I said that I expected to get a resolution one way or the other by the end of October. Here's where I stand as far as my pill requirements:
-ADHS adrenal modulator- need 3 pills, flexible dose
-Syntol Probiotics- currently on 4 but that should trend down
-Jigsaw Magnesium- can do without short-term.
- Molybdenum and Adenosyl B-12*
-TMG and Methyl Folate*
-PABA and GLYCINE**
*- Must be taken together. If one is taken without the other, it's worse than neither but the doses are somewhat flexible.
**- THIS ONE IS YUGE!!! It MUST be taken together but it will ELIMINATE ALL OTHER SENSITIVITIES!!! The sweet spot is most definitely 1000 mg glycine while the PABA dose is flexible. If the current success continues, it will be LIFE CHANGING IN SO MANY WAYS!! I put a question mark in the title because I've been burned too many times to declare victory just yet but all my research and personal observations tell me that PABA and glycine are the keys.
The bad news is that I do expect to be dependent on these pills or something similar for the rest of my life. I'm okay with that. There is a chance that down the road a few years, I may be able to get away with missing a day or two here and there but when defective enzymes caused by genetic mutations are the enemy, it's not going to go away. The goal is to manage it in such a way that I can live as if I did not have these defects.
There will be some additional testing in the future but I'd have to say that no matter what I see in those results, the prognosis looks pretty good. Suppose my ceruloplasmin is still on the low side. I can take Whole Food C and that should raise it. Before the glycine/PABA, the sensitivity was so bad that just a few specks would cause my whole body to tighten up within 60 seconds and leave me with a flu like malaise (minus the fever and congestion) for the rest of the day. Hard to believe? Yes but if you are a regular reader, you know very well that it's true.
Perhaps a subsequent hair test will show that ADHS is not strong enough. Fine. I can switch back to Thym-Adren to get in balance faster and most probably will NOT have a bad reaction. In short, I AM STABLE NOW. If any test reveals a need for additional treatments, I can take them without fear of a terrible reaction. GLYCINE/PABA HAS KNOCKED OUT ALL UNEXPLAINED SENSITIVITIES!!! Never again will I be in a position in which I know exactly what is needed to get in balance but cannot tolerate it because of enzyme defects!!
I've recently run the equivalent of a 20:45 5K in a 3 mile time trial. Given that I am 37 years old and my training has been spotty for the past 3 years, I'd say that's still pretty solid. Consistency with the training is the key to improvement and with no threat of sudden relapses, I see no reason why I cannot jack the mileage back up to the 40 MPW range and add back some real interval workouts.
I figure my 5K fitness is worth about the following at other distances for a 30 MPW runner:
Mile: 5:50
10K- Sub-44
Half- 1:38 ish.
I see no reason why I cannot maintain if not slightly improve on those times until I am 40 especially with more consistent training to wipe out the headwind of aging. It will get gradually worse from there but it will only be a few ticks per mile each year. It won't be a situation in which I wake up one day in my 40s or early 50s and say "I can't do this anymore." That should not happen until I am pushing 60 and even then, it won't hit all at once.
As for the remaining 2 months of 2017, I will skip Vulcan but I do want to run the Magic City half (local) at sea level. I also want to get in a local 5K and a Mile time trial. If I can average just 29 MPW the rest of the way, I will finish over 1500 miles on the year. By comparison, I only managed just over 1000 in 2015 and 1305 last year.
The projected completion year for my 50 state half marathon challenge is 2021. By that point, I hope to be starting my Inhabited Continent Challenge. Here's what's on my bucket list:
-Glasgow, Scotland (near the birthplace of paternal grandmother)
-Berlin, Germany (train to Poland)
-Cape Town, South Africa (possibly Durban)
-Jerusalem, Israel
-Hong Kong, China
-Rio, Brazil
-Santiago, Chile
-Melbourne, Australia (possible 1-2 day layover in Tokyo).
Most likely, I can only do 1 such trip per year.
Another piece of BIG NEWS:
If I am still healthy and stable by Thanksgiving, I will put myself on the dating market before Christmas. I really believe there is a different vibe about me when healthy or at least stable. A smile from a stranger is common in the South and I usually don't give it too much thought but recently, I got the sense that a few women really did find me attractive. Here's what I've noticed so far:
-More spring in my step
-Improved posture
-Better eye contact
-More pride in my appearance.
I know I'm not the most desirable guy out there but I'm certainly far from the least as well. I fully expect to get some dates out of my online profile. Whether or not I get a real relationship is another issue. Stay tuned for another post on the subject regarding common mistakes in this area that I am determined to avoid.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Monday, October 30, 2017
Training 10/30-11/5
10/30- AM. 2x2 mile intervals at Gold's. Did the first one in 14:02 on 1000 glycine and felt quite strong in doing so. I'm not sure if I could have gone sub-20 for 3 miles running all out but most definitely comfortably under 21. Took another 250 and was noticeably weaker but still managed a 14:42, which is still not bad. Overall time was 28:44 (7:11 pace) and I may be back out this evening. The sweet spot is ALMOST definitely 1000 but I'd like to try 750. Odds are, my performance will be similar to 1250. If that's the final outcome, I'm okay with it but the narrow range makes me feel uneasy. It's possible that ATP or the precursor will make a difference.
PM- Took the afternoon off work and had a rough time at the DMV but finally did get my car tag renewed. Workout was 5 miles on Canterbury-Jemison in a solid 37:32 (7:30 pace) Comfortable effort on a hilly route too with little pace variation. Got cat-called and complimented on my legs. LOL. Good job.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=9.0
10/31- Tried 750 today and got about what I expected. 4 miles in a solid 29:23 (7:21 pace). Even splits and a comfortable effort but not quite as strong as the previous day on 1000. I'd probably be slightly worse on this dose tomorrow because I took 1250 yesterday. On the final day of the critical month of October, I believe the final outcome is known and it is acceptable to me. More detailed post is coming. ATP and Serine could make a difference but I'll be okay if they don't.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=4.0
11/1- Back to 1000 and that's where I stay barring a change after Serine. Good workout today. 3 mile tempo in 19:54 (6:38 pace). Beat my previous post-35 PR by 3 seconds. Splits were 6:34-6:40-6:40 and needed a kick to do it. Still felt like I had more to give but could not access it but I am happy with this one. Perhaps, I'm a little faster with a rest yesterday.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance-3.5
11/2- Planned rest day. I did do a 1.5 mile junk run from home. Serine precursor is a NO. Because the enzyme defect is overactive, the precursor made it worse just as I predicted. I'd rather not be sensitive to glycine but it will be okay so long as the dose stays CONSTANT at 1000.
No grade/distance-1.5
PM- No running but I've learned something else about my training that could explain a few things. My cadence yesterday was clocked at 188 steps per minute. That's some quick leg turnover. The average runner does about 160-170 unless he or she is sprinting nearly all out. I am consistently higher than that even on my easy days. In addition to the low heart rate, that could be part of the reason why a pace slower than 8:00 feels so uncomfortably slow when healthy. Too soon to say about the ATP but I know the Serine is a NO.
11/3- Strong. 4 miles at Gold's in 29:12 (7:18 pace). Comfortable all the way with a slight negative split. ATP is not hurting me but I can't say if it's helping or not. HR-152. Cadence-182.
PM- 2 mile junk run on a beautiful evening just because I felt like it.
Grade:A/1 credit/ distance- 6.0
11/4- 13 miles from O'Henry's. Once again, I got dropped early but held it together for 13 miles in 1:41:48 (7:50 pace). I felt a little sluggish today probably due to the paces earlier in the week and struggled in the midsection but came back to finish pretty strong. If I can simply duplicate this in 2 weeks at Magic City, it's a post-35 PR by 2 minutes. Clinched a win.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=13.0
11/5- Resolute Recovery Run. Did 5 miles with the back half being nearly all uphill. Did not time it but my new friend Gerald said we were doing about 7:45 pace. Sounds about right. A bit sore from yesterday but it was manageable. It was also nice to be in the daylight at the start after the time change. That won't last long however. Come December, both the mornings and evenings will be dark until early-mid February.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
A convincing victory. In theory, this should continue with the glycine conjugation squared away. I don't think ATP is much of a factor so I'll finish the bottle and be done with it. I might try CoQ10, Whole Food C and Cal down the road but I don't expect any of them to be game changers.
