I did not know much else about his life, but what I had heard was enough. 

Even though I was raised to be very skeptical of any religious claim of that nature, somehow this one was different. I had a special feeling that dispelled the natural doubts I normally experienced when I heard of such claims. Somehow those two facts, the vision and the death, were sufficient for me.

Now 18 years later I know a lot more facts. I also have a lot more life experience that helps put those facts into perspective. And I can say with that perspective that the extra facts I know are just the details. The account I had heard the first time had presented the essence. Those two events testify sufficiently of the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith when the light of truth is permitted to shine with a reasonable degree of brightness and the spiritual vision is not terribly impaired.

Night Sleep Time: 9.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 9.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.700.000.000.0012.70

A.M. 10.2 with Jeff in a glorious 1:25:51. The road was very slippery. Jenny ran 2 with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 17:41. Julia ran the last 1.5 with us in 14:12. Benjamin opened with the first 0.5 in 3:29. 0.5 with Joseph in 5:00. 0.25 with Jacob in 3:36.

Airwalk Clogs Miles: 12.70
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.902.000.001.5012.40

A.M. 10.4 alone in 1:18:40. Kimia was having heart-burn problems so Jeff did not get out in time for his morning run, and I ended up running alone. Did some short pickups on dry sections of the trail, some at 5:45-5:50 pace, and some at 5:20 pace. Jenny ran with Sarah.

P.M.  Ran with Benjamin. 2 miles in 15:47. He did 2x400 in the middle, 87 and 80. Julia was throwing up, so she did not run. We suspected that Joseph and Jacob might have a problem as well, so they did not run either.

Airwalk Clogs Miles: 12.40
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.300.000.001.2512.55

A.M. 10.3 in 1:18:41. Did 0.5 in 2:39, and 0.75 in 3:58. Felt better than I expected in the pickups, even considered going longer in the 0.75, but decided to hold back a bit to avoid the overload.

Today is Sarah's birthday. She turned an age that is older than she looks.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin and Jenny in 17:25. Julia felt a bit better and ran 0.5 with Joseph and Sarah. I ran 0.25 with Jacob in 2:52.

Water Clogs Miles: 0.25Airwalk Clogs Miles: 12.30
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.400.000.000.2512.65

A.M. 10.3 in 1:20:54. Met Jeff on the trail. He was tired, so we ran slow. Did a quarter in 80 to check for the changes in the form. Jeff noticed a slight improvement.

Jenny ran with Sarah.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin pushing William in  the stroller in 17:01. Joseph ran 0.5 with Sarah, Julia ran 1. I ran with Jacob - 0.25 in 2:57.

Water Clogs Miles: 0.25Airwalk Clogs Miles: 12.40
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.850.000.000.7513.60

A.M. Met Jeff on the trail. 10.1 in 1:18:23. Did a stride, about 200 meters long, to check the form. Jeff noticed fluctuations from better to worse, but he said the bad was better than it used to be. Then once Jeff headed home I ran a quarter in 81, and then 200 meters later 600 in 1:58. Felt good.

Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah.

Later in the AM ran 2 with Benjamin. It was not supposed to be a run, but we were helping somebody move, and we got lost trying to find his house. So by the time we got to the house we had run about 0.8 miles. So once we were done with the move we decided to just run another 1.2 and be done with the run. 

P.M. A trip to the trail for the kids to see the construction crane. Did a run there as well. 1.5 with Julia in 13:51. Joseph ran the last 0.5 in 4:52. Sarah ran 0.25 with Jacob.

Water Clogs Miles: 3.50Airwalk Clogs Miles: 10.10
Night Sleep Time: 7.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 7.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.451.500.000.0012.95

A.M. 10.2 on the trail in 1:08:55. Did a pickup for 1.5 in the middle in 8:42. Originally wanted to go a mile, but at 0.75 felt relaxed and decided to do 1.5. However, around 1 mile the quads started feeling more tense. But I still could keep the pace with just a little bit more effort. Considered going 2.5, but decided against it to avoid aggravating the foot.

Some interesting observations. When Jeff speeds up from 5:20 to 5:00, or even 4:50, he still looks the same to me. I cannot tell he is going faster unless I am either running with him or timing him. However, when I speed up from 5:40 to 5:20, I do not look the same to him. He sees a whole lot more tension.

Another observation. At 6:40 I feel like I am barely breathing. At 5:50 I still feel like I am barely breathing. However, 5:50 feels a whole lot harder - I have to concentrate a whole lot more.

I wonder if my problem is similar to that of an inexperienced piano player that is trying to play a piece too fast for his level of ability. At a certain critical point he begins losing control of the instrument.

P.M. 0.25 with Jacob in 2:54. 0.5 with Joseph in 4:51. 2 with Benjamin in 17:41. Julia ran 1.5 with us in 13:58. Jenny ran 2.5 with Sarah in the morning.

Water Clogs Miles: 2.75Airwalk Clogs Miles: 10.20
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
69.603.500.003.7576.85
Airwalk Clogs Miles: 70.10Water Clogs Miles: 6.75
Night Sleep Time: 55.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 55.00
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