Monday, February 24, 2014

Training 2/24-3/2

2/24- Biggest news of the day is that the medical report is in the mail.  The doctor's office called me today but I did not want to know the results over the phone.  Today's workout was a good sign.  Lakeshore 6.5 in 47:53 (7:22 pace).  Felt more like the old Crazy J.  Slowed just a tad after Mile 4 and had a little bit of quad soreness but that's okay.
 I've looked at a few of my posts from late 2012 and it is demoralizing to see how much I have regressed in the last 12 months.  If I get a good report then I know that a turnaround is just around the corner.  I know that I cannot take Thym-Adren but I can take ADHS, which is a modulator, and not nearly as strong.  If I remain badly unbalanced but have to take ADHS instead of Thym-Adren, I'm done setting PRs but should retain decent running ability (low-mid 1:30s).  I could live with that especially if I am stable.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0

2/25- Took 2 ADHS this morning and was pleased with the result.  Salazar 300s this time at Hoover.  10 reps in sets of 5 just like last time.  I improved my average from a 59.6 to a 58.0 (range was 56-60) and once again closed with a 34 second 200.  Overall pace per mile was 5:07 compared with 5:15 last week.  I bet I could do a 5K under 20:30 now so I am improving.  Calf was a bit sore towards the end but it's not a major concern.  Yesterday's pace was a little fast but it did not seem to hurt me in this workout.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=3.5

2/26- Tempo.  5K in 20:35 on tired legs (6:36 pace). Best time of the year.  Splits were 6:26-6:41-6:47-41 so not the best pacing either. This was a 34 second improvement in only 10 days.  Put me out there in a race setting on fresh legs with another 2 weeks of training and I'll have a shot at a sub-20 at Rumpshaker.  Pacing will likely be the key.  A time in this range is only a "C" in a race setting but since it was run on tired legs solo, it's up a full grade.  No medical report today.  It will arrive tomorrow.  I am not as afraid as I was last week.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=4.0

2/27- Well deserved rest day.  I feel well enough to do an easy workout today so I'm not totally zonked after back to back hard days.  I may have a bizarre dream tonight.  One recent dream that I did not post involved being accused of a murder that happened when I was 16 and trying to prove that I was at a track meet that day, which I probably was in real life.  NO medical report in the mail today.  If it was mailed on Tuesday, it should have arrived by now.  Tomorrow for sure.

2/28- STILL NO MEDICAL REPORT!  I'll bet the receptionist forgot to mail it.  I'm not too upset.  No matter what the result, I'm sticking with my basic plan of more Mag, less Cal and ADHS instead of Thym-Adren or Endodren.  Today's workout was mixed.
AM- 4 miles at Gold's in a moving time of 29:28 (7:22 pace).  The pace felt fine but my stomach was jacked up something awful.  Added a cool.

PM- 2 mile junk run on Wisteria just to add mileage.  Again, the stomach was jacked up.  This would have been an "A" otherwise.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5

3/1-  Felt a little weird.  I forgot to take the ADHS this morning and tried to run without it.  I may have been able to fight through an easy run but it would have been ugly.  I quit after a mile in 8:14 then went back home to pop 3 pills.  Went back and proceeded to run 12 miles just south of 7:30 pace.  Good job but I was pretty much spent at the end.  Overall workout stats were 13 miles in 1:38:09 (7:33 pace).  It really wasn't as good as it looks because I had to stop too often but it's still an awesome improvement over last week.  This was the first time that I have topped 10 miles since week 1.  Stomach has calmed down a bit. I think the culprit was too much magnesium.  I over-reached after the sub-optimal test result.  NOT pleased that I remain so sensitive to missed doses.  I will try 1 Endodren this afternoon just to see what happens.  I don't care if I bomb tomorrow because I've clinched a win this week.  I suspect that I could be a mixed oxidizer now (slow thyroid/mild fast adrenals).  If that's the case, a modulator (ADHS) is probably a good call.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=13.0
Update:  The Endodren seemed to help.  Taking 1 of those may be beneficial but 3 every day is too much as I learned last week.