Distance= 42.0/ GPA= 3.49
YTD: 1281 miles. 11-31 with a 2.21 GPA
PM- Took the afternoon off work and had a rough time at the DMV but finally did get my car tag renewed. Workout was 5 miles on Canterbury-Jemison in a solid 37:32 (7:30 pace) Comfortable effort on a hilly route too with little pace variation. Got cat-called and complimented on my legs. LOL. Good job.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=9.0
10/31- Tried 750 today and got about what I expected. 4 miles in a solid 29:23 (7:21 pace). Even splits and a comfortable effort but not quite as strong as the previous day on 1000. I'd probably be slightly worse on this dose tomorrow because I took 1250 yesterday. On the final day of the critical month of October, I believe the final outcome is known and it is acceptable to me. More detailed post is coming. ATP and Serine could make a difference but I'll be okay if they don't.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=4.0
11/1- Back to 1000 and that's where I stay barring a change after Serine. Good workout today. 3 mile tempo in 19:54 (6:38 pace). Beat my previous post-35 PR by 3 seconds. Splits were 6:34-6:40-6:40 and needed a kick to do it. Still felt like I had more to give but could not access it but I am happy with this one. Perhaps, I'm a little faster with a rest yesterday.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance-3.5
11/2- Planned rest day. I did do a 1.5 mile junk run from home. Serine precursor is a NO. Because the enzyme defect is overactive, the precursor made it worse just as I predicted. I'd rather not be sensitive to glycine but it will be okay so long as the dose stays CONSTANT at 1000.
No grade/distance-1.5
PM- No running but I've learned something else about my training that could explain a few things. My cadence yesterday was clocked at 188 steps per minute. That's some quick leg turnover. The average runner does about 160-170 unless he or she is sprinting nearly all out. I am consistently higher than that even on my easy days. In addition to the low heart rate, that could be part of the reason why a pace slower than 8:00 feels so uncomfortably slow when healthy. Too soon to say about the ATP but I know the Serine is a NO.
11/3- Strong. 4 miles at Gold's in 29:12 (7:18 pace). Comfortable all the way with a slight negative split. ATP is not hurting me but I can't say if it's helping or not. HR-152. Cadence-182.
PM- 2 mile junk run on a beautiful evening just because I felt like it.
Grade:A/1 credit/ distance- 6.0
11/4- 13 miles from O'Henry's. Once again, I got dropped early but held it together for 13 miles in 1:41:48 (7:50 pace). I felt a little sluggish today probably due to the paces earlier in the week and struggled in the midsection but came back to finish pretty strong. If I can simply duplicate this in 2 weeks at Magic City, it's a post-35 PR by 2 minutes. Clinched a win.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=13.0
11/5- Resolute Recovery Run. Did 5 miles with the back half being nearly all uphill. Did not time it but my new friend Gerald said we were doing about 7:45 pace. Sounds about right. A bit sore from yesterday but it was manageable. It was also nice to be in the daylight at the start after the time change. That won't last long however. Come December, both the mornings and evenings will be dark until early-mid February.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
A convincing victory. In theory, this should continue with the glycine conjugation squared away. I don't think ATP is much of a factor so I'll finish the bottle and be done with it. I might try CoQ10, Whole Food C and Cal down the road but I don't expect any of them to be game changers.
Distance= 42.0/ GPA= 3.49
YTD: 1281 miles. 11-31 with a 2.21 GPA
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Glycine Intolerance and Possible Solutions
I didn’t have my best stuff in New Mexico but it could have been a whole lot worse if the race had been a few days earlier or later. After some initial success, the Syntol probiotics have lost their effectiveness in combating the sensitivity. I don’t doubt that they are still needed but I will lower the dosage and apparently, I need a reserve of glycine in my system. What happens if I do not take the glycine? I will need to take an exact cocktail of pills every day just to feel decent and will never even come close to my former glory. I will probably never truly stabilize and have to make periodic adjustments after sudden relapses. Yes, I can work, live independently and travel throughout North America but races will be a crap shoot.
Much of my social life revolves around group runs and because I frequently die 3 miles in, it leaves a hole and makes me look bad in the eyes of the group. Also, as long as I have to deal with this type of sensitivity such that I am triggered by something as benign as B-vitamins, C and Calcium in small doses, I will almost certainly be alone for the rest of my life. Nobody can understand the nature of the beast unless they’ve been through it themselves. To make matters worse, I KNOW that glycine will solve the sensitivity but the glycine itself is not tolerated. That is the ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY! Fortunately, there may be a way around it that will allow me to tolerate the very necessary glycine. I was once both intolerant and highly sensitive to methyl folate yet it was needed because I have the dreaded MTHFR mutation. TMG and a B-complex which contains PABA, a precursor to MF, appears to have knocked out that problem once and for all.
Option 1- Take a precursor to Glycine such as Threonine.
I could use it as a substitute or an addition. This is probably least likely to be successful but still worth a try. Why might it work? In some cases where the blood/brain barrier is a factor, the precursor is actually more effective than the amino acid itself. PABA is a precursor to methyl folate and I found that adding just a small amount of PABA, the sensitivity to MF was gone. Why it might not work? I believe my sensitivity to glycine stems from an overactive GNMT enzyme whereas the MTHFR enzyme is underactive. Thus, adding a precursor could make the glycine sensitivity worse. If I use it as a substitute, there is a chance, albeit small, that it will produce just the right amount of glycine to knock out the sensitivity to other vitamins and minerals without producing a reaction to excess glycine.
Option 2- Support the Glycine Metabolism Pathway
This option involves taking ATP and/or Choline. It definitely could be beneficial but unlikely to resolve the sensitivity because it likely does not affect the problem enzyme. I’ve had trouble with ATP and Choline supplementation in the past but that was before Glycine. In the past, I was criticized for running my workouts too hard for my fitness level and some low-lifes even resorted to personal attacks against me. I countered by stating that the workouts really were NOT all that hard for me and I sometimes under-performed in races because I simply could not access my top gear. If the heart rate feature on my new Garmin is accurate, it presents strong evidence in my favor. At my age, my max heart rate ought to be 180-185 beats per minute and a strong cardiovascular system could raise it a few points higher. I’ve never taken it higher than 160 even when running all out. Do I simply have a lower than normal max heart rate? I don’t think so. Even when my legs are hurting after a solid tempo or time trial, I’ve never felt like I was spent in terms of cardio. Moreover, the farther out of whack I am, the LOWER my “max heart rate” becomes. I hit 160 on a 3 mile time trial, which lasted just under 20 minutes but could not take it higher than 150 in New Mexico despite racing hard for nearly 1 hr 50 min. On the days that I have to struggle for a Mendoza line performance (3 miles @ 8:00 pace), my heart rate typically won’t go higher than 135. Even if my max heart rate is low, it should not vary that much from day to day. In theory, ATP should raise the max heart rate but the impaired glycine conjugation may prevent its effectiveness.
Option 3- Target the Over-Active GNMT enzyme
This option is the MOST likely to be successful. It is well documented that methyl folate will slow down this enzyme and thus, I need a larger dose to do the job. Early indications are that raising it from 2 mg to 3 mg won’t be enough. Either I need to be much more aggressive (5-10 mg) or take large doses of its precursor PABA. Yesterday, I had a VERY important revelation. PABA stands for para amino benzoic acid. My benzoic acid has tested high enough to be flagged in the past but not so much that it is in the stratosphere. I’ve since added a small amount of PABA in Yasko’s Ultimate B, which has taken it higher and thus increased the need for glycine. As I’ve posted earlier. High benzoic acid is an indicator of poor glycine conjugation, which according to Self-Hacked and my own personal observations is the cause of the sensitivity. The treatment is more glycine, which I could not tolerate because of the over-active enzyme. If I take more PABA, in theory, it will be doubly beneficial. First, because it’s a precursor to methyl folate, it will slow down the defective enzyme. Second, it will raise my benzoic acid levels, which will increase the demand for glycine. PABA alone without glycine will make things worse and vice versa but I can deal with that. The same holds true for TMG and MF and it’s not a problem.
Stay posted for training updates. I may yet get the resolution before the month is out.
UPDATE:
I learned a lot from today's workout. PABA WILL MOST DEFINITELY ALLOW ME TO TOLERATE GLYCINE AND THUS KNOCK OUT THE SENSITIVITY TO OTHER STUFF. However, I still have a fairly low ceiling of tolerance (less than 2g/day) no matter how much PABA I do take. The tolerance could increase if I try the other options listed here but all I want out of this is freedom from sensitivity. Just 1g/day will do the job in that respect.
