Training 12/22-12/31

 12/22- Slept in but still managed 1.5 on Lakeshore in 13:09 (8:46 pace).  Sore muscles but more energy than recent days.  I think the adrenal support should remain a no at least for the time being.

Distance-1.5

Zinc and Autism

 More than a decade ago, I studied hair test patterns (Tissue Mineral Analysis) of autistic patients.  This was before I suspected that I was on the spectrum.  One common pattern that I observed was that almost everyone on the spectrum had a BADLY unbalanced Zinc/Copper ratio.  Usually, it was the Zinc that was low.  The Copper may have read high, but it was often bio unavailable.  

As for me, that pattern didn't show up until later, after I made a real effort to detox.  The Hulda Clark Liver cleanse that I did several times dumped toxic Copper out of my organs and into the tissues. Thus, my ratio fell way below normal.  I know that Malic Acid detoxifies Aluminum, which definitely played a role in my autoimmune reactions.  I wonder if it has any effect on Copper.  Does toxic Copper have any effect on autoimmune disease?  I suspect that the answer is yes.  I'll update this after more research.  

I tried to supplement with Zinc in the past, with unhappy results.  Usually, it triggered a need for another pill such as Chromium or Vitamin C.  I could not take one or the other.  It had to be both or neither and I chose the latter.  More recently, I was completely intolerant to Zinc UNLESS I had enough Malic Acid.

This really pisses me off!  It's a stretch to say that the solution was right in front of me but I couldn't tolerate it because of autoimmune reactions.  However, it is certain that a big piece of the puzzle was withheld from me until very recently.  At the age of 45, even if I ultimately do get healed, it's too late!  I'll never know how good I could have been if I had been fully healthy in my prime.  

As of now, I still have an insatiable need for Zinc.  Caffeine interferes with its absorption so the need may diminish if I ever can quit that stuff for good.  I have limited tolerance for adrenal support.  Taurine is not a game changer but I did see significant gains from it.  Stay tuned for updates.

Training 12/15-12/21

 12/15- Good news.  Getting better and better without the Zinc.  Opener today is down to 83 seconds (8:18 pace).  Popped just 1 Zinc and was all the way down to 68 (6:48 pace).  That's still WAY too much of a gap but at least that appears to be shrinking as well (18 vs 15).  I will try to gradually reduce the Zinc this week and re-introduce the adrenal support.  That's it for today.  Very cold weather outside.

Distance-0.5

12/16- Very poor.  1.5 miles in 17:42 (11:48 pace).  Back to the drawing board?

Distance-1.5

12/17- Interesting.  Opened with a poor 1:42 without Zinc but improved to 1:28 on 1 pill.  I expected continued improvement on a higher dose but actually went backwards (1:34) and got worse as the day progressed.  Initially, I thought I overshot with the Zinc.  Nope.  I have gone too many days without Malic Acid.  I can't tolerate the necessary pill without it 

PM- Immediately better after taking Malic Acid.  Workout wasn't good by any stretch but it was an improvement over yesterday.  1.5 miles in 15:28 (10:18 pace) with bad splits (7:27-8:01).

Distance-2.0

12/18-4x400 intervals

2 Zinc- 2:46

4 Zinc- 2:25

Not concerned with the pace.  Pleased to see improvement with more pills.  This is due to the Malic Acid

ADHS- 2:25- non-factor.  I would have gone backwards if I had taken more.

Taurine-2:17- Significant gain.  What to make of that?

Another interval session and again, I got a significant boost from Taurine

Distance-2.0

12/19- Junk 2 miles.  Don't even remember the time.

Distance-2.0

12/20- Planned rest day 

12/21- 2.5 miles in 24:16 (9:42 pace). Added a warm and cool.  Marginally better than last week 

Distance-3.0

11 miles 

Training 12/8-12/14

 12/8- 1 Mile in 11:56 on Lakeshore with splits of 5:38-6:18.  Going backwards.  Why?

Distance-1.0

12/9- Opener with a 1:50 (11:00 pace).  Then leaped to a 1:32 on Zinc (9:12 pace).  Popped 2 adrenal pills (ADHS) and slipped to 1:36 (9:36 pace).  Barely significant but I felt weakened and it likely turns ugly over a longer distance.  Thym Adren made it worse.  Must stay off adrenal support for now.  Those pills do contain Zinc antagonists.

PM- Tested methylation pills after work.  I was slightly better WITH but not enough to be significant (77.8 VS 76.2) in a sprint 

Distance-1.0

12/10- 4x half mile on Lakeshore with an overall time of 19:22 (9:41 pace).

