Spinx Run Fest RR

Training:
I've averaged roughly 20 miles per week over the past 12 months which simply won't do.  I had not gone longer than 7 in a single session since my last race in mid-September.  I have been using new prebiotic and probiotic supplements and had not had a collapse in the last 5 days.  I was cautiously hopeful for a respectable performance but 3 days out, I caught a bit of a head cold.  It didn't kill my energy but certainly left me weaker.

Trip:
Left work early on Thursday and made a pit stop for the night at Nick's place in Atlanta for the night.  From there, it was roughly 2.5 hours to Greenville but we made a stop in Clemson for lunch at TDs.  It was one of our regular hangouts when we were students so it brought back some memories.  We arrived in Greenville by late afternoon and checked into our hotel.  Next, we took a walk down by a beautiful riverside trail with 2 waterfalls.  Part of me still misses this place but I don't see myself leaving Birmingham.  There was a reason why I chose this event for State #25 and it would be special regardless of the result.  On the night before race day, my cold took a turn for the worse with a cough and stuffy nose but I did improve by the next morning.  Unfortunately, my stomach was jacked up and I feared the worst on the race course.

Falls Park

Race plan:
I know that I can hold an 8:00 pace for 7 miles on flat terrain with something left at the end.  Realistically, considering my cold and lack of fitness over the longer distance, the stretch goal was 1:50 (8:24 for 13.1) but I really wanted to be under 2 hours.  My first half had been a 1:59 but I slipped all the way to 2:06 last month.  I decided to shoot for about 8:20 pace for the first 3 miles then pick it up if I feel good.

Course:
Tough but fair (6 out of 10).  Lots of hills especially on the back half but there were some flat sections.  Thankfully, most of the climbs were long and gradual.  It covered a nice mix of parks, trails and city streets but there was one MAJOR flaw with the organization.  There were only 4 aid stations and NO Gatorade (only water).  If this had been a warm and sunny day, I'm not sure I could have managed without electrolytes.

Race:
Not surprisingly, I was out a little faster than planned but not stupid fast and yes, the first mile was mostly a gradual decline.  My stomach remained jacked up early and I was afraid that I might have to pull over multiple times but fortunately, my luck held and the discomfort actually diminished after Mile 5 or so.  When I got through Mile 4 still feeling halfway decent, I knew that there was a good chance that I would not be collapsing.  Early on, I was on pace for about 1:48ish, which certainly would have been acceptable today and would represent a tremendous improvement over last time.  Unfortunately, I slipped a bit in the park in Mile 6 but still passed the halfway point around 55-flat (1:50 pace).  However, I had been warned about the back half of the course and figured that the realistic goal was to hold a sub-2 pace over the 2nd half.
8:05- (8:05)
8:12- (16:17)
8:17- (24:34)
8:34 (33:08)
8:20 (41:28)
8:34 (50:02)  10K around 52-flat.
8:53 (58:55)

At the beginning of Mile 8, we hit our first really tough hill and I decided to take a short walk break to save myself for the end.  Probably a good call but fears of a collapse were creeping back.  Thankfully, the course went back down for the remained of the mile and it was not long before I was back on pace.  Mile 10 contained another tough stretch with a climb on the trail followed by a turn on to the road that revealed more uphill.  Once again, I was reduced to walking.  By this point, I was doing math in my head and calculating how much of a fade I could endure yet still break 2 hours.  To my relief, I found that even if I slipped to 10:00 pace the rest of the way, I could still make it with about 2 minutes to spare.  Miles 11 contained 1 long downhill and a fairly long flat section through another loop in the park but I was running on fumes by this point.  Then, Mile 12 was just about as bad as advertised.  It was a long steady moderate grade for almost the entire mile and this time, I took a longer walk break.  I feared that it would be all uphill to the finish, which may put the sub-2 in jeopardy but yet again, when I knew I could not take any more climbing and my calves stabbed with pain, the course went back down briefly.  Mile 13 was a more gentle incline most of the way before a turn into the minor league baseball stadium and a finish at home plate.  I knew that I was looking at a 1:56:xx so I did not push it too hard down the stretch.  I really didn't have much to give anyway.
8:50 (1:07:45)
8:56 (1:16:41)
9:29 (1:26:10)
9:19 (1:35:29)
10:31 (1:46:00)
9:34 (1:55:34)
:45 (last .09)

Final thoughts:
I have now completed at least a half marathon in half the states, which completes the Half2Run Challenge.  I am proud of what I have accomplished and pleased by the 10+ minute improvement over last month but the predominant emotion is sadness.  I am simply not in condition to do this anymore.  I looked so bad on the walk back that several people asked me if I was okay.  Still, I think I have shown enough improvement to at least postpone the retirement decision until I get the results from Yasko and give the sulfur detox products another try.  They might work now if the prebiotics improved my mal-absorption issues.

