Training 10/27-11/2

 10/27- Took 2 Thym Adren after a mega dose yesterday.  Still a little sluggish but that's understandable and to be expected when you take too much adrenal suppressants.  A modulator such as ADHS should NEVER trigger a reaction.  After all this, I will end up back on ADHS, the very pill that gave me fits for the last couple of months.  I finally found the source of the intolerance.  Lack of Malic Acid.

Workout wasn't horrible.  2 miles on Lakeshore in dreary conditions.  Finished in 18:58 (9:29 pace) with splits of 9:33-9:25.  Weather should get nice again later this week.  Early November is usually still pretty nice here.  Not so later.

Distance-2.0

Remaining MLB Parks

 I saw 5 new ballparks in 2025, which leaves me with just 7 to go. Checked off this year were the D'Backs, White Sox, Marlins, Angels and Gnats.  I'd like to finish this challenge sooner rather than later but I don't think I can manage it in 2026.  Here's the list of the 7 remaining:

Detroit Tigers 

Cleveland Guardians 

Chicago Cubs

Milwaukee Brewers 

Minnesota Twins

Philadelphia Phillies 

Athletics

Here's how I plan to do it:

Minnesota will be a stand-alone late Spring to early summer trip.  I'll probably just choose a weekend with a home game and book a last minute flight.  I'm not willing to risk a rainout on a stand-alone trip.  I won't need a car.  Minneapolis has a subway system from the airport to downtown.  On the way back, I'll do a night on the town in Atlanta before heading home.  

In Philadelphia, I have 2 options in September.  I can take the train to Atlantic City for a surf session.  Prices drop bigly immediately after Labor Day and it's likely still warm enough to swim though good weather is not guaranteed.  Option 2 is to rent a car and check out the Poconos or upstate New York.  That could be interesting.  

These 2 are in the likely column for next year but I will probably have to choose 1 of the next 2 packages.

Detroit and Cleveland- Summer is the only choice here.  I will fly direct into Detroit for a Tigers game.  Then, it's a drive through Canada to Niagara Falls.  From Niagara, I will complete the loop in the USA.  Possible stops on the way to Cleveland include Buffalo, Erie and Cuyahoga NP.  In Cleveland, I want to see the RNR HOF and the Christmas Story house.  I am willing to risk a rainout for this trip.  

Chicago and Milwaukee- Direct flight to Chicago from Birmingham.  Chicago will be easy.  It's a simple connection on the EL with several hotels and beaches within walking distance of Wrigley Field.  Milwaukee could be a little dicey.  Probably the best bet is to take the train from Chicago.  Unfortunately, the stadium is about 3 miles from the train station.  Unless I can find a shuttle, I'll probably have to take a cab each way or do a lot of walking.  I've never been to Milwaukee.  Possible attractions include the Harley Davidson museum and Lakeshore Park with the city skyline view.  There is a pretty good bus system in Milwaukee but no subway, to my knowledge.  

That leaves only the Athletics, which will have to wait until 2028 when the new stadium is complete.  I'll take a layover in Vegas on my way back from Hawaii.  I will steer clear of the casinos and opt for Valley of Fire and Mt. Charleston.

Magnesium and Adrenal Support

 Another disastrous session this morning.  Quit after just 1 Mile in 11:28.  Passed halfway around 5:15 then it took well over 6 minutes to complete the last half.  I didn't confirm it but was 90 percent sure that the culprit was Thym Adren.  I was correct.  This left me intolerant to ALL adrenal support.  Try to go without?  I don't see that working.  I feel noticeable overstimulation after just a couple days off it.

On a hunch, I tried some Magnesium Malate at lunch today.  I was IMMEDIATELY better!  Excellent news!  The intolerance to adrenal support is LIKELY NOT an autoimmune issue but rather an enzyme defect related to a Magnesium deficiency. I'm about 90 percent sure of this but it will be confirmed over the next few days.  There are all sorts of enzymes that are Magnesium dependent and thus can become defective when Mag is deficient.  Simple fix.  Just increase the Mag and that probably resolves it.  