0 Zinc- 5:47

1 Zinc- 4:54

2 Zinc- 4:32

3 Zinc- 4:09

Expected greater improvement from 1 pill to 2 but I did NOT level off from 2-3.  I will take nothing but Zinc going forward.

Distance-2.0

12/11-Half Mile at Vestavia without Zinc in 5:49.  Only slightly worse if I take just 1 ADHS. 

Distance-0.5

12/12- Opened with a 1:52 then improved less than usual to a 1:40 on Zinc.

PM- Took 4 pills during the day then added 2 more on the run.  Lakeshore 1.5 in 14:58 (9:59 pace). First half in 7:54, second half in 7:04 (9:25 pace).  The more Zinc I take, the better I feel but it's as if my system resets after a night's sleep 

Distance-2.0

12/13- Split decision.  Much better in my opener.  Down to 1:36 but had NOTHING in my real workout and quit after 2 minutes.  Culprit was Vitamin C.  It was a non-factor until recently.  Now, apparently, it is a Zinc antagonist.  Turned to caffeine to deplete it and may face withdrawal again.

Distance-0.5

12/14- 3 miles on Lakeshore in 29:51 (9:57 pace) on all Zinc.  Decent pacing (9:53-9:56-10:02).  I'm sticking with this formula and will try to gradually reduce the dose so I don't overshoot.  Don't be stupid with the caffeine.

Distance-3.0

10 miles.

Training 12/1-12/7

 12/1- 1 Mile on Lakeshore in 11:43 (5:41-6:02).  Worse than expected.  It seems like I get quick gains from Zinc but it fades fast and I need more and more to get through the day.

Distance-1.0

12/2- Repeated the 1 Mile distance this time at Montreat.  Improved to 10:24.  No cause for celebration but pleased with this improvement.  Splits were 3:33-3:25-3:26.

Distance-1.0

12/3- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 14:30 (9:40 pace).  Continued steady progress.  I'll take it.  Splits were 7:17-7:13.  Still loading on Zinc but the positive effects last longer.

PM- 3 half lappers in the dark at Montreat.  Opened with a 1:43 (10;18 pace).  Improved to 1:22 on Zinc (8:12 pace).  MINUS 2:06!  Followed it with a 1:23 on Vitamin C.  Only fractionally slower so that's a non-factor.  I did NOT expect such a big gap and don't know what to make of it.  I'll know more tomorrow 

Distance-2.0

12/4- Earliest sunset of the year.  Workout was in the AM.  Half lap in 1:48 (10:48 pace) and marginally slower on Probiotics.  I'll skip both that and Vitamin C.  This was without Zinc.  Not pleased that I fell this far after just 12 hours 

Real workout was a repeat of yesterday.  Improved to 14:04 (9:23 pace) with a slight fade at the end (6:58-7:06).  A gain is a gain but I was hoping for better.  I may need another small tweak.

Distance-2.0

12/5- Planned rest day.  Not feeling well at all.

12/6- AM- 1 Mile on Lakeshore in 11:21.  Passed halfway in 5:55 then popped a Zinc and improved only to a 5:26.  Significant but not a game changer.  Learned that caffeine interferes with Zinc absorption.  That explains it.

PM- 2 sprints.  64 without Zinc and 54 with it.  Greater effect after just a few hours off caffeine.  Perhaps I won't need it as much going forward.

Distance-1.5

12/7- 2.5 miles in 28:30 (11:24 pace).  OUCH!  At least I finished it 

Distance-2.5

-10 miles 

Health News

 Before I went to Florida, I was in a predicament in which there were days that I benefitted from Vitamin C and other days in which I could not tolerate it.  It was likely NOT an autoimmune issue.  Too much Vitamin C triggered Iron Overload.  Perhaps it was helpful for detox.  I also read that fructose increases Iron absorption.  Switching from Red Bull to Coke to reduce caffeine actually made things worse.  Red Bull is sweetened with glucose while American Coke is loaded with high fructose corn syrup.

The solution to that problem is either blood donation or Inositol.  I had BIG problems with the latter before I took care of the autoimmune issues.  This time it worked.  After just a few days on it, I had no discernable reaction to either Coke or Vitamin C.  YES!  

I did run twice when I was with Mom.  Both times, I tested reactions to pills.  The first day, I only did 1 Mile with quick stops at each quarter to pop pills.  Nothing had a significant impact as my splits ranged from 2:05-2:11.  I was actually marginally faster on the C.  The next day didn't go as well.  I passed the Mile in 8:49 then popped a Zinc and was significantly weakened.  It took nearly 11 minutes to complete the back half.  Towards the end of my time at home, I was beginning to have trouble with other pills but C remained tolerated.  

