Training 5/6-5/12

 5/6- AM Thinking about a 5K race on Mother's Day but I am too unstable.  Vestavia Mile in 7:53.  Not a collapse but certainly a disappointment.  If I had gone longer, it would have been a disaster.  Started tying up around 600 but still passed halfway right on schedule at 3:43.  Died in lap 3 then was no better on the final go round.  Added a cool.  Probably caffeine withdrawal and I just have to deal with it for a few days.  Most likely, that's it for today.

PM- It was indeed caffeine withdrawal.  The morning at work was brutal but it did get better by afternoon.  Adrenal spike hit by the evening but extra Thym-Adren improved things.  Did a half mile worth of intervals with the expected results.  Significantly better with each pill.  If I do the same thing tomorrow, it won't work.

Distance-2.0

RANT: Autoimmune Treatment Options

Let’s start out with discussing what episodes an autoimmune prescription would NOT help.  Chief among them are candida dumps, adrenal spikes and subsequent overshots.  As stated earlier, I had debilitating abdominal pain with zero energy or appetite on my 2^nd full day in New York City.  An autoimmune prescription would do absolutely nothing for that.  I still would have been laid up for half a day and would not recover my strength for at least 3 days.  Symptoms were due to a candida dump, not an inflammatory autoimmune reaction. 

Shortly after solving a major problem, my adrenals tend to spike, which necessitates a temporary increase in my Thym-Adren dosage.  Lately, these episodes only last a day or so.  I will experience symptoms if I don’t take enough pills during the spike and autoimmune treatments won’t help.  By the same token, if I continue to take mega doses after the spike goes down, I will be stiff and sluggish.  Again, autoimmune treatment won’t help.  It’s an adrenal imbalance.  In the same way, heart medication won’t help a cancer patient.  It’s just common sense.

Now, here’s where I could have benefited from autoimmune treatment:

-1. Inexplicable reactions to Candida treatments such as Probiotics or Apple Cider Vinegar and having to take Probiotics and Taurine together.  Either one without the other is a NO. 

-2. Inexplicable reactions to a B-Vitamin complex in which stand alone testing revealed just 2 specific vitamins that were the culprit. 

-3 . Intolerance to Magnesium Malate or even foods such as strawberries that contain Malic acid when taking Glycine products.

-4. Intolerance to Thym-Adren or other adrenal support because the ratio of Zinc/Copper is less than ideal for me. 

-5. Intolerance to Magnesium when consuming dairy products. 

-6. Intolerance to Taurine, which is necessary to resolve other issues that will be discussed later.   

Cases 1 and 2:

Cured with Cytokine suppressants and Lactoferrin.  I’ll have to look back but there was one B-Vitamin that I can’t tolerate without the Cytokine suppressants and one that I could not tolerate without Lactoferrin.  However, as long as I take both products at least semi-regularly, PROBLEM SOLVED!  If I had relied on a prescription drug, I may get relief from the symptoms, but my Cytokines would have remained elevated.  Who knows what problems that can cause?

Case 3:

Cured with Intrinsic Factor and B-12.  It should be obvious that something is badly wrong with my immune system if simply eating a couple of strawberries triggers an inflammatory response.  Again, if I had used a prescription, that reaction would likely have been reduced or eliminated but I would have remained deficient in B-12 and Intrinsic Factor, which is referred to as Pernicious Anemia.  I did test myself for that out of pocket and my results came back borderline.  Without treatment, it surely would have been flagged. 

 

Cases 4 and 5:

Manageable with Taurine, which helps with mineral transport into the cells.  Like case 3, case 5 was scary but such reactions can probably be avoided by eliminating dairy from my diet or possibly reducing the Magnesium.  With Case 4, I NEED adrenal support!  Without it, I am screwed.  No other way to put it.  Being unable to tolerate a treatment that I need because of autoimmune issues is the ultimate in cruelty.  The jury is still out as whether or not Taurine will be completely effective.  I would certainly prefer that to the alternative, in which mineral transport issues remain unresolved. 

Case 6:

Intolerance to Taurine would be double cruelty.  Fortunately, Colostrum has prevented any reactions to Taurine.  I’m still not entirely sure how it works but it does.  Since it also contains Lactoferrin, I may no longer need that pill.  Time will tell.  It would be nice to take fewer pills but it’s not a big deal.