Official result:
Time of 1:56:19.  Probably around the 50th percentile for my new AG.

Finish inside stadium

Training 10/26-10/31 (race week)

10/26- I know I said there would be no more training updates but I DON'T WANT TO RETIRE!  I miss it already and I still have 1 race to go.  I'll still jog casually as long as I can.
It was more testing today at Gold's:

In a very pleasant surprise, I found that I was able to tolerate low dose FOS.  The blahs of the past weekend were replaced by over-stimulation.  ADHS helped a little but it was not effective enough.
Trial 1: 1 mile stop and go in 7:08 (2:20-2:25-2:23).  Extra ADHS and extra FOS were tolerated but I still felt very overstimulated and it would have been a Mendoza line performance over 3 miles.  Still, it was good news that I was not significantly worse after a 2nd FOS (I dare not go higher).  Then, it was the moment of truth:  How would I respond to Thym-Adren?

Began on low dose, which was clearly not enough but I did improve to a 6:54 on a non-stop Mile at tempo effort.  I then tried the full dose (6 pills) and was afraid that I over-did it and still believe that I did so.  Nevertheless, it was a pretty solid effort over 3 miles.  The time was 21:22 (7:07 pace) with splits of 7:05-7:13-7:04.  This formula would NOT have worked even yesterday.  Perhaps my tolerance to Thym-Adren + FOS will improve in time but for now, I'm going conservative with those pills.  More importantly, I have another faint glimmer of hope.
Distance=5.0

10/27- Easy 7 at Gold's in 54:52 (7:50 pace).  Good preparation for the race.  Passed 6 miles in 47:30 (7:55 avg) with every mile at or below 8:00.  Felt comfortable aside from a few aches and pains in the foot and groin but the pace felt fine.  Picked up the pace after 6.5 and ran the next quarter mile in 1:52 then came home with a 93 second quarter despite tight turns.  Can I hold this pace for another 6 miles on fresh legs?  The fact that I had something left suggests that the answer is yes.  The would bring me home in 1:43 and change.  I still plan to go out ultra conservative and shoot for a negative split, which I have done a few times in a half (Memphis, Mercedes, Tulsa).

Pills:  Stuck with 2 FOS but cut the Thym-Adren from 6 pills to 4.  VERY encouraging that I can still have a decent workout even if my dose is slightly off and 1 pill does NOT make a huge difference!
Distance=7.0

10/28- Trak Shak 3 in the daylight for the last time this year.  My gut tells me it will NOT be the last time ever.  Finished the distance in 21:36 at tempo effort (7:12 pace).  Not a bad performance but I was hoping to handle 5 at that pace.  Splits were 6:57-7:12-7:30 so I faded but didn't collapse.  Overall time was not significantly worse than Monday but if you base it solely on how I felt, it was.  4 Thym-Adren pills won't be enough.  It's got to be 6+ at least for the time being.
Distance=3.0

10/29- 2.5 mile prep run on Lakeshore.  Finished in 18:57 (7:35 pace) but was not pleased with how I felt.  Significant fade but not a collapse and I would have come in under the Mendoza line if I had gone another half mile.  I took mega Thym-Adren today and apparently it was too much.  Not pleased that I remain sensitive to this stuff.  It will be 6 pills race morning.

10/30- Planned rest day.  Drive to Greenville.

10/31- Spinx Run Fest in 1:56:19 officially.  A 10 minute improvement over last month in PA but it hurt like hell.  No more halves until further notice.

11/1- Planned rest day but did do some experimentation.
Stuff that I could not tolerate before and still can't:
B-12 and ACE nucleotide product.  The latter was dumped down the drain.
Stuff that I could not tolerate before and NOW I CAN:
Sparga (Excellent news) and Whole Food C.