UPDATE:
I learned a lot from today's workout. PABA WILL MOST DEFINITELY ALLOW ME TO TOLERATE GLYCINE AND THUS KNOCK OUT THE SENSITIVITY TO OTHER STUFF. However, I still have a fairly low ceiling of tolerance (less than 2g/day) no matter how much PABA I do take. The tolerance could increase if I try the other options listed here but all I want out of this is freedom from sensitivity. Just 1g/day will do the job in that respect.
Monday, October 23, 2017
New Mexico/Texas Road Trip Report
I caught a 6 AM flight out of Birmingham on Thursday and landed in Albuquerque just before 10 AM local time after a short connection in Dallas. From there, I took I-40 East to Amarillo, Texas in my Toyota Camry rental car. Albuquerque has some nice mountain views but once you get east of the metro area, I-40 is not particularly scenic. The terrain is very arid and mostly flat with scattered bushes dotting the landscape. The Texas panhandle is a bit more grassy and has the feel of the High Great Plains. You will hear some southern accents in this area but that does not extend far into New Mexico if at all. With the possible exception of the extreme eastern part of the state, New Mexico has a strong Spanish and Native American flavor.
As expected, after losing an hour going back to Central time and a stop for lunch, I did not get into Amarillo until it was almost time for dinner. As planned, I stopped at the world famous Big Texan Ranch, which offers a free 72 ounce steak to anyone who can finish it within an hour. According to my server, about 1 in 10 who take on the challenge actually succeed. I did not try it but did enjoy a tasty 18 oz Ribeye cut. From there, I took a short driving tour of downtown then stopped for a drink in the Route 66 entertainment district. Nothing much was going on at this hour and I was getting tired after a long day so I went back early.
The next morning after a junk run in the dark, I went about 20 miles south to Palo Duro Canyon. I planned it to arrive right around sunrise and timed it almost perfectly. I took a few short hikes and got some pretty nice shots while I was there but finished up earlier than expected so I altered my plans a bit. Instead of stopping at Sandia Crest, I would drive directly to Santa Fe and do my touring there in the evening rather than the next morning. Probably a good call.
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| Sunrise at Palo Duro |
I took State Hwy 104 instead of the Interstate, which was a 2 lane road with a 55 mph speed limit but a lot more scenic. I arrived in Santa Fe by late afternoon, checked in to Motel 6 and just walked to the downtown area. Every building was done in the adobe/pueblo style with no real skyscrapers which made for interesting scenery. The highlight was the plaza area, which featured some nice restaurants and bars with lots of southwestern and Native American jewelry shops. None of that was of particular interest to me but I did enjoy a tour of the New Mexico history museum. It was almost dark by the time I got back so again, I timed it perfectly.
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| Santa Fe |
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| Santa Fe 2 |
The next morning was a beautiful drive through the Turquoise Trail (US-14) from Santa Fe back down to Albuquerque. The highlight there was a 14 mile spur road to Sandia Crest, which is 2 mile high altitude with smaller mountain peaks below and the city of Albuquerque visible in the distance. Flat out beautiful! I arrived in Albuquerque around lunch time and headed to Old Town for a fish sandwich. I found it to be a smaller version of Santa Fe so after a quick walking tour, I went back to downtown and checked into my hotel. Next, I met up with Run University Group to celebrate my friend Micki’s 50th full marathon state. I caught the end of the Alabama/Tennessee game then went out to dinner with the group.
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| Albuquerque skyline |
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| Sandia Crest 1 |
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| Sandia Crest 2 |
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| Central Avenue |
The next day was race day.
I felt strong warming up and believed that in spite of the 5000 foot elevation, I had a good shot at a post-35 PR of 1:44:38. Those thoughts went out the window in just a split second. Just like I’ve done over 100 times before, I did a few hard strides after an easy warm up jog just to confirm that I was ready to go. This time, I felt a stabbing pain in my lower left hamstring. OUCH! What bad luck! I briefly considered bailing and heading back up to my hotel but found to my relief that after a couple minutes of easy jogging, the pain was still there but was not disabling. I would give it a shot. If worse came to worst, I might have to walk it in but I still get credit for a finish no matter how long it took.
After a slow and cautious start out of downtown into a residential area, I found some open space and began moving surprisingly well. I aimed for about a 7:45 pace and got to the first mile marker 3 ticks south of the plan. I probably looked normal to most racers with no visible limp but every step was painful. It never did let up all race but thankfully, it never forced me to stop either. Another factor in my favor was a nearly dead flat course. The few climbs that did come were short but man, they hurt so much.
7:42- 7:42
7:47-15:29
7:55- 23:24
In Mile 3, we turned on to a bike trail and it would be out and back the rest of the way. It was here that I could feel it slipping away and another 10+ miles seemed insurmountable. The left hamstring never really got much worse but the other muscles along with the right hamstring and groin were getting quite sore from compensation. Mile 3 would be my last sub-8 Mile on the day but as we approached the midsection, I found to my surprise and relief that I was still holding a semi-respectable pace south of 8:15. A non-disastrous finish was now a reasonable expectation. At the halfway point in 52:20, I was still on pace for a sub-1:45 but realistically it would be a finish in 1:45 or 1:46.
8:03- 31:27
8:09- 39:36
8:09- 47:45
8:14- 55:59
8:13- 64:14
I felt like my energy was fading further in Mile 8 and I took a gel hoping to get a small boost. Probably a bad call there. I’m not sure if there was a connection but I felt significantly worse shortly thereafter. The pace slipped to the 8:40 range and Mile 10 was over 9 minutes. Uh oh! I’m going to need a rally just to break 1:50. In the end, I did find a little bit of extra juice after turning back off the bike trail into the residential area. As we approached town, I saw that I had a full 5 minutes to run the last half mile so it was never in danger down the final stretch and the Mile markers were accurate to my Garmin with .02 all the way. I managed a mild pick up at the end but was in no condition to get on my toes and sprint. Mercifully, I crossed the line with a time of 1:49:18 (8:20 pace).
8:42- 1:12:56
9:04- 1:22:00
8:56- 1:30:56
8:46- 1:39:42
8:40- 1:48:22
:56-
Not a disaster but I’m certainly better than this. It was probably the equivalent of a 1:45:xx at sea level and was good enough to 13th out of 67 finishers in my age group. Percentile rank: 81.
Grade: C+
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| With Micki after her 50th State finish. |
Training 10/23-10/29
10/23- Planned rest day. Well deserved.
10/24- AM-Junk run. Totaled 1 mile. Much worse after taking Cal and Vitamin C and only slightly better after Zinc BUT glycine helped. Wary of taking more than 1 of those pills.
PM- 2 mile junk run at Veteran's Park. 3 times around the lake in 17:44 (8:52 pace). This was an improvement over the morning session. Stay tuned for a detailed update post.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0
Short update:
As it appears now, the only chance to resolve the sensitivity is with glycine, which I cannot tolerate if taken regularly. There has GOT TO BE a way to tolerate it. I was once intolerant to methyl folate but TMG took care of that.
10/25- WORSE! 3 miles at Gold's in 28:57 (9:39 pace). Barely made it through the day at work. I have several options to improve my tolerance to glycine and the first one (PABA) shows promise early. Other options include a precursor, ATP or extra methyl folate. More detailed post coming by the end of the week.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0
10/26-AM- 3x3 lap intervals at Gold's starting with 500 mg PABA and no glycine:
Opener- 3:02 (9:06 pace)
500 glycine- 2:38 (7:54 pace) MINUS 72
1000 glycine- 2:16 (6:48 pace) MINUS 66
PM- Took another 1000 glycine after lunch at work and was significantly worse immediately.
3x1 mile intervals this time:
2000 glycine/500 PABA- 8:20
2000 glycine/1000 PABA- 8:17- INSIGNIFICANT
2500 glycine/1000 PABA- 9:20- FAR WORSE
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=4.0
Reaction:
Lenient grade because I learned a LOT. PABA WILL INDEED ALLOW ME TO TOLERATE GLYCINE AND THUS SOLVE THE SENSITIVITY! YES YES YES! However, there is a ceiling of how much glycine can be tolerated and extra PABA will NOT raise it. That ceiling is likely somewhere between 1000-2000 mg right now. There is a chance that could change if I add more MF, take a precursor or ATP. 1000 mg of glycine is DEFINITELY sufficient to knock out the sensitivity and I may even get by with 500. Will glycine make me faster? I don't know but as I've said many times, I'm willing to trade some speed for stability.
