Probiotics and Sensitivity

Well, the glycine has officially failed after a promising start.  Even after not touching it for 3 days, I had a massive negative reaction today.  Fortunately, the new probiotic shows promise and I got most of my speed back after taking just one of those pills.  A friend of mine asked me why I am so concerned about whether or not I can tolerate Calcium when it’s not even part of my long-term formula.  That’s a fair question but I am beating a dead horse with the answer.  THERE IS NO WAY THAT A HEALTHY PERSON SHOULD REACT THAT BADLY TO A MICRO DOSE OF A BENIGN MINERAL OR VITAMIN EVEN IF IT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THEIR CHEMISTRY! 

AS LONG AS THESE REACTIONS OCCUR, I AM VULNERABLE TO RELAPSES AND SUDDEN INTOLERANCES TO PILLS THAT I REALLY DO NEED OR COULD BE USEFUL!  An example of this is IP-6.  In theory, it should be helpful in reducing my high ferritin level but I cannot tolerate it and turned to blood donation instead.  Two weeks from now, I shall see how effective it was when the lab results come back.  It is my expectation that it will remain a bit on the high side but possibly edging into the normal range.  That would prove that the Iron Overload is not the smoking gun.  I believe there is something else out there that has not been tested but is stratospherically high.  That’s the most plausible explanation.

Now, on to probiotics.  I’ve eaten yogurt sporadically and have taken Ultimate Flora probiotics on a fairly regular basis.  Markers indicative of candida and gut dysbiosis have come down nicely when I take it but since it did not resolve the sensitivity, I ruled out leaky gut as the smoking gun.  Now, I’m not so sure.  It could be that the marker that is in the stratosphere was unaffected by the Ultimate Flora and requires something different to move in the right direction.  Just like brands of mineral supplements, not all probiotics are created equal.  The new probiotic is called Syntol AMD, which combines enzymes and live bacteria with prebiotics and spore germination.  The latter is not a part of Ultimate Flora.

So far, just like the early response to the glycine, the Syntol is VERY EFFECTIVE at combating the sensitivity.  It’s almost like I never even took the problem supplement after I pop a Syntol pill.  However and also like the glycine, I have experienced mild sore muscles and feel a bit sluggish on it.  These effects will intensify if I increase the dose and I’ve also had a nasty stomach ache as well.  I contacted the company to report this and got a quick response.  They said it “sounds like a detox reaction” that should fade within 1-2 weeks.  Around Columbus Day, we shall see where I am.  It could be that it’s a temporary side effect that will fade in due time or like the glycine, it could continue to get worse and evolve into complete intolerance.  That’s probably the death knell if the latter becomes a reality.  If I have to live with feeling mildly sluggish but have enough energy to do easy/long runs, that is acceptable and highly preferable to the extreme sensitivity.  With the glycine, it got to the point that my reaction to it became as bad as the problem supplements.  Needless to say, that is unacceptable.

Now the rant, I’ve been criticized for “feeling sorry for myself.”  That’s unfair and inaccurate.  Yes, I do get angry and I have every right to be after my prime years were stolen from me.  Many times, I’ve shown flashes of great talent that turned out to be false hopes.  That said, I don’t sulk around at home.   I have always picked myself up and tried again to find the magic formula no matter how crushed I am by the previous disappointment.

Training 9/25/10/1

9/25- AM- Testing.  Opened with a Mile in 7:44 then popped half a Cal pill.  Got the expected reaction and managed to coax a 2:24 for the next quarter mile (9:36 pace).  Once again, even if Cal takes my chemistry in the wrong direction, there is NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD CAUSE THIS MUCH OF A REACTION!!!  A week ago, glycine would have knocked out that problem but that's no longer an option.  Fortunately, the new probiotic shows some promise.  After taking that stuff, I got most of it back and ran the next mile in 7:56 then added another quarter mile as a cool.

PM- Just a 1 mile junk run on Wisteria and was CONSIDERABLY WEAKER after taking extra probiotics.  Not good news there but it could be a detox reaction and I might do better on a low dose starting tomorrow.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=3.5
Reaction:
I think the low dose probiotics are less likely to cause a reaction than the glycine but nothing is a guarantee.  I could have a few decent weeks followed by a crash.  If that happens, it's all over.  Just avoid any questionable supps and I'll be okay, right?  WRONG!  Something in my current formula that is necessary could cause a reaction at any time.  In 2 weeks, I'll get the Iron and Ferritin re-tested.  It's looking pretty bleak now but I won't give up until I'm beaten.

