Ceruloplasmin test #6

Less than 24 hours after I showed up at the lab to get stuck with a needle again, I have received the results.  This time, I opted for the ceruloplasmin only in order to save money.  The result was a score of 23.0, which is 92% of the low edge of “healthy.”  That’s short of the 23.8 that I was shooting for but I’ll take it.  It’s an increase of 1.9 units in 19 days or exactly 0.1 per day, which is on par with previous increases.  I had feared that the zinc and whole food C that I had been taking would interfere with the production of new ceruloplasmin but that was not the case.  Good news there.  My first test was a 17.9 back in July and as recently as early October, it was only 18.2.

I have little doubt that another 3 weeks of treatment with the Liver Beef would pull me up to the magic number of 25 but if you’ve been reading my training log, you know that’s not an option.  The fatigue is simply intolerable and towards the end, even the adrenal glandular did not provide much relief.  In my last attempt to run, I was honestly trying my best and could not better 31 minutes for 3 miles.  My personal record for that distance is 18:29, set during a 5K time trial in early September.

Okay, so if my copper numbers are getting better and better all around, why do I feel worse and worse?  This underscores my point that a complete picture is necessary to determine the status of one’s health.  Until I get good results in the Zn/Cu/Mag panel as well as the hair and neurotransmitter tests, symptoms will be present.  While one measure may be improving, others are getting worse and vice versa.  I expect to get the hair test results within 2 weeks, which should reveal the cause of the fatigue.  I can see 2 possibilities: 

1)      A flip to slow oxidation.  That’s my hope and something that I had thought of many times before but it has yet to happen.  Why might this time be different?  The copper, choline, zinc, and Vitamin A are designed to lower tissue Na and K.  Add to that my Cal/Mag combo, which also lowers Na and K and has also increased the fatigue in recent days.  In theory, simply modulating my adrenals with ADHS and staying off the liver will almost certainly re-build adrenal function and raise my Na and K to normal levels.  That is a path to ultimate victory.

2)      More toxic metals such as cadmium or mercury being released into my tissues.  If these toxins were stuck in my liver, which is no doubt stronger now, it is a good thing that they are out but it will take time for them to clear out of my tissues and the fast oxidation may actually look worse than usual on this test.  That’s fixable but a long and difficult process.

3)      The final question that needs to be answered is this:  I do believe that although it may take several months, I can get the Cp up to 25 by simply taking the liver pill once per week.  Will such a low dose produce symptoms?  What will happen to my ceruloplasmin if I stay off the liver over the long haul?  Can I maintain it in the mid-20s or will it fall back to the 18-range again?  If the latter is true, I’ll have to do the whole thing again with the liver pill.  That would SUCK!  Overall, I feel better about my prognosis.

2014 review

Not really looking forward to writing this post but here it is.
Last year's stats:
17-33 with a 2.47 GPA and 1,754 miles
This year's stats:
22-28 with a 2.60 GPA and 1,758 miles.
   It's an improvement but it's like an NFL team going from 4-12 to 5-11.  If this does not turn around within the next few months, I'll declare myself semi-retired.  I'll still run but only when I feel like it and my racing will be limited to low-key local events but this blog will continue for at least the next 3 months.

Highlights:
-set an unofficial PR for 5K in training with a 19:09 on a magical day in September.
-course PR at Peachtree in Atlanta (41:54). My 3rd time racing this course and this was my best time by more than 30 seconds.
-Picked up 2 more states in the 10K (Tennessee and Kentucky) and now have just 1 to go.
-Picked up 3 more states in the half marathon (Virginia, Indiana, Oklahoma) plus my first international race in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  I have 4 states to go and am committed to finishing this goal in 2016 even if it is as a casual jogger.

January:
I was just a few days short of quitting at the end of last year when I was headed towards complete intolerance to my supplements before I learned of the Hulda Clark liver cleanse.  I opened the year with 2 impressive wins but injured my hip and was down for the better part of the next 3 weeks.

February:
Returned just in time to participate at Mercedes.  I opted for the 5K, where I took advantage of soft competition to score an age group award then ran a leg of the marathon relay.  The liver cleanse removed a lot of toxic copper from my liver but it leaked into my tissues and forced me to turn to an adrenal glandular temporarily.

March:
Began building some momentum when I was able to switch back to the Thym-Adren but became intolerant to copper and turned to molybdenum, which was successful for a short time.

April:
Traveled to Roanoke, Virginia for the Blue Ridge half marathon (America's Toughest road course).  Time was not important on such a course but my performance was decent and it was a good trip overall.

May:
I was hoping to build on my performance at Roanoke towards my goal race in Nova Scotia but it was not to be.  Again, it was good and enjoyable trip but my extreme sensitivity ruined my race and I limped in with a 1:43.  Shortly thereafter, the molybdenum stopped working and I was again intolerant to copper.

June:
Hair test revealed the the tissue copper had normalized but cadmium toxicity flared up.  Again, I was forced to take the adrenal glandular temporarily.

July:
Peachtree 10K in a CR.  Blood test showed normal copper but a very low ceruloplasmin and high unbound copper.  The rest of the year would be dedicated to solving that issue.

August-September:
Extreme sensitivity to Cal/Mag and had my worst race ever at the Franklin Classic 10K (49:30).  Adding taurine reduced my sensitivity to Cal/Mag and reduced my toxic copper but did little for my low ceruloplasmin.

October:
Tried a liver glandular supplement, which was initially helpful and allowed for perhaps my best race of the season.  I ran a 41:28 on a hilly course in Bowling Green Kentucky but soon after had to quit the liver pill.  The good news was that ceruloplasmin had begun to rise.

November:
First sub-95 half marathon since January '13 in Indianapolis and reached the 20 mark in states but it was a downer 3 weeks later in Tulsa (1:37).  Ceruloplasmin continued to rise but feel worse overall.

December:
Pretty much shut it down as my energy was shot for most of this month.  Perhaps with normal liver function, the adrenal balance will work smoothly and I will be able to maintain my ceruloplasmin level without liver pills.  I won't know where I stand as far as adrenal function for another few weeks. I am hoping for slow oxidation, NOT toxic metals.

Tentative 2015 racing schedule:
February 28- Phoenix half marathon (state #22)
March/April- A Kentucky half.  Depending on family obligations, it will be in either Lexington in March or Louisville in April. (state #23)
October- Greenville, South Carolina half (state #24)
November- Texarkana 10K, which will be my 10th and last 10K state.

I want State #25 to be special so I'll save it for 2016.  It will be in Anchorage, Alaska, which is somewhere that I would go regardless of my running status.

Training 12/22-12/31

I have little to gain at the point with a win in the final week so I'm sticking with the liver pill in an effort to normalize my ceruloplasmin.  Garbage paced runs will probably be all that I will be able to do but I should have enough strength to beat last year's mileage total.  I need 22 to tie and 23 to beat it.

  The test will be done on the morning of 12/31.  A score of 25 or higher may be too much to ask 3 weeks after a 21.1 but I do think a 23.8 or better (within the 5% error) is likely given how aggressive I have been.  After that point, it my sincere and realistic hope that I will be done with the liver pills forever and I can maintain the Cp at or near the edge of the healthy range.  If not, I could live with simply taking it once per week for maintenance.  As for the adrenals, I won't know for sure until I get the hair test results back, which may not be until the middle of next month.  I will NOT BE AT ALL WORRIED IF THEY ARE TANKED.  I am a natural fast oxidizer and I KNOW that I can restore that simply by staying off the liver pills with their copper, Vitamin A and choline.  I'll just take a modulator plus magnesium for maintenance.  I will declare victory given that scenario.  If I am still a fast oxidizer and there is another reason for my current symptoms such as toxic metals, I'm in BIG trouble and I will probably retire if it doesn't turn around soon.

12/22- AM.  1 mile in 9:30 but learned quite a bit.  First half mile without the Endodren was a 5:04 then improved to a 4:26 after popping 1 pill.  If I remain on the liver without adrenal support, I CANNOT break 10 minutes for 1 mile.  With adrenal support, I will be somewhat better.

PM- Gold's 5 mile in 48:53 (9:47 pace).  Strangely, I am really NOT too depressed lately even though my running is arguably the worst it's ever been the last 2 weeks.  No doubt that the increased ceruloplasmin has radically altered my chemistry.  Only 8 more days on the liver pill and improvement should be strong and steady thereafter.  Need to knock out 17 more miles this year.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/23- AM 2 miles in 16:42 (8:21 pace).  Continued improvement with adrenal support.  I'll go backwards from here after I take the liver for the day.  15 miles to go.  I should get it done in 3 sessions.

PM- Laughably bad again.  Did not even take a liver pill but did take Mag, which also slows the adrenals and took no more adrenal glandular.  Gold's 5 in 49:40 (9:56 pace) and had to rally in the last mile just to stay under 10.  I need only 9 miles to tie last year and 10 to beat it.  3 more sessions ought to do it then I will shut it down.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=7.0

12/24- Planned rest day.  I've accepted that I will not see any improvement until I get off the liver.

