Training 8/14-8/20

The volume and intensity will be light this week.  The 2nd blood donation appointment will be scheduled for Thursday and I cannot risk flunking the screening because I trained too hard in the days leading up to it.  I will skip the long run on Saturday because I will probably be too weak.  If the weather looks good, I will go to the coast instead.  Still, there is much to learn this week.  How long can I go without glycine before I begin reacting to Whole Food C?  Should I order Yasko's SHMT drops?

I'll get re-tested in mid-October and depending on how my numbers look and how I respond to the 2nd donation, I may or not donate in December.  From 2018 on, it will be only twice a year for maintenance.

8/14- Gold's 3 mile in 23:32 (7:51 pace) with a slight negative split.  A little slower than I'd like but no cause for alarm.  Whole Food C was well tolerated after 2 days off glycine.  I am going through a sugar detox and the first few days are always a little rough.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0

8/15- BAFA day.  This will probably be my hardest session of the week.  Still doing well without the glycine and it's looking increasingly likely that I can get by with occasional use.  5 miles in 36:45 (7:21 pace).  Effort was moderate.  Very smooth and relaxed early but the back half required more effort to hold the pace.  Good job overall.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5

8/16- Well, 3 days off glycine is the limit.  I felt good this morning but it was downhill by lunchtime.  Fortunately, I knew it before I started the run on Lakeshore.  Did a half mile in 4:03 running pretty hard then popped a glycine and improved to 15:12 for the next 2 miles (7:36 pace) for an overall time of 19:15 for 2.5 then added a mile cool.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=3.5

Reaction:
The glycine pill definitely helped but 1 pill was not a night and day difference.  Popped 2 more after the workout and felt noticeably better.  It could be 3 pills (1500 mg) every 3rd day that will do the trick but if the SHMT is effective, I'd rather take a couple drops every day and be okay if I miss one every now and then.  I will order the SHMT but if I have to go with the glycine every 3rd day, I'm okay with it.  Blood donation is tomorrow.

8/17- Planned rest day for blood donation.  Maybe this isn't the best time to do this but if I want an accurate lab value before my race in New Mexico, it's got to be done now.  I will report back later on how it went but I expect it to go without a hitch.

PM- Indeed the donation did go without a hitch.  I'm still planning to skip the long run this weekend in favor of a trip to the coast.  There is a 40% chance of rain but that's to be expected this time of year.  On the glycine front, my legs were sore today so that tells me 2 key things:  Yes, I can get away with not taking glycine for a couple days BUT when I do have to take it again, the soreness kicks in soon afterwards.  If the SHMT does not work out, it's not the end of the world but I sure hope it does.  I'd much rather take a few drops every morning than have to time when I take glycine to deliver optimal performance.

Rant:
I got into it today with somebody on Facebook who insisted that patients who improve after getting their chemistry in line is "all in the head."  He wasn't a troll either.  He honestly believes it.  That's why I've got to win this war.  Stop watches don't lie.  You cannot say that improved athletic performance is all in my head.

8/18- 2 miles in 14:24 (7:12 pace).  No complaints.  Short but satisfying.  Felt okay but cannot risk anything hard only 24 hours after losing a pint of blood.  Last time, I had frequent urination, diarrhea and stomach cramps the following day.  Not really feeling much effects this time.  Maybe a little weak but nothing severe.  Now, my system will make new blood, which will pull the stored Iron out of organs thus lowering my levels.  At least, that's how I understand it.  Leaving for the coast now.  May manage a junk run tomorrow.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=2.0

8/19- Stopped at Jackson Lake in Florala.  Did a 15 minute out and back run after a relaxing day in the water.  Very small waves but it was still good for me to soak in the mineral rich ocean water after the blood donation.  Don't know the exact distance but no complaints about how I felt.  Back half was a hair faster thanks to a late push.  Turned around just across the Florida border so I ran in 2 states.  Pretty cool.  Not as humid as I feared.  Maybe we're getting some relief.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.0

8/20- I had a chance to win with a strong performance today but could not deliver.  Got a late start then wilted in the heat after a good first half.  Planned on 4 but settled for 3 on Lakeshore in 23:48 (7:57 pace) and needed a late push to stay below the Mendoza line.  Added a mile cool down.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=4.0

Weekly summary:
Not disappointed in this at all.  I knew it would be very difficult to win with the blood donation and the glycine experiments.  Back to work next week.  Overall GPA has ticked up again and I hope to finish above 2.50.
Distance= 20.0/ GPA= 16.4/6= 2.73
YTD: 952 miles.  8-24 with a 2.18 GPA