Remaining options:
Of the 6 listed at the end of last week, 2 have been eliminated (amino acid combo and B-5).  Glycine every 3rd day seems unlikely.  Rather, I need to avoid that stuff altogether.  That leaves me with probiotics, DIM and anti-microbials.  The latter 2 will arrive later in the week.

9/26-AM Glimmer of hope.  I got an absolutely NASTY stomach ache yesterday evening, which tells me that I am overdoing it with the probiotics.  Cut the dose from 4 pills to 2 and showed improvement.  3 miles at Gold's with a negative split.  Overall time was 22:42 (7:34 pace).  More importantly, the Cal was a non-factor.  In fact, I was actually slightly faster after taking it (7:25).  If the probiotics are successful, it will RENDER THE GLYCINE UNNECESSARY!  How much of the probiotics do I need?  If just 1 pill knocks out the sensitivity, that's all I take.  This brand (Syntol) is quite pricey.  I plan to be back out this evening.

PM- 5 miles on Canterbury/Jemison in a solid 37:56 (7:35 pace).  Started and finished strong but the midsection was a bit weak.  Still, overall not too bad.  I'll go down to 1 probiotic tomorrow and am concerned that higher doses make things worse.  Perhaps the probiotic will allow me to tolerate glycine but even if it does, I probably won't mess with it.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=8.5

9/27- AM- More testing.  Opened with Calcium and struggled but it wasn't nearly as bad as 2 days ago.  Did 3 laps in 2:43 (8:09 pace).  That compares quite favorably with the 9:36 from Monday.  That tells me that I'm still getting benefit from the probiotic even though I had not taken it for 24 hours.  Perhaps I won't be as dependent on it down the road.  Then I tried the glycine and was immediately MUCH WORSE!  Next 3 laps were 3:20 (10:00 pace).  SCRATCH OPTION 1.

The big question: How much would I get back from the probiotic?  The answer was quite a bit.  Next 3 laps were 2:20 (7:00 pace).  Yes, you read that right.  A 3 MINUTE PACE IMPROVEMENT FROM ONE PILL!!!  I was still a bit sluggish however and it could be a manageable side effect of the probiotic or that I didn't fully knock out the glycine.  A 2nd probiotic provided no additional benefit.  In fact, I was slightly worse with a 2:24 (7:12 pace).  That's it for today.

PM- Took the evening off as planned.  The new supps did arrive today.  The anti-microbial appears to be okay but it will likely be a non-factor.  The DIM contains glycine and is therefore a NO.  I pitched it after just 1 pill.  Neither the anti-microbial nor the DIM allows me to tolerate glycine.  Only the probiotic can do that and it will render the glycine unnecessary.  Syntol probiotics are my last hope.  I should know one way or the other before race day.
Grade: Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5

9/28- DOWNER.  Lakeshore run.  I was hoping to do 6.5 but had to settle for 3.5.  Time was 27:47 (7:56 pace) and faded badly on the back half.  Fortunately, there is an explanation.  The anti-microbial supplement used in combination with the Syntol probiotics is just too much.  It's got to be one or the other and I'm going with the Syntol at just 1 per day right now.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.5

9/29- Loaded on anti-microbials last night and was beyond awful today as a result of it.  Strangely, my mood is not all that bad.  Perhaps all my fight is gone and I am prepared to accept my fate.  I might be willing to try another probiotic that is not as strong but in all likelihood, if the Syntol fails, I'm done.  Did 1 junk mile on Wisteria this morning and may be out for a couple more in the evening.

PM- 2 miles in 17:46 (8:53 pace).  I blame the die off reaction.  Going forward, it's probiotics only with no anti-microbial.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

Quick update:
According to numerous sources, a die off reaction is common and yes, it could get worse initially.  My case is SEVERE so it does make sense that I can only tolerate a small amount.  Unless I feel MUCH better tomorrow, I will not attempt the long run and make a fool of myself again.

9/30- BTC run this morning.  2x Trak Shak 3 plus extensions.  Totaled 7 miles in an ugly 61:50 (8:50 pace).  Good call not to run with the O'Henry's group.  I would have been dropped very early.  Today, I never did have a good pace but held it under 9 all the way and wasn't completely spent at the end.  I probably could have muscled my way through and eked out a sub-2 half mary.  It was an improvement over yesterday but not nearly good enough.  The probiotic is my LAST resort and I can only hope this is a die off reaction.  Will I continue to slowly get better or will it get worse?  I'll go for 10 tomorrow.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.0

10/1- So far so good.  Since my latest nadir, I've been getting a little better every day and MAYBE just MAYBE I am becoming less dependent on the pills.  Lakeshore 10 mile in 81:28 (8:09 pace) with splits of 41:02-40:26 and actually dipped below 8:00 pace over the last 2.5 miles.  Way too soon to celebrate but this is encouraging.  Only bad news is I have a bit of a toothache and may have to see the denty next week.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=10.0