12/25- Planned rest day.  Only 5 days to go.

12/26- 3 miles untimed at garbage pace but I am 3 miles closer to the goal.  Need 6 to tie and I hope to put a cap on this year over the weekend.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/27- AM-3 miles in 31:27 (10:29 pace).  3 more garbage miles to go.  I will continue to get worse on the liver.  Only 3 more days to go.

PM- Got through another 3 miles and this time I did not even take my watch.  I have just tied my mileage total from last year and will break it on the 31st.  I cannot hold on any longer with the liver pill.  I have got to quit taking it on Monday instead of Wednesday so I can end the year on the upswing.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/28- Planned rest day.  Test is tomorrow.  No matter what the result, I'm not taking the liver pill more than once per week. I will take my last liver pill as soon as I wake up in the morning.

12/29- Planned rest day.  Took the last liver pill this morning and I cannot stand it another day.  I may get the test results on the 31st.  It doesn't even feel like living today, just existing.  I expect to be marginally better tomorrow.

12/30- AM First day off the liver.  Did not expect or even want a sudden overnight turnaround.  Rather, I want to see a slow and steady climb out of this hole.  That said, I do feel better than expected this morning and though it is a planned rest day, I may run a couple easy after work.

PM- 3 miles at Gold's and my time is down to 25:53 (8:38 pace).  I'll take it.  Slow and steady.  I'm hoping for a sub-8 Mile tomorrow morning.  I have passed my mileage total from last year.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/31- Closed out the year with a HARD mile in 7:06.5.  Splits were 2:21-2:25-2:20.  This might sound strange but I am actually concerned that my progress has been too quick.  The last thing I want is to be sub-6 tomorrow then over 9 again by the end of the week.  Glad this year is over!
Grade;D+/1 credit/distance=1.0

Weekly summary:
It's over.
Distance=26.0/ GPA= 5.6/5= 1.12
Final stats:
22 wins, 28 losses.  GPA= 2.60.  1,758 miles.

Training 12/15-12/21 (possible race)

I'm hoping for a win this week just for pride and I do think I have a decent chance at it.  If I do race, it will be a local 5K and a fairly low-key deal.
New theory about the zinc/copper sensitivity:
It could be the cadmium toxicity, which may be reduced by selenium.  I am very interested to see the results of the hair test.  Cadmium was high on my last test and there is a chance that it may be preventing me from tolerating the Thym-Adren.  We'll see if it came down.  The only change on Monday will be the adjustment to zinc/copper ratio.

12/15- Went with the 10:1 zinc/copper ratio and it was an improvement.  1 mile quickie in 6:30 at moderate effort.  I know that the 10:1 will help and the selenium probably won't have any effect.

PM- SICK.  Awful sore throat.  Don't feel like doing anything but sleeping.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=1.0

12/16- Unplanned rest day.  Still too weak to run.  The sore throat and chills have diminished but the malaise is still there and the congestion is setting in.  I think it's viral and the only thing I can do is let it run its course.  I blame the low zinc, which has weakened my immune system.

12/17- Garbage 2 miler at Gold's in 19:56 (9:58 pace) plus a cool.  Even with a mild viral infection, I should be better than this.  I believe it must be the excess liver and will cut it from 2:3 down to 1:1.5.  I'm going to lose my 5th in a row.  Got some whole food Vitamin C in an attempt to reduce the sensitivity.  I don't think I hurt myself by running today and my year end stats will look a tad better as a result.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/18 AM-  HARD 2 miler in 16:52 (8:26 pace).  Improved by 3:04 literally overnight by cutting the liver from 3 pills down to 1.5.  Did the first half mile without zinc in 4:21 (8:42 pace) then proceeded to run the next 1.5 in 12:31 (8:21 pace) so there was not a radical difference and I credit the whole food C.  More thoughts to come later.

PM- 3 miles in 23:28 (7:49 pace).  This is a statistically significant improvement in pace over double the distance.  What made the difference?  It was the adrenal glandular (stimulant).  It made me feel jittery and angry at work today but I calmed down in time for the workout.  What to make of this?
Jury is still out but there is a chance that the new whole food C will reduce the zinc/copper sensitivity.  That would be excellent news.  Why did the adrenal glandular help?  Of course, the dream is that I am a slow oxidizer now but it could very well be more toxic metals.  I won't know until I get the hair test results.  I'm predicting a mixed pattern with slow thyroid and mild fast adrenals.
Grade:C/2 credit/distance=5.5

12/19- Gold's 4 in 30:57 (7:44 pace).  Even pace (15:26-15:31) but a very mediocre performance overall and only marginally better than yesterday.  Formula was the same with the exception of ADHS(modulator) instead of the adrenal glandular.  Tomorrow, I'm going to run before I take the liver pill.  Within 33 miles of matching last year's total.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.5

12/20- AM.  FAILURE!  1 mile in 10:00.  I believe that Calcium was the culprit.  I can't wait until the end of the year when I can quit the liver pill.  I believe my tissue potassium has tanked.

PM- Garbage 2 miler on the 'mill and my time is down to 18:44 (9:22 pace).  30 miles to go.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/21- AM- Easy 6 at a pace over 10:00.
PM- Tacked on 2 more also at garbage pace.  22 to go.
Grade:E/2 credit/distance=8.0

Weekly summary:
I'm sticking with the liver pill even though it is likely tanking my adrenals in hopes that I will no longer have to take it in 2015.
Distance=25.0/ GPA= 1.00
YTD: 1,732 miles.  Record: 22-27 with a 2.62 GPA

Zinc/copper panel test #5

This test underscores the importance of regular testing.  It cost me $139 but it was worth every penny and MAYBE some day soon, I won't need to test so often.  The plan of alternating Thym-Adren with the liver pill will NOT work long-term.  Here are the raw numbers:

Ceruloplasmin- 21.1 (PR).  1st time I've posted a score above 20.

Copper-74

Zinc-68

Bound copper- 63.3 (21.1*3)

Unbound copper-10.7 (74-63.3)

Unbound Cu percentage- 10.7/74= 14%

Zinc/copper ratio= 68/74= 0.92

Ceruloplasmin-  This is a rise of 1.2 points in the last 5 weeks although I had only taken the liver pill for less than 2 of those weeks.  I said that I would be pleased with anything north of 20 and I got it.  As recently as late September, it was only an 18.2 so it's up by 2.9 points even though during that time, I took the liver pill for a grand total of less than 4 weeks.  That is still sub-optimal however.  It needs to be at least 25.  This is especially important as I clear the unbound copper.  Even if all of the unbound copper is gone, the total can drop no lower than 75 and if it drops to 5 units, my total copper will be at 80, which is the low end of the healthy range.

Total copper- This was a big surprise.  Total copper fell from 85 units (healthy) to 74, which is low which means that while bound copper rose by 3.6 units, unbound copper dropped by a staggering 14.7 units.  What to make of it?  I credit the glutathione, which is a much stronger detoxifier than taurine and too strong to be taken without the liver pill.  The optimal range of unbound copper is 5-15 units or 5-20% so as of today, I AM NO LONGER COPPER TOXIC!!  Still, I remain 6 units below the optimal.  As posted above, all I need to do is get the ceruloplasmin up and I've got it.

Zinc-  This is the source of the recent suckage and a reason to vent not just about my situation but the millions of people who are within the lab's reference range but feel terrible.  The reference range is 56-134 but the optimal range is 90-120.  I am 22 units below it.  I believe the liver pill, which has been great for building ceruloplasmin, has depleted my system of zinc.  I was 113 as recently as September 30 of this year and have lost a mind-boggling 45 units in just 9 weeks. No wonder I've been strugg-a-ling so much!   Now on to the rant:

A patient could come back with lab values of 60 in zinc and 140 in copper with a ceruloplasmin of 20 and be told that they are normal.  That would mean that 80/140 units are unbound (15+ is toxic) and a zinc/copper ratio of 0.43 (healthy is 1.0-1.3).  That's right, it's possible for a patient to be "normal" with a ratio less than half of ideal. Mine is 0.92, which is low but not terrible.  It's better for both zinc and copper to be low than have one healthy and one deficient.  Consider the following analogy:

A healthy weight for a 6 ft tall man is about 160-180 pounds.  Does that mean that a 350 pounder is "normal"? Why not?  He's less than twice the upper end of the optimal range. The "reference range" for height and weight would probably be 5 ft. 4"- 6 ft. 6" with a weight "reference range" of 120-320 lbs.  Can you imagine telling a man who is 5 ft. 4" and 320 lbs or someone else who is 6 ft. 6" and 120 lbs that they are "normal" in terms of body composition?  People with severe chemical imbalances are just as sick on the inside as an obese or anorexic person appears on the outside but often look healthy.  I hear it all the time.  "You have such a nice build. OR You look fast.  I'd never believe that you were sick."  That's why I call an MD a "mineral denialist."