FOS supplement/ Road trip and Farewell tour

One of the key things I learned from the recent trial and error (mostly error) over the past few weeks is that NO AMOUNT of adrenal suppressants will EVER be enough to balance my chemistry.  It was enough to keep me afloat for a few years (if I took the precise dose) but as my sulfate toxicity continues to worsen, so does my overall health.

I've read several articles that have suggested that extreme high sulfates can indeed CAUSE runaway adrenal activity.  That does make sense to me.  Now, if by some miracle I can reduce my sulfate toxicity, I may not even need mega doses of Thym-Adren.  I can then address the methylation, which should solve the sensitivity issues.  In other words, things will work smoothly and I will be less dependent on pills and I can finally start living.

Sulfates must be less than 800 before any methylation can be tolerated.  I don't know my exact number but would not be surprised if it's over 5,000.  All urine test strips showed all 4 squares changing color (over 1600) even when the sample was diluted with water.  I have tried everything to fix this problem including orinthine, butyrate, Sparga, Yucca, Molybdenum, CBS drops, CBS/NOS caps and B-12.  I've had negative reactions to all of them.  By negative reactions, I mean overwhelming fatigue and depression.  The only exception has been B-12 but I am beginning to think I may have an excess after all.  Maybe it's not a transport issue.  I am most definitely worse off than I was before I started taking it.

There was one other product that I had yet to try, which is FOS listed on Metabolic Healing's website for CBS mutations.

What is FOS?
   It's a fiber based prebiotic supplement intended to help with digestion and mal-absorption.  I'm also taking a probiotic (good bacteria) but have found that an enzyme supplement is a non-factor (no reaction to it at all).  I ordered the product online but it won't be shipped until Monday and the origin is in California so I may not receive it until after I leave for South Carolina.  I want to go into what will probably be my last race knowing that I did everything I could so I would look to see where I could find it in a brick and mortar store.  I found a listing for it at a health food store in Auburn (2 hrs from B'ham).  With nothing better to do today, I took the road trip.

Road trip report:
I made a "triangle" in which I took US-280 going southeast, which is a direct route but given that you pass through some towns along the way, it may be faster to take the interstate.  Anyway, the trip was smooth and although the store did not have the product that I ordered, I found another brand with the same key ingredient.  Going back, I took the interstate first going west to Monty and then back on I-65 north to home.

I made 3 stops along the way.  First was Metro Fitness gym in East Montgomery.  I would have liked to walk around inside for a few minutes but did not feel right about it since I am no longer a member there.  I did catch a glimpse of the indoor track, where I enjoyed many workouts and made a good friend named Susi.  Next stop was the park in Millbrook where I trained regularly after work and even ran an unofficial marathon there.  I didn't cry but I felt a lot of emotion as I walked around that park remembering all those hard long runs knowing that it's probably over after next weekend.  I also remembered the stops at the gas station across the street caked with salt when I bought a "recovery drink."  Finally, I stopped at one of my favorite independent restaurants, the Front Porch Grill, where I enjoyed a tasty ribeye.  My job did suck in Monty and I struggled with loneliness but I do have some good memories as well.

Early reaction to the FOS:
  The over-stimulation that I felt earlier in the day (despite taking the suppressant) faded shortly after taking the pill and left me with the same old flu-like malaise.  I tried to run shortly after I got home in mid-afternoon and was awful.  The workout was on Wisteria and I managed only a 4:44 on the downside then popped another FOS and was even worse (5:38) on the upside for an absolutely pathetic 10:22 MILE.

Run #2 came about an hour later after taking 2 ADHS (modulator).  Immediately after starting, I knew I was better.  I passed the half mile in 3:54 and merely hoped to hang on for a sub-8.  Much to my surprise, I saw a 7:33 when I finished (MINUS 2:49), which means I did the upside in 3:39.

Sunday- I took the suggested dose of FOS and it SUCKED!  I did not even need to run to find it had failed but I did jog about 100 meters before quitting.