3/2- Bad call on the Endodren. Too overstimulated. It was a risk that I was willing to take.  I felt energized when I woke up and was doing okay through 2 miles (15:34) but crashed hard after that.  I thought about quitting but stuck it out and slow jogged another 4 on Lakeshore.  Finished 6 miles in 53:14 (8:52 pace).  Nothing to worry about.  I expect to be fine tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
I have snapped a 5 week losing streak.  I cannot take the stimulator (Endodren) or the suppressant (Thym-Adren) but I NEED the modulator (ADHS).  Go figure.  If my system rejects that, I just have to detox again. I really wish that I had that medical report now.  As it is, I will probably have to wait until Wednesday of next week.
Distance=40.0/ GPA= 28.8/9= 3.20
YTD: 237 miles.  Record is 3-5 with a 2.29 GPA.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Magnesium RBC test 2

My first Mag RBC test was a 5.9 back in October of last year.  I've been through a lot since then and expected a slight drop off but nothing severe.  That's exactly what I got.  I slipped to a 5.6 this time around.  That's a drop of 5.1 percent.   The "true" normal range is 5.0-7.0 with an optimal range of 6.0-7.0.  If you consider a 5% allowance for variance due to lab error and natural fluctuations, my drop off was not significant.  In any event, I am certainly not deficient but I am also certainly sub-optimal.  It is extremely rare nowadays to see a Mag RBC above 7.0.

What to do about this?  It's not a pressing concern but it's probably a good idea to raise my Mag dosage and drop the Cal/Mag ratio from 3:2 down closer to 1:1.  Also, I may add back a bit of Mag chloride.  I'll know better when I get the medical report.  It is important to consider the RBC results, the Mag value on the hair test as well as the key Mag ratios (Ca/Mg and Na/Mg).

I expect to get the hair test results back in about 2 weeks and am a bit apprehensive about it.  I am still vulnerable to injuries due to sore muscles.  I am not afraid of a Cal/Mag imbalance because I know what to do about it.  I would be alarmed to see a low a Na/K (adrenal fatigue) but I know what to do about that too.  Thanks to the detox, I can take Limcomin and Vitamin C without fear of my system rejecting them.  What I am most worried about is my oxidation ratios (Na/Mg and Cal/K).  I HAD BETTER SEE A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN MY Na and K!  Otherwise, there is no explanation as to why my system suddenly rejected the Thym-Adren and accepted the Endodren. Taking Endodren as a fast oxidizer will put me further out of whack and a breakdown is inevitable.  Again, good workouts are a sign that I am moving in the right direction.  I'm pretty confident that if I raced my last 5K course today, I'd be comfortably under 21 minutes.  If I can improve my pace per mile by only 6 seconds per week, I will be back to 20-flat within 4 weeks.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Training 2/17-2/23

2/17- Went to the Lab for the Mag RBC test.  I should get the results no later than Thursday.  Went directly to Lakeshore from there and ran 5 miles in 37-flat (7:24 pace).  Solid performance but I was feeling a little weird.  It's as if the energy is trying to break through a barrier but remains held back.  Slowed considerably on the back half (18:17-18:43) but that was by design.  Hit 35K page views today so thanks again to my readers.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0

2/18- Salazar 300s at Vestavia plus a warm and cool.  Did 10 reps in sets of 5 plus a final 200 all out.   R was only 1 minute except for a jog lap between sets.  Finished with an average of 59.6 (range was 58-61) for the 300s and closed with a solid 34.1.  Overall pace for the workout was 5:15 for 2 miles worth of intervals.  Decent performance.  Strength was good but the speed was not sharp at all. That's characteristic of slow oxidation.  
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=3.5

2/19- Trak Shak 5 in 38:29 (7:42 pace).  I did what I planned on doing today.  Ran with a guy named David.  Slowed considerably again on the back half again but the early pace was too fast.  It was a little demoralizing to see a pace over 7:30 but slowing my easy pace is the right thing to do.  If I want to run decent mileage, the paces must slow at least until I improve my fitness.  I've only been on Endodren for 10 days so I've got to remain patient.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

2/20- Planned rest day.  I remain stable and if I have to sacrifice some speed, so be it.  Time trial tomorrow. Out of curiosity, I took some chromium and got little to no reaction.  That's good news.   Feeling very tired in the evening but it's likely due to over-reaching and I should be fine by tomorrow.