I did feel a bit overstimulated this afternoon and evening.  Was it too much C or not enough Thym Adren.  No discernable reaction to extra C and a definite positive response to extra Thym Adren.  That's to be expected after skimping on the adrenal support for so long.  Now that it's tolerated again, the adrenals have spiked.  Temporary reaction.  I may not even need the Vitamin C going forward. 

Why did the Mag deficiency pop up?  I became intolerant to Mag Malate over the summer so I switched to Glycinate.  The directions on the bottle said to take only 1 Glycinate pill, maybe up to 2 but beware of the laxative effect especially if taken with Vitamin C.  I was only getting 120 mg of elemental Magnesium with just 1 of those pills and I wasn't even consistent with taking those pills.  By comparison, the Mag Malate gave me 500 mg of elemental Magnesium.  Thus, it should not be a surprise that over time, I became deficient.   

Only 1 question remains:  

Was it a deficiency of Magnesium or a deficiency of Malate?  I am 90 percent sure that it is the former.  If it's the Malate, that would be very concerning because it does suggest autoimmune issues and toxic Aluminum once again.  That's probably not the case because I didn't have any trouble with stuff that I couldn't tolerate before the detox.  Even if so, simply taking more Malic Acid should fix it.  Unfortunately, I worry about overshooting and becoming intolerant to Malate again.  

In order to confirm, I will take nothing but Glycinate at higher doses.  If the adrenal support is still tolerated on the Glycinate, I will know for sure that low Magnesium was the problem and I can solve it with EITHER FORM.  Things are beginning to look up!

EDIT:

The adrenal support is NOT tolerated on Glycinate.  I must use the Malate and possibly straight Malic Acid but I will keep it low to prevent overshooting.

Training 10/17-10/26

 10/17- The link between caffeine and Vitamin C need/tolerance has been confirmed.  I've been off both for 2 days and struggled as expected today.  1 Mile in 10:38 with a slight negative split.  Wasn't expecting much but did expect better than this.

Distance-1.0

10/18- Worse.  Quit after just a half mile with a pace over 12.  Got good news when I got home.  No discernable reaction to either Vitamin C or ADHS.

Distance-0.5

10/19- MUCH BETTER.  New Lakeshore 1.5 in 13:42 (9:08 pace).  Strong negative split (7:02-6:40) so I was sub-9 on the back half.  Through I have been off caffeine for several days, I still haven't kicked the sugar.  That starts next week and I am prepared to endure another rough patch.

Distance-1.5

10/20-FAIL.  Shooting for 2.5-3, I had to settle for another 1.5 in 15:36 (10:24 pace). Started off comparable to yesterday with a 7:03 first half but was already faded.  Back half took 8:33, over 11 minute pace.  Culprit was ADHS.  For reasons I can't explain, I just can't tolerate that pill.  I thought caffeine was a factor and it was for the C, but apparently not the ADHS.  What hurts the most is that the detox was supposed to stop this from happening.   A reaction to a stimulant or suppressant is understandable.  A modulator should be tolerated regardless of your chemistry.

PM- Better after Vitamin C.  My only explanation is that ADHS must severely deplete C with or without caffeine.  Did a couple sprints with slow jogging in between.  Improved from 63 to 55 thanks to 2 C.  Not a game changer but significant improvement.  If I am to take adrenal support, it must be low dose Thym Adren.  Cold turkey off sugar tomorrow.

Distance-2.0

10/21- 1 Mile in 11:19 with splits of 5:17-6:02.  Nuff said.

Distance-1.0

10/22- Unplanned rest day.  The culprit is sugar withdrawal.  No discernable reaction to Vitamin C and Thym Adren.  I'm not touching the ADHS for a couple weeks.

10/23- Nearly caved this morning but held strong.  1 Mile at Montreat in 12:57.  Slightly better after taking the Thym Adren and the C but I don't think that had anything to do with it.  It was barely significant anyway.