Distance=37.0  GPA= 19.0/8= 2.38

New Mexico and Texas Road Trip Plan

The Fall destination race is the Duke City half marathon in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  My reason for this choice is to celebrate my friend Micki's accomplishment of finishing a full marathon in all 50 states.  This will be State #32 for me.  As for the other travel, this is a Crazy J trip so it will be adventurous.  I briefly thought about going to El Paso and walking to Juarez, Mexico but I am afraid of the crime.  If I am to walk around Mexico, Tecate (near San Diego) is the best choice.  In any event, I think I've chosen the best possible itinerary so here it is.

I have a 6 AM flight out of Birmingham on October 19^th (4 weeks from today).  After a short connection in Dallas, I land in Albuquerque, New Mexico just before 10 AM.  From there, I will immediately hit the road towards Amarillo, Texas.  It’s only a little over 4 hours driving time but I’ll have to stop for lunch and I lose an hour going east so figure I won’t get in until late afternoon.  I’ve been to Texas 4 times before including Texarkana, Austin, Dallas and Galveston but have not been west of Ft. Worth with the exception of a quick stop at a DQ.  West Texas will have a much different flavor than East Texas but I expect to find it to my liking.  I’ve been told that I sound like I’m from Texas but I expect real Texans will know that I am an outsider.

Once in Amarillo, I plan to explore downtown and the Route 66 District.  Dinner will be at the world famous Big Texan Ranch Steakhouse, which offers a 72 oz. steak free to anyone who can finish it.  I will not attempt such a feat but may go beyond the 20 mark.  From there, I’ll go out for a drink or two in the Route 66 District.  I hope to get an early start on Friday morning because that’s the Nature Day.  Morning will be spent in Palo Duro Canyon, one of the largest in the US, with some pretty cool rock formations.  That’s located just 30 miles south of town so I will probably come back to Amarillo for a sit down lunch then head west back to New Mexico.  I’ll re-gain the lost hour and see Sandia Crest at 9000 feet elevation just northeast of Albuquerque.  It will pale in comparison to the epic road trip but it will be worth seeing nonetheless.

I’ll probably spend the night in Santa Fe since I’m already on the way from Sandia Crest.  For art lovers, Santa Fe is a very attractive destination but that’s really not my kind of thing.  I’ve seen the State Capitol on a previous road trip but the New Mexico history museum could be pretty cool.  From Santa Fe, it’s only a little more than an hour back down to Albuquerque.  I’ll pick up my packet at the expo and hope to meet up with Micki’s group for dinner.  There’s not a lot of must see attractions for me but Old Town and the Museum of Tolerance, which focuses on the Holocaust could be worth a look.

Race day is Sunday morning.  Though the course is nearly dead flat, the 5000 foot elevation will slow me down.  Still, if I could run 1:45 at Teton, which is 1200 feet higher and net uphill, 1:43 should be do-able in Albuquerque.  My flight leaves at 4:40 PM the same day so I should have time to see Micki finish but that’s about it.  I’ll have to be back to work the next day.  With another tight connection, I’ll get back around 10 PM.

Next year’s frontrunners:

Spring- Ocean City, Maryland in April

Summer- Minneapolis on the 4^th of July (Wednesday) plus a Wisconsin race the following or previous weekend.  That should be do able if I back off just a tad on the first race.

Fall- Leaning towards Utah in September so I can hit different parts of the country.

Training 918-9/24-Possible race

The race would be the St. Jude 5K at Railroad Park.  It will be a flat course so if I think I can get a post-35 PR (21:54), I'll do it especially if the weather is good.  If not, I'll skip it.  Of course, that will depend on how I do with the glycine and Vitamin E.

9/18- AM- Went with the 15-5 plan (1500 mg TMG and 500 glycine) with the usual 2000 MF.  I was out in a smooth 3:42 for the half mile (7:24 pace) then the pace fell off dramatically after that.  With significant effort, I was able to keep it in the low-8s the rest of the way and finished the session at 2 miles in 15:48 (7:54 pace).  Probably could have beaten the Mendoza line but it wasn't worth the effort.  Added a half mile cool.  I'll be back out this evening hopefully with Vitamin E.
Reaction:
Just like yesterday, a missed dose or a lowered dose will leave me significantly weakened and glycine will NOT help with that.  It will only prevent ill-effects from taking a benign but unneces
sary pill.  Glycine every third day or Vitamin E.  There may be something else out there that I don't know about that can resolve the glycine induced sore muscles.