 

Now, if I do have to see the Rheumatologist, what treatments would they prescribe?

A conservative treatment would be an NSAID such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen.  I recently popped 2 Tylenol pills during one of my worst flare ups.  My pace improved by 36 seconds per mile.  I’d classify that as enough to be considered significant but not enough to be a game changer.  Prescription Ibuprofen would likely be more effective but probably not enough.

 My “BARE minimum standard for racing is a 60:00 10K (6.2 miles @ 9:39 pace).  If relatively healthy, I have no doubt that I can achieve that standard on a volume as low as 15 MPW.  On my worst days, I cannot even run 1 mile in 12 minutes.  Can Ibuprofen really take me all the way to the standard?  I doubt it.  If I do go this route, the autoimmune reactions will still happen, and the underlying causes will be unresolved but at least the symptoms will be less severe.  If this is not effective enough, corticosteroid treatment such as Prednisone could be considered.  I’d REALLY PREFER TO AVOID THAT ROUTE!  It can mess with adrenal balance and cause emotional outbursts as well.  In my line of work, that will not be tolerated. 

Immunosuppressants:

Needless to say, I’d prefer not to go down this road either.  Though my symptoms may be reduced, it will cause problems that others say are “worse than the disease itself.”  During the worst of COVID, I went more than 2 years without getting so much as a common cold.  For the record, I am proudly unvacksinated.  For obvious reasons, if I react badly to a strawberry or a glass of milk, what could an mRNA jab do to me?  I don’t want to know.  On this treatment, I can expect to be down with serious infections multiple times every year, which will be more difficult to treat.  A simple course of antibiotics may not be enough.  There may be other side effects too.  It could alter the adrenal balance and worsen the candida infection.  I’ve heard these drugs can also cause severe dental issues and even tooth loss.  Obviously, I want to do everything in my power to avoid that.  If you’ve seen my smile, you know why.   

DMARDS:

Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs are probably my best bet to be effective.  Again, they work by weakening your immune system, so the side effects will be similar to what was described above.  If I go this route without addressing the underlying causes, my symptoms will likely be reduced but I will still have the following issues:

Elevated cytokines, Pernicious Anemia and Mineral imbalances.  Now, throw in reduced ability to fight off infections and possibly more.  If at all possible, I want to avoid this scenario. 

Training 4/29-5/5

 4/29- AM- Aimed for 2 miles on Lakeshore but had to settle for 1 in 11:22.  Culprit was an adrenal spike and I did expect it to happen.  I think I made the right call not messing with the NAC.  I think the Candida dump has run its course.  

PM- The adrenal spike was quick and I may not have even noticed if not for the run.  In any event, I did overshoot but the recovery has already begun.  Did 1 mile at Montreat this time and improved bigly.  Finished in 8:50 with a solid finish (4:31-4:19).  I expect to be not horrible tomorrow.

Distance-2.0

4/30- Step backwards but not overly concerned.  1.5 miles in 15:35 (10:23 pace).  Even splits but no power.  Probably caffeine withdrawal and nothing more than that.

Distance-1.5

5/1- Experiment with fewer pills is over.  I know that I need the Lactoferrin.  The amount in the Colostrum is not enough.  I probably need the Magnesium but I may be able to reduce it if I limit sugar and don't take Cal.  The Probiotics are probably NOT needed.  

Distance-1.0

5/2- More experiments.  Even with the Taurine, the Zinc/Copper ratio is off.  That's okay.  I should be a little off when my pills are out of whack.  A complete collapse should not happen.  I was weakened by a Mountain Dew but bounced back thanks to Magnesium.  I was also weakened by extra Zinc but bounced back thanks to extra Thym-Adren.

Distance-2.0

5/3-AM- Lakeshore 1 mile in 10:07.  Passed half in 5:21 but improved to 4:46 on extra Thym-Adren.  Still feel off.  Tried extra Colostrum when I got home and improved bigly.  Popped 2 of those and improved from a 1:37 to a 1:16.  (MINUS 2:06 per mile).

PM- Weakened again by caffeine even though it was sugar free.  This time, Colostrum did little good.  Splits were 3:18-3:14, just a hair faster than 10:00 pace and not significantly better than the morning.