PM- Repeated the 1 Mile distance this time on New Lakeshore and my time is down to 10:16.  Splits were 5:12-5:04.  I want to see steady progress tomorrow morning.  Hopefully no adrenal spike.

Distance-2.0

10/24- DISASTER.  Mile in 11:28 with bad splits but at least I know why and what to do about it.  Upcoming in a separate post.

Distance-1.0

10/25- Went with Mag Glycinate last night (3 pills) and woke up feeling AWFUL.  Opened with a 2:11 half lap (13:06 pace).  Popped 3 ADHS looking for any improvement at all.  I got it with a 3:54 full lap (11:42 pace).  I went with the ADHS because I had a worse reaction to it before increasing the Mag.

Took 2 more plus a C before the real workout.  1.5 miles in 16:12 (10:48 pace).  Much better.  I'm going with this formula until the Glycinate runs out then I'll switch back to Malate.

Distance-2.0

10/26- Went with Glycinate again last night.  I was MUCH LESS AWFUL in my opener with a 1:44 half lap (10:24 pace).  

Question:  Is the adrenal spike a temporary blip or does it have staying power?  The answer is still unknown.  I went with 4 Thym Adren today and had NOTHING.  Couldn't run at all!  Quit after less than half a mile and walk jogged back. This didn't feel like an overshot and I confirmed it when I got home.  

Question:  Overshot or Autoimmune reaction?  Clearly the latter.  If it was an overshot, I should get better after taking 2 ADHS (modulator).  I got a discernable reaction and it was worse.  Popped 2 Malate pills.  Though I still don't feel great, I was noticeably better.  I MUST use Malate and may have to go back to straight Malic Acid.  Not pleased but at least I know what to do.

UPDATE: 

It does appear that the adrenal spike is just a blip.  After the Malate did the job, I was slightly worse on Thym Adren but better on ADHS.  If it continues to work, I'd lean towards ADHS in the future.  Too much of a modulator should not hurt 

Distance-1.0

12 miles

New England Road Trip Report

I believe this is my 3rd visit to both Connecticut and Massachusetts but much of this was uncharted territory.  I had not explored Connecticut outside of the coastal areas and had never been to western Massachusetts, which has a different vibe than the Boston area.  You can't predict the exact dates for peak foliage but Columbus Day weekend in New England is usually a good choice.  Not so much this year.  Supposedly, a summer drought delayed the peak and it won't be as colorful when it does peak.  There was minimal foliage in NYC but spotty colors in New England and it was getting better towards the end of the trip.  Weather was a big concern with a Nor'Easter forecasted to hit over the weekend.  Fortunately, I was spared the worst of it because I was far enough inland.  In the end, the weather was a downer but it didn't wreck the trip.  It was cloudy and breezy with occasional showers but no downpours.  

10/11- Uneventful.  Drive to Atlanta for a direct flight to Hartford, Connecticut.  From there, it was 30 minutes north to Springfield, Massachusetts.  I arrived after dark and just chilled for the night.

10/12- Driving tour of Springfield then toured the Basketball Hall of Fame.  I've now been to the HOF of all 4 major sports.  I don't really follow basketball nowadays but did play in a youth league for several years.  That brought back some good memories.  I stayed in Springfield for lunch then went north to Greenfield before picking up the Mohawk Trail through the Berkshires.

I stopped at a pretty nice park near the town of North Adams and went into Vermont just for the hell of it.  It was still an enjoyable day but it would have been a lot better with decent weather and peak foliage.  I took an 8 mile road up to Mt. Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts at nearly 3,500 feet.  The scenery was nice on the way up but there was zero visibility at the summit.  I arrived in Pittsfield for the night just before dark, as planned.  