PM- Very important test and I passed with flying colors.  Opened with 1 Mile.  Began at the same pace as this morning but this time, I held it and finished in 7:24.  The difference was 500 extra TMG or half a pill.

Then, it was the moment of truth.  How would I respond to the Vitamin E.  Within a half mile, it was clear that I was running a faster pace with no additional effort.  Did the next 2 miles in 7:08 each then slipped to a 7:17 but rebounded bigly to finish in 6:52.  Last 4 miles were 28:25 (7:06 pace).  Overall time was 35:49 for 5 miles but that doesn't count because of the stop after Mile 1.  Added a half mile cool again.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=8.0
Reaction:
I can't say that Vitamin E was a miracle but I didn't expect one after the first dose.  It does appear that I am 15-20 seconds faster per mile at the same effort, which is indeed enough to be considered significant.  A celebration is premature.  Who knows what happens in a few more days?  I might continue to get better, plateau or experience a sudden relapse.  In order to run an official post-35 PR for 5K, I need to average a 7:04 for 3.1 miles.  Based on what I did today, I'd say I've got a shot at it now.  We'll see what happens later in the week.  Other factors that may play a role in glycine metabolism are Choline and NADH.
P.S- Day 10 without caffeine was a success.

9/19- Day 11.  Over halfway to 21, which is considered the length of time needed to "break a habit."
As usual, glycine produced significant muscle soreness. Today, I loaded with Vitamin E (4 pills vs 2 yesterday) and this time, it was downer.  Workout was 4 miles in 31:45 (7:56 pace) with a hard fade on the back half.  Tried choline after the workout and I got a quick and definite NO despite taking glycine in the morning.  However, an extra dose of glycine AFTER the choline DID mitigate much of the ill-effects.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0
Reaction: There is still a chance that Vitamin E could be a game changer but I must keep the dose low.  Really not pleased by the bad reaction to choline.  That means any questionable pill must be taken WITH glycine at the same time to prevent sensitivity.  Quitting glycine for 2 days leading up to a race could be risky because sensitivity can flare up any time.

9/20- Day 12 was hard but I made it.  Glycine plus E plus B-5 all contributed to the muscle soreness.  I am beginning to think/hope that it could be a detox reaction and I may just need to go slow with this stuff.  Tomorrow, I won't take any then I'll start back on a very low dose.  Planned rest day.

9/21- Day 13.  AM- 1 mile jog on Wisteria just because I was up early and felt like it.  No time and no real complaints.  Leaning AGAINST the race on Saturday.  New Mexico is only 4 weeks away and I need to up the mileage.

PM- 4 miles on Lakeshore in 30:27 (7:37 pace) plus a cool.  Solid performance.  1st half-15:16, 2nd half-15:11.  Pleased with how I felt overall.  Could have gone a good deal faster or longer but I was still sore from yesterday's excess glycine.  I did not take any today and I know sensitivity can and will flare up if I stay off.  How about taking just a tiny bit every day and maybe build up from there?  That's my last best hope at this point.  Maybe, just maybe it will guard against the sensitivity without causing the sore muscles.  Still on track for a win this week.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.5

9/22- Strong.  Cut the glycine to a micro dose.  Probably about 100 mg.  Still a little sore but much better than yesterday.  Gold's 4 in 28:48 (7:12 pace) with even splits and plenty left at the end.  Will the micro dose be enough to stave off the sensitivity?  I'll find out this weekend.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance-4.5

9/23- Double Whammy!  The micro dose of glycine is NOT enough to stave off the sensitivity.  I had a reaction to Calcium that cleared up only after taking extra glycine BUT the micro dose of glycine IS enough to cause abnormal sore muscles.  Workout was 6 miles in 53:48 (8:58 pace) and it took a rally in the last quarter mile to keep the overall pace under 9.  It's Day 15 and I almost caved this morning but so far, I'm staying strong.  Good call on skipping the race.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=6.0
Remaining options:
-1.Glycine every third day, which means no questionable supps are allowed the previous 2 and I run the risk of something flaring up at any time.
-2.Aggressive probiotic use in hopes that resolve the sensitivity (unlikely)
- 3.Substitute Vitamin E and/or B-5 for glycine and hope it does the trick (unlikely)
-4. Glycine as part of an amino acid combo (dose will be low)
-5.Anti-microbial supplement
-6.DIM supplement which contains glycine.

9/24- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 19:38 (9:49 pace).  Excess glycine from yesterday still has not even begun to clear.  I listed 6 options yesterday.  It is becoming increasingly clear that glycine will NOT be tolerated even when only used occasionally.  Most likely, SCRATCH option 1.  Perhaps caffeine was NOT the problem after all but I'm still off that stuff (day 16).

