Pills:
I've been burned before when I've said this but it does appear now that my formula is all set. The Glycine dosage will remain high until further notice. Forget what I said about the pantothenic acid. It's a loser. The diet is less clear and that's what is currently holding me back.
Diet:
I can avoid an adrenal spike by simply abstaining from high dose caffeine every 3rd day. I thought I could avoid a PABA flare by simply avoiding benzoates every 3rd day. Not so fast. What is a PABA flare? Normally, PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) is poison for me and a full 500 mg dose taken just once will trigger the usual flu-like malaise, which slowly fades over 3-5 days. HOWEVER, on my 3rd or 4th day drinking water only, my body suddenly demands PABA at a precise dose. I figure it's probably withdrawal. Then, the next day, I go back to complete intolerance. NOT VERY NICE!
Therefore, the only way to avoid a flare is to stick to drinking water only, which is very difficult to do over the long haul. Almost every major brand soft drink, beer or sports drink contains benzoates, which are used as preservatives to protect against mold growth and increase shelf life. The BIG question is how much of that stuff can I tolerate? Surely, a few cups of Powerade on a weekend long run once a week should not hurt me. I hope that I can handle an occasional beer as well.
I intend to test this theory in the next week or two but here's how I think it will play out. I'll be able to tolerate benzoates for 1-2 days THEN I must abstain for AT LEAST 3 days after that. 1-2 days on/1-2 days off will work with caffeine but NOT benzoates. If I did go with the off and on strategy, I bet that I will always be mildly sluggish and have to face the flare whenever I go 3 days off. Can this be done? Figure, I can do what I want on the weekends but must be disciplined during the week. I can live with that and really should not be consuming that crap on a regular basis anyway.
Exceptions:
If the label says "Organic" or "No Preservatives," it is probably a safe choice. Gold Peak Green Tea for example contains minimal caffeine, real sugar and no preservatives. It's probably not as good as water because it does contain lots of sugar but it seems unlikely to do significant damage even if consumed regularly (which it won't be). Organic beers are becoming more popular and are available at Whole Foods but I'd probably be hard pressed to find them in a bar. Even still, that stuff will not be consumed regularly. One rather bizarre episode occurred last week. I had no major problem with a highly caffeinated organic energy drink BUT felt much worse after drinking a can of regular Coke later on that day. The organic energy drink contains about 150 mg caffeine while the Coke has about 30 mg. That proves that caffeine is not the problem. Benzoates are.
Future:
It may be possible that in time, this issue will fade with continued use of Glycine and B-5 but even still, this stuff is not good for me. It will not be consumed on a regular basis and I will go organic if I have that choice. Even organic beers and energy drinks will be limited to weekend usage.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Monday, February 26, 2018
Training 2/26-3/4- Race Week
2/26- AM- Just a quickie to assess how I feel after cheating on the diet over the weekend. This is not a relapse but I am definitely more sluggish than I should be even after the mileage of last week. Came through 1 Mile with strain in 7:20 then jogged another half as a cool down. I plan to be back this evening. Since I only cheated on caffeine 2 days, I should be safe from an adrenal spike but a PABA flare could hit on Wednesday or Thursday. 3 consecutive days WILL trigger a spike.
PM- Canterbury 4 in 31:48 (7:57 pace). Not a bad showing. This was a hilly route and I really didn't push it until the last half mile when I saw that I could finish with a sub-8 pace. Slow start but came alive on the mostly downhill back half (16:28-15:20). Tacked on a half mile cool. HR-151, Cadence-178. Not worried about tomorrow. Wednesday could be a little dicey.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0
2/27- Easy 6 on Lakeshore in 46:29 (7:45 pace) on another nice evening. Decent showing. Even pace and never really struggled though I still feel a bit sluggish. I believe I was 23:13 at the half so I was almost dead even there. I am most definitely safe from an adrenal spike. If a PABA flare occurs, it will come tomorrow or Thursday. Though I never cheated 3 days in a row, I believe I did on 3 out of 4 days so we'll see if I can handle that. It does appear that the more I cheat, the more sluggish I feel so I am determined to stay clean.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
2/28- PABA flare hit today. It came earlier than usual and required less to hit the balance point. I managed to overshoot again despite taking only 200 mg. Hopefully, that means quick clearance. I did attempt to run today but knew it would be ugly. Quit after 2 miles in 16:56 (8:28 pace) and it would have been the usual "day after relapse" mid-high 25 3 miler if I kept going.