Distance-2.0

5/4- Realized that the problem was lack of Glycine and was MUCH better today.  Vestavia Mile in 7:50, within shouting distance of my PR of 7:30.  This one was very well paced.  Splits were 1:57-1:59-2:00-1:54.  Caffeine did not hurt me this time.

Distance-1.5

5/5- North Lakeshore 5K in 27:03 (PR). Pace per mile of 8:41.  Splits were 13:20-13:43.  Tied up pretty badly in the last half mile but I am still very pleased with this.  Added a long cool down.

Distance-4.0

14 miles on the week.  Best time of the year in 2024 is better than last year at 3 out of 4 distances.

Candida Dump and Taurine

 Well, as luck would have it, right in the middle of my NYC trip, I got SLAMMED by a Candida dump.  I was rudely awakened at 2 AM by crippling abdominal pain and weakness.  I could not go to the bathroom or fall back asleep.  Fortunately, the duration and severity were less than the 2 previous dumps.  I was only laid up a half a day and had no fever.  By the evening, I wasn’t feeling good by any stretch, but I was well enough to go out and do some sightseeing.  The next day, I was slightly better but still in no condition to run.  I did do a full day of touring in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City and covered significant distance on my walks.   In the past, the quick fix solution was large doses of NAC to assist the Liver with Candida detox.  I’m going to try a different approach this time around.  I’ll let the detox run its course without the NAC. 

The last two times, too much NAC did result in quick gains but a sudden reversal because of excess Sulfur in the NAC.  That forced me on an anti-Sulfur product called CBS/NOS.  Molybdenum was also effective.  Again, it proved to be only temporary as the pendulum swung too far in the opposite direction.  Eventually, I reached an equilibrium in which neither was very effective but at least both were tolerated.  That was followed by an adrenal spike. 

Perhaps if I don’t mess with the NAC, I won’t see the wild swings and reversals.  I did do an interval test yesterday and it was UGLY.  Good news was that the Taurine was a non-factor.  I was faster by a fraction of a second with it versus without it.  I will try to go without it and hope the amount in Colostrum is sufficient.  The Colostrum remains both necessary and effective even after the Candida dump so that’s what I am going to use.  Unfortunately, I do see another adrenal spike in my future, but I should not have issues with the Thym-Adren.  If I overshoot, I’ll only have one or two rough days. 

UPDATE:

New episode this weekend.  I got the idea to add a little more milk to my diet, which had been lacking in recent years.  I had a McDonald's milkshake for dinner on Friday and felt no discernable issues.  However, after taking my usual Magnesium before bed, my legs felt like they'd been hit by a truck.  I tried to run on Saturday morning and could not hold a 12-minute pace.  

I drank a bottle of chocolate milk shortly thereafter and felt MUCH WORSE!  Additional Magnesium made it WORSER!  The only thing that I had in my cabinet that mitigated some of the damage was Taurine.  That answers all the questions.  Do I need the Taurine even though it is an ingredient in Colostrum?  DEFINITELY YES!  I need to lay off the Probiotics and I will even take a break from the Magnesium for a few weeks to see what happens.  I actually ran my best WITH a Magnesium deficiency!  That said, being deficient did cause other issues such as allergies and numbness.  

NYC Trip Report

 I had to get away and go somewhere this weekend.  I would have preferred Arizona but the D'Backs were on the road and I had already been to Colorado this year.  How about a different part of the country?  I considered Chicago but felt that would work best as a summer destination and my last visit there was the same time of year back in 2019.  All things considered, I opted for New York and it was probably the best choice. This was my second full NYC trip though I did make a couple of one day stops from New Jersey and Connecticut so I know my way around pretty well.

Airport and Lodging:

LaGuardia, JFK or Newark?  Since I was flying out of Birmingham, LaGuardia is clearly the best choice.  It's the only one that offers a direct flight and it's surprisingly affordable too.  The best place to stay depends on your plans but in a way, it's not terribly important.  In almost any location, you will have access to a subway station within a half mile of your hotel.  The price may be high but that is offset by the lack of a rental car expense.  I opted to stay in a section of Queens called Long Island City near the Queensboro Bridge just across the river from Manhattan.  Not a bad call.  It offered a more authentic experience away from the touristy areas but I wouldn't recommend it in the summer if you want to go to the beaches as it is a long way from Coney Island and Rockaway.    