Took just a trace of Cal when I got home and once again reacted negatively.  I know that glycine would have cleared it but its ill-effects are just as bad.  ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY!  Vitamin E was a non-factor and so was B-5 so SCRATCH option 3.  The amino acid combo which contains low dose glycine would have required a mega dose to be effective and I am unsure if I can handle glycine even as part of a combo so SCRATCH option 4.

Surprisingly, I got better after taking 2 of the new Syntol probiotic pills so right now that's my best option.  If I can prevent the sensitivity WITHOUT messing with the glycine, that's the ideal scenario.  I have also ordered a DIM supplement and an anti-microbial which are intended to perhaps increase the tolerance for glycine.
Grade:F/2 credit/distance=2.0

-30 miles on the week.  GPA= 2.25

Training 9/11-9/17

9/11- On just the 3rd day off caffeine, I'm seeing BIG changes.  Whole Food C appears to be no longer tolerated, which was expected.  The same thing happened after the first blood donation.  I experienced a need for it, which was followed by a sudden intolerance.  Fortunately, glycine appears to be tolerated once again.  As for the workout, it wasn't pretty.  3 miles in an overall time of 26:04 (8:41 pace) but if you dig deeper, there are signs of hope.  The first mile was 9:20 and I slipped to the 10 minute range by the end of it.  After popping the glycine, I improved to an 8:36-8:08 with a last half mile in 3:56.  The explanation is caffeine inhibits the glycine receptors, causing the intolerance.

PM- Repeated the 3 mile at Gold's after the boss let us go home early.  I was worse after additional C but better after more glycine.  My time is down to 23:24 (7:48 pace) with a slight negative split.  Vitamin C will be cut out but in a few more days, assuming that the glycine remains tolerated, other pills won't even phase me. The rain isn't all that bad so far but the wind is beginning to pick up now.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=6.0

9/12- Hoped to do 5 at Gold's and settled for 3 with a time of 22:51 (7:37 pace).  MINUS 9 over yesterday which is better than nothing but I was hoping for a little better.  It's Day 4 now and the adrenal spike has not calmed down yet.  I still need mega ADHS and with the low dose, I'd really suck.  That should be resolved in 2-3 more days.  As for the glycine, it's still tolerated.  On the first attempt, it caused some minor muscle aches early but that MAY have been due to the caffeine.  We shall see.

I sure hope I'm done with caffeine for good now that I know the damage it's caused.  Cheating once a week won't hurt but 1 turns into 2, which turns into 4 then I'm right back where I started.  If I can make it 21 days, my odds improve tremendously.

Weather:
Yesterday wasn't nearly as bad as feared.  Birmingham was right on the edge.  About an hour to the southeast and it would have been really ugly.  Georgia got hit harder and so did South Carolina.  The worst is over now but we won't see the sun for another 2 days.

PM- 5 miles in 37:24 (7:29 pace).  Solid performance.  Continued steady improvement BUT the muscle soreness does NOT feel natural.  It's probably the glycine.  If that's the case, it's either the precursor SHMT (which failed probably because of caffeine) or glycine every 3rd day.  Will continued abstinence from caffeine stop the sensitivity?  Possible but unlikely.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=8.0

9/13- AM- Day 5 and I have plateaued.  Overall time was a respectable 22:17 for 3 miles (7:26 pace) but I opened with a 3:22 first half mile.  Just like the first round with the glycine, it was unsustainable and I was forced to run the remainder at standard effort.  Last 2.5 were done in 18:55 (7:34 pace), which isn't bad but this is the first day that I did not improve.  That's it for today.
2 options:
-Take glycine every 3rd day
-Go with SHMT spray.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0

9/14- Turned 37 years old today.  That number has been in my head for quite some time as the year of deliverance.  I'll know one way or the other very soon.

AM- Aimed to take a shot at a sub-6 Mile but knew warming up that it wasn't to be.  Just jogged around the parking lot 2 times instead for the equivalent distance.  Learned that the form of glycine isn't important.  Whether plain or with B-6, the effect is the same.  Without caffeine, it will indeed solve the sensitivity but it will also cause abnormal soreness especially in the calf and hamstring muscles.  With caffeine, it is not tolerated at all.  I am on Day 6 now and the adrenal spike will probably be all gone tomorrow.  I will try the SHMT spray as the precursor and hope for better results.  There could be another deficiency in play that is causing the reaction to glycine.  The smart money is on Vitamin E and I just ordered a bottle.