Plan:

Thym-Adren-  This will raise my zinc and take care of any deficiency that I have and do so quickly but especially if I remain on the taurine, the copper will continue to fall and ceruloplasmin will remain flat.  In other words, I'll always be copper deficient.  Not so good.

Liver Beef- Will raise both my copper and ceruloplasmin but exacerbate the zinc deficiency to extreme levels.

In other words, my system will reject the Thym-Adren because of copper issues and reject the Liver Beef because of zinc issues.  No win situation right?  Wrong.   I'm going with 15 mg of zinc in addition to my liver glandular.  MAYBE that will solve it.  Again, ceruloplasmin will rise almost a full unit per week on the liver.  Within 5 weeks, it ought to be very close to the magic number of 25 units.  From there, all I have to do is maintain.

I've ordered a hair test but may not know the results until after the end of the year.  I'm not worried about my adrenals going haywire without the Thym-Adren.  The liver pill contains Vitamin A, copper and choline, which are all good for fast oxidizers.  There's got to be a reason why my system rejected Thym-Adren + liver this time around but did not last round.  COULD IT BE THAT MY ADRENALS ARE NORMALIZING?  I'll know soon enough.  I'm not getting my hopes up too high but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel.  These past 2 years have been horrible overall and have sucked too!

Training 12/8-12/14 (possible race)

12/8 AM- 2 mile quickie in 15:40 with a steady 7:50 pace.  I'm not complaining about another improvement of more than 1:00/mile literally overnight.  Went with no Thym-Adren and just 1 liver pill with glutathione.  I did take 1 serving of Cal/Mag.  I expect to run 3-4 this evening at a similar pace, maybe slightly faster.

PM- Easy 4 in 30:49 (7:42 pace).  Double the distance from this morning at a slightly faster pace but I still don't feel good about this one.  It should have been better considering that I've been off Thym-Adren for 36 hours.  I may have to up my liver dosage, which would be fine with me.  I KNOW that my ceruloplasmin will rise as a result of that.  Speaking of which, the testing will be done tomorrow and I will get the results by the end of the week.  Cp had BETTER be on the north side of 20 especially since I've been on the liver for 5 days.  I really don't care if my unbound copper is high.  I know I can bring that down.  I will try again to quit sugar tomorrow.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/9- Unplanned rest day.  Took a 2nd liver pill and began feeling better then got greedy and took a 3rd, which was a disaster.  Did not even attempt a workout.  I was sugar free today and got tested.  I really do enjoy getting stuck with a needle but if the Cp is close to 25, I may not need to do it much longer.

12/10- VERY POOR!  3 miles in 25:21 (8:27 pace) and needed to rally at the end for a sub-8:30 overall.  Faded badly at the end too.  Splits were 12:20-13:01.  Cut the liver pills from 3 to 2 and it wasn't enough.  That does it.  I'm going back to the Thym-Adren no matter what the lab results.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/11- AM Back on the Thym-Adren and improved significantly.  2 miles in 14:56 (7:28 pace) with splits of 7:32-7:24.  Anxiously awaiting the lab results.

PM- Lakeshore 5 in 38:32 (7:42 pace).  Not half bad for a standard issue run.  Strong negative split too.  1st half : 19:27, 2nd half: 19:05.  Took some zinc and ate a high copper protein bar.  The results are in:
Ceruloplasmin 21.1 (+1.2) but still sub-optimal
Copper- 74 (-11) low
Zinc-68 (low)
More to come in a separate post.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0

12/12- 1st day on new formula (zinc+ liver).  1 liver pill was not enough and I knew it before the workout.  Felt a lot better on 2 liver so that means that my Cp could rise even faster than I predicted.  Workout was a 3 mile tempo at Golds in a time of 19:55 (6:38 pace).  That time would be acceptable in a 5K but not a 3 mile.  This is equivalent to about 20:40 for a full 5K and a "C" grade in a race setting but it was probably my best showing overall since Tulsa.  Added a glacial cool down.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=4.0

12/13- Just wanted a non-horrible MLR and I got it today.  Run with the slow gnomes, who are not arrogant and are a friendlier group but often talk about things I don't care about.  Did the Trak Shak 8 plus the Dexter loop for a total of 10 miles in a time of 78:45 (7:52 pace).  First double digit run since Tulsa and I've hit 30 on the week for the first time in a while.  I was hoping to do a little better today but I'll take it.  I got slightly worse after taking a morning Cal/Mag.  Hmm.  I believe it's the Cal, not the Mag that is the issue.  Maybe a 500/750 combo, which suggests that my tissue potassium may be normalizing.
Grade:C+/2 credit/distance=10.0

12/14- Gold's 5 in a solid time of 36:50 (7:22 pace).  Better but I still feel "off."  The only difference in the formula was cutting the Cal from 750 to 500.  The zinc/copper balance is still not right.  15 mg zinc with 1 liver pill favors zinc too much.  Adding a 2nd liver pill seems to favor copper too much.  Tomorrow, I'm going with 30 mg zinc and 3 liver pills, which is roughly a 10:1 ratio.  Again, it is RIDICULOUS that 1 pill makes that much difference.  I'm not aware of anything for sensitivity to zinc/copper but the Cal/Mag is still okay.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
I've clinched another losing season.  Bring on 2015.
Distance=35.0/ GPA= 19.3/8= 2.41
YTD= 1,707 miles.  Record: 22-26 with a 2.66

Zinc and copper sensitivity

As of now, it appears that I will have to rotate 3 key treatments:

1)      Thym-Adren (20:1 Zn/Cu ratio)

2)      ADHS (10:1 Zn/Cu ratio)

3)      Liver glandular (unknown ratio but favors copper)

Here’s how the cycle goes:

Start out on Thym-Adren, which does have a small amount of defatted liver tissue and may support a slight rise in ceruloplasmin.  Unbound copper and total copper will fall especially if I take taurine.  I posted earlier that a Cp value around 20 is acceptable but I no longer believe that.  A Cp value of 20 means that only 60 units of copper are bound (20*3) so as the unbound copper falls, the total copper will slip below the healthy range (80-100).  Indeed I have had symptoms of deficiency when my total copper falls under 80.  Ideally, Cp should be no less than 25 (75 units of bound copper) and Thym-Adren won’t get me there.

I made a critical error in supposing that I could skip the ADHS and go directly to the liver glandular. By the time I realized it, I was already on the road with the key pill back home and endured a whole week of feeble attempts to run.  Apparently, my Zn/Cu ratio must be very high (at least above 1.3) before my system can accept the liver glandular.  It’s too bad that I need the ADHS because I don’t see its purpose.  It’s less effective in fighting fast oxidation; it slows the process but does not prevent excess Zn/Cu.  Lastly, its effect on ceruloplasmin is neutral at best as it contains no glandular material.  However, it will allow me to function at a high level for a couple weeks before I can tolerate the liver glandular.

Things get even more complicated when it comes to the liver glandular.  Taurine is not strong enough.  I need glutathione to tolerate it but cannot tolerate glutathione when I am off the liver glandular.  Also, I need low dose Thym-Adren, not ADHS when on it.  The end result is that it will raise both the bound and unbound copper very quickly and within 2 weeks, I’ll be forced back on the Thym-Adren and the cycle repeats itself.

Note:  I absolutely CANNOT take zinc or copper alone to balance the ratio! 

Possible solution:

This extreme sensitivity to zinc and copper is ridiculous.  Taurine has been great for Cal/Mag issues but has done little for the zinc/copper.  The only other option that I can think of is another sulfur containing amino acid called cysteine, which is recommended by Dr. Wilson.  Vitamin C worked well before the detox because my copper had been too high.  It is no longer good for me because it lowers both bound and unbound copper thus contributing to my deficiency.    I know that glutathione and taurine cannot be taken together.  What about taurine and cysteine?  I won’t know until I try.  Will cysteine allow me to take Thym-Adren again?  For the LAST time, I must be extra disciplined in avoiding sugars.  I tend to cheat on my bad days figuring that since I’m already messed up, it doesn’t matter.  That’s wrong and needs to stop.

 UPDATE:  Immediate negative reaction to cysteine.  It's got to be taurine and the above rotation.

 

Prognosis:

I intend on getting tested again in about 2 weeks or just about when I go back to the liver glandular.  My ceruloplasmin was 19.9 on my last test.  If it’s on the plus side of 20 next time around or even in the high 19s, I still believe I have a chance because I know that 2 weeks on the liver glandular will pull it up to the 21s.   If it drops back to the 18 range, I’m afraid I’m doomed and 20 is as high as it can go.  I’ve not had a hair test in 5 months and plan to send that in before the end of the year as well.  My last hair test looked horrible because I was eliminating cadmium.  It should look better now.  How much?  I don’t know.

Training 12/1-12/7

12/1- AM.  2 miles in 15:40 (7:50 pace) with splits of 7:48-7:52.  Went with all ADHS.  Improving.