4/19- No issues on the flight.  Landed on schedule around 5:20 local time.  I planned on a taxi to my hotel but found a bus that took me directly to a subway station and it was a short walk from there.  I had a steak dinner at my hotel's rooftop bar then returned for a after dinner drink.  In between, I took a ride to Gantry Plaza park and caught some good night skyline shots despite a bit of fog.  

4/20- Slept in a bit then hit the subway to Manhattan and the southern part of Central Park.  I was hoping to see some cherry blossoms but feared that they would be past their peak.  Not so.  It was probably the perfect time for that.  I imagine it would be beautiful in the Fall as well with the foliage. 

 By late morning, I headed north to Yankee Stadium to see a game against the Rays.  Yankees lost 2-0 and it wasn't a real exciting game but I still enjoyed being there.  It was back south to see the northern part of Central Park, which offered more cherry trees and a view of the reservoir.

  My final stop of the day was Edge Tower in Hudson Yards, which I timed perfectly.  My ticket was just before sunset, so I got to see both day and night views of the city from high above.  

4/21- NOT a good day!  I woke up at 2 AM with TERRIBLE stomach pains.  I could not go to the bathroom or get back to sleep.  I was reduced to laying in bed until 10:30 but did drag myself to Flushing for the Mets stadium tour, which counts as ballpark #16.  I got to see a lot of suites along with batting cages, dining areas and the clubhouse.  The real highlight was being allowed to sit in the dugout.  Cool. 

 I was exhausted when the tour was over and crashed in bed.  I was out cold for the next 2 hours then just rested until about 5:30 PM.  The plan was to take a sunset walk on the beach at Coney Island but that was foiled by subway maintenance issues.  I had to make repeated transfers, which took me in the wrong direction and it was already dark by the time I arrived.  Rats!  Good news was that I was starting to feel better and expected to be able to handle a full day of sightseeing tomorrow. 

4/22- Started off at Wall Street and Lower Manhattan then took a PATH train to Jersey City for perhaps the best views of Manhattan and definitely the best shot of the Statue of Liberty.  I considered Connecticut but I think New Jersey was the right call.  For the 50 staters, though I was only in New Jersey for about an hour, it counts as an official visit under the strict standard because I saw a legitimate tourist attraction.  

Next, it was the One World Observatory at the top of the World Trade Center.  I had been here 7 years ago but my pictures didn't turn out great and it was worth seeing again.  It was almost lunch time now and I traveled to Brooklyn for pizza in DUMBO (Downtown Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass).

  I took a walk down Flatbush then turned around and walked back halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan.  I relaxed in my room for a bit then went back out to explore Manhattan.  I enjoyed a walking tour of Chinatown and Little Italy then hit the rooftop bar at 230 5th for some cool night shots of the Empire State Building.  Stomach was still a bit jacked up so I settled for bar food for dinner.  An excellent day.    

4/23- Nothing major to report today.  This time I opted for a cab to the airport because I didn't want to risk a SNAFU with a bus transfer.  No issues on the flight back.  

Final thought:

A good but not an all-time great trip.  There are a number of factors beyond your control that can shape your experience.  In this case, the weather wasn't great until 4/22 and the stomach issues were no fun, but I still enjoyed it overall.  I probably won't be back for a while, but I could see myself visiting in the Fall in maybe 5-10 years.    

Training 4/15-4/21

 4/15-  Good news and bad news and it is exactly what I expected.  Taurine is tolerated once again thanks to Colostrum.  I was actually slightly better with than without.  I now have an insatiable need for Colostrum.  1 pill brought me from a 1:39 to a 1:25 but a few hours later, I needed more just to function.  No evening workout.

Distance-0.5

4/16- Coaxed 1.5 at Lakeshore in 17:41 (11:47 pace).  This is what I expected.  I should be a lot better by the weekend but I expect new problems after that.  Candida dump and/or adrenal spike.  Pace was pretty even.  Do I still need the Probiotics or the CBS/NOS?  I'll find out soon.

PM- Probiotics did arrive today.  Maybe they can stop the Taurine sensitivity but they are not as effective as the Colostrum.  Probiotics did little to relieve the need for Colostrum.  Did 1 mile worth of intervals using Colostrum.  Overall time was 10:26 with splits of 3:53-3:27-3:06.  Taking extra Probiotics afterwards did nothing.  I'm going with Colostrum.  I predict that the CBS/NOS will be ineffective.