PM- 4 miles easy on Canterbury-Jemison.  Finished in 31:16 (7:49 pace).  Not bad for a hilly route.  Average performance.  Pace was pretty even but I did struggle on the hills.  All in all, it was a rather ordinary day for me.  Nothing great happened but nothing awful either.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

9/15- Interval testing and got good news and bad.  As expected, the adrenal spike has died down on Day 7.  Extra ADHS made little difference.  3x3 laps at Gold's with a Mile cool.
3 ADHS- 2:27 (7:21 pace)
6 ADHS- 2:24 (7:12 pace)
SHMT- 2:29 (7:27 pace)
  Looks fairly even but based on how I felt, it was obvious that SHMT slowed me down.  The abnormal soreness kicked in harder on the cool down.
No grade: distance=2.0
Reaction:
Glycine and its precursor (SHMT) will produce the same reaction.  I'll be free of sensitivity but have to deal with muscle aches unrelated to training.  If need be, it's a deal that I am willing to take but something else is in play that is holding me back and I intend to find it.

9/16- Hoping for a breakthrough on Day 8.  It did not happen but to my credit, I did not cave.  7 miles starting from O'Henry's.  Followed the usual script.  Began losing contact with the pack around 2 miles but fell off dramatically after 3.  Managed to fight my way through to salvage 7 miles in a time of 58:30 (8:21 pace).  I bet I could have muscled through another 6.1 and finished a half mary in about 1:54 but that's a full 10 minutes down on my post-35 PR so it's not nearly good enough.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=7.0
Reaction:
SHMT spray or glycine pills?  If I must, it will be the latter.  I'll probably be better tomorrow so I'll attempt to go 10.  Vitamin E will arrive possibly today, Monday at the latest.

PM- No running but did learn something.  Yasko recommended Grapefruit Seed Extract for high Benzoate.  I picked up a bottle at Whole Foods and it FAILED!  Same old stiff all over feeling as before the glycine.  SHMT did NOT protect against it.  BUT glycine actually helped later.  Vitamin E did NOT arrive so I have to wait until Monday.  That could be a game changer but if not, SHMT is OUT and so is the GSE.  It will have to be glycine every 3rd day or possibly micro doses every day.

9/17- AM- DISASTER.  2.5 miles on Lakeshore in 23:53 (9:33 pace).  Forgot to take B-12 this morning.  That's right!  ONE MISSED DOSE!  Added a half mile cool.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0

PM- Gold's 3 in 21:54 (7:18 pace).  Very even splits and felt smooth but as usual, the glycine robbed me of my top gear.  What was responsible for the dramatic improvement in just a few short hours?  You guessed it.  Just one dose of B-12.  I can live with something like that but NOT the moving targets.  Again, my demands are HARDLY UNREASONABLE!
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=3.0

Weekly summary:
An improvement over the previous 3 weeks but still not good enough to win.  I'm 0-3 in the critical 8 week stretch so I've got to win the next 5 in a row to make the goal.  I have 3 options going forward:
- Cut the TMG to 1500 and take 500 glycine.
-Take 1000 glycine every 3rd day.
-Stay the course and hope Vitamin E is the game changer OR find another game changer.

If I don't do anything stupid such as a caffeine binge or trying another questionable pill to substitute for glycine, the status quo is something that I can accept but not happily.  Sore muscles and lack of access to top gear won't ruin my life but it's still annoying.
Distance=37.0/ GPA= 19.7/8= 2.46

Rant: National Division

The dictionary definition of the word tolerance is as follows: the ability or willingness to tolerate something, in particular the existence of OPINIONS or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with. Speech that is peppered with ethnic or anti-gay slurs or espouses inherent racial superiority is most definitely hate speech.  Having a different opinion even if it is unpopular in certain circles does NOT constitute hate speech.  Antifa has been known to rip up and burn signs that simply say “FREE SPEECH.”  For example, I have never said that Muslims are bad.  I have said that some of the tenants of Islam are in dire need of reform.  There is a difference.  Particularly offensive are support for the death penalty for gays and apostates as well as failure to universally condemn terrorist attacks.  Is that hate speech?  Some would say so.  Who decides which speech is acceptable?  Antifa of course.  This is a common tactic among both fascists and communists.

Until about 2 decades ago, most people viewed political opponents as well-intentioned but misguided.  Nowadays, they are treated as “the enemy” and must be stopped and silenced.  There was a poll during Obama’s first term in which Democrats were about evenly split about whether Islamic terrorism or the Tea Party movement was the “greater threat to America.”  I went to college during the first half of the Bush-43 administration and I thought those were some politically divisive times.  It’s 10 times worse now.  What really makes me sad is to see old college buddies who used to be politically moderate that have now gone off the deep end into radicalism.  Surveys show that liberals are 2-3x more likely to cut off a friendship over politics than conservatives.  It is nearly impossible to have a rational dialogue with those on the far left so I will no longer attempt it.  The Unfollow link has become quite useful to me on Facebook. 