10/13- First stop was a short but steep hike down to Bash Bish Falls on the border of Massachusetts and New York and saw a little bit of Fall colors too.  The original plan was the FDR Presidential Museum in Hyde Park, NY but it was closed due to the government shutdown.  Too bad.  That did enable more time in NYC so it wasn't all bad.  I don't think I've ever been to upstate New York on my own.  As it was, I did cut through a small portion of New York on the way but only met the lenient standard.  By lunchtime, I was back in Connecticut and stopped to eat in Danbury.

From there, I drove south to Norwalk to catch the train to Grand Central.  First stop was the gripping 9/11 museum, which I probably would have missed if I went to the FDR.  I had been there 8 years ago so it was worth seeing again.  Next, I took the subway to Brooklyn to see the bridge with the skyline lit up at night.  Epic as expected.  I had a bit of an adventure finding a subway to my hotel in Queens but it turned out okay.  Probably should have stayed in Manhattan or Brooklyn instead.  I made a friend at that hotel last Spring but unfortunately, she wasn't there tonight.

  

10/14- Walking tour of Central Park and the Rockefeller Center.  I feared zero visibility at the Top of the Rock.  Although the views certainly would have been better on a clear day, it was still worth seeing.  Central Park was clearly visible as was most of the Empire State building but the WTC was obstructed by the clouds.

From Rockefeller, I walked about 10 blocks to Grand Central and caught the train back to Connecticut.  It was another 2 hours into Hartford.  I arrived by late afternoon and took a walking tour of town and had a drink at a bar.  

10/15- Toured the Capitol building in Hartford then drove to the airport to catch the flight to Atlanta.  The drive home was tough.  Not an epic trip but I am glad I did it.

Vitamin C and ADHS (Possible Equilibrium)

 I experienced a collapse on 9/28 in which it took me more than 12 minutes to cover 1 Mile.  Excessive Vitamin C was confirmed to be the culprit after I was significantly worse after popping an extra pill at the halfway point.

I recovered much more quickly than expected. Normally, it takes 3-5 days before I am back to the new normal.  Just 36 hours later, I was doing 9 minutes pace with the same effort.  Another 36 hours later, I tested my response to Vitamin C.  Slightly slower than the previous day but not enough to be considered significant.  I considered it to be tolerated.  Why did I recover so quickly and why was it tolerated again so soon?  I first started having trouble with Malic Acid in late May- early June and only NOW is it fully tolerated again.  I just confirmed that last night.  

The answer to the above question is likely ADHS.  It is highly likely that stuff must be taken with Vitamin C to be tolerated.  Is there a combo that will allow me to reach permanent equilibrium?  I can only hope.  

I do know now that ADHS without sufficient C is NOT the answer either.  My morning workout yesterday (1.5 @ 10:50) was another collapse but just 12 hours later, I was MUCH BETTER because I loaded on C.  Then again, I know what happens if I take too much C for too long.  

I will have to experiment with several different combos and am prepared to endure a couple of rough days along the way.  Today's afternoon session provided strong evidence that caffeine depletes C.  Perhaps this is the final motivation that I need to quit those damn energy drinks for good.  It's possible that without caffeine, ADHS will be tolerated without C.  Who knows how this will play out but I have reason to hope.

Edit:  There is a possibility that after all this trial and error, I may be better off with no pills. It's becoming increasingly clear that ADHS is not the answer.

Training 10/6-10/12

 10/6- Vestavia Mile in 7:41.  I believe it's my best time of the year.  23 seconds faster than last time but still 11 away from the PR.  Pretty well paced with splits of 1:53-1:57-2:00-1:51.  No pills.  Pleased overall.  Added a warm and cool.

Just a little sluggish after taking the ADHS and Vitamin C when I got home.  I feel safer on at least some adrenal support but I may be better off without it.  

Can I cut off 42 more seconds?  If I am healthy enough to train at 30 MPW consistently, I think I have a realistic chance.

Distance-1.5

10/7- AM.  1.5 miles in 16:15 (10:50 pace).  FAIL!  Culprit is most probably ADHS.  That makes me feel really uneasy because it's a modulator.