In the afternoon, I continued the farewell tour.  I stopped briefly at the old Sportplex location, which is no longer used as a health club and just drove around.  Next, I went downtown to the start/finish line of Vulcan and Mercedes.  I jogged around Linn Park before hitting the last part of the race course on 20th St. and the final turn before the finish.  Again, the memories came flooding back and brought me close to tears.  I could almost see the volunteer putting the medal around my neck, the post-race picture in Linn Park and the post-race party in the Boutwell Auditorium.  Finally, I drove the Sloss Furnace, the site of Rumpshaker.  I simply drove the final bridge climb and the straightaway to the finish.  The emotion was not as strong here because I only raced here twice and once was it memorable.  I'm glad that I did have one last decent speed session with Johnny last week.  Now, I hope the Trak Shak run will be decent next Wednesday.

B-12 blood test results (serum)

The reference range is roughly 200-900 (can't recall the exact numbers) but the word on the street is that the optimal range is near the top of the scale.  Less than 500 may actually produce symptoms of deficiency.  The optimal range is roughly 750-1000.  What's my number?

I am off the scale.  I did not even get an exact figure.  It simply said "Greater than 2000."

What to make of it?
I don't know.  I did read some rather scary articles about a high B-12 without supplementation being linked to serious liver, kidney disease or worse.  I'm not concerned about that because yes, I have been supplementing for several months.  The more likely scenario is that I am actually deficient within the cells.  On my old hair tests, Cobalt (the B-12 mineral) has always tested very low.  Thus, the mineral is in excess in the serum but cannot reach the cells and thus, symptoms of deficiency result.  One mineral that is critical for transport of B-12 is Lithium.  I remain extremely intolerant to even minute doses of that stuff.  I won't know much of anything until I get Yasko's tests back, which should be around mid-November.   I e-mailed her again asking for any basic information based on the results that have come back.  I doubt that I'll get a response.

I am leaning heavily towards retirement now.  I may not be physically burned out but emotionally, I sure am.  All of these lab tests and "better with or without" tests that change from one week to the next have taken their toll.  At the end of the day, I just don't enjoy this anymore.

I AM GOING OFF THE B-12 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Hydroxy B-12 and ADHS (The formula?)

Here's a list of CBS mutation related products that I have tried.  All have failed.  For the record, I have a compound heterozygous mutation for CBS, which is worsened by a homozygous mutation for NOS.
- Activated Charcoal
-Yucca
-Yasko's CBS drops
-Yasko's CBS/NOS caps
-Orinthine
-Sparga (tolerated this for a while)
-Yasko's SUOX drops
-Molybdenum
-Hydroxy B-12 (can't be taken with Thym-Adren)

It was suggested to me that perhaps CBS was not a problem after all.  Just having the genetic mutation does not mean that treatment is necessary.  It has to be activated before it can cause a problem.  In my case, taurine and ammonia tested mildly high on the UAA test but not through the roof.  However, the sulfate test strips consistently show a value above 1600 whereas it should be no higher than 800.  There is no doubt in my mind that I am burdened by toxic sulfur.  Yet, all the treatment options that supposedly helped detox caused OVERWHELMING fatigue and depression.

I believe that Thym-Adren was the culprit.  Thym-Adren slows down thyroid and adrenal function and thus may slow down the elimination of toxins.  Would the above treatments have worked if I had not been taking the Thym-Adren and consistently abstained from caffeine?  I know that Sparga is continuing to fail but am not sure of the other ones. I'm giving molybdenum and Yucca another shot so  I'll find out this coming week.

Endodren (adrenal stimulant)-
I dealt with copper and cadmium toxicity last year and turned to Endodren for relief from the detox symptoms.  It was effective on a temporary basis but this year, I only got 1 good day out of it.  I may need it again if I have a strong detox reaction to Yucca or moly.

Hydroxy B-12:
Because of my genetics, I must take this form rather than methyl.  Throughout most of the summer, I took 1 pill (1000 mcg) almost every day.  Unfortunately, I don't think that's strong enough to make a significant dent in the sulfates.  I need at least 2 pills.  Also, there is strong evidence that caffeine use somehow interferes with the B-12 metabolism.  It has become obvious that the fatigue, depression and flu-like malaise that I have experienced is NOT a thyroid/adrenal problem but rather a very strong detox reaction.  I can't just ride it out because it's just too severe.  It is also obvious that B-12 is ABSOLUTELY necessary.  Without it, I will NEVER eliminate the sulfates and the Thym-Adren
+ Cal/Mag will NEVER be enough to balance my chemistry.  Also, I will NEVER be able to tolerate methyl, which is needed to solve sensitivity issues.