No grade/distance=2.0
3/1- 3 miles in a time over 27. I knew I was off but I had no idea it would be that bad. The culprit was B-5. My fault for experimenting but what is extremely upsetting is that I got better initially. Likely out for the race on Saturday.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0
3/2- Officially OUT for tomorrow. I had a theory that B-5 will only work when I am cheating but that turned out to be false. I pitched that supp as well as another in my cabinet. I did attempt a workout this morning and knew within a few strides that I couldn't go. Coaxed 1 mile on Wisteria in a time over 10 minutes. I won't be able to crack the Mendoza line until at least Sunday so I will not even train tomorrow.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0
3/3- Missed race. Since I actually signed up, this is an Automatic F. This relapse was my fault for cheating on the benzoates too often, which led me to try B-5. Still, that does not make me feel any less angry about it. Before adding B-5, I said earlier that it was do or die with this formula. I get another chance only because I altered it. Tested my tolerance to benzoates the last 2 days. We shall see if I endure another PABA flare after 2 days on.
Grade:F/3 credit/distance=0
3/4- Went to Stone Mountain yesterday on a beautiful day so it wasn't a total loss. Today was. 3 miles on Lakeshore in 29:36 (9:52 pace). Never had a good pace and needed a small rally just to break 30 minutes. A new culprit is Berberine, an anti-fungal product that was previously a non-factor. I had been taking it only to get rid of it so it's not a death knell. It may indirectly create PABA so I may face a flare anyway next week despite being free of preservatives.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
OUCH! I've got another possible race on the radar in 3 weeks. Can I get through this with no excuses? If I relapse again and there is no explanation, it's over.
Distance= 21.0
PM- Canterbury 4 in 31:48 (7:57 pace). Not a bad showing. This was a hilly route and I really didn't push it until the last half mile when I saw that I could finish with a sub-8 pace. Slow start but came alive on the mostly downhill back half (16:28-15:20). Tacked on a half mile cool. HR-151, Cadence-178. Not worried about tomorrow. Wednesday could be a little dicey.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0
2/27- Easy 6 on Lakeshore in 46:29 (7:45 pace) on another nice evening. Decent showing. Even pace and never really struggled though I still feel a bit sluggish. I believe I was 23:13 at the half so I was almost dead even there. I am most definitely safe from an adrenal spike. If a PABA flare occurs, it will come tomorrow or Thursday. Though I never cheated 3 days in a row, I believe I did on 3 out of 4 days so we'll see if I can handle that. It does appear that the more I cheat, the more sluggish I feel so I am determined to stay clean.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
2/28- PABA flare hit today. It came earlier than usual and required less to hit the balance point. I managed to overshoot again despite taking only 200 mg. Hopefully, that means quick clearance. I did attempt to run today but knew it would be ugly. Quit after 2 miles in 16:56 (8:28 pace) and it would have been the usual "day after relapse" mid-high 25 3 miler if I kept going.
No grade/distance=2.0
3/1- 3 miles in a time over 27. I knew I was off but I had no idea it would be that bad. The culprit was B-5. My fault for experimenting but what is extremely upsetting is that I got better initially. Likely out for the race on Saturday.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0
3/2- Officially OUT for tomorrow. I had a theory that B-5 will only work when I am cheating but that turned out to be false. I pitched that supp as well as another in my cabinet. I did attempt a workout this morning and knew within a few strides that I couldn't go. Coaxed 1 mile on Wisteria in a time over 10 minutes. I won't be able to crack the Mendoza line until at least Sunday so I will not even train tomorrow.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0
3/3- Missed race. Since I actually signed up, this is an Automatic F. This relapse was my fault for cheating on the benzoates too often, which led me to try B-5. Still, that does not make me feel any less angry about it. Before adding B-5, I said earlier that it was do or die with this formula. I get another chance only because I altered it. Tested my tolerance to benzoates the last 2 days. We shall see if I endure another PABA flare after 2 days on.
