Breaking the Wall

Provo Christmas Run

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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
82.000.000.003.1085.10
Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 69.60
Night Sleep Time: 58.00Nap Time: 0.50Total Sleep Time: 58.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. Went home teaching in the evening. It was cold. I missed Al Gore, thought he could warm up the air with his talks about global warming.

Night Sleep Time: 9.00Nap Time: 0.50Total Sleep Time: 9.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.000.0013.00

A.M. Ran with Daniel, Dustin, and Mary Ann. Daniel went 4, Dustin 8, Mary Ann 7. I did 10 in 1:14:51. Mary Ann was late, but then she drove around and found us. This was a great investigative feat. I think she could land a job with FBI.

With the temperatures of 21 F at the start I missed Al Gore and the global warming convention again. I think they should have had it in Utah instead of Poland. Or even better, somewhere in the US Northeast, maybe Maine.

Dustin looked at my hip imbalance and suggested some exercises. He thinks my right hip rotators are weak/deactivated. His suggestion was to work on the hip rotators on both sides with the 2:1 right/left repetition ratio. I am excited - something new to try.

During the run I presented an argument that Mary Ann could possibly have a 2:30 marathon in her. Both Dustin and Mary Ann herself were skeptical. I presented my reasoning: my PRs up to 800 meters are slightly slower than hers (59.5 vs 58.0 quarter, 2:12 vs 2:11 800),  when I ran 40 miles a week I ran 4:26 in the 1500 vs her 4:29, and 16:38 5 K vs her 17:30. My mileage even then was more consistent than hers ever.  So who knows what might happen at 80 miles a week over 5 years. Here is the funny part. Dustin says - well, you are still 20 seconds faster than her in the 1500. I am puzzled. He says - your 4:26 is for the mile, right? No, Dustin, for 1500! If I could run 4:26 for the mile I would have had no worries about the new OTQ 2:19 standard!

P.M. 1 with Julia in 10:16, 2 with Benjamin in 16:58, Jenny ran the first 1.5 in 13:03.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.50
Comments(6)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.000.0013.00

A.M. Ran with Jeff, Daniel, and Mary Ann. Jeff and I went 10, Daniel 4, Mary Ann 7. Lots of snow on the road. Slow run. I fell twice. Total time was 1:24:46.

P.M. 1 with Julia in 10:46, 2 with Benjamin in 17:50, Jenny ran the first 1.5 in 13:31.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.50Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.50
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.000.0013.00

A.M. Started with 2 miles with Benjamin in 16:23. Continued with Chauncy and Mary Ann. Dropped Mary Ann off after 7 miles. Ran another 1.5 with Chauncy. Chauncy served a mission in Russia, so he got some practice in the language today. Total time for 10.5 was 1:20:36.

Roads are still slippery.

Mary Ann has finally been converted to the "true religion". She is now on the blog.

P.M. 1 with Julia in 10:25. 1.5 with Jenny in 13:22. Slippery roads.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 10.50
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.000.0013.00

A.M. Snowed in today. Tuesday was nothing compared to today. But I know it could be worse.

Ran 7 miles with Chauncy and Mary Ann, then added 3 alone. Total time for 10 was 1:26:35. Effort-wise I did about 7:30 per mile, but it produced 8:40. Saw Sarah Jarvis (a triathlete) pushing her two kids in the double stroller. Knew it was her from far away even though I could not recongize the face or the stride. Nobody else would run with a double stroller in this kind of weather.

When I got home Julia wanted to go for a run. I wondered if she'd able to break 12:00 on those roads. She did - 11:46 for the mile.

P.M. 2 with Benjamin in 19:44. Jenny ran 1.5 in 15:02. Not enough traction to go faster.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 11.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(1)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
15.000.000.000.0015.00

A.M. 7 with Daniel and Mary Ann. 3 more by myself. 1:24:38 for 10. Broke 8:00 average in the last 3 miles, but had to hit 5:30 pace when I had traction. There were not many of those parts.

Added another mile with Julia in 11:25.

Ran into Marion and her husband Dave at Costco.

P.M. 2 miles cross-country skiing at Jolley Ranch in the Hobble Creek Canyon with Benjamin. Everybody else was sledding.

2 miles with Benjamin in 18:59, Jenny ran 1.5 with us in 14:28.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 11.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(1)
Race: Provo Christmas Run (3.1 Miles) 00:17:01, Place overall: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
15.000.000.003.1018.10

A.M. 5 miles with Daniel and Mary Ann in 44:46. 3 more miles alone in 26:34. 2 miles with Benjamin in 18:19. 1 with Julia in 11:26. 1.5 with Jenny in 14:52. Total of 12.5 miles. Still slippery, 8:00 mile is a dream pace.

P.M. Ran Mary Ann's 5 K.  Won it in 17:01. We had a small group. Ted came to help with the race. The course had a net downhill of 57 feet, but the last mile was uphill and into a small headwind - started at the Rock Canyon Park and finished close to the north end of the Timpview drive. I have plotted a rough version - $Provo Christmas Run. After the crazy grade correction the Course Tool says the effort was worth about 5:24 flat pace, which I am willing to believe. It was cold, there were occasional patches of snow on the road, there was about a 5-10 mph headwind on Timpview, and I ran alone start to finish. Chauncy was second in 18:19. The warm up was very short, about 0.2 miles, the cool down was about 1.5 miles or so.

A plug for Mary Ann's races. This is exactly what I wanted for the Fast Running Blog racing circuit. Bare essentials for a low entry fee. No nonsense, let's have a race. The Fast Running Blog is seriously considering becoming a title sponsor for those races. But in any case, I would like to encourage everybody to support Mary Ann in her efforts. The next race is on December 31, 2008 at 2:00 pm in Provo. This time it will be on the Provo River Trail starting at the Geneva Road parking lot. The tentative plan for the course is out-and-back on the Provo River Trail following most of my standard 3 mile tempo.

P.M-2: 1 mile running errands.

Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 17.10
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(2)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
82.000.000.003.1085.10
Brooks T4 Racing Flat Miles: 69.60
Night Sleep Time: 58.00Nap Time: 0.50Total Sleep Time: 58.50
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