PM- Gold's 4 in 30:52 (7:43 pace) with perfect splits of 15:26 each.  That's still weak but I get a decent grade because of the massive improvement over yesterday.  Took some cysteine and got an immediate negative reaction so that's a NO.  Also, it did NOT help me tolerate Thym-Adren.  That stuff is poison until I take the liver pills.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/2- Planned rest day.  I feel rotten today but that's to be expected.  I had to try the cysteine and it didn't work.  It should clear by tomorrow morning.

PM- 2 mile junk run on Wisteria and it sucked but I am 2 miles closer to 1,800 on the year.  No more freebies.
Grade:None/0 credit/distance=2.0

12/3- Gold's 4 in 29:21 (7:20 pace).  Fastest pace in more than 2 weeks.  Continued improvement.  I'm going with the ADHS until it stops working (which it will) but at the first sign of trouble, I'm switching to the liver glandular.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=4.0

12/4- Sudden shift!  Felt terrible all morning and I knew that I needed to switch to the liver glandular.  Did an easy 5 on Lakeshore and finished in 39:17 (7:51 pace).  Rather pedestrian overall but it was a nice progression from an 8:08 down to a 7:32.  I'm actually fairly upbeat about this development.  There will be sudden shifts and if it happens on race day, it's just bad luck.  I hope I can take pre-emptive action to prevent a disaster on a goal race.  The ADHS serves no real purpose except to keep me afloat until I can tolerate the liver pill.  Now, I know that my ceruloplasmin will rise.  I'll get tested next week.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/5- Weak tempo.  3 miles in 20:30 (6:50 pace) plus a warm and cool. Even pace (10:16-10:14).  It was good to see a sub-7 pace again.  It may take a couple days to reach equilibrium on the liver pill but that's okay.  Grading is still lenient but I need a good weekend and cannot afford to lose again.  In a hollow victory, I have clinched a 2.50 GPA on the year, which is better than last year.
Grade:C+/2 credit/distance=4.0

12/6- Gold's 4 in 30:00 (7:30 pace) plus a mile cool.  Felt very sluggish and was fading at the end.  Splits were 14:47-15:13 but a 5th mile would have been ugly.  I believe a high copper protein bar to be the culprit.  Need an "A" to win and it's not looking good.  Package from my supplement company arrived and it's the wrong product!  That means I may run out before the new one arrives and will have to endure another rough couple days.  SUCKS!
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/7- AM-This is the death-knell for my year-end goals.  1 Mile on Wisteria in 9:44.  The culprit was not the high copper protein bar.  It is the Thym-Adren.  The last time that I was on the liver glandular, I started on 6 Thym-Adren and went down to 3 then was back to 6 when I went off it.  I have no idea what to make of this but I'll soon find out with testing next week.  I may attempt to run again in the afternoon but don't expect much improvement.

PM- Learned that my liver glandular does indeed contain 2 ingredients (choline and Vitamin A) that DO slow the oxidation rate, which makes me feel a little better.  When I get my HTMA and copper panel results, I'll have a good idea of how this will play out.  I did run again on Wisteria and got the expected marginal improvement.  2 miles in 17:48 (8:54 pace) but I managed to run the upside slightly faster than the down side.
Grade:F+/2 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
OUCH.  3rd consecutive BAD loss.  I'm guaranteed a non-winning record and a GPA below 2.75.  I'll still keep trying and shoot for .500 and a 2.70 with 1800 miles.  I already clinched more wins and a higher GPA than last year and need just 82 more miles in 3+ weeks
Distance=29.0/ GPA= 16.9/8= 2.11
YTD: 1,672 miles.  Record: 22-25 with a 2.66 GPA

Route 66 Half RR

Training:
  I had a terrific week 2 weeks ago and was primed for a strong effort but then beginning on Monday of race week, I crashed due to a zinc/copper imbalance.  I went aggressive with the liver glandular, which proved to be a bad call.  I never did get back on track all week and actually considered bailing.  I figured since I already paid for both the race and had a non-refundable hotel, I would go and give it a shot even though I knew my chance of a good time was almost zero.  All I had to do was finish and it would count as state #21.

Trip:
It's about a 10 hour drive from Birmingham to Tulsa, which is about as far as I will go via car.  It was not a bad trip if you split it up evenly over 2 days.  I left work 2 hours early and stopped in eastern Arkansas and actually saw a guy that I know from Birmingham at a gas station.  The 2nd day was a little messy as it started raining hard when I neared the Oklahoma border.  Fortunately, it stopped once I got to Tulsa and the weather would not be much of an issue on race morning.

Course and weather:
Temps were steady in the mid-upper 50s with mostly cloudy skies and winds of 15 mph so no real complaints there.  I was never uncomfortable with a tech shirt and shorts.  The course was gently-moderately rolling with some flat areas mostly from Miles 6-9 before a tough stretch in Mile 12.  It covered mostly residential areas with a few parks and a small section down by the river before heading back to town for the finish It could be a PR course but was not blazing fast.

Race:
I awoke on race morning feeling lousy but I would still give it a try.  Extra glutathione seemed to help a bit but Vitamin C made little difference.  I arrived in plenty of time but there was a mile long line for port-a-johns so I ducked into a nearby hotel but would have little time to warm up.  No big deal.  I did not want to waste the little energy that I had.  I predicted that I would crash within 4-5 miles and slow jog or even walk-jog to the finish.

The gun went off and it was rolling from the get go.  After a slow start, I began feeling not as horrible around a half mile in and managed to increase my pace.  Mile 2 was mostly downhill and would be my fastest mile of the race but as expected, I began fading shortly thereafter.
7:07- 7:07 not so bad
7:04- 14:11 not so bad
7:16- 21:27 slipping
7:28- 28:55 meltdown is coming

I fully expected that the meltdown would come within another mile or two and my pace continued to slip by 10-15 seconds per mile but surprisingly I was able to hold it there and figured that I might manage a hollow victory with a sub-1:40.  On a flat section just after the halfway point, I made an effort to pick up the pace and found a surprising resurgence.  I did my best for the remainder of the race and though it wasn't pretty, it was a boost in morale knowing that I would finish with a non-horrible time.
7:44- 36:39 8 miles of pain to go
7:40- 44:19 holding on.
7:42- 52:01 flat section
7:22- 59:23- resurgence

I would pass several runners over the next 2 miles and a sub-1:40 was all but locked up.  In Mile 10, I took a gel after a tough uphill and though my energy remained similar, my groin began to tighten up and I had to slow down a bit.  We hit some nice downhill, which led us to a nice section along the river.  It would be a tough finish back into town but I held my position and even passed a few runners on my way to a solid finish.  According to the results, I gained 21 places after the 10K mark and managed a slight negative split for only the 4th or 5th time in a half marathon.  My watch time at the finish line was 1:37:42 (7:28 pace).  A mediocre performance but better than I expected on race morning.
7:17- 66:40 passing runners
7:40- 74:20 water and gel stop
7:28- 81:48 riverside
7:35- 89:23- holding on uphill
7:19- 96:42- solid finish
1:00- 1:37:42- last .16.

Final thought:
I've gone numb.  It seems that I never go into a race expecting a PR or even to run well. This was nearly 10% off my PR and close to the lower limit of "respectable."  With 21 states in and only 4 to go, I might as well finish the Half 2 Run challenge but if this doesn't turn around next year, I'm sticking to local races that do not sell out.  If you need Oklahoma, OKC is probably a better choice because there is more to do in that city.  In addition to the lack of port-a-johns, I was mistakenly assigned to the slowest corral at the expo.  Fortunately, I was allowed to move up without a word from the volunteer.   This one fit my schedule because of the Thanksgiving holiday and gave me an excuse to take the whole week off. I did meet a super nice woman from OK on my way back to my car and we talked for 5-10 minutes. She smiled the whole time and I got a sweaty hug too.

Trip home:
I stopped in Little Rock (4 hrs from Tulsa) to break up the trip.  It was a pleasant 60 degree sunny day and I enjoyed my tour of the city.  I saw the Clinton presidential library, which I enjoyed even though I am politically conservative.  I also saw the Old State House (ARK history museum) and state capitol building and did a junk run along the Arkansas river.  This was my favorite day of the trip.
Official result: AG 17/204- 92nd percentile, which says more about the overall weakness of the field than my performance.

Training 11/24-11/30

11/24- Spent the day in Little Rock to break up the trip home.  Did a 3 mile recovery jog on a bike trail along the Arkansas river.  Felt terrible again but on the day after a half race, I won't give myself less than a "C."  For the record, my time was 25:24 (8:28 pace) and I did loosen up a bit and turned in a negative split (13:00-12:24).  Tomorrow, I'm back off the liver glandular.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0

11/25- Planned rest day.  Travel.

11/26- AWFUL!  3 miles in 28:09 (9:23 pace).  Liver pills should be out of my system by now.  Went with 6 Thym-Adren and needless to say, it was not the answer.  I'm cutting it to 3 tomorrow and probably need ADHS, which I won't be able to take until I get home.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0

11/27- WORSE.  1 mile in 9:12.  I'm shutting it down until I get back to Birmingham on Sunday.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0

11/28- Did not take any pills and feel about the same as yesterday.  Unplanned rest day.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0

11/29- Travel day.  Flight back to Little Rock and I plan to drive halfway back to Birmingham that night so I aim to be in Tupelo with a short 3 hour drive to go.

