Breaking the Wall

Week starting Dec 25, 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
71.652.006.001.7581.40
Green Crocs 2 Miles: 69.40
Night Sleep Time: 39.00Nap Time: 3.00Total Sleep Time: 42.00
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Day of rest. Went to church. We had a nice Christmas program. Afterwards came home and took a long nap. My body needed it.

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 2.00Total Sleep Time: 10.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
11.750.000.000.2512.00

A.M. Started with the kids. Benjamin did 3, Jenny 2, Julia, Joseph, and Jacob 1. This was total of 5 for me. Then 7 more to make 12 total. Did a fast quarter at the end - uphill - in 76. 

Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
9.000.003.000.0012.00

A.M. Total of 12. Some with the kids. Benjamin did 5, Jenny 2, Julia 2, Joseph and Jacob 1. I decided it was time to start gradually introducing uphill tempo running. Started with a mile in 5:57.8. Then on the way back ran the 2 mile tempo in 10:44.0. The splits were 5:21 - 5:23. The second mile was helped a lot by the last quarter in 77.5. I started losing steam, but then I kicked which kept the split from being too positive. This is definitely an improvement over the last week.

P.M. Felt oncoming cold symptoms. Took a nap.

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 7.00Nap Time: 1.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.000.000.000.0012.00

A.M. Felt some minor cold symptoms. Nevertheless felt strong enough to run full 12. Did some of it with the kids. Benjamin did 5, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph and Jacob 1.

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 12.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Comments(3)
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.000.000.000.0013.00

A.M. The original plan was to do something fast, but I felt that I might have a cold coming, so I decided to lay low, and ran easy. Total of 10. Benjamin did 5, Jenny and Julia 2, Joseph and Jacob waited until the afternoon.

P.M. 3 with Todd. 1 of it with Jacob and 1 with Joseph.

 

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 13.00
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
13.500.000.001.5015.00

A.M. Total of 12. Some with the kids. Jenny and Julia did 2, Benjamin 6. I did 6x400. First 5 were down the Provo Canyon with 200 meter rest. 74.0 - 73.4 - 72.1 - 71.4 - 71.8. Benjamin helped me with the last 100 of the third, first 200 of the fourth, and stayed with me for the fifth. The last one was after jogging a couple of miles and was uphill near my house. Benjamin helped me with the first 150 or so meters. I ended up with 76.6.

P.M. 3 with Todd, Joseph did 1 with us, Jacob 1 as well.

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 15.00
Night Sleep Time: 8.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 8.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
12.402.003.000.0017.40

A.M. Ran with Chad. We did the first 12.4 by ourselves, and the rest with the kids. We did some tempo running. First 2 mile tempo down. The wind was strange, kept changing directions. It was not too much of a factor in the first one. We did an even split 11:24. Then we jogged 0.5 miles, and I ran 1 mile uphill alone, while Chad jogged. I call that baby steps in strength work. Start with 1 mile. I was surprised to see the first two quarters in 83 and 85 which felt way too easy for that stretch. Then I slowed down and ran 88 and 89 which gave me 5:45.4. On the way back we found out why that stretch was too easy. Chad stayed with me through about the first 1000 meters. I had 4:19 at 0.75 followed by 5:43 at the mile. Then my next quarter was 85 followed by 89. The wind had picked up and was blowing into the canyon. That 89 quarter felt hard. No wonder I hit 83 easily going the other way. Seeing 89 I pushed harder but got only 86 in the next quarter. That was frustrating. Then all of a sudden the headwind stopped and I felt like somebody had just cut the chain he was holding me with. The last quarter was 80 with more or less the same effort, which gave me 11:23. Chad finished in 11:50. Then we ran to my house and ran with the kids. Jacob did 1, Joseph 1, Jenny and Julia 2, Benjamin 3. Total of 17.4 for us.

Green Crocs 2 Miles: 17.40
Night Sleep Time: 0.00Nap Time: 0.00Total Sleep Time: 0.00
Add Comment
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
71.652.006.001.7581.40
Green Crocs 2 Miles: 69.40
Night Sleep Time: 39.00Nap Time: 3.00Total Sleep Time: 42.00
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