10/27- 3 miles in 22:46 (7:35 pace) plus a half mile cool. Even splits and much improved over yesterday but the glycine dosage (1500) was still too high. It's possible that I'm still recovering from yesterday's 2500. I'll go with 1500 tomorrow as well but if I'm not significantly better than today, it's down to 1000. I sure hope it stays there. The sweet spot MUST remain constant. Overall, not too bad but in a hard day, I don't think I could have broken 22 and felt too sluggish.
Grade:B/ 1 credit/distance=3.5
10/28- Skipped the group run as planned. It was cold, dark and rainy anyway. Same 3 miler as yesterday on the same 1500 dosage. My time was down to 21:56 (7:19 pace) with even splits again. Nice improvement over yesterday but still not good enough.
I attribute the improvement to clearance of the 2500 that I took 2 days ago. On a stable 1500 dosage, I probably won't see much further improvement. I've done a sub-20 recently so I should be south of 21 every single time (5% variability allowance). Today, I barely broke 22. The sweet spot is somewhere between 1000 and 1500. It certainly could be 1000 and I hope so because I won't have to cut the pills in half if that's the case. They come in 500 so if it's 1250, I will have to estimate.
Any chance to widen the range or increase tolerance from 1250-1500? Maybe. Taking a precursor or increasing MF could make a difference. ATP could make me faster by increasing my cardio capacity but it seems unlikely to affect the sweet spot for glycine. Today, once again, my legs hurt but I was not even close to being spent in terms of cardio. HR was only 144.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=3.5
PM- No more running today but I have learned that extra MF will NOT increase tolerance to glycine. Felt no better after taking an extra 5 mg and just half of an extra glycine made it WORSE. Threonine is the only way now but even if it doesn't work, a rigid dose requirement is FAR better than the alternative.
10/29- Another chilly morning but this time, I was outside for 4 miles on Lakeshore in 31:44 (7:56 pace). Not horrible but a bit of a downer. Opened with 1000 glycine and ran the extension in 11:30 (7:40 pace) but didn't feel all that great in doing so. Took approximately 300 more and slipped to 20:14 on the last 2.5 (8:06 pace). This tells me the sweet spot is most probably 1000 but I want to take another shot at 1200-1300 because I took 1700 yesterday. Threonine could make a difference but if it doesn't, I'm okay with it. I will NOT have to break pills in half to hit the sweet spot and if I accidentally take 1 too many of those pills, I will be weakened but still able to handle a standard issue workout. HR was only 132 today, which is MUCH too low even for a slower pace. Again, the more out of whack I am, the lower it tends to be. ATP will be ordered.
PM- No more running today but after taking additional probiotics, I felt more energized with more of a spring in my steps. I thought I didn't need high dose Syntol after it became ineffective in treating the sensitivity but apparently, I still do and I'm okay with it. I expect that in time, my need will diminish.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0
Distance= 21.0/ GPA= 2.05
YTD: 1239 miles. 10-31 with a 2.18 GPA
10/24- AM-Junk run. Totaled 1 mile. Much worse after taking Cal and Vitamin C and only slightly better after Zinc BUT glycine helped. Wary of taking more than 1 of those pills.
PM- 2 mile junk run at Veteran's Park. 3 times around the lake in 17:44 (8:52 pace). This was an improvement over the morning session. Stay tuned for a detailed update post.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0
Short update:
As it appears now, the only chance to resolve the sensitivity is with glycine, which I cannot tolerate if taken regularly. There has GOT TO BE a way to tolerate it. I was once intolerant to methyl folate but TMG took care of that.
10/25- WORSE! 3 miles at Gold's in 28:57 (9:39 pace). Barely made it through the day at work. I have several options to improve my tolerance to glycine and the first one (PABA) shows promise early. Other options include a precursor, ATP or extra methyl folate. More detailed post coming by the end of the week.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0
10/26-AM- 3x3 lap intervals at Gold's starting with 500 mg PABA and no glycine:
Opener- 3:02 (9:06 pace)
500 glycine- 2:38 (7:54 pace) MINUS 72
1000 glycine- 2:16 (6:48 pace) MINUS 66
PM- Took another 1000 glycine after lunch at work and was significantly worse immediately.
3x1 mile intervals this time:
2000 glycine/500 PABA- 8:20
2000 glycine/1000 PABA- 8:17- INSIGNIFICANT
2500 glycine/1000 PABA- 9:20- FAR WORSE
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=4.0
Reaction:
Lenient grade because I learned a LOT. PABA WILL INDEED ALLOW ME TO TOLERATE GLYCINE AND THUS SOLVE THE SENSITIVITY! YES YES YES! However, there is a ceiling of how much glycine can be tolerated and extra PABA will NOT raise it. That ceiling is likely somewhere between 1000-2000 mg right now. There is a chance that could change if I add more MF, take a precursor or ATP. 1000 mg of glycine is DEFINITELY sufficient to knock out the sensitivity and I may even get by with 500. Will glycine make me faster? I don't know but as I've said many times, I'm willing to trade some speed for stability.
10/27- 3 miles in 22:46 (7:35 pace) plus a half mile cool. Even splits and much improved over yesterday but the glycine dosage (1500) was still too high. It's possible that I'm still recovering from yesterday's 2500. I'll go with 1500 tomorrow as well but if I'm not significantly better than today, it's down to 1000. I sure hope it stays there. The sweet spot MUST remain constant. Overall, not too bad but in a hard day, I don't think I could have broken 22 and felt too sluggish.
Grade:B/ 1 credit/distance=3.5
10/28- Skipped the group run as planned. It was cold, dark and rainy anyway. Same 3 miler as yesterday on the same 1500 dosage. My time was down to 21:56 (7:19 pace) with even splits again. Nice improvement over yesterday but still not good enough.
I attribute the improvement to clearance of the 2500 that I took 2 days ago. On a stable 1500 dosage, I probably won't see much further improvement. I've done a sub-20 recently so I should be south of 21 every single time (5% variability allowance). Today, I barely broke 22. The sweet spot is somewhere between 1000 and 1500. It certainly could be 1000 and I hope so because I won't have to cut the pills in half if that's the case. They come in 500 so if it's 1250, I will have to estimate.
Any chance to widen the range or increase tolerance from 1250-1500? Maybe. Taking a precursor or increasing MF could make a difference. ATP could make me faster by increasing my cardio capacity but it seems unlikely to affect the sweet spot for glycine. Today, once again, my legs hurt but I was not even close to being spent in terms of cardio. HR was only 144.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=3.5
PM- No more running today but I have learned that extra MF will NOT increase tolerance to glycine. Felt no better after taking an extra 5 mg and just half of an extra glycine made it WORSE. Threonine is the only way now but even if it doesn't work, a rigid dose requirement is FAR better than the alternative.
10/29- Another chilly morning but this time, I was outside for 4 miles on Lakeshore in 31:44 (7:56 pace). Not horrible but a bit of a downer. Opened with 1000 glycine and ran the extension in 11:30 (7:40 pace) but didn't feel all that great in doing so. Took approximately 300 more and slipped to 20:14 on the last 2.5 (8:06 pace). This tells me the sweet spot is most probably 1000 but I want to take another shot at 1200-1300 because I took 1700 yesterday. Threonine could make a difference but if it doesn't, I'm okay with it. I will NOT have to break pills in half to hit the sweet spot and if I accidentally take 1 too many of those pills, I will be weakened but still able to handle a standard issue workout. HR was only 132 today, which is MUCH too low even for a slower pace. Again, the more out of whack I am, the lower it tends to be. ATP will be ordered.
PM- No more running today but after taking additional probiotics, I felt more energized with more of a spring in my steps. I thought I didn't need high dose Syntol after it became ineffective in treating the sensitivity but apparently, I still do and I'm okay with it. I expect that in time, my need will diminish.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0
Distance= 21.0/ GPA= 2.05
YTD: 1239 miles. 10-31 with a 2.18 GPA
Monday, October 16, 2017
Training 10/16-10/22-Race Week
10/16-AM- Easy 3 in 22:50 (7:37 pace). I normally rest on Monday in a race week but today I wanted to assess where I was now that I am back off Glutathione. I got most of it back today and got stronger as the run progressed. Splits were 7:46-7:34-7:30 with a HR of 151. If I was totally in the clear, it would have been around 7:20 pace but I'll take it. I most definitely still need adrenal support on probiotics and that's to be expected especially after solving a MAJOR problem. I may be less dependent on methylation support but I'm not trying anything new before race day. That's all for today.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0
10/17-AM- I am most definitely all the way back now. Wanted to run 4 miles but had to settle for 3 due to time constraints. Put out no more effort than yesterday but my time improved to 21:33 (7:11 pace) with even splits and an even lower HR of 146. The only gripe was that I still had a bit of stiffness in my joints and muscles. Overall, good power in my legs.
