Training 8/7-8/13

8/7- AM- Gold's 5 in 37:19 (7:28 pace).  Went out at 7:00 pace for the first half mile but realized that I could not hold it.  Too much to ask given my recent quality sessions.  Let off the gas and just cruised the rest of it at 7:32 pace and felt quite comfortable in doing so.  Legs are a bit sore but the rest of me is fine.  Glycine continues to work well though when I re-order, I hope to find one without B-6 as a co-factor.  Strong overall and that's it for today.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0

8/8-AM- Another Gold's 5 and this time, I did go for it.  Ran a perfect first half but faded hard in the last 2 miles and finished in 35:46 (7:09 pace).  2nd best time since turning 35 and I can't expect to PR every time out.  This was well within the 5% margin of error but something felt a little off after a minor tweak to my formula.

I was very stiff yesterday afternoon after an extra glycine and I could tell it wasn't natural.  Extra methyl folate seemed to help.  B5 and NAC were non-factors.  It would be the ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY for me to discover the key to solve the sensitivity yet be unable to tolerate the pill itself.  That seemed possible with the tolerance going down but hope is still alive.  TMG plus glycine must be kept in a 1:1 ratio with MF for optimal results but it won't kill me if I'm a little off.  Today, I went with 2,000 MF and 1,000 TMG and 1,000 glycine.  I may need to up the dosage to 3,000.

PM- Did up it to 3000 during the day and my legs stiffened up again.  It was another case in which a pace in the mid 7:20s felt comfortable but did not have the top gear.  Finished this one in 22:14 (7:25 pace) with dead even splits.  Added a cool down tribute to Ochocinco.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=8.5

Reaction:
I'm going to keep tweaking things until I hit it perfectly.  I know that the tolerable upper limit for TMG+ glycine is somewhere between 2000-3000.  If I go beyond that, I'll be stiff but able to do standard issue workouts without a problem.  I will struggle in a tempo however.  If I go with all TMG and cut out the glycine, the sensitivity will come back with a VENGEANCE!  What happens if I go with all glycine and no TMG?  We shall see.  It's possible that I need 2000 TMG and can get by with only 500 glycine.  At that dose, I may or may NOT stiffen up.  Another option is to go with SAM-e instead of TMG.  If I go that route, the glycine dose may not be a problem.

8/9- Low key affair today and I may not even count this as a workout.  It's a "C" grade that will stand only if I do not take a rest day.  Attempted to run on plain glycine instead of TMG and struggled, which was somewhat expected.  Called it after an 800 in 4:20 (8:40 pace) and I had to work just to keep it under 9 at the end.  Popped a TMG and was MUCH better.  Came through the next 2 miles in 15:18 (7:39 pace) and felt much more comfortable in doing so.  Overall time was 19:38 for 2.5 miles (7:51 pace).  Rather ho-hum but I learned quite a bit.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=2.5

Reaction:
TMG or SAM-e is required for the methylation cycle.  Specifically, I need something that will convert homocysteine to methionine.  Plain glycine won't do it.  Trimethylglycine (TMG) will.  However, TMG won't solve sensitivities to Zinc, C or the B-complex plus others that may flare up in the future.  Plain glycine will.  If I take too much glycine, whether in the plain form or as TMG, I will have sore leg muscles.  5-6 miles at 7:30 pace won't be a problem.  Serious tempos, intervals and races will be slower than in the past but that situation is still highly preferable to the sensitivity.  It would be an acceptable outcome though not the one I wanted.

Plan:
I have 2 options.  The first is to take the 2000 TMG that I need for methylation and try to get by on only 500 of plain glycine.  Will the low dose be enough to stop the sensitivity?  Will it be low enough to prevent the sore muscles?  This is the one that I prefer because SAM-e is more expensive.
Option 2 is to switch from TMG to SAM-e, which I know to be effective in methylation.  If I take SAM-e instead of TMG (Trimethylglycine), my tolerance for plain glycine may be sufficient to prevent the sore muscles if a higher dose is required.  Call me Dr. J instead.

8/10- Went with option 1 and it ended in disappointment.  Pretty much a carbon copy of Monday's workout only 1 mile shorter and a pace slightly faster.  Passed half mile in a perfect 3:30 but knew I could not hold it with the achy legs.  Downshifted and ran the next 3.5 at standard effort, which was just south of 7:30 pace.  Overall time was 29:39 for 4 miles (7:25 pace).
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=4.0

Reaction:
If days like today become the norm, it's an acceptable outcome but of course, I'd like access to the top gears.  Tomorrow, I will try the SAM-e.  I thought of 2 more options: Occasional glycine use.  Not sure if that will do.  The sensitivity could come back if I stop it for just 1 day.  The 2nd is Yasko's SHMT drops.  The spray is a NO because it contains Lactoferrin, which seems to raise Ferritin.  The drops may not be effective but it does support the same energy pathway.

8/11- Split decision on a low key affair.  A lot of positives but the BIG negative is that SAM-e is not the right choice for methylation.  It was too stimulating.  Good news is that I took Zinc and Whole Food C WITHOUT glycine and neither seemed to be factor.  Workout was 2 miles in 15:11 (7:36 pace) with 2 stops.  Opened with a 7:35 mile on 1 SAM-e pill.  Then it was another mile on 2 SAM-e pills with a stop for glycine at halfway.  Though methylation improved after the 2nd pill, it was offset by the overstimulation.  Passed halfway in 3:48 and was only fractionally better on glycine but the sore muscles diminished today.
Grade: Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

Reaction:
TMG is clearly the best choice for the methylation cycle.  How to manage the sensitivity and achieve optimal results?  Either occasional glycine (a few days on/few days off) or SHMT drops.  Even though the formula was off today, I surely could have slogged through 4-5 miles below the Mendoza line.  With glycine, the horrible days should be over, which is the most important outcome!

8/12- 10 miles from O'Henry's in 79:27 (7:57 pace).  Slightly slower than last week but conditions were VERY TOUGH out there today.  Got dropped by the fast group 3 miles in but held it together and rallied from behind to make the sub-8 overall.  In another week or 2, we should begin to see some relief from the humidity.  Barring disaster, I'm going to win for the 3rd time in 4 weeks.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=10.0

Mini Rant:
Someone in the group expressed "heartbreak" because his son only placed 7th in the Junior Olympic Nationals.  I made it once and finished near the back of the pack but just to get there was one of the greatest thrills of my life.

8/13- Easy 3 at Gold's in 22:20 (7:27 pace).  Solid performance.  Felt about the same as usual.  No glycine this morning and took Whole Food C without a problem.  Did take glycine last night so I don't know anything new yet.  If I can get by without it tomorrow and the next day, I might have something special.  SHMT drops remain an option.  It's a precursor to glycine just like TMG is a precursor to SAM-e and the former works better for me than the latter.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
3rd win in 4 weeks and I've pulled up to .500 for the 2nd half.  Nothing great all week but nothing less than "C" either.
Distance=35.0/ GPA= 3.20
YTD: 932 miles.  8-22 with a 2.16 GPA.