Distance-2.5

4/17- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 20:52 (10:26 pace).  Big improvement over yesterday.  I'll take it.  Part of me was hoping to see a 9:xx pace but it's probably better that I am improving more gradually.  Feels more stable.  Strong negative split (10:40-10:12) without really trying to pick it up.  

Distance-2.0

4/18- COLLAPSE!  I knew it before I started but coaxed 1 mile in 12:45.  The culprit was Taurine. Colostrum helped but it wasn't enough.  This raises more questions.  

Is it just Taurine that I can't tolerate or is it all Sulfur containing amino acids?

Can I handle occasional Taurine to prevent mineral sensitivity?   Did this happen because I drank an energy drink yesterday?

Do I still need the Taurine after starting the Colostrum?

PM- interesting findings.  Opened with a 3:23 lap at Montreat after taking Colostrum during the day.  Some of the damage was mitigated but not nearly enough.  Half lap intervals after that.  

1:39 on NAC- That stuff is loaded with Sulfur and it was tolerated.  I was actually slightly better.  That tells me that Taurine is the problem, NOT Sulfur.  

1:37 on Curcumin- Not enough to be considered significant.  I'll probably finish the bottle and be done with it.  It was once effective against Candida but it's now a non-factor.

1:37 on CBS NOS- As expected, a non-factor.  I knew it when the NAC was tolerated.

1:26 on Colostrum- that IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER.  

Distance-2.0

Colostrum is my best chance.  I can only hope that I won't have to mess with Taurine.  I've read that Colostrum contains both Taurine and Lactoferrin so that may be my best option for autoimmune issues.

4/19- Only 1 mile this time at Montreat.  Improved to 10:20, which is a LOT better than yesterday's 12:45 but I can't say that I am pleased.  Even pace but very sluggish.

Distance-1.0

4/20- Junk run in NYC

Distance-1.0

4/21- Unplanned rest day.  Candida dump

-9 miles

Training 4/8-4/14

 4/8 AM- Vestavia Mile in 7:30.0 (PR).  Can't cheat on this one.  I didn't break it but I hit it right on the nose. It was an interesting session.  

I tried to go with the modulator and it was immediately apparent that it was not strong enough.  Passed 200 in 58.8 then was only 1 second better on extra pills.  I considered it my warmup and went with the Thym-Adren.  

Felt good early and decided the attempt was on.  Pacing was even worse than last time.  1:46-1:57-1:59-1:48.  Normally laps 2-3 are about 5 seconds slower than my first and last lap. NOT 12-13!   Surprised that I had this much left at the end but then again, I was going for a PR.  I thought I'd see a 7:32 or 33 at the line.  I didn't expect the 7:30.  

If anything, the Thym Adren needs to be increased from 2 pills to 3.  My legs have decent pop but I am easily winded and fade early after a good start 

PM- Easy 2 on Lakeshore in 17:58 (8:59 pace).  Splits were 9:02-8:56.  Didn't try to pick it up to get the sub-9.  I just found a better rhythm on the back half.  Did okay but it's clear that the dose needs to be increased from 2 to 3 Thym Adren.  Once again, the legs were strong but the cardio was weak.

Distance-3.5

4/9- Failed the 5K.  Passed 800 meters in 4:27, which isn't terrible but I was fading (2;08-2:19) and knew it would get ugly, so I bailed.  Took Tylenol when I got home and fared no better at Montreat.  That tells me it's not an autoimmune reaction.  I couldn't remember if I took the Thym Adren or not.  I bet I didn't and it's nothing more than that.  Concerned but no panic or doom yet.  Odds are that's it for today.  Bad weather is in the forecast.

Distance-1.0

4/10- Thym Adren is not the problem.  Caffeine is.  I actually thought it helped me recover from the 10K last Saturday but too much is BAD.  Coaxed 1.5 on Lakeshore this morning in 18:15 (12:10 pace).  Passed halfway in 9:06 then popped 2 Thym Adren and fared no better on the back half.  For the last time, though I shouldn't consume that stuff, the reaction should not be THIS BAD!!  Losing 20 seconds per mile because of a daily habit?  Understandable.  3+ minutes after a binge?  NO.  That should not happen!  I may face nasty withdrawals in the coming days.  Rain is likely this evening.