PM- Junk Intervals at Vestavia. This does not affect the grade but it was a bit of a downer. I really thought I could go comfortably under 6:00 in the Mile. After an 89 1st lap, I lost it at 600 and then punted the rest of the workout. Did a few more 200 strides then decided to go hard on the last one and clocked a surprisingly good 33 seconds. Maybe the morning session tired me out more than I thought. I still think I can go sub-6 fresh but it's going to be close. Added a cool for a total distance of 1.5 miles this session. Just screwing around really. I may benefit from Vitamin C but if that's not the answer, the probiotics will prevent it from being a disaster.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=4.5
10/18-AM- Interesting observations today. I tried to run without methylation and was clearly weakened but it was not a night and day difference. That's good news. Came through 3 laps at 2:41 (8:03 pace) but was likely looking at 8:30ish if I kept going. Got a boost from the methylation but did not have the form of yesterday or even Monday. Finished with an overall time of 31:36 for 4 miles (7:54 pace). Splits were pretty even and HR of 132 was the lowest on record. I took a high dose of Whole Food C, which is clearly NOT the answer. Once again, the probiotics prevented a disaster. Most likely, a single dose would have been barely noticeable. I'm going with the formula that gave me 2 wins coming into this week minus the glutathione but I still think something is missing that's preventing me from access to my top gear. Max HR should be 180-185.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.5
-Score is tied on the week. I can win with a good race. I'll try to get in 4 junk miles.
10/19- Planned rest day. Travel.
10/20- 15 minute junk run in the dark on Amarillo Blvd. Still sore and this does not feel natural. The culprit is too much Ultimate B. It is becoming increasingly clear that I need both the probiotics and glycine. Adding back the glycine now is a gamble but I'm willing to take it. Probiotics DID knock out the ill-effects of glycine earlier. Toured Palo Duro Canyon and Santa Fe. Stay tuned for pics.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0
10/21- Santa Fe to Albuquerque with a stop in Sandia Crest. Found glycine supplements at a local health food store. YES! Felt a definite benefit after taking it. Another 2 miles this time on the hotel treadmill in Albuquerque. Set the pace just south of 8:00 and kicked it at the end. A sub-1:45 will be enough to win this week.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.0
10/22- Duke City half in 1:49:18. Tweaked hamstring warming up and every step hurt but I finished.
Grade:C plus/4 credit/distance-14.0
Distance= 30.0/ GPA= 2.65
YTD: 1218 miles. 10-30 with a 2.18 GPA
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0
10/17-AM- I am most definitely all the way back now. Wanted to run 4 miles but had to settle for 3 due to time constraints. Put out no more effort than yesterday but my time improved to 21:33 (7:11 pace) with even splits and an even lower HR of 146. The only gripe was that I still had a bit of stiffness in my joints and muscles. Overall, good power in my legs.
PM- Junk Intervals at Vestavia. This does not affect the grade but it was a bit of a downer. I really thought I could go comfortably under 6:00 in the Mile. After an 89 1st lap, I lost it at 600 and then punted the rest of the workout. Did a few more 200 strides then decided to go hard on the last one and clocked a surprisingly good 33 seconds. Maybe the morning session tired me out more than I thought. I still think I can go sub-6 fresh but it's going to be close. Added a cool for a total distance of 1.5 miles this session. Just screwing around really. I may benefit from Vitamin C but if that's not the answer, the probiotics will prevent it from being a disaster.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=4.5
10/18-AM- Interesting observations today. I tried to run without methylation and was clearly weakened but it was not a night and day difference. That's good news. Came through 3 laps at 2:41 (8:03 pace) but was likely looking at 8:30ish if I kept going. Got a boost from the methylation but did not have the form of yesterday or even Monday. Finished with an overall time of 31:36 for 4 miles (7:54 pace). Splits were pretty even and HR of 132 was the lowest on record. I took a high dose of Whole Food C, which is clearly NOT the answer. Once again, the probiotics prevented a disaster. Most likely, a single dose would have been barely noticeable. I'm going with the formula that gave me 2 wins coming into this week minus the glutathione but I still think something is missing that's preventing me from access to my top gear. Max HR should be 180-185.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.5
-Score is tied on the week. I can win with a good race. I'll try to get in 4 junk miles.
10/19- Planned rest day. Travel.
10/20- 15 minute junk run in the dark on Amarillo Blvd. Still sore and this does not feel natural. The culprit is too much Ultimate B. It is becoming increasingly clear that I need both the probiotics and glycine. Adding back the glycine now is a gamble but I'm willing to take it. Probiotics DID knock out the ill-effects of glycine earlier. Toured Palo Duro Canyon and Santa Fe. Stay tuned for pics.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0
10/21- Santa Fe to Albuquerque with a stop in Sandia Crest. Found glycine supplements at a local health food store. YES! Felt a definite benefit after taking it. Another 2 miles this time on the hotel treadmill in Albuquerque. Set the pace just south of 8:00 and kicked it at the end. A sub-1:45 will be enough to win this week.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=2.0
10/22- Duke City half in 1:49:18. Tweaked hamstring warming up and every step hurt but I finished.
Grade:C plus/4 credit/distance-14.0
Distance= 30.0/ GPA= 2.65
YTD: 1218 miles. 10-30 with a 2.18 GPA
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
New England Road Trip Plan
Maybe I'm jumping the gun with this one because the New Mexico/Texas trip is still a week away but this is an interesting option. This is not set in stone yet and we will see how work plays out but here is the preliminary plan: I have yet to race in any of the 6 New England states and since it is a small geographic area, I would prefer to knock out those states in 2 or 3 trips rather than a separate one for each state. Two half marathons on back to back days in neighboring states certainly can be done if I am healthy and take it slow enough in the first one but I would really prefer not to do that. Thanks to a race series called the New England Challenge, which will be 6 races in all 6 states in 6 consecutive days, I won't have to go back to back. No, I will not take on that devil of a challenge either. Rather, I can take a more sensible approach of 2 races in 5 days. Targeted states will be Vermont with the Maple Leaf Half on Wednesday (5/16) and Massachusetts with an outside race called the Horseneck Half on Sunday (5/20).
Weekly Schedule:
Monday- Work all or most of the day then drive to Atlanta that evening. I can get a smokin' deal on a direct flight from Atlanta to Boston for under $200.
Tuesday- Fly from Atlanta to Boston in the morning (not too early) then drive to the race location in Springfield, Vermont, in the southeast portion near the border of New Hampshire and just about an hour north of Springfield, MA. The drive is roughly 2.5-3 hours so I'll get there by mid-afternoon and can explore the town a bit.
Wednesday- Race day in Vermont then drive down to New Haven, Connecticut (3 hours). From there, I will take a train to Grand Central in New York City for the night. I'll leave my car at the train station in New Haven. I'm not sure that I'll have time for much sight seeing but do want to visit the bar on 230 5th for excellent views of the skyline.
Thursday- All day in NYC. I'd like to catch Coney Island and either the Top of the Rock or Empire State Building in the daylight as well as Central Park in full bloom. I thought about a Yankee game but they are on the road that week. Maybe I can do the stadium tour instead. I'll be back in Connecticut for the night.
Friday- Drive through Connecticut and Rhode Island with possible stops in Newport and Providence. If I'm short on cash, I can raise $25 if I sell stuff to Billy in 4C (Inside joke.) I will also drive up at least part of Cape Cod but assuming I can get an early start, I'll be in Boston by the evening (less than 5 hrs driving). The Red Sox are home but ticket prices are outrageous. I could enjoy a game from a sports bar instead. Hotels downtown are also very pricey.
Saturday- Tour Boston then head down to the race location about an hour south right on the bay. Tourism options include the Prudential Center, Freedom Trail and the JFK library.
Sunday- Race day then fly back.
If I can do this, it will take me up to 34 states assuming I finish New Mexico. The back up option is Ocean City, Maryland which I could make into a cool trip as well.