 I cannot take either Thym-Adren (adrenal suppressant) OR Endodren (adrenal stimulant) with the B-12 so it's ADHS (modulator) or BUST!

Changes;
Since taking the 2 B-12 pills every day, I have noticed that my urine reeks of sulfur especially shortly after taking B-12 and my body odor has increased.  That's certainly not pleasant but it is a good sign for the detox process.

Retirement decision:
My performance in South Carolina will not be a factor.  I've proven again last week that I am still capable of a decent race if I get lucky with the pills.  It will depend on my training and how I feel leading up to race day.  If I find a winning formula that is stable between now and the end of the month, you bet I'll continue training and racing.

On the horizon:
Assuming that Yasko keeps her word, I will get several test results sometime in November.  It seems unlikely that I will find out anything earth shattering that I don't already know.  What is most important to me is the hair test.  Those results will either confirm or rule out Mercury toxicity.  It will take 2 consecutive bad tests before I pull the trigger on the amalgam removal but it's a "go" in that case for sure.

-There are also 2 more naturopaths that may be worth a consult (Gail Clayton and Metabolic Healing)

-A blood test for B-12 costs just $49 through Request A Test and that will be done this week.

-If all else fails, it's anti-depressants.

Final point:
Even if I do retire, I will continue fighting for wellness and will still run occasionally but I will not race again or blog about running.

Training 10/19-10/25

2 B-12 pills plus ADHS (as much as I need) is my last option.  Any collapse between now and Greenville that is not without an explanation such as caffeine use or trying a new pill and THAT DOES IT!  This might be my last training post.

10/19- Tried Yucca last night and got an immediate and SEVERE negative reaction.  I don't think it was detox because Endodren didn't help and probably put me further in the hole.  At least there was an explanation today.  I knew it was going to suck and it did.  2 miles at Veteran's Park (3 laps around the lake) in a time of 18:48 (9:24 pace).  Splits were 5:49-6:19-6:40.  UGLY!  I will try molybdenum tonight so I get another free pass tomorrow.  I'm also doing the B-12 blood test in the morning.

10/20- Bad reaction to Molybdenum last night leaves Hydroxy B-12 as the only option to reduce sulfates.  I've also eliminated Jigsaw Mag and replaced it with plain Mag malate.  I'm going to cut the Pectasol, Histidine and GB-3.  All are probably non-factors but I don't want to chance it with anything else.  Woke up very overstimulated and the ADHS made me feel only slightly better.  My tolerance to B-12 has improved however and went to the lab this morning to get it tested.  I could get the results as early as tomorrow.  No running this morning.

PM- I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  Johnny's workout at Vestavia.  5x800 plus a 400 for dessert.  Went with ADHS in the morning and managed just a 4:15-4:09 for the first 2 then popped 1 THYM-ADREN (a disaster last week) and improved to 3:37.  Popped another pill and finished the workout pretty strong.  Last splits were 3:00-2:57 then finished with a 77 final quarter.  Will Thym-Adren work tomorrow?  Who knows.
Distance=3.0

Update: Sent the last Yasko test at lunch today.  It was a stool test and yes, it was disgusting.  I'll spare you the details.  I only cared about the hair and urine test and really wish Yasko had given me the test results one at a time. Tomorrow will be a morning workout and another Thym-Adren test.

10/21- AM- Woke up VERY overstimulated so I hit Gold's for the tests.
3 laps in 2:48 (8:24 pace) no Thym Adren
3 laps in 2:24 (7:12 pace) 2 Thym-Adren
3 laps in 1:58 (5:54 pace) 4 Thym-Adren
Last week I needed an adrenal stimulant.  Today, I needed an adrenal suppressant.