11/30- I was getting worse by the day and was barely able to drive home safely this morning.  Got home and popped some ADHS and saw some modest improvement.  3 miles on Wisteria in a blazing fast 27:28 (9:09 pace).  Modest improvement over the pathetic attempt 3 days earlier and I should be up for a standard issue run by tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
I can't take a mulligan on this week because I already used it over the summer.  As it stands now, it's still possible to make my year end goals but I'll need to ace everything for the remainder of the year.  Worst non-injury week on record.
Distance= 10.0/ GPA= 4.7/5= 0.94
YTD: 1,643 miles.  Record: 22-24 with a 2.67 GPA.

Training 11/17-11/23 (race week)

11/17- BAD!  I saw within just a couple laps that it wasn't my best day.  I normally rest on Mondays in race weeks so I bagged it and just slow jogged a mile.  This will count as a rest day.  Too much taurine is not good for me and that is a concern.  I could try cysteine but don't want to do it too close to race day. The Cal/Mag needs to be even and I hope to get by on 625 of each.
Grade:None/0 credit/distance=1.0



11/18- Poor effort.  Finished 3 miles in 23:51 (7:57 pace) plus a cool.  Started around 7:30 pace then faded to the 8:20 range.  Still too much taurine in my system.  It has yet to fully clear.  I am officially concerned now but I'm not going to panic just yet.  If I am not a lot better tomorrow, I am in trouble.  Took 2,000 last night but only 500 tonight.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=4.0



11/19- FAILURE!  1 mile in 8:49.  I've got 2 days to turn this around or I am OUT for Tulsa.  First try will be to lay off taurine completely.  Again, that's the same stuff that worked like magic just a week ago.  WHAT THE ____!
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0



11/20- RELIEF!  It wasn't the taurine after all.  It was the Zn/Cu ratio.  I need to go back to the liver glandular but will have probably need low dose Thym-Adren + glutathione instead of taurine.  Too much upheaval so close to race day.  The plan for Tulsa is ADHS and that's what I took today.  3 miles in 22:25 (7:28 pace) with a negative split.  Tried 1 liver pill and it didn't work.

PM- Apparently, the liver pill didn't hurt me after all.  I'm still a little gun shy about it so close to the race.  I'll be okay on ADHS and am still 60 hours away.  It was another 3 miler and my time is down to 20:55 (6:58 pace).  Splits were 7:02-7:01-6:52.  I hope to see further improvement tomorrow.  As I predicted, it will be a pattern of 2 weeks on the liver glandular and 2 weeks off. When the Thym-Adren trends down, it's time to switch up. Weather shows a chance of rain on race day but the worst of it will come through the day before.  At worst, it will be run in light rain with comfortable temps.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=6.0


11/21- Just a slow jog.  Untimed mile.  Did not feel well.  I'm going with the radical upheaval.  Back to glutathione+ liver + low dose Thym-Adren.  That's my only chance at a decent time.  Spent night in eastern Arkansas.
Grade:P/0 credit/distance=1.0


11/22- Arrived in Tulsa. Just did some strides in the hotel.  The 'mill here is acting funky and seems to stop for a split second every so often so I just hopped off after a quarter mile.  I do not have a good feeling about this one at all.
Distance=1.0

11/23- Survived.  Just wanted a "non-horrible" performance and I got it.  Felt awful for most of the race but managed a finish in 1:37:42 unofficially (7:28 pace).  The zinc/copper balance is out of whack and the liver glandular is not the answer.
Grade:C/4 credits/distance=14.0

Weekly summary:
OUCH!  No good days at all and only race day and Thursday were even respectable.  I need to win 4 of 5 to end the year to make my goal of a winning record.
Distance= 28.0/ GPA= 16.3/8= 2.04
YTD: 1,633 miles.  Record: 22-23 with a 2.71 GPA.

Training 11/10-11/16

11/10- Gold's 5 in 37:25 (7:29 pace).  Modest improvement over yesterday but still clearly off.  This will do okay for a standard issue run but I could not even attempt a quality session.  Took 6 Thym-Adren + Cal/Mag with no taurine.  Thym-Adren must be cut.  If I reduce it to 3-4, will I be able to take taurine again?  What would happen if I went with ADHS?  Questions never end.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

11/11- Veteran's Day.  I had the day off work so I took advantage by doing a daylight run just before noon in nice weather conditions.  I did an aggressive cut from 6 pills down to 3 pills and it left me feeling slightly over-stimulated.  It seems like 4 Thym-Adren is the magic number at least for now.  Workout was still good.  10 miles in 71:27 (7:09 pace) and I had something left at the end.  Fastest mile of the day was #10 at 6:48.  If I'm off by 1 pill, I can handle a quality day but a race would be average at best.  If I'm 2 pills off, a standard issue is all I can do.  Still unsure about the taurine but am hoping that I can take it.  Added a mile cool in honor of Veterans.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=11.0

11/12- Weather has turned cold as it often does after Veteran's Day.  I hope we'll get some days sunny and in the 60s in early December.  Went with 4 Thym-Adren and no taurine and it was NOT the answer.
AM- Lakeshore 5 with the Gnomes in 38:30 (7:42 pace).  Able to keep it pretty even but each mile passed with increasing strain, which is not what's supposed to happen at this pace
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=5.5

PM- Popped some taurine and got better immediately.  Gold's 5K in 19:55 (6:24 pace) with splits of 6:16-6:27-6:32-40.  On the right track now but I still didn't feel fully dialed in.  When on taurine, I may find that 3 in the optimal dose of Thym-Adren.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=3.5

11/13- Went with 3 Thym-Adren + taurine and it was the right formula.  I was really dialed in and it felt great.  6 miles in 43:23 (7:14 pace).  Legs were a bit sore from the last 2 days of workouts but the engine was very strong.  Another 20 miles at this pace on fresh legs does not seem insurmountable today.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=6.0

11/14- Planned rest day.  Legs are sore but I'm sure I would have been up for a standard issue run.  Need to save it for a long run tomorrow.

11/15- Slept in so I could run when it's sunny and 45 instead of dark and 25.  Trak Shak 7 and 9er in 2:01:11 (7:34 pace).  Splits varied considerably depending on the terrain but I kept every Mile below 8 and my fastest of the day was #16 in a strong 7:09.  1st half in 60:20, 2nd half in 60:51.  Slightly sluggish but it was probably delayed onset soreness from the week's workouts.  Barring an "F" tomorrow, I'm going to win for the 4th time in 5 weeks.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=16.0

11/16- Resolute group run and I took off on my own.  I could not believe how fresh I felt after yesterday.  I was doing sub-7 in the first half going mostly downhill.  The course heated up in the 2nd half but the pace remained strong.  Finished 5 miles in 35:21 (7:04 pace).  VERY GOOD.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
Win #22 on the year.  I'm ready for Tulsa and if I can keep the formula level, I can expect a good time.  In theory, this formula should both get be to balance and eliminate the toxic copper.  This is my highest distance recorded this year as well.  I have sub-3 talent if I am balanced.
Distance= 52.0/ GPA= 33.9/10= 3.39
YTD: 1,605.  Record: 22-22 with a 2.73 GPA.

Decided Against Hiring a Coach

Regardless of whether you run 80 MPW or 20 MPW, you are immeasurably better off than the average person sitting on the couch.  Regardless of whether your marathon PR is 2:30 or 5:00+, you have my respect and support.  I know what it’s like to be a mid-back of the pack runner and how hard it is to slog through those miles.  I will say that there is definitely a snob element in the running community especially on forums such as Let’s Run and some faster threads on RWOL.  I have serious issues with such people.  Everyone has different goals and aspirations and all should be encouraged.  Yes, I'll get more respect and admiration from the running community both in real life and online if I get faster, but that is no longer important to me.

Last month, I met with Coach Will from Running Lane for an initial consultation but decided against joining because there are still too many questions about my health.  Upon further reflection, I’m not sure it’s worth the cost even if I was healthy enough to follow the training schedule.  Coach Will is a good man so if you ever read this, please don’t take it personally.

I can think of 3 circumstances in which hiring a coach would be worthwhile:

1)      An ex-collegiate athlete who struggles with motivation without the structure of a team environment.

2)      A new runner who has had some success but has little knowledge of training and never runs intervals or tempos.

3)      A serious runner who is very close to a major milestone and the 1-3% increase in pace would make the difference.

Now let’s take a look at where I am and what I have accomplished:

400- Ran a 61.2 SOLO a full decade after I last raced that distance.  I’m afraid I’m too old for another shot at 59.9 but I can live with that.

Mile- Ran a 5:18.3 SOLO at the age of 32.  That’s within 10 seconds of my HS PR in a race setting.  I’d like to go sub-5:15 but would not be crushed if I fall short.