2/21- AM- COLLAPSE!  Tried to run a mile time trial and fell off pace in lap 2 feeling very overstimulated. It appears that after  12 days on the Endodren, I am back to fast oxidation.  From this point, I will take neither the Thym-Adren nor the Endodren and try to get by on Cal/Mag though I won't be surprised if I end up back on low dose Thym-Adren.  As for the workout, I punted after the first 600 in 2:15 and finished in a pathetic 7:22.   Added a glacial cool down.  This development was not unexpected but I figured that it would take another week or so and the shift would be gradual.  Oddly, I am not depressed.  That's probably because my system rejected it because it took me in the wrong direction, not because of the processing issue.

PM- I wanted to rule out chromium dependency and I passed the test.  Soccer game at Vestavia so I ended up at Gold's.  Did 6 laps at standard effort in 5:30 (8:15 pace). Then popped a chromium pill, jogged another 1.5 then set out on another 6 laps at the same effort.  I clocked a 5:27 this time so it was slightly better with the chromium but not nearly enough to be considered statistically significant. To my new readers: Before the detox, it was common for me to pop a pill and get an immediate reaction (sometimes good, sometimes awful). I am upbeat and expect to do better tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

2/22- Woke up feeling too overstimulated so I had to take 2 Thym-Adren to survive a double digit run.  I barely survived.  Ran with the Gnomes and I managed to get under 8:00 pace after a slow start but cramped badly after Mile 9.  I treated the last mile like a cool down and finished the distance in a time of 81:28 (8:09 pace).  The "B" goal was 8:00 pace and I fell just short.  Still, it was my longest run since week 2.  It will be 1 Thym-Adren tomorrow then hope against hope that I can get by with neither that nor Endodren. 

PM- Tacked on another 1.5 at junk pace on Wisteria.  Feeling dejected today.  2 Thym-Adren was too much.  My mood is always better when my oxidation is on the fast side.  Another factor is that during the group run, I was almost completely left out of the conversation.  It either centered around ultra running, which I have no interest, or spouses and kids.  It will be zero Thym-Adren tomorrow!  Words cannot even begin to describe how much I want to be done with this ordeal.  I want to believe but it's hard when I've been let down so many times.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=11.5

2/23- AM 2 mile junk run on Wisteria.  Ran the down portion in 7:48 then had to slow down because my stomach was jacked up.   Took zero pills this morning.  My energy has ticked up a notch but I remain VERY sore from yesterday's workout, which was hardly extreme.  I used to run double that distance at a pace 40 seconds faster.  I will run again this afternoon.  Weather is sunny and 70 degrees so this is our first taste of Spring.

PM- Trak Shak 3 mile route in a moving time of 22:13 (7:24 pace).  Very solid performance.  Struggled a little on the hills but ran the declines very well.  Soreness has diminished considerably over the past few hours.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
The rehab is over.  Time to get on the training full scale now.  Lost my 5th straight decision but the overall GPA continues to improve.  This was my best showing since week 2.  As of now, I cannot take either the Thym-Adren or the Endodren.  However, I do not believe it to be a processing issue because I can take any mineral, vitamin, herb or amino acid without a problem.  It's now or never.  If I don't get my freedom within the next few weeks, I don't see it happening.
Distance= 33.0/GPA= 21.8/8=2.73
YTD: 197 miles.  Record: 2-5 with a 2.16 GPA

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Mercedes weekend RRs

Training:
I responded to the detox with 2 wins to open the year but had been fighting hip pain since early December.  Finally, the pain became too severe to run by the end of week #3.  Add to that was the fact that my body chemistry seems to be constantly in a state of flux.  In a shocking development, Thym-Adren (an adrenal suppressant) caused me to feel severe fatigue, aches and depression.  That has happened to me before but it was due to an inability to process it. Now that my liver has been cleansed, my system should only reject pills if they move my chemistry in the wrong direction.  Prior to the detox, attempts to take the Endodren (adrenal stimulator) caused me to feel just as bad if not worse.  Now, it makes me feel better.  Go figure.  I won't know for sure until I get the medical report.