Who is to blame for the national division?  Part of the blame lies with partisan politicians who are unwilling to make compromises for the good of the country.  Take a look at the Immigration Issue.  The far right is unwilling to accept anything less than mass deportations while the far left insists on blanket amnesty with no additional border security.  Congress has been unwilling to meet in the middle to solve the problem so it is no surprise that their approval rating hovers around 14%.  My position is for border security such that future illegal immigration is shut down cold by any humane means necessary.  While I don’t favor a path to citizenship without going home and through the same legal process as others, I do believe otherwise law abiding folks should be shielded from deportation, especially DACA children. On the other hand, Democrats won’t support Kate’s Law, which imposes tough prison sentences for felons who re-enter after deportation because it does not address “comprehensive reform”.  That is unconscionable. Would my plan pass Congress?  Probably not.  It’s way too strict for the far left but not strong enough for hard liners on the right.

More than anything else, I blame the media.  A bit of a leftward tilt was detectable among the mainstream media back in the 1990s but now, they don’t even pretend to be objective.  93% of their stories about Trump are negative.  His words were completely misrepresented in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville.  The media ignored his criticism of the “evil” of racism and calls for love, respect and unity regardless of skin color and political views and instead focused on the 3 words “on many sides.”  Headlines read that Trump was actually supportive of Neo-Nazis, which is a blatant falsehood.  The term Nazi should NEVER be used to describe political opponents because it is disrespectful to Jews and dishonors the few remaining American heroes who fought in WW2.  Yes, I am aware that some right wing extremists in the Tea Party compared Obama to Hitler.  You better believe that I spoke out against that as well.

 As a result of so much negative coverage, many of Trump’s supporters have become so fed up that they will automatically defend him even when his words or actions really should be criticized. To be fair, I will admit that Fox News has drifted further right in recent years and talk radio has been dominated by conservatives for many years.  Add to that is the explosion of right and left bloggers and You Tube channels and it is very difficult to find news that is fair and objective.  As a result, both sides exist in an echo chamber and rarely even hear much less consider opposing points of view.

Clinton called half of Trump supporters “deplorable” and irredeemably bigoted while turning a blind eye to hateful views on left side of the spectrum.  I've heard calls for white genocide from left wing militants.  Condemnation of that garbage does NOT mean that I am somehow siding with Neo-Nazis.  Both the far left and the alt right are composed of despicable groups of people.  I live in Alabama so take this from me:  The vast majority of Southern conservatives in 2017 are NOT racist and would quickly condemn hate from the extreme right.  False accusations of bigotry are hurtful and divisive.   IMHO, the Left’s failure to condemn its own violence and hate is another factor in the national division.

 I would NEVER respond to a case of prejudice and discrimination with an assertion that “some blacks are racist too.”  That would be hurtful and insensitive. For my African-American readers, let me assure you that I share your outrage if you’ve faced prejudice and stand with you in fighting those attitudes and actions.  However, I do have a BIG problem with those who say that only whites and conservatives can be racist while insisting that the far left is free of bigotry and believes in “human rights for all.”  That’s simply not true and should be met with a strong response.  In my experience, there is nothing more triggering to liberals than exposing hateful attitudes on their side of the spectrum.  I believe that failure to condemn groups like Antifa and the Black Panthers will amplify the voices of actual bigots on the far right, resulting in more division as well as silence from fair minded individuals on both sides who are often afraid to stir up controversy.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the far left will not be satisfied with anything less than a violent revolution to overthrow the whole system.  They seem to think that once that’s done and their ilk takes power, it will be a socialist utopia free of oppression.  Sorry, that’s a fantasy!  We’ve seen what happens in history.  It’s called Communism and it’s led to death camps everywhere it’s been tried.  The Soviet Union was so bad that after Lenin died, Stalin and Trotsky fought to become his successor.  The Stalinists emerged victorious and unleashed a great purge of Trotsky supporters.  That’s right, dissidents even among their own ranks will not be tolerated.  This ideology is every bit as dangerous as actual fascism.

Summer Road Trips

It was an interesting summer when it came to travel.  Not including the epic road trip, I captured some pretty nice images mostly within a few hours of home.  Let's start there.

Birmingham

Travel about 2.5 hours northeast on I-59 and you're in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Here's the view from Lookout Mountain.

