There are several pills that could not be tolerated before taking glycine that appear to be okay now: Whole Food C, Zinc, Manganese and Calcium. None of them will be part of my long-term formula but it’s good to know that if a need arises in the future, it’s an option. I have not tried Curcumin, IP-6 or Liver Beef but I would not be surprised if they would also be tolerated now thanks to the glycine. That’s also good to know if my blood work does not turn out as I hope. Like I’ve said, even if a pill takes my chemistry in the wrong direction, there is NO REASON why I should have an extreme reaction to a micro dosage.
I have learned that Glutathione must be cut out. It is a NO with or without caffeine. That’s okay. It was an optional pill anyway and glycine is indeed involved in glutathione production. Stand alone B-6 and SHMT are also NO! I am troubled by the fact that glycine did NOT protect against these intolerances but then again, all 3 are involved in the glycine conjugation pathway. It could be a case of overload or detox. I feared that glycine was the culprit, which would be the ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY but found this morning to my relief that it was glutathione.
As for the sensitivity, a little bit of it is actually a good thing because it lets you know that you are off track. What I’d like to see happen is to have to fight for 8:00 pace despite running at 7:30 effort, find and cut out the culprit then be back to normal within a couple days. In that case, I could still muscle my way through a long run despite hurting and even a half marathon race would not end in disaster but I’d be far enough off form to know something needs to change. Normally, symptoms are a lagging indicator of unbalanced chemistry. That is, a pill takes you in the wrong direction yet you feel the same in spite of it. You get tested and find something significantly out of balance THEN the corresponding symptoms show up several weeks later and it takes time to get the numbers back in line and longer for the symptoms to fade. That’s why running is so important. I can feel when something is off much sooner than a sedentary person who won’t notice a 5-10% energy loss.
Normal vs optimal lab test results: Of course, you should shoot for optimal. For example, Magnesium RBC should be 6.0-6.5 but few patients can reach those levels. Mine have tested consistently between 5.6-5.9 so it is sub-optimal but certainly not bad enough to produce significant symptoms. As long as it’s over 5.4 (90%), it’s not a significant problem. Below 4.8 (80%), you do have a significant need though you are still within the “normal” range. Below 4.2 (70%), you are on the edge of being flagged and you do have a critical need. What if you have a critical need but cannot tolerate the supplement? I’ve been there but hopefully with the glycine, it will never happen again. Most of my other labs are similar, not quite optimal but not nearly bad enough to stand out as the smoking gun. If tested 2 years ago, I would have seen the following:
Extreme high sulfates- corrected with B-12+ molybdenum.
Methylation block- corrected with MF+TMG
High Benzoate- corrected with glycine.
I HOPE THAT’S ALL!!!
I may run a local 5K in September and I want to take a shot at the sub-6:00 Mile on my 37th birthday but the main goal is the Duke City half marathon in Albuquerque, New Mexico which is 8 weeks away. Because of the travel upcoming and the failed Glutathione, it will be tough to win this week but I really want to go 5-3 or better over the next 8 weeks. I’ll get my blood tested in about 6-7 weeks and I want to see a Ferritin under 100 but won’t panic if it’s a little higher than that. I DO want a significant decrease from my baseline test and a 40 point drop as a bare minimum. Again, if it’s higher than expected, IP-6 could be an option. My race goal is a sub-1:43:15, which would be not only a post-35 PR but my fastest time since 2014 and the equivalent a sub-1:40 at sea level.
As for my future, how do I stay motivated knowing that realistically I have set my last personal record? At age 37, I’m facing a headwind of about 6 seconds per mile. That’s not insurmountable but I’ve lost fitness over the past 2.5 years as well and it will take time and training to get it back. I’d have to run the equivalent of a sub-18:50/sub-39/sub-1:27 to PR again. My best chance would be in the marathon but that would require 50 MPW. Will I be motivated to train like that again? It would depend on how well I progress. If I plateau around a 1:40 half, I’ll be satisfied and stay in the 30-35 range. If I can get down around 1:36 again, yes I’ll be motivated to see if I can at least come close to my old self.
Many older runners have taken to trail running or ultra-marathons. Neither one interests me. Others have broadened their horizons by getting into triathlons and/or duathlons. Those are possible down the road but an Ironman is highly unlikely. As of now, the 50 State project will be enough to keep me going for at least another 5-6 years. New Mexico will be State #32 and I hope to get at least 4 more in 2018 all in different parts of the country. Then, I hope to go international once a year until I hit every inhabited continent. I intend to run as long as my body allows. Participation rates in races remain high through the 50-54 age group then attrition rates become significant with each older age group. I think if healthy, I can realistically hope for 20 more years of decent running. Maybe 25 if I am lucky. That’s not a huge amount of time so I want to make it count. The dating aspect is another wrinkle that could come up. I know several runners who fell off a cliff after getting married and either slowed significantly or stopped competing altogether. Since a healthy lifestyle and support of my cause are non-negotiable issues, it’s very unlikely that will happen to me but I could see myself falling back a notch or so as priorities shift. I expect it will be well worth the price.
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