PM- Took 2 more pills after the morning session and still didn't feel like it was enough.  Hit Lakeshore for the workout.  Passed 4 miles in 29:38 (7:24 pace), tried to push it in the last mile but felt my knee start to give out around 4.2.  Thankfully, it appears to be okay.  I was not about to chance it at this point.  An injury would mean that I would have to wait until next year to finish the Half2Run challenge.  I shut it down and just jogged the last 3/4 mile around 8:20ish pace.  Finished with an overall time of 37:45 (7:33 pace).  Got home to find that my blood B-12 test is off the scale HIGH.  That usually means a transport issue is to blame and it's actually low within the cells.  Interesting day to say the least.
Distance= 6.0

10/22- COLLAPSE.  Aborted a Lakeshore run.  After a fast start, I faded before the Mile marker then had to jog it back.  Finished 2 miles in 15:14 (7:37 pace) but the splits were 7:09-8:05.  I'm afraid that does it.  I did have a Green Tea the last 2 days but that's only 20 mg. of caffeine so I doubt that's the problem.  Sulfates are still over 1600.  Barring a miracle turnaround this weekend, it's over.
Distance=2.0

10/23- Planned rest day.  Would not have done well in a run.  I think my best chance of a decent race is to cut out the B-12.  It is possible that I could not even tolerate the 20 mg caffeine in Green Tea for a few days.  My new theory is that I have some sort of digestion/malabsorption issue that requires prebiotics rather than enzymes.  This is TRULY my last conservative option.

10/24- FOS trial and error
Run #1- 1 Mile in 10:22
Run #2- 1 Mile in 7:33
Distance=2.0

10/25- FAILURE!  Just some light spurts of jogging downtown.
Distance=1.0

Weekly summary:
I must face it sooner or later and I really want to keep a flicker of hope alive but in all likelihood, it's over.  Tomorrow, I will attempt a lower dose of FOS and if that fails, it's back to all Cal/Mag + Thym-Adren until race day.  I just want it to be done now.
Distance= 16 miles

Training 10/12-10/18

10/12- I was wrong.  Too much B-12 is indeed harmful.  I went with 4 mg. of hydroxy yesterday and took 2 mg. more this morning with zero Thym-Adren.  Hit Lakeshore this morning and this time, I faded before the Mile marker then turned around.  Finished with 2 miles in 15:54 (7:57 pace) with splits of 7:38-8:16.  Popped 2 more after the run and was noticeable WORSE.  Did another half mile in 4:44 (9:28 pace).  Again, the Pectasol and Histidine were non-factors.

PM- Good news.  I popped 1 Endodren (adrenal stimulant) and improved to 7:14 for 1 Mile on Wisteria.  Down side in 3:34 and Upside in 3:40.  That's more evidence that B-12 does indeed indirectly suppress adrenal function. Tomorrow's plan is a double workout.  I'm going down to 2 B-12 pills and may struggle in the morning but expect to improve by the afternoon for a better with or without Thym-Adren test.
Distance=3.5

10/13-AM-  Expected to struggle and it was worse than expected.  Managed just 1 mile at Gold's in a time of 8:31.  After taking 4 B-12 pills the last 2 days, I took 2 more this morning.  I might be better this evening.

Update:
In an interesting development, I had to pee shortly after the run and tested the sample using sulfate test strips.  Even when diluted, the reading was still off the charts (over 1600).  Did the B-12 remove it?  I did feel a little better immediately afterwards.  I want to see where I stand off the B-12 for at least several hours.

PM- 2.5 miler out and back on Jemison as planned.  Still awfully sluggish but considerably better than the morning debacle.  Did the first half @ 7:32 pace then hung on for a 7:48 on the back half.  Overall time was 19:10 (7:40 pace) so I faded but did not collapse.  Still, a 5K race would not have been much below 24.
Distance=3.5
Evening update:
The GB-3 (for mal-absorption) has arrived and so far, it is a non-factor as expected.  It will come down to the B-12 and Thym-Adren.  I do have one insurance policy left and that is the MTRR nucleotide from Yasko.

Tomorrow, I will not take any B-12 and fully expect to become over-stimulated and require Thym-Adren.  That's right, I will flip from one side of the spectrum to the other within 24-48 hours. I guarantee it too!  More to come later in an explanation post.

10/14- The overstimulation hit me as soon as I woke up so it was even sooner than I expected.  Mega Thym-Adren did help but it wasn't enough.  This confirms what I already knew.  The B-12 is necessary and no amount of Cal/Mag+ Thym-Adren can rein in the runaway adrenal function.  Workout was the 3 mile Trak Shak loop on a beautiful Fall evening.  A nearly all out effort got me in just below the Mendoza line with a time of 23:39 (7:53 pace).  Only good news is that the pace was steady.  I actually managed a slight negative split overall (7:55-7:56-7:48).