Chattanooga

Travel 3 hours north on I-65 and you'll get to Music City

Nashville 

View from Nashville hotel

A bit further away and too far for a day trip but here's a view of Cincinnati from across the river in northern Kentucky.  The culture shifts dramatically once you cross the river into Cincy.

Cincy seen from Kentucky

Another 4-5 hours away is Pittsburgh, which offers stunning views of downtown and its 3 rivers from nearby Mt. Washington.

Pittsburgh

West Virginia hills

Back closer to home, there is the Grand Canyon of Georgia just outside of Columbus.

I also took 2 days in Santa Rosa Beach, FLA just outside of Destin.

Finally, the closest one to home is Noccalula Falls just about an hour away in Gadsden.

Training 9/4-9/10

I've written last week off as a loss.  I ran only 9 miles and all but 1 session was horrible.  I needed Whole Food C and did not have access to it when I was out of town so I took the weekend off.

9/4- 2 miles on Wisteria after a long drive with detours.  Finished in 17:30 (8:45 pace) with splits of 8:10-9:20.  It appears that the ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY may have become a reality.  Glycine is needed to solve the sensitivity issues but I cannot tolerate it.  Any other options?  Yes.  Another precursor, aggressive probiotic use and/or phospho serine.  I won't give up until I am defeated and that's not until 7 weeks from now but it sure is not looking good.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.0

UPDATE: I looked at some of my old tests from last year.  Benzoate was indeed tested. Yes, it was high and bad enough to be flagged but it was not in the stratosphere.  It's possible that there is another way besides glycine to lower the Benzoate, which is still quite likely to be the smoking gun.  I still believe it is possible but unlikely that when Iron is regulated, Benzoate will go down on its own.

9/5- First day back off the glycine.  Dipped under the Mendoza line.  3 miles in 23:30 (7:50 pace).  Still very sore but a sub-8 pace was manageable.  Still no other sensitivity issues but that could kick in bigly within 2-3 more days.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0

9/6- Defeat seems inevitable now.  1 Mile in 9:25 and the culprit was the SHMT spray (glycine precursor).  Interestingly, the bottle says that it is for "Iron related bacterial issues" so there is still a chance that Iron regulation will solve this mess.  That leaves me with the phospho serine, aggressive probiotic use and lowered Ferritin from blood donation as the only other ways to reduce the Benzoate.  I will hope against hope that the sensitivity does not flare up if I continue to do the right things and if it does, perhaps occasional glycine will do the trick.  Again, I will not give up until I am beaten and that's not for another 6.5 weeks.

PM- Another 1 mile at Vestavia on a beautiful evening.  Did the first 400 in 2:07 then popped extra MF hoping to counteract the glycine.  It was a non-factor.  Next lap was 2:08 then jogged the next 2 at glacial pace.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=2.0

9/7- AM- 3 miles at Gold's in 25:26 (8:29 pace).  Started off at 8:10ish then slipped to the 8:40 range.

PM- Another 3 miles this time from the Trak Shak on a beautiful evening.  Managed to dip under the Mendoza line with a time of 23:39 (7:53 pace).  This is par for the course on the day after a collapse.  Still not sensitive to anything else besides the glycine and its precursors but that could change within the next 2 days.  Passed 1000 miles on the year.  I've fallen behind 1500 pace but I still have a chance to come back.
Grade:C-/2 credit/distance=6.0

9/8- Planned rest day.

9/9-AM- COMPLETE DISASTER!  The sensitivity has returned and the glycine is not tolerated.  Abstinence from caffeine is my only chance now.  1 mile out and back in around 11 minutes.

PM- Another mile this time at Vestavia track and improved to 8:48 with an even pace.
Grade:F+/1 credit/distance=2.0

9/10- AM- Lakeshore 2.5 in 21:10 (8:28 pace).  Baby steps forward.  The only thing I'm doing differently is caffeine abstinence.  Adrenal spike hit hard yesterday and will slowly die down over the next 5-7 days.

PM- Another 2.5 mile this time at Vestavia track.  Improved to 19:13 (7:41 pace).  That's a good time for a 5K but not a 4K.  Full kilometer behind my peak but improving rapidly.  I'll try glycine again in a few days and it's quite possible that it will be tolerated.  Weather today is sunny and 80 with a mild 10 mph breeze.  Tomorrow will be 60 and rainy with a sustained 30 mph wind.  Well Beavis, it's gonna suck!
Grade:C/2 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
3rd straight bad loss.  Next week is a must win but I think I have a good chance to deliver.
Distance= 20.0/ GPA= 10.7/8 = 1.34