I attempted to run just a week prior to race day and it took me nearly 8 minutes to run a mile all out.  Progress came steadily thereafter and 2 days prior to the race, I clocked a 2 mile in 14-flat.  Could I have finished the half marathon?  Probably, but it would not be pretty.  In the end, I chose to register for the 5K, which took place on Saturday while the half, full and relay took place on Sunday.  My friend Jennifer, who had planned to run the relay, suffered a foot injury and asked me to run in her place.  I said "Sure."  This was the perfect solution.  I knew I was not up for racing 13 miles and I also know that if you put me out there in a race setting, I would try to run faster than my current capability and suffer a massive meltdown in the 2nd half.  My leg of the relay would be roughly from Mile 6.1-9.0 then instead of taking the bus to the finish, I would run the remainder of the course as a training run and drop out just before the finish line.  I see nothing unethical about that.  I paid for the half marathon and had the right to be on the course but since I did not run the entire way, I did not cross the finish line and did not accept a finisher's medal.

Super Hero 5K RR:
  My reasonable expectation was a sub-7 pace (21:42) but felt that if I could make some gains overnight, I may be able to go sub-21 (roughly 6:45 pace).  I vowed to run smartly and not start "racing" until at least Mile 2.  Not surprisingly, I did not take my own advice.  Due to a funky GPS signal, I had no idea how fast I was going until about a half mile into the race.  The course looped through downtown and included a nice section through Railroad Park.  Overall, it was one of the flattest 5Ks that I have run.  If I am in PR shape, this is one to consider.  It does have a gentle incline going up 20th St. near the finish but it will not slow your pace significantly.  My GPS read 3:12 at 0.5 miles, a 20:00 pace but since it was slightly downhill, it was not terribly fast. We made the turn into Railroad Park and I came through the Mile marker in a solid 6:36.  The pace was slipping a bit but I came through the halfway point around 10:24 and still had a decent chance to break 21.  Mile 2 passed in 13:23 and I was holding my position well despite the pace slowing to 6:47.  I would need to run 6:52 in Mile 3 then finish strong.  Unfortunately, I was faltering going up the incline on 20th.  I was passed by my friend Natalie with about a quarter mile to go and it appeared that I would fall short of 21:00.  I did not surrender my pride and went after Natalie down the stretch.  I pulled even with 50 yards to go but she found another gear that I could not match.  Final time was 21:09.  It was good for 23rd overall and 3rd in my age group. Splits were 6:36-6:47-7:00-46.

Mercedes Relay:
I took the bus from the starting line to the relay exchange location and waited for Alex to arrive.  I took off a solid pace.  Despite going uphill, I was doing a good deal faster than my planned 7:30 pace and it felt good to pass some folks running the half.  I ran the first 2 miles in 7:15 and 7:16 then hit some downhill and saw my pace quicken to the 7:00 range in Miles 3-4.  From this point, with the pace beginning to get to me, I felt no point in racing this all out so I dialed it back a bit.  Still, I kept it respectable all the way and my pace never slipped below the 7:20 range.  I dropped out after 6.5 miles in an overall time of 46:54 (7:13 pace).  Figure that it was a quarter marathon at 3:10 BQ pace.  Not bad.   Congrats to Nick on another PR of 1:45:42.

Next up:
I expect to be hurting tomorrow after back to back quality sessions.  I ran 17 miles this past week and aim to hit 30ish next week before maintaining 40ish until further notice.  Next race will be the Rumpshaker 5K in 4 weeks.  I hope to be near 20:00 shape for 5K by then.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Training 2/10-2/16

2/10- Took 3 Endodren pills and a Vitamin C.  Showed improvement over yesterday.  Finished 3 miles in 22:56 (7:39 pace).  Very sluggish and stiff.  Good news is that my hip pain was minimal.  The quad tendon was moderately sore.  If my theory is correct, today went just about as expected.  If the hair test protocol works properly, you should not see any difference from day to day if you do not work out.  Maybe from week to week, you will feel a minor change.  It's like watching the hour hand on a clock.  If you monitor it closely with timed workouts, you'll see slight improvements on a daily basis.  I expect that it may take 3 weeks to get back to winning form.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=3.0

2/11- Another small step forward.  1 Mile time trial at Gold's.  I simply hoped for a sub-6:45 and I clocked a 6:34.5.  I'm certainly not going to celebrate that but I do feel noticeably better today.  Added a half mile cool.  Prolotherapy round 2 is tomorrow and I may have to drive up there tonight if the weather forecast remains iffy.  I am toying with the idea of jogging the half at Mercedes but will likely just do the 5K.  I hope to be sub-22 by then.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=1.5

2/12- Planned rest day.  Prolotherapy was rough but I made it through.  Drove home through snow flurries and heavy rain.  Mercedes decision:  I am running the 5K and possibly a leg of the relay but not the half.