EDITS:
I've learned that I can take a train all the way from New Haven, Connecticut to Grand Central Station in about 1.5 hours. In that case, I will most probably arrive in NYC by early-mid afternoon on Wednesday so yes, I will spend the night and I bet I can check out the next morning then come back later to pick up my bag.
On Friday, I am leaning towards going to Cape Cod first. I probably won't go all the way up because it's just too far. I'll plan to stay south of Boston around the Quincy area for a more reasonable price. Forget Uber. I can just take the T into town. Word on the street is DON'T drive in Boston.
Weekly Schedule:
Monday- Work all or most of the day then drive to Atlanta that evening. I can get a smokin' deal on a direct flight from Atlanta to Boston for under $200.
Tuesday- Fly from Atlanta to Boston in the morning (not too early) then drive to the race location in Springfield, Vermont, in the southeast portion near the border of New Hampshire and just about an hour north of Springfield, MA. The drive is roughly 2.5-3 hours so I'll get there by mid-afternoon and can explore the town a bit.
Wednesday- Race day in Vermont then drive down to New Haven, Connecticut (3 hours). From there, I will take a train to Grand Central in New York City for the night. I'll leave my car at the train station in New Haven. I'm not sure that I'll have time for much sight seeing but do want to visit the bar on 230 5th for excellent views of the skyline.
Thursday- All day in NYC. I'd like to catch Coney Island and either the Top of the Rock or Empire State Building in the daylight as well as Central Park in full bloom. I thought about a Yankee game but they are on the road that week. Maybe I can do the stadium tour instead. I'll be back in Connecticut for the night.
Friday- Drive through Connecticut and Rhode Island with possible stops in Newport and Providence. If I'm short on cash, I can raise $25 if I sell stuff to Billy in 4C (Inside joke.) I will also drive up at least part of Cape Cod but assuming I can get an early start, I'll be in Boston by the evening (less than 5 hrs driving). The Red Sox are home but ticket prices are outrageous. I could enjoy a game from a sports bar instead. Hotels downtown are also very pricey.
Saturday- Tour Boston then head down to the race location about an hour south right on the bay. Tourism options include the Prudential Center, Freedom Trail and the JFK library.
Sunday- Race day then fly back.
If I can do this, it will take me up to 34 states assuming I finish New Mexico. The back up option is Ocean City, Maryland which I could make into a cool trip as well.
EDITS:
I've learned that I can take a train all the way from New Haven, Connecticut to Grand Central Station in about 1.5 hours. In that case, I will most probably arrive in NYC by early-mid afternoon on Wednesday so yes, I will spend the night and I bet I can check out the next morning then come back later to pick up my bag.
On Friday, I am leaning towards going to Cape Cod first. I probably won't go all the way up because it's just too far. I'll plan to stay south of Boston around the Quincy area for a more reasonable price. Forget Uber. I can just take the T into town. Word on the street is DON'T drive in Boston.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Final Ferritin Re-Test
Cardiologists want to see Ferritin in the 20-50 range but most agree that a lab value below 100 is not a serious problem. I have tested as high as 248 in the past and was 186 before the blood donation. That is not quite in the danger zone yet but if I had continued to allow it to creep higher, I could be over 300 by age 45, which would put me at increased risk of cancer and heart disease. Also, I thought perhaps it could be the explanation for the sensitivity to certain vitamins and minerals.
I never fully bought into that because I had heard of cases much worse than mine that did NOT report similar symptoms. Suppose my lab value was over 500 or at worst over 1,000. That could explain some pretty severe symptoms. A value just under 200? Not so much. Still, I never doubted that getting this number closer to ideal would benefit my health overall. My first re-test 12 days after the first donation was a disappointing 176 but I was assured by Morley Robbins and others that it takes time for it to come down and that I get tested again 6-8 weeks after a 2nd donation. I was hoping to see a result below 100.
Ferritin was the only thing tested this time around. I’m not worried about the other ones and will not pay more money for other re-tests that are not far from ideal. The results: DRUMROLL PLEASE: 75!! YES! YES! YES! Iron Overload is almost completely gone. New supplements that I considered such as IP-6 will not be necessary. This allows me to save money and cabinet space. I will continue to donate blood 2-3 times per year for preventative maintenance.
Though Ferritin can fluctuate, with a current value of 75, odds are that my level has been below 100 for at least 3-4 weeks yet the sensitivity remained. Once again, it was ABSOLUTELY in my best interest to lower my Ferritin and take care of the Iron overload BUT it also proves once and for all that it was NOT the smoking gun that explained the sensitivity. It’s looking like a pretty safe bet that the Syntol Probiotics are the key. With the increased tolerance that kicked in last weekend, my long-term prognosis is looking better and better.
Edit: Morley says the lowered Iron increased the effectiveness of the probiotics. I don't doubt it. At the end of the day, I don't care what the magic bullet is so long as I find it. Looking like I have. It is quite probable that with high Iron, probiotics would not be effective. Therefore, lowered Ferritin was a necessary but not sufficient condition for my recovery.
Edit: Morley says the lowered Iron increased the effectiveness of the probiotics. I don't doubt it. At the end of the day, I don't care what the magic bullet is so long as I find it. Looking like I have. It is quite probable that with high Iron, probiotics would not be effective. Therefore, lowered Ferritin was a necessary but not sufficient condition for my recovery.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Training 10/9-10/15
10/9-AM- Day off work for Columbus Day. Went to the lab to get my Ferritin re-tested. Hoping for a value below 100 but I'll take a sub-150. Headed to Gold's for some intervals with Syntol. Did 4x1 mile with 2 pills during each interval.
0 pills- 7:56
2 pills- 7:29
4 pills- 7:02
6 pills- 6:40
Each time, the level of effort was in the moderate range. The first mile was really a struggle and I knew it as soon as I started. Mile 2 was better but it wasn't until Mile 3 that I began feeling well. All of this was fully expected. The moment of truth came when I attempted the 4th interval on 6 pills. It was not as dramatic but a significant improvement nonetheless. I may get SLIGHT benefit from going to 8 pills but I will stick with 6 because these pills are quite expensive. I do expect my need will go back down within a couple of months.
All in all, this is EXCELLENT NEWS! On my product review post, I was "unnerved" by the fact that 2 pills left me weakened and the tolerance had not kicked in yet. Well, the tolerance has most definitely kicked in now. I had feared that I would soon develop a complete intolerance to Syntol as I did the glycine. This development has eased those fears considerably.
PM- Just wanted to see how I'd do on 2 more Syntol pills. I got slight stomach discomfort but other than that, I was fine. Moderate 5 miles at Gold's in 36:15 (7:15 pace) plus a cool. I was working a bit towards the end but kept the pace even (18:05-18:10). I'm still going to stick with 6 going forward and hope that dose will eventually come down. Will it leave me less dependent on adrenal and methylation support? I predict that I'll always need both but eventually will be able to get away with a day or two of missed doses.
Grade:A/2 credit/distance=10.0
10/10- Easy 5 in 37:22 (7:28 pace). Felt good overall. Slowed just a tad on the back half and I had to work to keep pace in Mile 4. 1st half-18:36, 2nd half-18:46.
PM- 2 mile junk run. Legs and joints are a bit sore but the energy level remains very high.
Grade A-/1 credit/distance-7.0
10/11- Planned rest day. Legs are sore but the body has enough energy to keep going. Somebody on a health forum said probiotics can increase testosterone. I would not be surprised if that's true based on the way I've been feeling. If you did not read the latest post, my Ferritin tested at 75, which is excellent news. Looking for a fast tempo tomorrow.
10/12- Hard 3 mile. I was shooting for a sub-20 and finished in 19:56 (6:39 pace). Remarkably even splits. Legs went dead just before 2 miles and never thought I could maintain it but somehow I did.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance-4.0
10/13- Pretty sore today. This week's volume and intensity is catching up to me now. Workout was 4 miles on Lakeshore in a time of 30:32 (7:38 pace). Took off at 7:30 then smartly backed off to the 7:45 range. Still not bad but this does end the streak of "A" workouts.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.0
10/14- 11 miles from O'Henry's in 89:27 (8:08 pace). A bit of a downer but it was essentially the same as last week. Faded in Mile 5 but once again, held it together and prevented it from becoming too ugly. Not much left at the end however. Really should do better than this and it was somewhat disappointing but I believe it was simply over-reaching with the training. Nothing more. This is good enough to clinch a win this week and I'll have a steep taper next week.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=11.0
10/15- Easy 5 on Lakeshore in 43:30 (8:42 pace). I was shooting for 8:00 pace but had no gas in the tank. I believe it was a combination of cumulative fatigue and too much glutathione. A reaction because of a pill again? I'm not worried about it at all because I took a large dose to finish the bottle. As I've said before, a little bit of sensitivity is actually a good thing because it lets you know when you are off the formula. I still believe the probiotics are effective. Without them, I could not have finished 2 miles let alone 5. Pace was relatively even and HR was low (145).