Now I know that mega Thym-Adren won't work and neither will mega B-12.  A combination might do it.  I took B-12 at night and am going with a moderate Thym-Adren dose tomorrow.
Distance= 3.0

10/15- Learned a lot today in an unplanned rest day.  Took only 1 B-12 last night and woke up only mildly overstimulated so the moderate dose of Thym-Adren should work?  WRONG!  IMMEDIATE NEGATIVE REACTION!  Even with abstinence from caffeine, no combination of B-12 and Thym-Adren will EVER work.  The MTRR nucleotide product arrived today and I felt a very modest positive response but not enough to be significant and certainly not a miracle cure.
Reaction:
This leaves me with just 3 possible combos.
#1- 1 B-12 + ADHS- pretty much what I took without success most of the summer.  The only difference is that I am consistently off caffeine.  I doubt that it will make much difference.
#2- 2 B-12 + ADHS-  I already know that this dose of B-12 alone will leave me lethargic.  Can the ADHS modulate my energy production?  I'll need a higher dose to do it.
#3- 2 B-12 + Endodren- This is the bold option and I'm going with it.  Slow oxidation symptoms have dominated since starting B-12.  I won't know why until I get the hair test results.  I believe this is my best chance to at least string together a few weeks of decent health.

10/16-AM- Better with or without test.  Took 2 B-12 last night and as expected, I was awful early.
I had seen enough after only 3 laps at Gold's in 2:42 (8:06 pace) and rapidly slowing.
Popped 1 Endodren- Improved to 2:20 (7:00 pace).
Popped a 2nd Endodren- Improved to 2:00 (6:00 pace).
Is this the long-term answer?  I doubt it.  More likely, it is only providing temporary relief from intolerable detox symptoms.  Still, this is probably my best chance for a decent showing in South Carolina.  I have 2 weeks to train and start in earnest this evening.

PM- Lakeshore 5 in 36:30 (7:18 pace).  Good job.  First day on Endodren.  Although I doubt that it's the permanent solution, this was the best day I've had in a long time.  I don't feel comfortable taking more than 3 Endodren even though it may result in more gains.  Perhaps all the CBS treatments that failed back in April will work on the Endodren.  Yucca may be worth another shot.  I expect that as the sulfur clears, I will revert back to fast oxidation symptoms so I must monitor it closely with better with or without tests.  1st half: 17:58, 2nd half: 18:32 so I faded but did not collapse.
Distance=6.0

10/17- FAILURE!  4 miles in 35:56 (8:59 pace).  Never did feel good.  Aimed for 8 minute pace and hit the first mile on target then began to struggle.  1st half: 16:36, 2nd half: 19:20.  It was obvious that it was too much Endodren.  That's okay.  I'll endure a rough day today then cut the dose tomorrow.  I'll start with 1 then go up to 2 if need be.
Distance=4.0

10/18- Endodren has officially FAILED.  Took just 1 pill this morning and did not need to run to know it.  It's ADHS or bust now.  I expect that the retirement decision will be made next week.  Even if I pull out a decent day in South Carolina, it won't change it.

PM- Popped 3 ADHS (modulator) and felt better though not good enough for a decent workout.  Still quite overstimulated.  Did 2 miles at Spain Park's track in a time of 15:32 (7:46 pace).  Splits were 7:23-8:09 so more of the same.

Distance=22 miles for the week.

Thym-Adren and B-12

Another horrible week is in the books and with just 20 days until my retirement date, I expect to get some kind of resolution one way or the other. I attempted to run 6 out of the 7 days but totaled just 11 miles.  Today's effort has been pretty typical as of late.  I felt reasonably loose and light early but felt the power cut off suddenly around 1.3 miles.  I was still at 11:18 (7:32 pace) through 1.5 but saw the collapse coming and turned around.  Despite my best effort, I managed only a 12:52 (8:35 pace) on the back side.  If I had kept going, it would have been over 10:00 by Mile 5 and a half marathon race would have been about as bad as Montour 4 weeks ago (2:06) if not worse.   Here's what I am up against:

EXTREME high sulfates- Every test strip shows sulfates through the roof (over 1600).  Yasko says it must be below 800 before any methyl donors can be tolerated.  I have tried EVERYTHING out there for sulfur detox but everything I've tried causes overwhelming fatigue and depression.  I recently read an article that high sulfates can cause "fight or flight" adrenal symptoms.  BINGO!