2/13- Planned rest day.  Still too sore from the shots in the hip.  The inflammation kicked in hard immediately but began to die down by the evening.  We got snow again last night and it's hard to believe that the first signs of Spring will come in 2-3 weeks.  Thankfully, I was home safely before the snow started.  I may be up for a gentle run tomorrow evening.

PM- Walking with just a slight limp today.  Still slowly gaining energy thanks to the Endodren. I'll be pain free by Saturday.  I'm going to try to downgrade to the 5K but if they won't let me and I feel good on Sunday, it's crossed my mind to run the half as a training run.  If I am encouraged by my 5K performance, I'm more likely to run Sunday.  I really wish the companion 5K was on the same day as the main events.

2/14- AM- I HATE VALENTINE'S DAY!   New wrinkle has come up.  One of my friends who is signed up for the marathon relay is injured and can't run.  She asked me to take her place so I said "Sure, I'll do it."  I'm still running the 5K tomorrow.   As for Sunday, my leg is 2.95 miles, roughly from Mile 6.05-Mile 9.0.  I hope they'll let me continue running after my leg is finished.  I'll have to drop out before the finish but I'll get to cover 7 miles, which should be a safe distance for me.
Planning a gentle run this afternoon.

PM- Vestavia 2 mile in 14-flat (7:00 pace).  Effort was moderate. Splits were 7:08/6:52 with a 1:36 last lap.  If I feel the same tomorrow, I think I can go mid-21s for 5K in a race setting.  Felt much better than expected but my Achilles was a bit tender after the run.  That's a concern but my whole body has been tight and sore for a long time.  You can be darn sure that it has nothing to do with my training (or lack thereof) now.  On the medical front, I have sent in my hair sample and have ordered my Mag RBC test.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.0

2/15- Regions Super Hero 5K was a go.  Finished in 21:09 (6:50 pace).  Slightly better than expected.  Splits were 6:36-6:47-7:00-46.  It was good enough for 3rd in my age group out of 57 runners.  That says more about the weakness of the field than my performance.  Achilles held up fine and was no worse than yesterday.  A time between 21:00-21:15 is a "D+" under normal circumstances but I'll cut myself some slack today.
Grade:C+/3 credits/distance=3.5

2/16- Ran the relay from Mile 6.1-Mile 9.0 then continued on my own and dropped out at Mile 12.6.  Finished 6.5 miles in a solid time of 46:54 (7:13 pace) plus a warm and cool.  Figure that I did a quarter marathon at 3:10 BQ pace.  A more detailed post is coming about the whole weekend.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
The switch to the Endodren was a shocker but the chemical sensitivity appears to be gone.  Mega doses of Thym-Adren overshot the balance point (I hope).  I am pleased with my progress and intend to keep doing what I'm doing as long as I continue to improve.
Distance= 17.0/ GPA= 21.6/9= 2.40
YTD: 164 miles.  Record: 2-4 with a 2.06 GPA

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Possible status of my health

Please bear with Doctor J as I am sure that this post will be very esoteric information. Those without significant knowledge of the hair test protocol will not understand.  This one is more for my reference to get my thoughts down.

I technically escaped adrenal exhaustion back in 2008 before I started this blog. As is commonly the case, my system overshot the balance point, leaving me with extreme adrenal over-activity.  I expected that it would take time to normalize but surely, the hard part was over.  I never thought that it would take this long nor did I expect that I would have to endure so much instability. 

Thym-Adren was the key pill to normalize adrenal function and when my system could process it properly; it was very effective in lowering my tissue sodium and potassium from extreme high levels to near normal.  Sodium and Potassium are two minerals associated with key adrenal hormones and are the basis for testing adrenal function at the cellular level.  The improvements in the body chemistry showed in my race results as well.  My 1:28 half marathon in Texas would not have been possible without more balanced chemistry.

This is the third time in three years that the Thym-Adren has stopped working.  All three times, I was forced off it.  It was not such that I had been taking it and simply realized that it was no longer necessary.  Let's review a little history.