5K- Beat my HS PR just before turning 34.  Very few adult runners are able to beat their times at distances that they raced in HS.  I’m very proud of that.  Current PR is 19:09 and I know I can go sub-19 under the right conditions.

10K- 39:44 would have been unthinkable in high school.  My best event was the 800 meters and I was weak in cross-country.

Half- 1:28:12.  My strongest PR and I am most proud of this one.  It will be very difficult to beat.

Full- 3:21:56.  I still have room for much improvement here.  I didn’t have my best stuff at Mercedes and believe that if I raced that course the day I ran my half PR, it would have been 3:16ish.  4 years earlier, I could have BQ’d now with a 3:15:59.  Put me out there on a faster course and it would have been mine but I was born too late and the standards were toughened and may toughen again.

If I hired a coach:

Will said that I could expect about 1-3% improvement per season as a realistic goal but I know I’d level off within a few years.   Let’s say that my lifetime bests end up being 18:30/38:xx/1:26:xx.  How would my life improve?  I’d place in my age group more often but outside of that, I really can’t think of anything. Again, I no longer care about getting more respect from the running community. I’m not helping a team win meets and would be light years away from contending for the Olympic trials even if I was healthy.   If my marathon time improves as a result of coaching, yes there would be a real benefit but only because it could push me into BQ territory. 

My training:  I can run 50 MPW with relative ease when symptom free but struggle to hit 30 when sick. 

Spring and summer:

-3 standard issue runs (40-45 mins @ pace sustainable for 3+ hours)

-1 Tempo

-1 Interval

-10-13 mile long run @ standard issue pace

-1 Rest day

Fall and Winter:

-3 standard issue runs

- 1 Medium-long run (75 minutes)

- Tempo or Interval

-13-16 mile long run (jacked up to 20 only if I’m signed up for a marathon).

- 1 Rest day.

Brace yourself for some heresy.  My principle goal is NOT to get faster but rather to feel good and relatively fresh every day.  If my standard issue run was 60 minutes or longer, yes I’d have to slow down but as it is, it’s really not that hard.  I’ll be zonked after a 16+ LR or back to back quality sessions but I’m fine again after a single rest day.   Coach says that the idea is to feel like a million bucks when tapered but because of high volume, you can expect to have some fatigue most days when training at high volume.  I don’t want that and in my view, being constantly tired and sore is not worth the gain on race day when tapered.

Moreover, I believe I can BQ without a coach if healthy.  Simply jacking my mileage up from an average in the upper 30s-low 40s up to near 50 over the course of a full year may be enough.  When I set my PRs, I only had 3 months of good consistent training.  Finally, I’ve been symptom-free before but never in balance.  Even without additional training, I expect to be faster in balance because my system will operate more efficiently.

Will I ever hire a coach down the road?

Maybe.  Suppose after a breakthrough, I am on the cusp of a sub-5:00 Mile or if I run 2-3 marathons just short of a BQ.  In that case, I’m in but as of now, the cost of $60/month is not worth the potential gain.

Copper and Ceruloplasmin test #4

Raw numbers:

Copper- 85 units

Ceruloplasmin- 19.9 units

  In order to determine unbound copper, multiply Cp by 3 and subtract that result from the total.  Bound copper- 59.7/ Unbound copper- 25.3

 

At first, I was upset by this result, specifically the high unbound copper.  Copper was up by 9 units last month thanks to the liver glandular but only 5.1 units were bound vs 3.7 units unbound (toxic).  By comparison, I only had 21.4 units unbound last month and was well on my way to getting my unbound copper out of the toxic range (>15).  I feel better about it now.  The good news is the ceruloplasmin, which jumped 1.7 units after being essentially frozen at 18 since July.  25-35 is “optimal” but most labs consider 20 to be the edge of “normal.”  I feared that I may never raise it much above 18 but now I know it can be done.  I also know that reducing toxic copper can be done because I have lowered it from a high of 28.3 down to 21.4 on the previous test.

 

Suppose that my Cp level remains at 20ish.  Because of lab error, there is about a 40% chance that if I was tested again, I’d be 20.0 or slightly higher so I’m essentially already there.  If I can get my unbound copper down to 20 units, I’ll have only 5 toxic.  I think I can get there by the end of the year. 

What to take:

Thym-Adren or ADHS?

   Thym-Adren is clearly the better choice.  Not only is it more effective in fighting fast oxidation, it also contains a small amount of defatted liver tissue, which may be my key to building ceruloplasmin.  Without the liver glandular, I cannot expect my Cp to rise significantly every month but I’m essentially “normal” already.  Suppose it goes up to 20.3 next month then stabilizes around 21-22, I could live with that.   PLEASE  PLEASE don’t fall into the 18 range again without the liver glandular.

 I had to switch to the ADHS before starting the liver glandular because my total copper was getting too low relative to zinc.  ADHS has a 10:1 Zn/Cu ratio vs 20:1 for the Thym-Adren.  Although it may slow the progression of a high Zn/Cu ratio, it does not raise Cu or Cp.  It does contain herbs, which may be useful in detoxing other heavy metals so I’ll probably use it occasionally until my bottle runs out.

 

Taurine or Glutathione?

Still unsure on this one.  For the time being, I’m going with the taurine though I may try an occasional glutathione just to see what happens.  When I am not on the liver glandular, taurine is KNOWN to be effective in detoxing copper.  I am unsure of glutathione’s effectiveness.  I do know that glutathione was necessary when on the liver glandular but don’t know why.  There is a risk of symptoms if copper falls too quickly so I don’t want to see it go much below 80 regardless of my Cp level.  If that does happen, I know that the liver glandular will bring it back up.

 

Boron and Vitamin A to raise Cp?

I know Boron is a NO.  Vitamin A is also a NO.  Again, I don’t need to do anything radical to raise my Cp anymore.  I only need to keep it from falling.

 

2 viable treatments:

#1- 6 Thym-Adren + Taurine + Cal/Mag- to reduce unbound Cu and hope Cp rises slowly or at least stabilizes near 20 but I run the risk of a Cu deficiency.

#2- 3 Thym-Adren + Glutahione + Cal/Mag + Liver Beef- to raise Cp and Cu quickly while accepting increased unbound Cu.

I may have to alternate the treatments to get to the numbers that I want to see but I really believe that I can do it.   

Training 11/3-11/9

11/3- Poor performance.  Gold's 5 in 39:44 (7:57 pace).  Should not be THIS sore 2 days after a half marathon.  I actually took a step backward from yesterday's afternoon run.  Vitamin A is going to be a NO and I confirmed it after I got home.  I may struggle tomorrow but it's worth it to know.  It has to be Thym-Adren alone to get my Cp on the other side of 20.  Good news is that I did not fade (19:50-19:54) and kept the pace at or below 8 every mile.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=5.5

11/4- Unplanned rest day.  Feel about the same as yesterday though it does feel like I am improving this evening.  I should have a good day tomorrow.
Grade: None/0 credit/distance=0.5

11/5-AM- 3 miles in 22:24 (7:28 pace).  An improvement over yesterday but still not feeling quite right yet.
PM- 3 miles in 20:25 (6:48 pace).  Consider that a full 2 minute improvement after only 10 hours.  No doubt that the toxins are coming out but I still didn't have a tempo in me today.  Slight negative split (10:16-10:09).  I should be able to go medium-long tomorrow.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0

11/6- Daylight 10 miler from the Trak Shak in 73:40 (7:22 pace).  Solid performance.  Did okay for a training run but still don't feel quite right.  I think I need to tweak the Thym-Adren.  Got my driver's license renewed but still need the Star ID.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=10.0

11/7- AM 1 Mile on NO pills.  Last week, I ran a 7:23.  Today, I am down to 6:44 with an even pace. The not as good news is that although 3 pills did help, it wasn't enough.  I need 4 or 5 for optimal results but again, I won't be horrible if I'm off by 1 pill.  Did a half mile in 2:59 on 3 pills and was struggling a bit then finished with a cool down.  Next week, I'm trying ADHS and/or glutathione.

PM- Easy 4 at Gold's in 29:58 (7:29 pace) with a negative split (15:06-14:52).  Decent workout but something still feels a little off.  I haven't recaptured the magic of an easy run at low-7 pace.  I'm going back to the glutathione.  I believe my issues with Cal/Mag were due to excess Boron, not the glutathione.  I have 2 weeks to get this straight before Tulsa.  I can still win this week with a good long run and that would mean a lot.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.0

11/8- AWFUL!  Glutathione is NOT the answer and I suspect taurine may have been the reason I've been sluggish this week.  If that's true, I could be in big trouble.  7 miles in 56:49 (8:07 pace).  I was doing okay through 4 then hit the wall.  Last 2 miles were 9:11 and 9:44 so I had to do a 1 mile walk of shame.  I'm going to lose this week so that means I still haven't won 4 straight since Jan '13.  SUCKS!
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=7.0

11/9- I did what I had hoped to do today.  Survived a double digit run without a meltdown.  Lakeshore 10 in a time of 79:09 (7:55 pace).  1st half: 38:52, 2nd half: 40:17 but I did show some life with a 7:20 in Mile 10, which was my fastest of the day.  No glutathione and I'm now testing my reaction to taurine.