PM- Break in the weather enabled me to squeeze in 1 Mile at Montreat.  MUCH BETTER.  Finished in 9:28 when I simply hoped to get close to 10:00.  Even pace but not much left.  I've got a ways to go and am not out of the woods yet but hope to be able to go long this weekend.

Distance-2.5

4/11- Unplanned rest day.  Withdrawal hit hard.

4/12- Adrenal spike was brief.  I overshot and now it's calmed down.  Montreat Mile in 10:52.  I have gained a lot of respect for back of the pack runners.  This one hurt so much more than the 7:30 on Monday.  I'll be somewhat better tomorrow.

Distance -1.0

4/13- 2 miles on New Lakeshore.  A few more rollers on this one but it's a nice route.  Coaxed 2 miles in 20:44 (10:22 pace).  Improvement over yesterday but expected better.  Splits were 10:16-10:28 and my legs were killing me.

Distance-2.0

4/14-Caffeine was probably NOT the problem after all.  It was the Taurine.  Yes, that's right.  The very same stuff that cured the Zinc/Copper sensitivity is now causing problems!  Fortunately, I can mitigate the ill-effects with either Probiotics, CBS/NOS or Colostrum.  I know that Colostrum is effective but I may see an insatiable need tomorrow.  Improved from a 1:57 to a 1:18 on just 2 pills.  I may go with one of those 3 or some combinations.

Distance-1.0

-11 miles on the week 

Training 4/1-4/7

 4/1- AM- 2 miles in 20:16 on Lakeshore (10:08 pace) Interesting.  In theory, I have everything squared away except for the adrenal balance and I'm still paying the price for overshooting on the last spike.  I was better than yesterday morning but worse than the afternoon.  I bet the Thym Adren that I took upon rising slowed me down but I'm sticking with it.  I may benefit from a few days off it but by the end of the week, I will almost certainly need it again.  Instead, by staying on the low dose, I will gradually return to the new normal without the wild swings.  Splits were 10:14-10:02.  A negative split usually means that I am improving.  May be back out in the evening.

PM- 5K on Lakeshore in 28:24 (9:07 pace).  Best time of the year by 24 seconds.  I'm within 36 of my reset PR.  Uncertified route but the Garmin distance was 3.12.  Very well paced.  Splits were 9:03-9:10-9:07-64.  I believe I hit the turnaround in 14:08 then did the back half in 14:16.  Good job.  I'm sticking with the formula.  I MUST do better than the morning session tomorrow but I don't have to set the world on fire.

Distance= 5.1

4/2- AM- Veteran's Park run before work.  1.5 miles in 13:12 (8:48 pace).  Splits were even if not slightly negative.  Think of it like this.  I was approaching the halfway point of a 5K on PR pace and was not slowing down.  Add to that, it was done on a tougher course.  Tacked on a cool down.  

The Thym Adren that I took this morning didn't hurt me.  I may have reached equilibrium.  I am afraid of another Candida dump but it should not be as severe.  Why didn't I keep going?  Gotta be cautious with the mileage.  I came back the morning after a double with 9.1 miles in the last 2 days.  That's it for today.  Storms coming.  

Distance-1.9

4/3 AM- Vestavia Mile in 7:34.0 (PR).  I believe this is my fastest time since 2021.  I reset my old records after Hawaii in 2022.  Splits were 1:49-1:55-1:58-1:52.  I didn't see my split at 200 but I'm guessing it was about 52, which was way too fast.  With better pacing, I can break 7:30.  Added a warm and cool.  Hope to run at the Shak this evening.

PM- Trak Shak Wednesday run for the first time since probably before the pandemic.  Did the 3 mile route but skipped the first hill and stopped early.  Finished with 2.5 miles in 21:22 (8:33 pace).  Pace was steady at 8:40 through 2 miles then did the last half mile in a strong 4:02.  Didn't really sprint until the last tenth of a mile.  I was WELL AHEAD of 5K PR pace today and I wasn't even close to all out until the very end.  This course is NOT legit however because of multiple traffic stops.  Again, I didn't do the the full distance because I need to be cautious about increasing the mileage too quickly.  No real ill-effects from increased training.  Knee is a tad sore but no real concern.

Distance=4.0

4/4/- Planned rest day.  11 miles in 3 days is a bit much at this stage.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  I'm improving rapidly but it still feels like my adrenals are sluggish.  I may try out the modulator next week.