In 2012, I was forced off all my pills except for Paramin (Cal/Mag citrate).  After 3 months of the best running of my life, I unraveled after my triumph at Rumpshaker.  I was soon forced off the Paramin as well and my adrenals spiraled out of control by the summer.  It proved to be a processing issue due to a deficiency of the enzyme xylose isomerase that converts fructose to glucose.  After starting on the Fructosin supplement, I found that once again, I could take the Thym-Adren.  On a side note, this enzyme deficiency may have been caused by very low magnesium levels.  Shortly after I began using transdermal magnesium, I began to get a negative reaction to Fructosin due to my multiple chemical sensitivity.  I recently tried Fructosin again after the detox with presumably normal Mag levels and presumably a relatively healthy liver.  I found that it did not have a significant effect.  I experienced neither a breakthrough that allowed me to tolerate mega doses nor the body aches and depression that came when I took it with normal Mag but multiple chemical sensitivity.  Many of my readers question whether I still endorse Fructosin.  That answer is YES!  There may be other causes of that enzyme deficiency besides low magnesium.

Thanks to the Fructosin and mega Thym-Adren plus the right balance of copper and Vitamin C, I rebounded in late 2012-early 2013.  If not for an emergency bathroom stop, I would have run a low-1:29 in Los Angeles on a more difficult course than Texas.  However, by Springtime, the chemical sensitivity had progressed to the point in which I could not take Mag with Thym-Adren and eventually by the Fall, began rejecting Thym-Adren when taken alone.  I tried Endodren (adrenal stimulator) as well as many other mineral supplements and got the same negative response of body aches, fatigue and depression.  I know now that my body rejected the Thym-Adren along with everything else because of the congestion and toxicity in my liver.

It appeared that I had broken through again after the detox allowed me to take Thym-Adren and magnesium together.  However, the dosage began trending down and the downward trend accelerated after the 2nd detox until I could not tolerate Thym-Adren any more.  This time however, I could take other supplements such as Juice Plus and ADHS that had given me trouble before the detox.  Could it be possible that the detox was the key to escaping my pattern of extreme adrenal activity?  I took Thym-Adren yesterday after Round 3 of detox and got the same old negative reaction.  Today, I took the Endodren and I feel somewhat better.

So what in the world does this all mean?   I won't know for sure until I get the medical report but I see 3 possibilities:
1) Continued extreme fast oxidation with no explanation for opposite symptoms.
This would be the back breaker for me.  It would mean that there is still another piece of the puzzle that I have yet to solve before I can take Thym-Adren again.  It also means that Thym-Adren is still necessary and if I cannot take it, I am screwed.  This seems unlikely because I can take most everything else without a problem.  Thus, processing is unlikely to be the problem.

2) A significant deficiency of a key trace  mineral.
This is possible and if so, it is a relatively simple fix.  All I have to do is take that key mineral and the over-stimulation will kick in hard and force me back on Thym-Adren, which puts me back on track to balance.  Since I had been taking Thym-Adren up until very recently, my numbers likely won't be horrible even if that's the case.  It is imperative that I send in my sample early next week.  It is true that caffeine does deplete key minerals but I abstained for 5 days and saw my Thym-Adren intolerance get worse, not better.  One pill that I will try is Vitamin E with selenium, which has been low before.

3) A reversal to slow oxidation.
I have hoped for this scenario many times.  It would explain why I can suddenly take adrenal stimulators and feel better. It is possible that detox was my only way out of the extreme fast oxidation pattern and now that I am free, my system will eventually self-regulate.  I will gladly take Cal+Mag alone for maintenance. I may have to take Endodren for a short time until that happens but I promise it won't be for 6 years.  If my body is in balance, I will be capable of doing things that were never possible before.  That includes non-running activities as well.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Training 2/3-2/9

2/3- Made it through the day without caffeine with nothing more than a mild headache.  Thym-Adren must go down AGAIN!  I'll be all the way down to 2 plus 375 mg. Cal+Mag.  I don't even need to run to tell I'm off target so you know it must be pretty bad.  As for the caffeine, I suspect it may be driving my Mag down a bit. My only real symptoms are that I get numb a little easier and I've had some sneezing.  I may be lower than ideal but likely not deficient.  I predict my Mag RBC will be maybe 5.3-5.5 (optimal is 6.0-7.0).  I can raise that by staying off the caffeine.  Raising the Mag will lower the key Na/Mg (adrenal ratio) so this development make some sense.  In the past, abstinence increased my tolerance for pills but that was before the detox.  Hip is too sore to run.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0