Since I didn't expect to stay with Mom for so long, I didn't even pack all of my pills and I knew that I was suffering due to lack of a key pill.  When I got home, I took all of the methylation supps and got no discernable reaction.  However, after just a pinch of straight Malic Acid, I was significantly better.  Most probably, I just need it for maintenance.  Occasional use should be all I need to keep the toxic metal buildup in check.  I can live with that.  

I woke up today feeling dazed and drugged in addition being overstimulated.  I went to the track and opened with a poor 2:27 first lap (9:48 pace).  Popped 2 ADHS and it was a game changer.  Improved to 2:08 (8:32 pace).  Switched to 200s after that.  Zinc got me down to 56 seconds for 200 (7:28 pace).  Even if that pace wasn't sustainable, I'm sure that a 400 would have been well under 2:00.  That's another significant gain.  Did a 54 on Probiotics and a 53 on Vitamin C.  Not significant.  Did another 200 untimed as a cool down.

Going forward, as long as I take occasional Malic Acid, the plan is adrenal support plus Zinc.  The only matter to be resolved is whether I should take ADHS or Thym Adren.  I'll update this tomorrow.

Update:  Today, I was beyond awful without the Zinc or adrenal support.  Zinc by itself brought me down from a 2:17 to a 2:00.  I expected another significant gain from Thym Adren.  It didn't happen.  Only managed a 1:58.  No discernable improvement from ADHS either.  Adrenal support doesn't seem to matter.  The need for Zinc is insatiable 

Death in the Family

 My Dad was the one person in my life that I absolutely could not do without when I was growing up.  Where would I be without him?  Just the thought gives me chills.  Needless to say, I am devastated by this loss.  

He had not been well for the last few years but I expected him to hang on for at least another year or two.  I'm SO GLAD that I took the 2 day layover back home from DC on my birthday.  That was 2 months before he died and the last time I had a conversation with him.

He took a fall in mid-October, which caused a
brain bleed and one thing led to another.  He developed a septic infection and pneumonia.  After reading up on it, I knew the prognosis was poor.  Even if he made it, he would have been a vegetable and lived out his last few months in a nursing home.  He never would have wanted that to happen.  It was later revealed that he had a spot on his pancreas that may have been cancerous.  I'm convinced that it was simply his time and there was nothing that could have saved him.  Even still, I thought he'd hang on for another week or 2 until Thanksgiving.

I volunteered to go home for Veteran's Day weekend but Mom said no, and I went to North Florida as I often do that weekend.  It was a good but not great trip to Flagler and Amelia Island with a stop at Okefenokee Swamp Park on the way back.  I got home on Veterans Day then worked the next day at the office.  That afternoon, I got a call from Mom.  Come home ASAP.  I left the next morning before dawn and made it to the hospital just a few hours before he passed.

I was close to my grandmother and confided in her things that I never told my parents.  I got to see her 2 weeks before she passed.  She was still coherent and I did get to tell her how I felt.  With Dad, there was no proper goodbye.  Though I had heard the bad reports, nothing could prepare me for seeing him at the hospital at death's door.  He tried to sit up and grunted at me but he was no longer able to talk.  At least he knew that I was there.

We got some lunch at the cafeteria then returned to the room for a couple hours.  Mom and I took a walk around the hospital for maybe 15 minutes.  When we got back, we heard a last gasp, almost as if he waited until we got back to pass away.  When I realized that he was gone, I completely lost it and bawled my eyes out.  I'm not at all ashamed to admit it.  

I initially planned to say my goodbye then come back for the funeral after Thanksgiving.  Since it happened so fast, we had the funeral the next Monday and Tuesday.  I stayed with Mom through Thanksgiving.  No reason to go back to B'ham for just 3 days then return to my Mom's house.  I certainly couldn't be alone or leave Mom without me.  Time to get back to real life now with a new normal.  I figure that it will take time to get back into my routine.

Training 11/3-11/9

 11/3- Interesting episode yesterday.  I felt a discernable positive reaction to Vitamin C.  I loaded on caffeine to see if it would be tolerated.  It wasn't.  Also, extra C made things WORSE, not better.

Forced rest day today.  Reduced the caffeine and found Vitamin C tolerated again.

11/4- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 18:44 (9:22 pace).  Took pills every half mile.  Opened with a 5:02 on just ADHS.  2 Probiotics got me down to 4:50.  I was expecting a non-factor but this is borderline significant.  1 Vitamin C got me down to 4:37 and a 2nd C yielded a 4:15.  Interesting!