4/5- Fort Walton run.  GPS didn't track the distance for some reason.  I turned around at 6:45 and reached the finish at 13:13 for a strong negative split.  No real effort to pick up the pace either.  Estimated distance was 1.5 and I have no complaints.  Big test this weekend.

Distance= 1.5

4/6- Mountain Brook 10K.  25 laps on the track in 60:44 (PR).  (9:46 pace).  Thought I had a chance at the sub-60 but came up short.  It's not rocket science.  10-15 MPW just won't cut it.  I still cut a full 2 minutes off my previous best.  

I went out at 8:40 pace for the first half mile and knew it was stupid fast but couldn't slow down.  Settled in by Mile 2 and the laps never got much worse than 2:30.  Quarter splits were 14:20- 15:18- 15:44- 15:22.  Final lap was 2:16.  

Missed the goal but only 1.8 seconds per lap or 130 meters.  I'll try for the 5K PR next week.

Distance-6.5

4/7- 1 mile recovery jog at Montreat in 8:36.  Switched to the modulator and it's too soon to say whether or not it's a good call.  I expected to be worthless after yesterday, but my legs had surprisingly decent pop.  My wind wasn't great though and I was out of breath on the first lap.  Splits were 4:21-4:15 so I picked it up a tad without even trying.  This felt sustainable for a 5K.  If I can do that, it would bring me home under 27 despite not being fresh.

-20 miles on the week.  Could have done more but must be cautious.  I'll shoot for 22 next week then hold it around 25 for a few weeks.

Zinc and Copper Autoimmune Issues

 The issues that I had with Thym-Adren last week were NOT related to an adrenal imbalance.  It was a Zinc/Copper problem that is probably an autoimmune issue.  ARGH!  The adrenals spiked after the latest Candida dump but that lasted less than 1 day.  Instead of going back to my usual dosage, I became intolerant to Thym-Adren the next day and improved only after it began to clear my system.  I tried taking a modulator and even an adrenal stimulant.  None of them were tolerated. 

In yesterday's morning session, I set a good pace for 1/3 mile.  My legs had decent pop, but I was extremely winded and knew that I could not hold it.  Sure enough, it quickly became apparent that I still needed the Thym-Adren.  One big problem:  I still could not tolerate it!   Without the adrenal support, I am screwed.  It wasn’t an instant reaction like I am used to but within an hour or so, I became extremely stiff, sore and depressed. 

The afternoon session was the hated interval test.  I opened with a 1:29 half lap (8:54 pace) and no I could not have held it for a Mile.  I popped a Tylenol and improved to a 1:23 (8:18 pace).  MINUS 36 while feeling slightly better.  I’ll consider that enough to be significant but not enough to be a game changer.  The fact that I did improve after taking the Tylenol is strong evidence that it was indeed an inflammatory autoimmune reaction. 

Perhaps if I took prescription strength Ibuprofen, this could become a manageable condition.  I’d probably only need it on the days that I had a severe flare up.  I did not try additional Tylenol pills, but I am betting that I would have seen further improvements if I had done so.  Still, I don’t like that as a solution.  It only treats the symptoms while ignoring the root cause, and it could lead to other problems.  Instead of that I tried several other pills that I thought might make a difference including Cytokine suppressants, B-12 and Molybdenum.  In each case, my time for the half lap was between 1:21-1:23.  At best, I was only 12 seconds faster per mile and felt no discernable difference.  NOT enough to be considered significant. 

Finally, my last interval came after taking Zinc.  This one WAS A GAME CHANGER!  My time improved to 1:05 (6:30 pace) and I was only going at about 80-85% effort.  That’s MINUS 1:36!  BECAUSE OF ONE EFFING PILL!!!   It was only 2-3 weeks ago that I had problems because I took too much Zinc!  If I take more than one Zinc pill every day then as sure as I’m alive, I will flip to the other side of the spectrum before too long!  What I need is a PRECISE ratio of Zinc/Copper in my pills.  Thym/Adren has a 20:1 ratio, which is clearly not high enough.  The modulator only has a 10:1 ratio so that explains why it did not work. 