2/4- Very depressing day.  The lack of running is really starting to affect my mood and I'm afraid that even with the prolotherapy, I could be out another 4-6 weeks.  Again, I made it through the day without caffeine without problems.  My muscles might be a tad less sore but I'm still getting a lot of popping and cracking in my joints.  I'm afraid that once again, I cannot take Thym-Adren with Mag.  I've got detox on Fri-Sat but I'm not sure how much effect it will have this time. After this 3rd round, I won't do it again for another few months.   I've been trending down on pills for 3 weeks.  I will try a substitute product called ADHS tomorrow, which is an adrenal modulator.  If that doesn't cause ill-effects, I may not need Thym-Adren.  If it does, it's a processing issue.
VERY SAD news today via Facebook, one of my college classmates has died of cancer at the age of 32! That breaks my heart.   She was a woman of faith and I know where she is now.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0
Update: I cannot take Thym-Adren but was no worse after taking ADHS.  Prior to the detox, I could not take ADHS at all.  That's one piece of good news on a really bad day.

2/5- Felt somewhat better today.  I'm back on 750 mg. of Cal+Mag with no Thym-Adren.  Taking ADHS does not seem to make much of a difference.  It is imperative that I send in my hair sample next week after the detox.  I'm VERY interested to know the results this time.  Legs are a bit less sore today and even my hip seems a little better but I am still a ways off from running.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0

2/6- Good news.  I got a decent performance appraisal at work and earned a raise.  The hip pain has diminished but I'm still out until further notice.  I was hoping to get my prolo appointment moved up to next Tuesday but I will have to wait until Wednesday.  Detox is tomorrow and I will attempt to take Thym-Adren again after that.  If I still cannot, the medical report had better show radical change or I am screwed.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=0

2/7- Detox was today after a full day's work.  It was hard not to eat lunch but I got through it with nothing more than a headache.  No real nausea this time.  Tomorrow, I will try to take Thym-Adren again and if I cannot, I know it's not a processing issue.  No running until the injured leg feels the same as the non-injured one.  5 days off caffeine and I cannot say that I feel any better.

2/8- Completed the detox.  Headache was bad but there was no nausea this time.  Again, I passed quite a few stones.  They were not as numerous as last time but I got out more tiny tan ones as well as about 2 dozen larger green stones (roughly pea sized).  The Thym-Adren verdict is in!  I still cannot take it.   Now,  I know that my body has rejected it for a reason that is unrelated to liver processing and toxicity.  It's premature to say definitively why this has happened but I do have a couple of theories.  A full post is coming tomorrow.  I am pleased that I got a key question answered.

Update:  Tomorrow will be a big day.  I am going to try the Endodren (adrenal stimulator).  Prior to the first detox, I could not tolerate EITHER the Thym-Adren OR  Endodren with the Mag.  Now, if I can take the Endodren but not the Thym-Adren, there is a very good chance that my chemistry has shifted.  Of course, I won't know the full details until I get the medical report.  The most likely scenarios are a significant deficiency in a key mineral OR a shift to slow oxidation.  More on this will come in a separate post. On a side note, I believe that I am getting close to a return to running.

2/9- Got some news today.  Took 1 Endodren pill and felt slightly better.  Went to the gym and walk/jogged a mile with just a trace of pain in the hip.  I don't think that I am quite ready but I will try again next weekend.  I then tried some Vitamin E plus selenium and felt no different.  NO SENSITIVITY!  I still may be deficient in a key mineral but it's not selenium.  It could be chromium or manganese but I'm willing to wait until I get the results.
 Update:  Took a 2nd Endodren and again felt slightly better.  Jogged a mile in 7:49.  The Endodren contains manganese so that's likely not it.  I may try chromium.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.0

Weekly summary:
Well, I got some answers this week.  There will be more news in the coming weeks.
Distance=1.0/ GPA= 0.10
YTD: 146 miles.