Training 7/31-8/6

7/31- AM-This could be the death knell.  Tried to go PABA free and it didn't work.  Though unconfirmed, I strongly suspect that the MF/TMG sensitivity has flared up again.  Opened with an 8:42 mile then took just a trace of PABA and slipped to the 10 minute range.  Cut off the watch and treated the next half mile like a cool down.  Going forward, I have 3 options. 1) Deal with the sensitivity and go back to the sweet spot, which was about 1400 MF and 1000 TMG.  2) Break my pledge and try new supps intended to cut off ceruloplasmin production such as Zinc or citrates.  3) See the allergist in Huntsville.  I will at least talk to them but unless the staff impresses me, I'll pass.  Two weeks from Wednesday, I will be allowed to donate blood again and I'll lose more Iron and hopefully the raised ceruloplasmin will help like it's supposed to rather than hurt.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.5

PM- Picked up some Zinc at Whole Foods and began feeling somewhat better shortly thereafter.  Went to Vestavia for some interval testing.  3x800s.
50 mg Zinc- 3:50 (7:40 pace)
100 mg Zinc- 3:31 (7:02 pace)
Then, it was the moment of truth.  Would I be able to tolerate the Ultimate B?  If so, I don't have to worry about the methylation sensitivity again.  I merely hoped to maintain the pace or at least avoid a significant slow down.  Instead, I found a faster gear and clocked a 3:10 (6:20 pace).
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=1.5

Reaction:
Morley said that you can expect a rise in ceruloplasmin starting around Week 6 after blood donation.  It's Week 6 and that is exactly what is happening.  For most patients, that's a good thing.  Not so for me.  PABA, Curcumin and IP-6 all lower Iron but RAISE Cp, which explains why I cannot tolerate them.  Zinc and Manganese lower BOTH Iron and Cp.  Though the Ultimate B does contain a bit of PABA and IP6, it should be tolerated if I take a copper and Cp antagonist such as Zn or Mn.  Manganese isn't available in health food stores so I'll have to order it.  PABA has been thrown away.  B-2 will not be needed either but I'll keep it just in case.

8/1- 4 miles at Gold's in 28:20 (7:05 pace).  Looks solid overall but once again, I faded.  1st half-13:40, 2nd half- 14:40 with each mile about 15 seconds slower than the previous.  I did dip under 21 for 3 miles but would have been hard pressed to break 36 for 5 miles.  It feels like 50 mg Zinc wasn't quite enough.  I need 100.

As good as this was, it is a temporary solution.  Zinc suppresses ceruloplasmin, which is just what I need to do now.  However, if Cp gets too low, Iron and copper move back into storage and become unbound.  They need to come out but it has to be gradual.  Funny thing is Zinc has been tried before and it was a non-factor at best and harmful at worst.  Blood donation has most definitely changed some things.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=4.0

8/2- Nothing should surprise me anymore.  I woke up twice to go to the bathroom last night and it was very foul smelling.  Took the full 100 of zinc and could not do 10 minute pace.  A trace beyond that left me unable to run at all.  Then Whole C made things somewhat better.  I'm running again this evening.

PM- Lakeshore 3 in 22:39 (7:33 pace) thanks to Whole Food C.  This is a 1 day plan to counteract excess Zinc.  From now on, I will go with neither going forward.  If I ever can't tolerate Ultimate B, I'll go with a 1-2 day shot of Zinc and be done with it.  Zinc lowers Cp, Whole Food C raises it.  2 more weeks until I am allowed to donate again.  Who knows what will happen then?
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0

Random event:
My waitress at lunch said I have the "nicest teeth" she has ever seen.  I got a similar compliment in NYC of all places on my way to a subway.  I can and will attract women but when I am this unstable, WHO COULD LIVE WITH ME?

8/3- New day and a new culprit.  This time it was Glutathione.  The new theory is a glycine conjugation block so I took extra glycine in 4x800 intervals (3 pills).
1st- 4:17 (8:34 pace)
2nd-3:54 (7:48 pace) MINUS 46
3rd- 3:26 (6:52 pace) MINUS 56
4th- 2:56 (5:52 pace) MINUS 60
  The power turned up a notch with every pill stop and I don't think I was quite 100% even on the 4th interval but I really turned up the heat to get the sub-6 pace.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.0
More detailed post to come.

8/4- Loaded on glycine today and took no glutathione.  I may have overdone it a bit but I was strong today.  Gold's 5 in 35:18 (7:04 pace).  1st half: 17:30, 2nd half: 17:48.  New post-35 PR.  I'm going to cut back a little on the glycine and go back to the glutathione tomorrow.  I should finish the long run despite tired legs.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=5.0

8/5- BTC 10 mile in 77:41 (7:46 pace) despite humid conditions after t'storms last evening.  Started at the back of the pack then overtook the leaders within 2.5 miles.  I'm going back to O'Henry's next weekend.  There is a moderately fast group of old Gnomes that could match my pace.  Glycine continues to work well but a celebration is premature.  Incredibly, I still have a chance to win with a good day tomorrow.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=10.0

8/6- Legs are tired from back to back quality sessions but there was much that I wanted to see today with the new glycine supplement.  Workout was easy 400 intervals at roughly 5K race pace.  I was not concerned about my speed.  Rather, I wanted to see consistent splits  after taking pills that were culprits earlier in the week or in the recent past.  If I could do that, I get an "A" even if the times are slow.

Opened with a comfortable 1:48 on the basic formula plus glycine.  It would be my slowest of the day but I attribute that to lack of a warm up.  A sub-7 pace cold and with tired legs is hard.

Manganese- 1:41.7 (6:46 pace)
Zinc- 1:41.1 (6:44 pace)
Whole Food C- 1:39.9 (6:39 pace)
Glutathione- 1:38.5 (6:34 pace)
Gutathione 2- 1:38.8 (6:35 pace)
Added a long untimed (naked) cool down.

Reaction:
Manganese is a stimulant which lowers both Iron, copper and ceruloplasmin.  Zinc does the same but is more calming.  I was only fractionally better on Zinc.  Whole Food C does the opposite of Zinc.  It raises ceruloplasmin and I merely hoped to stay under 7:00 pace without much additional effort.  I went out fairly hard then coasted home.  Same with the glutathione, which was the most recent culprit.  The faster splits may have been due to just a tad more effort.  In each interval, I could have gone much faster but didn't want to push it after yesterday.  Bottom line is that what I took did not seem to make a significant difference so if a pill is not necessary, I won't take it.  4 good days is still too early for a celebration but if I have indeed beaten the sensitivity, IT WILL BE LIFE CHANGING IN SO MANY WAYS!!!
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
Come from behind victory.  Without the sensitivity, I expect to win more than I lose.
Distance=31.0/ GPA=30.4/10= 3.04
YTD: 898 miles.  7-22 with a 2.13 GPA