Update: Feels like I went slightly backwards after taurine.  I'm going off it at least for a few days.
Cysteine and glutamine could be options but unlikely effective and possibly harmful.
PM- Another 1 mile junk run on Wisteria after taurine in 7:51.  As expected, I was slightly worse but not significantly harmed.
Grade:C/2 credit/distance=11.0

Weekly summary:
This is a blow to my year end goals of 26 wins and a 2.75.  Nothing should surprise me anymore with my chemistry but if I cannot take taurine, it could be BIG trouble.  I could try another sulfur containing amino acid but more than likely, it won't work.  If the sensitivity to Cal/Mag flares up, I believe taurine will work again.  Can I lower my toxic copper without it?  I'm not due for any more testing until after Thanksgiving.  This is my first week in marathon mode and I've got to do a LOT better than this to have any hope of a BQ.
Distance=47.0/GPA= 19.9/8= 2.49
YTD: 1,553 miles.  Record: 21-22 with a 2.71 GPA.

Monumental Indy Half RR

Training:
More of the same.  Frustrations continue.  When I hit the pills perfectly, I am as good as I've ever been but those days are rare and the magic formula remains unstable. My latest lab results show improved liver function but increased copper toxicity. I have been able to hit 40 MPW more consistently however and am considerably better off than I was last year.  I figured that a good day would be sub-7 pace (1:31:40) but anything south of 95 would be acceptable.  I have not broken that barrier in 5 races and 3 were over 1:40.

Trip:
It's not a bad drive from Birmingham.  7.5 hours and it's a straight shot up I-65.  I took the day off on Friday but left after work on Thursday and drove just past Nashville that night.  Friday was a bit stressful as I hit some rough weather and road construction in Kentucky.  It was pretty smooth once I got into Indiana.  I had been there before but it was always just a drive through with a stop for a meal.  It's an interesting state culturally.  I was surprised to hear southern accents across the river from Louisville and I'd say that the southern third is an extension of Kentucky.  Indianapolis is purely Midwestern while the northern third is much like Chicago or Michigan.

I arrived at the airport just in time to pick up my buddy Nick, who had flown in from Atlanta and we checked into our hotel downtown before heading to the expo where I purchased a nice warm hat and some fuel for race morning.  Dinner was a high priced but very good dry rub Ribeye.  That night, it became apparent that my formula would have to be adjusted because the Cal/Mag sensitivity had flared up.  I'm going back to the Taurine but it's too late to make any big changes but I knew of a quick fix to deplete the excess Cal/Mag.  Kickstart Energy just before bed!  It worked and I began feeling better soon after and actually got 6 hours of sleep.

Course and weather:
Fast course and one of the flattest that I have raced mostly through the city with some residential areas.  There were really only 3 noticeable hills and none of them were particular steep or long and I did notice a few gentle declines as well.  When I arrived in town, it was 37 degrees with light rain and a 20-25 mph wind.  That would be the worst possible conditions.  Fortunately, the weather did clear by the morning but the wind did not really die down too much.  It was still 15-20 mph winds with gusts up to 30 with temps in the upper 20s.  I've run in worse and it really wasn't too bad once I got started.  The sun came out in the 2nd half and I was actually comfortable in a long tech and pants.

Race:
Congested start over the first quarter mile but once I found some open space, I was moving well and feeling very strong.  I aimed for a 7:00 pace but I was doing in the 6:40s once I cleared the congestion.  I dialed it back in Mile 2 but was still doing just under 7.  Then my legs tightened up at 1.75 miles and I would have to slow down and settle into a sustainable pace.
6:56- 6:56- great
7:03- 13:59- on pace but slipping
7:17- 21:16- in trouble.

I was fearing the worst now and was prepared to accept another meltdown and a finish over 1:40.  Fortunately, I was able to hold my pace at goal marathon speed and once I got past Mile 5, I knew that most likely, I would be able to hold it to the finish.
7:19- 28:29- still holding on
7:14- 35:43- this is going to be okay.
7:15- 42:58- feel no worse than Mile 3.
Passed the halfway point in 47:03.  If I can hold a sub-7:20, I'll be under 1:35.

I ran the next section like a metronome and my pace never really varied no matter the terrain.
7:18- 50:16 still okay
7:18- 57:34 took a gel
7:18- 64:52- I should be a pacer.

In Mile 10, there was a bit of a downhill and my gel was kicking in so I threw in a bit of a surge but it was short lived and I slipped back to pace in the next mile.  With 2 miles to go, I knew that all I needed was 2 more 7:30s to break 1:35 and that was a pretty safe bet.  I tried to surge again but felt a twinge in my groin.  OUCH!  PLEASE hold up until the finish.  In the end, I did feel a few jabs of pain but it did hold up.  I shortened my stride and picked up the turnover as the course turned slightly downhill early in Mile 13.  It was my fastest Mile since #1 but I ran into a fierce headwind with about a half mile to go.  I continued driving toward the line but my groin was starting to give out with .1 to go so I just cruised it in.  I am NOT injured, just abnormally sore because my pills were off.  I was glad to finish respectably in 1:34:30.
7:10- 72:02- I'm going to break 95.
7:18- 79:20- back on pace. LOL
7:21- 86:41- groin
7:03- 93:44- finishing well
:46- 1:34:30- cruised it in

Result:
1st half: 47:03, 2nd half: 47:27.  That's one of the most even races I've run and certainly the most even for Miles 3-12. Overall pace: 7:13.  AG: 41/387.  Percentile rank: 89.
I'll take it.  It's my best showing at this distance since last January.  I know I'm better than this and will try one more in Tulsa before the year is out.  I have now completed a half/full in 20 states.
Congrats to Nick on another MASSIVE PR of 1:40:55!

Training 10/27-11/2 (race week)

10/27- Woke up decidedly LESS sore than yesterday despite running half marathon distance at about 95% effort.  I don't mean to beat a dead horse but if I take the right pills, I can handle this training.  The big problem is that what is the right formula today may not be the right one tomorrow and I could still bomb in Indy.  Workout was 2x2.5 mile on Lakeshore with about a 3 minute rest.  Body still feels like it's in a state of flux on the 2nd full day off the liver pill.  I tried to slow down and even paused for a few seconds to reset my system.  I saw a 1st mile split in 6:39 and never really slowed down.  1st half in 16:43, 2nd half in 17:03 with an 85 (5:40 pace) second last quarter mile.  Overall pace was 6:45 the day after a quality long run.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5
Need to order the ceruloplasmin test tonight.

10/28- Half mary predictor workout on Lakeshore. Took a Gu before I started.  Did 5 miles in 34:10 (6:50 pace) then stopped for another Gu.  Ran another 1.5 miles at the exact same pace then turned it up for a 6:31 after half the distance at 90:00 race pace.  Good job overall.  This felt pretty much like it should.  1st 3 were fairly easy then it started to heat up in Mile 4 but it still felt like a long tempo.  I was a little disappointed that I was not faster in the last mile.  I had hoped for a 6:15ish but I'll take a 6:31 (20 ticks faster).  Even if I have "A" stuff on race day, I just don't think I have the fitness to go sub-90.  A sub-7:00 pace (91:40 or better) would be a very good race.  I need more long runs to do it.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=8.0

Update: Did the copper and ceruloplasmin test today.  There is little doubt that my copper has gone up.  Is it bound copper or toxic copper?  If I had to guess, it's a little of both.  I'll probably know before race day but it'll be too close to make any adjustments.  I may have to wait until next month to see how effective glutathione is in detoxing the unbound copper.  I know taurine is a good copper detoxer but it is not as effective in combating the chemical sensitivity.  Next week, I'm going to try Boron and Vitamin A.

10/29-AM 1 Mile with NO pills just to see how I would feel.  As expected, I was strugg-a-ling but managed a negative split and a 7:23 finish.  Let's see that continue to drop and I'll know that I am getting closer to balance.  A bit of a sore throat this morning but it's no worse in the evening.  Let's hope I can fight off a possible cold.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=1.5

10/30- Planned rest day.  Leaving Birmingham after work and hope to make it past Nashville tonight.  Weather forecast looks BAD tomorrow afternoon but it's expected to clear by the morning.  It's expected to be cold and windy but sunny at race time.

Test results:
Total copper- 85 (+9)
Ceruloplasmin- 19.9 (+1.7) just a HAIR outside normal
Bound copper- 59.7 (+5.1)
Unbound copper- 25.3 (+3.9)
   I got about what I expected.  Copper and ceruloplasmin were up significantly (which is good) but only 57% of the added copper was bound.  Not so good.  More to come in a later post.  2 days out and looking at a bad weather race, I'm going to chance it and try Boron+A now.  If it's a disaster, it should clear in time.