If I took 1 Zinc (22 mg) and 2 Thym-Adren, the ratio becomes 64:1, which is too high.  I would need several more tests to determine the optimal ratio but I’m betting that it’s around 40:1 with a tolerable range of 30-50.  Any deviation from that range for more than just a couple of days will trigger a reaction.  4 Thym-Adren plus 1 Zinc would get the ratio down to 42:1. However, that may be too much adrenal suppression. Perhaps, I can find Zinc in a lower dosage, or I switch to the modulator, which may not be strong enough.  No win situation.  In addition to having to take a precise cocktail of pills, I will probably have to watch my diet and stay away from protein bars that contain copper. 

Is there a way out?  Maybe.  I had similar issues before with Cal/Mag and with methylation.  Taurine shut down the former case and the detox spray solved the latter.  Taurine is likely my best bet because it aids in mineral transport into the cells.  However, it is not without its downsides.  Taurine is not good for Candida overgrowth, and it can cause a sulfur overload.  It’s been one thing after another.  I keep thinking that once a clear this hurdle, it will be smooth sailing afterwards.  IT NEVER HAPPENS!   

Training 3/25-3/31

 3/25- First day without any adrenal support at all was no sudden miracle.  Did 1 mile at Montreat in 10:16 (5:06-5:10).  If I ran another mile, I would have faded but not collapsed.  Need to see improvement tomorrow.  I predict that I will get better for a few days then the need will kick back in with a vengeance.  

Distance-1.0

3/26- AM- Braved the rain for a half mile.  REALLY wanted to see improvement and I got it.  Time was 4:23 (8:46 pace) and believed that I had a sub-9.  Plan to be back out this evening.

PM- Lakeshore 2.5 in 22:59 (9:12 pace).  I'll take it.  Improving steadily.  Faded a bit on the back half (11:23-11:36) but I'm sure that I had enough juice for a sub-30 5K.  Don't think I would have made my best of the year (28:48).  Still off the adrenals.

Distance-3.0

3/27- AM- Only planned to run 1 lap at Montreat and clocked a solid 2:29 (7:27 pace) but it was unsustainable.  I was as winded as if I ran an all out 400.  If I had run 1 mile, I would have seen a massive fade on the back half.  Must go back to the Thym Adren.  

PM- Can't tolerate the Thym Adren.  I'll explain it in a separate post.  Did a series of intervals.  Tylenol helped but it wasn't a game changer.  Nothing else was even a factor except for Zinc.  The Zinc was a game changer but I am too sensitive to it.  I must try Taurine.

Distance-1.5

3/28- AM- Planned 2 miles but had to settle for 1 in a time of 9:50.  Started off pretty well but faded after the first quarter mile and it got worse from there.  Splits were 4:34-5:16.  I thought it was an adrenal spike but it was an insatiable need for Taurine.  That won't last long.

PM- Correct about the Taurine.  Half lap intervals in which I popped a Taurine pill after each.  Splits were 99-90-80.  Pace improved from 9:54 to 8-flat.  This is nothing new.

Distance-1.5

3/29-AM- REAL adrenal spike!  Again, I could not go more than 1 mile.  Did the first half in 5:48 then popped 2 Taurine pills and was only marginally better with 5:45.  Definitely NOT significant.  Overall time was 11:33.  The same pill that worked so well yesterday is suddenly ineffective.  A few hours later, it became even more obvious that it was an adrenal spike.  It will calm down by tomorrow.  Then, something else will pop up.

PM- Adrenal spike is starting to go down already.  2 miles at Veteran's Park for a change.  3 laps around the lake.  It's a gravel trail so I can expect to be a little slower than at Lakeshore.  Finished in 20:32 (10:16 pace).  Even pace and never really struggled but could not pick up much speed.  Big improvement over the morning.  In THEORY, I've got everything squared away but it never happens in reality.

Distance=3.0

3/30- Junk run.  Just 1 mile.  Adrenal spike was still there in the morning but it was over by evening.  

Distance-1.0

3/31-AM.  Confirmed that the adrenal spike is over.  1 mile in 11:02.  First half in 5:20 then slipped to 5:42 after taking the pills.  I expect to stabilize at the normal dose in a couple days.  This is exactly what I wanted to see.  Significantly worse but didn't collapse.  

PM- Repeated the 2 miles at Veterans Park.  Improved to 19:10 (9:35 pace) but faded badly on the last lap.  Splits were 6:13-6:13-6:44.  Coaxed another mile as a cool down but it was at 12 minute pace.

Distance-4.0

15 miles on the week.  Highest total of the year.