Distance-2.0

11/5- Today I couldn't tolerate Vitamin C.  What else is new?  Yesterday's medicine is today's poison.  Even without the autoimmune issues, caffeine is still a factor in Vitamin C metabolism.  Attempted a run but died within 2 minutes and slow jogged home 

Distance-0.5

11/6- Ugly 1.5 on Lakeshore with no pills.  Finished in 16:23 (10:55 pace) with a slight positive split (8:08-8:15) but did have to hold in diarrhea.  Trying to gradually reduce the sugar.

Distance-1.5

Done for the week.  The intolerance to C is likely related to Iron Overload.  I can fix that provided that my autoimmune issues remain in check.

2026 Road Trip Ideas

 The non-baseball destinations now.  There are really only 3 more bucket list trips in the Continental US besides the aforementioned Great Lakes trip, where I hope to see 2 new parks.

All 3 are summer destinations and there's no way that I can do all of them in one year.  If I do the Great Lakes trip instead of the Chicago and Milwaukee, I may have to choose just one.

Utah/Colorado- 4 National Parks in as many days.  Fly to Grand Junction.  Arches and Canyon Lands followed by Mesa Verde and Gunnison Canyon.  I really haven't explored much of western Colorado beyond Breckenridge.

PCH- Fly to San Francisco and take the Pacific Coast Highway down to Manhattan Beach, just outside of LAX.  Stops will include Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Santa Barbara and Malibu.

Washington State-3 more National Parks.  Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades

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

10/28- Repeated the 2 mile distance this time with 2 ADHS.  Improved only modestly to 18:46 (9:23 pace) with even splits (9:22-9:24).  At least I didn't collapse but this one should have been better.  Perhaps the Vitamin C should be cut.  Rainy day tomorrow so it will likely be my rest day.

Distance-2.0

10/29- Bad reaction to Quercetin last night but probably not an autoimmune reaction.  I felt overstimulated and Thym Adren helped.  It likely would not have helped if it was autoimmune.  That's probably why I didn't improve much yesterday.  I was slightly weakened by 1 dose while multiple doses put me out 

Today I went with ADHS though Thym Adren likely was a better choice.  Got a break in the weather this evening and I squeezed in 1 Mile at Montreat in 8:47.  Took an extra ADHS after the first lap and Zinc after the 2nd lap.  Splits were 3:05-2:54-2:48.  The difference between the first and second lap is enough to be significant.  The second and third lap is borderline.  I'm prepared to load on Zinc to see if I feel a discernable difference.

Distance-1.0

10/30- 1 Mile in 9:50 this time at Vestavia.  First half in 5:18.  Popped a Vitamin C and improved to 4:32 on the back half.  Much less horrible but that's still baaauhd!  ADHS must be taken with C.  Probiotics must be taken with Taurine.  Much better after taking Melatonin after work.  I don't know!

Distance-1.0

10/31- 1.5 on Lakeshore in 17:51 (11:54 pace).  Opened with a 5:42 for the first half mile then slowed to 6:37 after 2 ADHS.  Melatonin did help but it wasn't enough.  Improved only to 5:32 so it did little more than offset the ill-effects from the ADHS.  Culprit is either caffeine or Fulvic Acid.

Distance-1.5

11/1- Vulcan 10K and I was a DNS.  Didn't sign up so that's good.  I'm nearly certain that the Fulvic Acid needs to go.  I read yesterday that indeed it can trigger autoimmune reactions and that explains why I benefitted from the Malic Acid and the Melatonin.  Repeated the 1.5 miles on no pills and improved to 14:57 (9:58 pace) with splits of 7:37-7:20.  I did push it at the end and then hamstring was a little sore but no real concern.

Update- Took ADHS without the C and had no discernable reaction.  Nearly 100 percent sure that I found the culprit.  Fulvic Acid.

Distance-1.5

11/2- Deuces wild!  2 miles in 22:22 (11:11 pace).  Step backwards from yesterday.  Culprit is likely lack of Vitamin C.  Some good news.  Adrenal support didn't really matter.  Passed 1 Mile in 11-flat but splits were 5:15-5:45.  Popped an ADHS pill and did the next half mile in 5:41.  Slightly better than the previous half but not significant.  Popped a Thym Adren and repeated the 5:41.  

Pills that gave me fits earlier in the week are now non-factors.  Good news.  If anything, they were slightly beneficial by preventing me from fading further.

Distance-2.0

11 miles total