10/31- Planned on a junk run but ended up resting.  Boron is NOT the answer but it is clearing out.

11/1- Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon in 1:34:30 (7:13 pace).  Average performance but it was my best time of the year and breaks a bad streak of 5 straight races slower than 1:35.  I'll take it.  Very sore groin but I am not injured. Passed 1500 miles on the year and clinched a 2.25 GPA.
Grade:B-/4 credit/distance= 14.0

11/2- AM.  1 mile junk run without taurine in 8:58.  OUCH!
  PM- 2 miles on Wisteria with taurine in 15:23 (7:42 pace).  Down side in 7:37.  Up side in 7:46.  Marked improvement.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
Amid more upheaval, I am back to .500 on the year and I have won 3 in a row.  I have not won 4 straight since a 7 week stretch in Dec 2012-Jan 2013.  I am going off the glutathione and back on the taurine because I am off the liver glandular.
Distance= 32.0/ GPA= 24.9/8= 3.11
YTD: 1,506 miles.  Record: 21-21 with a 2.72 GPA.

Training 10/20-10/26

10/20- After a 13 miler the day after a race, I expected to pay for it today.  I DID NOT!  Lakeshore 6 in 43:24 (7:14 pace) plus a Mile cool.  Splits were 21:34-21:50.  Felt strong all the way.  Cut my dose to 3 Thym-Adren and 0 ADHS.  I do not want to go below that unless the medical report is good.  Today proves once again that when symptom-free, I have a tremendous capacity for work.  I expect to be fine tomorrow and may even try a speed workout.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0

10/21- Vestavia speed session.  3x400- 4x300- 4x200.  Not horrible but a bit of a downer.  Splits were (78-79-80) (56-58-58-57) (34-35-36-32).  I ran this workout over the summer during another symptom free period and ran an overall 4:51 pace.  Today it was 5:02, which is within the 5% range so it's nothing to worry about.  Still, I feel like the pills were off.  I upped the Thym-Adren from 3 pills to 4, which was confirmed to be a bad call because a 5th pill made it slightly worse.  Thanks to the glutathione, I won't be awful if my formula is a little off.  Tomorrow, I am going back down to 3 and may try 1 ADHS in the evening.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=4.0
Update:  I've learned that Boron raises ceruloplasmin levels so I'm not out of options if the liver glandular isn't enough.

10/22- Last time I will be able to do the Trak Shak 5 in the daylight until Spring.  It was a good one.  5 mile loop in a solid 32:50 (6:34 pace) plus a Mile cool.  Splits were 16:24-16:26.  Relaxed too much in Mile 4 (6:55) but came back strong with a 6:08 closer.  Strong overall.  I went back to 3 Thym-Adren and didn't feel like it was enough.  Adding a choline/inositol seemed to help.  I'm in good position to win this week.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=6.0

10/23- A couple interesting observations.  I was decidedly more stiff after taking more choline/inositol and it got worse after ADHS last night.  It cleared by the evening and I was ready to roll.  Lakeshore 9 in 66-flat (7:20 pace) plus a cool.  Strong overall.  Struggled a little in Miles 4-5 but got a nice resurgence after Mile 6.  I did experiment a little with Gu on the run and the reaction to it was slightly negative.  I'm sticking with H2O and Gatorade on my long runs.  I did this after 2 straight quality days.  I have a phenomenal capacity for work when symptom-free.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=10.0

10/24- Planned rest day.  I plan on sticking with 3 Thym-Adren+ Cal/Mag + Glutathione and that's all.  Is this the key formula?

10/25- COLLAPSE yesterday.  The liver glandular is the culprit.  I was actually limping last night and I feared an injury.  It appears that I have dodged that bullet.  3 miles at Gold's in 23:43 (7:54 pace).  Most intense pain was just below the Achilles but it was no worse when running.  That's the way it goes with chemical sensitivity.  I was doing fine up until Thursday then suddenly fell apart.
Trip to Clemson for an evening game.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=3.0

10/26- Atlanta workout on the Silver Comet trail.  Strong 13.1 mile performance in a time of 92:39 (7:04 pace).  There was a water fountain at 4.2 so I stopped there and took some Gu.  This time it worked out well for me.  1st 4.2 in 30:02 then ran the next 4.7 in 33:30 and finished with a strong 29:07 over the final 4.2.  I was below 7:00 pace over the 2nd half and yes, I was pushing but I was not wide open all out.  The liver glandular is still not completely out of my system either.  I am still abnormally sore in the feel and my groin has popped several times today.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=13.1

Weekly summary:
Now that the liver glandular has failed me, I want to know my ceruloplasmin level NOW.  If it has not risen above 20, the only option left is Boron and Vitamin A.  If it is over 20, will it stay there without the liver supp?  This was win #20 and pulls me to within 1 win of .500.  I'm racing a half in Indy next weekend.  Which Justin will show up?  Your guess is as good as mine.
Distance=43.1.  GPA= 29.6/9= 3.29
YTD: 1,474 miles.  Record: 20-21 with a 2.71 GPA

Medical Center 10K RR

Training:
Spotty at best.  When my formula is on target, I am as good as I've ever been but those days are rare.  In the past few days, I've benefited from a product called glutathione which has reduced the extreme sensitivity to zinc and copper.  YES!  Still, I was in a state of flux and need to tweak the formula a bit.  I have not had good luck in races this year so if I had a chance at a decent showing, I was going to take it.

Trip:
Somewhat of a stressful trip.  I took half a day off work on Friday, which was a good call.  I wanted to get into town before dark and find the race start so I needed to leave no later than 2 PM. Bowling Green, Kentucky is located about an hour north of Nashville and slightly more than 4 hours from home.  As usual, the Nashville traffic sucked and I lost a half hour in stop and go traffic even though I got there before rush hour.  After a couple of wrong turns, I found the starting area on the campus of Western Kentucky University then looked for the expo, which could not be found on my GPS.  I ended up stopping at O'Charly's for a steak and rib combo then arrived at the expo to pick up my number just before it closed for the night. One less thing to worry about on race morning.

Race morning:
I seemed to be trending toward more zinc and less copper since starting the liver glandular.  That means that my copper is probably rising.  I just hope it's bound copper, not toxic copper.  I went with all Thym-Adren (more zinc) but felt a little off warming up so I popped 2 ADHS (more copper).  That may have been a bad call but thanks to the glutathione, I will not be horrible if my formula is slightly off.  YES!

Course:
Tough but fair.  I saw the elevation chart on Map My Run and it looked to have a long gradual climb late in Mile 1.  It went back down in Mile 2 then appeared to be relatively flat from 3-5 followed by a steep hill early in Mile 5 but it did finish downhill.  Not surprisingly, the chart was misleading.  The 2 hills that I feared the most were not as bad as expected but Mile 3-5 was about 80% uphill.  It wasn't steep but long and relentless.  Mile 6 was actually mostly downhill but the course ended up slightly net uphill, which tells you the difficulty of Miles 3-5.

Race:
The gun went off and I was out at a fast and controlled pace starting from the edge of WKU and heading out into town.  I made a small adjustment after seeing a mildly slow split at the quarter mile.  I was back on target shooting for 6:30ish pace early.  The climb did not begin until about 0.7 miles in and I held the pace well and found myself trading places with 2 or 3 runners throughout the first 5K.  I gained back several seconds through a mostly downhill 2nd mile and was on pace for a time just north of 40 through the first 2 miles.  I have run a 39:44 on a track but my road PR is rather soft at 40:55.  It seemed like I had chance at it, albeit slim with the hills ahead.  The long incline began just after 2.5 miles and I began to lose contact with my pack.  Still. I passed the 5K mark just over 20:15, which was exactly the same split as my road PR.  This time however, the 2nd half would be much harder.  I still felt decent through most of Mile 4 but the power cut off shortly thereafter and I was really hurting in Mile 5.  Fearing the hill at the end, I was prepared for a meltdown at the end but surprisingly, the course turned back down for the most part and I managed a bit of a resurgence.  Passing slower 5K runners was also a boost in confidence.  I thought I might be over 42 when I was really hurting but as the finish line inside the football stadium was drawing near, I had a shot at a sub-41:30.  I turned on the speed running down the sideline at sub-6 pace and got to the line with 2 seconds to spare.

Splits:
6:30-(6:30) perfect    
6:19-(12:49) downhill
6:43-(19:33) slipping.  5K in 20:15
6:50-(26:22) pain
7:07-(33:29) Strugg-a-ling
6:43-(40:12) feeling better
1:16- (41:28)

Final thought:
A decent showing.  I believe I would have done better in holding the pace if my pills were exactly right but thanks to the glutathione, I kept it respectable.  Without it, I certainly would have melted down.  I figure that 40:30ish was the best I could do on this course with my current fitness and I came within a minute.  I'm fine with that.  I won't have my best stuff every time out but as long as I am fairly consistent, I'll enjoy these events.

After:
Toured the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green and then stopped in Nashville for lunch at the Wild Horse Saloon.  It was a smooth ride back to Birmingham.