PM- MUCH BETTER.  2 miles in 18:56 (9:28 pace). Perfect splits.  Vitamin C was the answer.  More to come in a separate post 

Distance-3.5

10/8- Repeated the 2 mile distance with a similar result.  Finished in 18:52 (9:26 pace) with a strong finish (9:37-9:15).  Malic Acid last night didn't hurt me but I am still significantly slower than last week probably due to the low Vitamin C.

PM- 1 Mile at Montreat in 9:38.  Looks ho hum but there is some interesting data under the surface.  I drank a Kickstart after I got home from the morning session and though I didn't collapse, I did feel a bit more sluggish.  Workout confirmed it 

Passed 2 laps in 6:37 (9:55 pace) at the same effort as this morning.  Figure that a 2 mile would be approaching 20 minutes instead of 19.  Popped a Vitamin C and definitely felt a boost.  Did the 3rd lap in 3:01 (9:03 pace).  Almost as good as last week.  Most of the questions have been answered.

Distance-3.0

10/9- AM.  2 Vitamin C alone was a DISASTER!  Quit after just half mile with a pace approaching 12.  Took an ADHS when I got home and it seemed to reverse itself.  Took 3 more C at work and it was obviously too much.  5 C to 1 ADHS is obviously too much C.  2-4 might work.  

PM- More tests.  No discernable reaction to Zinc or Liver.  Thym Adren may have helped a little.  Did a half lap in 1:49 (10:54 pace).  Popped an ADHS and improved all the way to 1:20 (8:00 pace).  I'm at a loss for words over this but it's increasingly likely that ADHS won't work for me.  Why?  I have no idea.  If I am to take any adrenal support, it must be Thym Adren.  Need for Vitamin C?  I don't know.  Perhaps, I will do best on nothing but I don't feel safe with that plan.  I won't try ADHS again until I am caffeine free 

Distance-1.0

10/10- No pills.  1 Mile at Heardmont in 9:41.  Splits were 5:01-4:40 and I did NOT take anything at the halfway point.  Meh.  I should do better tomorrow.

Distance-1.0

10/11- Hoped to run 3 but had to settle for 1.  Horrible without the C but much better with

Distance-1.0

10/12- Planned rest day.  It's confirmed now.  Vitamin C need and tolerance is affected by caffeine consumption.

10 miles

DC Day Trip Report

 Dang!  Just realized that I never got around to doing this blog post.  Anyway, not even close to an epic trip but still worth a share.

9/13- 6:30 flight direct from B'ham to Reagan National.  Landed at 9:40 with the time change.  No rental car is needed here.  The Metro is connected to the airport.  The route was Blue Line to L'Enfant then Green Line to Navy Yard.  My hotel was only about a half mile away from Nationals Park.  I dropped off my bag and started walking.

First stop was the Capitol and Supreme Court but I didn't actually go inside.  

From there, I walked through the National Mall to the Washington Monument, World War 2 memorial and got a view of the White House.  The only one that I actually went inside was the Lincoln Memorial.  

From there, I crossed the Potomac into Arlington to see the National cemetery, then took the Metro back to the Smithsonian Museum of American History.  I spent about 2 hours inside and saw exhibits about transportation and food production.  Pretty interesting.  

Because of the extra time at the Smithsonian, I had very little down time.  Almost as soon as I checked in at the hotel, it was time to leave for the game.  The home team lost again but I was rooting for Pittsburgh anyway.

After the game, I caught a river sunset then went back to the Mall for a different vibe at night.

9/14- My birthday and with the option of a direct flight home, I took it so I could see my parents.  

There was a bit of drama in the morning as the Metro didn't open until just after 6 and my flight was at 8:20.  Thankfully, there was almost no line at security and I made it to the gate with 30 minutes to spare.  

Today was a good day.  We went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse then had cake and ice cream at home.  

The next day wasn't so good.  I developed a stomach bug that got worse as the day progressed.  I was visibly sick on my flight home and took 2 days off work.  Fortunately, I was better by the end of the week.