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly Summary:
A nice win in spite of the shaky weekend. Race is next weekend and I actually expect to do fairly well this time.
Distance= 41.0/ GPA= 3.20
YTD: 1188 miles. 10-29 with a 2.17 GPA
0 pills- 7:56
2 pills- 7:29
4 pills- 7:02
6 pills- 6:40
Each time, the level of effort was in the moderate range. The first mile was really a struggle and I knew it as soon as I started. Mile 2 was better but it wasn't until Mile 3 that I began feeling well. All of this was fully expected. The moment of truth came when I attempted the 4th interval on 6 pills. It was not as dramatic but a significant improvement nonetheless. I may get SLIGHT benefit from going to 8 pills but I will stick with 6 because these pills are quite expensive. I do expect my need will go back down within a couple of months.
All in all, this is EXCELLENT NEWS! On my product review post, I was "unnerved" by the fact that 2 pills left me weakened and the tolerance had not kicked in yet. Well, the tolerance has most definitely kicked in now. I had feared that I would soon develop a complete intolerance to Syntol as I did the glycine. This development has eased those fears considerably.
PM- Just wanted to see how I'd do on 2 more Syntol pills. I got slight stomach discomfort but other than that, I was fine. Moderate 5 miles at Gold's in 36:15 (7:15 pace) plus a cool. I was working a bit towards the end but kept the pace even (18:05-18:10). I'm still going to stick with 6 going forward and hope that dose will eventually come down. Will it leave me less dependent on adrenal and methylation support? I predict that I'll always need both but eventually will be able to get away with a day or two of missed doses.
Grade:A/2 credit/distance=10.0
10/10- Easy 5 in 37:22 (7:28 pace). Felt good overall. Slowed just a tad on the back half and I had to work to keep pace in Mile 4. 1st half-18:36, 2nd half-18:46.
PM- 2 mile junk run. Legs and joints are a bit sore but the energy level remains very high.
Grade A-/1 credit/distance-7.0
10/11- Planned rest day. Legs are sore but the body has enough energy to keep going. Somebody on a health forum said probiotics can increase testosterone. I would not be surprised if that's true based on the way I've been feeling. If you did not read the latest post, my Ferritin tested at 75, which is excellent news. Looking for a fast tempo tomorrow.
10/12- Hard 3 mile. I was shooting for a sub-20 and finished in 19:56 (6:39 pace). Remarkably even splits. Legs went dead just before 2 miles and never thought I could maintain it but somehow I did.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance-4.0
10/13- Pretty sore today. This week's volume and intensity is catching up to me now. Workout was 4 miles on Lakeshore in a time of 30:32 (7:38 pace). Took off at 7:30 then smartly backed off to the 7:45 range. Still not bad but this does end the streak of "A" workouts.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.0
10/14- 11 miles from O'Henry's in 89:27 (8:08 pace). A bit of a downer but it was essentially the same as last week. Faded in Mile 5 but once again, held it together and prevented it from becoming too ugly. Not much left at the end however. Really should do better than this and it was somewhat disappointing but I believe it was simply over-reaching with the training. Nothing more. This is good enough to clinch a win this week and I'll have a steep taper next week.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=11.0
10/15- Easy 5 on Lakeshore in 43:30 (8:42 pace). I was shooting for 8:00 pace but had no gas in the tank. I believe it was a combination of cumulative fatigue and too much glutathione. A reaction because of a pill again? I'm not worried about it at all because I took a large dose to finish the bottle. As I've said before, a little bit of sensitivity is actually a good thing because it lets you know when you are off the formula. I still believe the probiotics are effective. Without them, I could not have finished 2 miles let alone 5. Pace was relatively even and HR was low (145).
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly Summary:
A nice win in spite of the shaky weekend. Race is next weekend and I actually expect to do fairly well this time.
Distance= 41.0/ GPA= 3.20
YTD: 1188 miles. 10-29 with a 2.17 GPA
Friday, October 6, 2017
Syntol AMD Product Review
Not all probiotics are created equal. I had been taking Ultimate Flora on a fairly regular basis. It was successful in lowering several markers of gut dysbiosis such as arabinose and beta-alanine but it did nothing for sensitivity to certain vitamins and minerals. I’ve taken Calcium several times just to gauge the reaction even though it is not a part of my regular formula. Early last week, only half of one of those pills would cause a terrible reaction. My whole body tightened up and my mood immediately became darker. When I tried to run, I was struggling for a 9:30 pace and had to quit early.
Again, for the last time, THERE IS NO WAY THAT A SMALL DOSE OF A BENIGN MINERAL should trigger that type of reaction even if it takes my chemistry in the wrong direction. As long as this type of thing occurs, I am vulnerable to similar reactions to pills that ARE PART OF MY FORMULA. Many others that should be helpful in theory are not options because I have the same unexplained intolerance (Liver and IP-6). Moreover, a need for a certain vitamin or mineral could flare up without notice such that I can barely function without it. Then maybe a week or two later, not only do I not need it anymore, I become just as intolerant to it as I am to Calcium. That’s exactly what happened with Vitamin C after the blood donation.
How does my life look under this situation? I can work, live independently and travel throughout the United States and Canada. Many others would love to be able to say that. Most days, I am able to slog through a few easy miles. However, I could never be happy long-term and would almost certainly be alone for the rest of my life. Also, for the last time, chemical imbalances exist independent of your attitude and external circumstances so getting in balance is the only way out. Needless to say, that is unacceptable. What is the cause? I still don’t know for sure but the smart money is on defective enzymes and a marker that has yet to be tested but is stratospherically high. Unless, I can fix that problem, I may be able to manage the condition but I don’t believe that I can ultimately recover. Down to one of my last resorts, I tried a new probiotic called Syntol AMD.
How does Syntol AMD differ from other probiotics? It does not contain as many cultures as Ultimate Flora so on the surface, it may not look as good. However, what sets it apart is its enzyme blend that is combined with live bacteria and spore germination.
Now, the results after 10 days: If I take Calcium after taking the probiotic, it's almost like I never took anything at all. The effects are minimal if not marginally positive. That's exactly what should happen after a small dose of a simple mineral or vitamin. Most likely, anything else that has given me an inexplicable problem in the past will no longer be an issue. That could be YUGE in the upcoming weeks. If the blood donation did not lower my Ferritin as much as I hoped, IP-6 can do the job and I should not have to worry about a sudden intolerance to it.
I would also like to report that symptoms of depression are almost completely GONE! I'd like to say that it's because of a massive spiritual breakthrough but that's not the case. I still have serious issues of lack of trust in the Lord and who can blame me after getting burned so many times by false hopes? Again, it's all about chemical balance. Most of the serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain. Therefore, by improving my gut health, I have increased the production of a MAJOR feel good chemical and did it without pharmaceuticals.
Sounds like a miracle huh? Not so fast. One good week does NOT mean that I am cured! I've learned that the hard way many many times. Hate to say it but I won't believe it until I see the balanced medical report even if I am running well. The biggest concern right now is my low tolerance for the probiotic itself. This issue really has not improved over the last 7 days or so. If I take only 1 Syntol pill, I will have slight muscle soreness, which will slow me down by about 10-15 seconds per mile. Again, that type of situation is HIGHLY preferable to the extreme sensitivity and if that's the final outcome, it's acceptable to me.
The bottle's directions say to take up to 8 of those pills in the beginning before tapering down to a maintenance dose of 1-2. If I take 2 pills, the soreness and weakness will become significant (more like :30/mile). One day, I tried 4 pills and it took a monumental effort to run 8:30 pace on a junk run and had an absolutely NASTY stomach ache for the rest of the day. Fortunately, the company believes this is a detox reaction, which does make some sense. It seems counter-intuitive but if I have a level in the stratosphere, I've got to bring it down slowly or it will be a total shock to the system. Still, the fact that after 10 days, I am still significantly weakened by an extra dose is unnerving. In fact, I'll actually do my best if I forego the Syntol until after the morning workout. Today was reminiscent of the Crazy J of old. I had to slow down at the end to hit my target pace and it felt too easy BUT the soreness kicked in harder immediately after the Syntol dose. If I develop a complete intolerance to it, you can pretty much stick a fork in me. I could try another substitute product from the same company or add another to allow me to tolerate it but I don't like my chances with either approach. The best case scenario is to stay with the current probiotic and hope the tolerance improves with time.