If that's true, it does make a lot of sense.  Why else would I require mega Thym-Adren (adrenal suppressants) every day or else?  Thus, it may be possible to reduce my need for those pills if I can get the sulfates down.  How do I do that?  B-12 could be a solution.  Yes, that's right.  The same B-12 that I recently posted that I could not tolerate.

More on B-12 and Lithium:
Lithium is a NO.  I was so bad on Thursday that I had to stay home from work.  I won't know until I get the hair test results but it seems likely that Lithium never was low.  Rather, it was the caffeine that prevented me from tolerating the B-12.  I've gone on and off caffeine many times over the past few years and it's obvious that my system works differently depending on whether I am on or off.  If I cheat 1 day, no big deal.  2-3 days in a row is another matter.

Mini-Rant:
The hair test results have almost certainly arrived but Yasko has refused to send me the results until I do all the other tests.  I can't be too angry because she gave me those tests for free.  However, she did fail to respond to a very basic question about results. specifically my Lithium, Cobalt and Sulfur levels.  That's poor customer service and is inexcusable!

On caffeine:
Cannot tolerate B-12 at all and may not be able to take Thym-Adren either but ADHS works.

Off caffeine:
ADHS seems to be a NO.  It appears that I can take as much B-12 as I want but there is a catch.  If I take mega B-12, I cannot tolerate Thym-Adren!  I suppose that does make sense because I've read evidence that B-12 does lower sulfate levels.  Thus, it indirectly slows my runaway adrenal function and reduces my need for adrenal suppressants. Of course, I won't know for sure until I get a hair test done after having taken B-12 consistently without caffeine.  One interesting observation is that even if I take too much Thym-Adren, extra B-12 does NOT seem to hurt me but extra Thym-Adren does.  On Friday, I did a junk run on Wisteria and came through 0.75 miles in 5:53 then popped a B-12 pill and came back with a 5:35.  I did not test it on a longer run because of the expected collapse in Mile 2.  I popped an extra Thym-Adren when I got back home and got an immediate negative reaction.

B-12 and Sulfur:
I've observed several times that my tolerance for sulfur seems to improve if I am taking B-12, which is more evidence that yes, it does indeed reduce sulfates and thus indirectly, slow runaway adrenal function.

Other pills:
I have ordered Pectasol for detox (specifically mercury) and Histidine for "sulfur metabolism".  Both arrived this weekend and in both cases, the early results are "Ineffective but not harmful."  I'm going to finish the bottles but not re-order barring a change.  I've also ordered a product called GB-3 for possible malabsorption issues.  I'm betting that it will also be a non-factor.  In all likelihood, it will come down to finding the right balance of B-12 and Thym-Adren!  Next week, I will experiment with various combinations until I find a winner.  Then, I must hope against hope that the new winning formula is relatively stable.  Again, I expect that within 20 days, I will get a resolution one way or the other.  If this plan fails, I face retirement.

Amalgam removal:
I am still considering this but will not pull the trigger unless both this hair test and the next one while on the B-12 show strong evidence of Mercury toxicity.  I will be using Cutler's counting method to determine that.  Look it up if you are interested.  Again, it's a risky procedure that cannot be undone so I believe that I am wise not to rush into it.  If by some miracle that it is the answer to my problems, I will come out of retirement and race again next year and beyond.

Anti-depressants:
That's the only thing that a traditional MD (Mineral Denialist) has ever given me.  I know that my genetics will not allow me to tolerate SSRIs or SNRIs.  The only one that I would take is Wellbutrin, which is dopamine based.  I have no anxiety or crying spells common when serotonin is low but cannot feel pleasure or happiness regardless of circumstances.  Going down that route is also a long shot and also represents a concession on my part that the natural approach, which I once believed to be my life's mission to promote, has failed me.  It will be done only if both the B-12 and amalgam removal fail.  I will also come out of retirement in the unlikely event this works.

Once again, it will likely come down to the right mix of B-12 and Thym-Adren and I expect to know 1 way or the other in 20 days.