I said earlier that I expected a resolution one way or the other by late October. It's early October now and I've got to say that my prognosis looks a LOT better that it did just one month ago. I'm going to ride this formula until race day in 2 weeks. I think the safest thing to do with the probiotic is to forego it before the race but carry it in my pocket. That way, if an unexpected sensitivity flares up and I hit the wall early, I still have a chance to salvage a respectable showing.
Options after the race:
-Take the Syntol only on an as needed basis (once every few days) I know the sensitivity will kick in with a VENGEANCE if I stop it completely.
-Deal with the mild soreness and sluggish feeling and hope the tolerance kicks in soon
-Switch to another probiotic (Floraphage). It's from the same company and probably milder but also probably less effective.
-Add Neprinol from the same company, which helps clean the blood and may reduce the side effects.
WE SHALL SEE.
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Monday, October 2, 2017
Training 10/2-10/8
10/2-Continued improvement with the probiotics. I was a little sore from yesterday but beat my goal. 5 miles at Gold's in 37:24 (7:29 pace). Tempo effort but very even splits with something left at the end. 1st half-18:46, 2nd half-18:38.
Grade:B +/1 credit/distance-5.0
10/3- Easy 6 on Lakeshore. Finished in 46:39 (7:47 pace). Dialed back the effort and it felt a lot easier than yesterday despite the gently rolling terrain. Soreness kicked in bigly after yesterday's workout but most of it had cleared by today. Started a bit too fast then settled into the 7:50 range in the last 4 miles. Added a half mile cool. Good job overall.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5
10/4- Planned rest day. Body is a bit tired but I could have managed a standard issue run if I chose.
10/5-AM- Tempo. Gold's 3 in 20:13 (6:44 pace). Solid performance. This is equivalent to a sub-21 5K, which is right on the edge of respectability. I still don't feel like I had access to my top gear but ran a good even pace that never went above 6:50. I may be back out for a couple junk miles this evening. One confession. I've cheated a couple times on the caffeine. Probably hasn't hurt me as long as I don't binge but I've got to get back on the wagon. 2 weeks until I leave for New Mexico and Texas.
PM- VERY easy 3 on Wisteria. Pretty much a junk run. I didn't even use the watch but estimate the pace to be around 8:30 and steady all the way. This does not affect the grade today. That's based only on the morning session. One observation which is a concern: A 2nd probiotic pill left me slightly but noticeably weakened. Probably a detox reaction but I'm a little worried that I still have low tolerance for it. I may actually do best if I'm off it for a day or 2 but I know the sensitivity will kick in bigly if I stay off long-term.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=6.5
10/6- Easy 4 at Gold's in 29:37 (7:24 pace) before taking the probiotic. YES, it really was easy. I actually dialed it back further in Mile 4 because I was so far ahead of pace but still turned in a 7:31 split. Felt great.
In the aftermath, I took a Cal pill and was significantly weakened but the reaction was not as severe as it was last week. The probiotic knocked out that problem. Detailed post coming.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=4.0
10/7- O'Henry's 12 miler in 97:30 (8:08 pace). Interesting observations today. Started without the probiotic and it felt like I was dying early and didn't get much better after I took it about 1.5 miles in. I actually considered bailing but held it together surprisingly well. Very even pace with something left at the end but curiously, I could NOT pick up the pace until Mile 12 (7:34) no matter how hard I tried. Garmin revealed my average HR was only 151 and on my easy 6, it was 160. Max should be 185ish so I just could not access that top gear. Is my tolerance to the probiotic starting to kick in? I'll find out very soon.
On the plus side, it was BIG that I was able to go beyond 10 miles without a problem on a morning that was unseasonably warm and humid due to tropical moisture. This would bring me home in 1:46:xx for a half mary and I had plenty left in the tank. I bet I could have gone 16 today.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=12.0
10/8- With the win locked up, I experimented with 4 Syntol pills. Legs and joints were a bit sore from the detox but the rest of my body felt remarkably strong and fresh too. Gold's 3 in 21:57 (7:19 pace) on an absolutely nasty weather day. HR was only 148 today and this felt easy. As I posted earlier, it took a monumental effort to run this distance in 25:xx the last time I tried to take 4 pills. The tolerance is kicking in, which eases the fears of a relapse.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
Win #9 on the year and this was my strongest week so far. I want to see how I react to being off the Syntol tomorrow but predict it will not be pretty. Odds are, I need the full recommended dose of at least 6 pills for optimal results for a few weeks before going back down to 1-2 for maintenance.
Distance=37.0/ GPA= 28.0/8= 3.50
YTD: 1147 miles. 9-29 with a 2.14 GPA
Grade:B +/1 credit/distance-5.0
10/3- Easy 6 on Lakeshore. Finished in 46:39 (7:47 pace). Dialed back the effort and it felt a lot easier than yesterday despite the gently rolling terrain. Soreness kicked in bigly after yesterday's workout but most of it had cleared by today. Started a bit too fast then settled into the 7:50 range in the last 4 miles. Added a half mile cool. Good job overall.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5
10/4- Planned rest day. Body is a bit tired but I could have managed a standard issue run if I chose.
10/5-AM- Tempo. Gold's 3 in 20:13 (6:44 pace). Solid performance. This is equivalent to a sub-21 5K, which is right on the edge of respectability. I still don't feel like I had access to my top gear but ran a good even pace that never went above 6:50. I may be back out for a couple junk miles this evening. One confession. I've cheated a couple times on the caffeine. Probably hasn't hurt me as long as I don't binge but I've got to get back on the wagon. 2 weeks until I leave for New Mexico and Texas.
PM- VERY easy 3 on Wisteria. Pretty much a junk run. I didn't even use the watch but estimate the pace to be around 8:30 and steady all the way. This does not affect the grade today. That's based only on the morning session. One observation which is a concern: A 2nd probiotic pill left me slightly but noticeably weakened. Probably a detox reaction but I'm a little worried that I still have low tolerance for it. I may actually do best if I'm off it for a day or 2 but I know the sensitivity will kick in bigly if I stay off long-term.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=6.5
10/6- Easy 4 at Gold's in 29:37 (7:24 pace) before taking the probiotic. YES, it really was easy. I actually dialed it back further in Mile 4 because I was so far ahead of pace but still turned in a 7:31 split. Felt great.
In the aftermath, I took a Cal pill and was significantly weakened but the reaction was not as severe as it was last week. The probiotic knocked out that problem. Detailed post coming.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=4.0
10/7- O'Henry's 12 miler in 97:30 (8:08 pace). Interesting observations today. Started without the probiotic and it felt like I was dying early and didn't get much better after I took it about 1.5 miles in. I actually considered bailing but held it together surprisingly well. Very even pace with something left at the end but curiously, I could NOT pick up the pace until Mile 12 (7:34) no matter how hard I tried. Garmin revealed my average HR was only 151 and on my easy 6, it was 160. Max should be 185ish so I just could not access that top gear. Is my tolerance to the probiotic starting to kick in? I'll find out very soon.
On the plus side, it was BIG that I was able to go beyond 10 miles without a problem on a morning that was unseasonably warm and humid due to tropical moisture. This would bring me home in 1:46:xx for a half mary and I had plenty left in the tank. I bet I could have gone 16 today.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=12.0
10/8- With the win locked up, I experimented with 4 Syntol pills. Legs and joints were a bit sore from the detox but the rest of my body felt remarkably strong and fresh too. Gold's 3 in 21:57 (7:19 pace) on an absolutely nasty weather day. HR was only 148 today and this felt easy. As I posted earlier, it took a monumental effort to run this distance in 25:xx the last time I tried to take 4 pills. The tolerance is kicking in, which eases the fears of a relapse.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
Win #9 on the year and this was my strongest week so far. I want to see how I react to being off the Syntol tomorrow but predict it will not be pretty. Odds are, I need the full recommended dose of at least 6 pills for optimal results for a few weeks before going back down to 1-2 for maintenance.
Distance=37.0/ GPA= 28.0/8= 3.50
YTD: 1147 miles. 9-29 with a 2.14 GPA
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