Grade:F/3 credit/distance=0
3/4- Went to Stone Mountain yesterday on a beautiful day so it wasn't a total loss. Today was. 3 miles on Lakeshore in 29:36 (9:52 pace). Never had a good pace and needed a small rally just to break 30 minutes. A new culprit is Berberine, an anti-fungal product that was previously a non-factor. I had been taking it only to get rid of it so it's not a death knell. It may indirectly create PABA so I may face a flare anyway next week despite being free of preservatives.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
OUCH! I've got another possible race on the radar in 3 weeks. Can I get through this with no excuses? If I relapse again and there is no explanation, it's over.
Distance= 21.0
Friday, February 23, 2018
New Destinations
Ecuador
Bahamas-
Costa Rica/Nicaragua
Philippines
Hong Kong
Tanzania/Kenya
Greece
Japan
Brazil
Chile/Argentina
South Africa
Germany/Poland
Scotland
Iceland
Israel
Australia/New Zealand
Ecuador- Stunning mountain views and lots of beautiful hikes. Old town looks pretty cool too. Just a few miles outside of town, you can stand on the Equator. Surprisingly affordable airfare as well. I saw one flight from Atlanta for under $500. This could be do-able on a long weekend in January or the 4th of July. With high elevation and the equatorial latitude, temps are comfortable year-round. The elevation at 9,300 feet would be too high for a serious race effort.
Bahamas- Not much in way of surf but there are some beautiful beaches here along with what has been called the best water park in the world in Atlantis. There is also a place where you can see where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean and the water color changes on the spot.
Costa Rica/Nicaragua- This is probably my number 1 winter destination. Temps will be close to 90 at lower elevations and it hardly ever rains during their dry season. Absolutely beautiful beaches with excellent surf and some pretty amazing hikes. Again, airfare to Costa Rica is affordable from Atlanta and only requires a short layover in Miami. If you take a bus to Nicaragua, you can enjoy the more rustic and less touristy beach town of San Juan del Sur. You can hike up volcanoes, enjoy the views and then take a sand board down.
Philippines- Probably the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia with some amazing hikes and waterfall scenery. The only negative is the challenging logistics. You have to fly into Manilla then take multiple flights from there to your destination. This one will likely have to wait until after retirement but perhaps it could be combined with Hong Kong.
Kenya/Tanzania-Diani Beach, just outside of Mombasa, Kenya and Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania have perhaps the clearest waters and most beautiful beaches that I have ever seen on YouTube. Though the resort areas are upscale and a good value for the money, there are poverty stricken areas nearby. Mt. Kilimanjaro is just a few hours away but would require a flight because roads are in poor condition. Yes, there is a growing marathon at the foothills of Kilimanjaro. I could fly there, enjoy a quick safari prior to the race then take a short flight to Zanzibar and/or Kenya. This trip will also likely have to wait until retirement.
Greece- I would definitely like to see the historical city of Athens and all of its ancient ruins. The cliff side scenery with crystal blue water below is stunningly beautiful as well. Of course, there is the original Athens marathon, which takes place in early November.
Japan- Entries to the Tokyo marathon are filled with a lottery system and the odds of getting in are very long. Still, even if I don’t run, the vibrant city of Tokyo will be well worth a visit. Mt. Fuji, with its snow-capped peaks is especially beautiful during cherry blossom season.
Hong Kong- I just saw that a flight from here to the Philippines is only 2 hours long so that could certainly be a combined trip. Here, I would want to see Victoria Peak and Big Wave Bay as well as another extremely vibrant city. The big race here is in January when it’s still relatively cool and dry.
Brazil- Rio De Janeiro is a beautiful city. Must see attractions include Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer Statue, Copacabana and Ipanema. I’d also enjoy the botanical gardens and some carne del sol at a popular restaurant in the central district. The marathon course is mostly along the coast with palm trees as well as mountain and ocean views. It’s in early June, which is a cooler and drier season in the Southern Hemisphere.
Chile/Argentina- Santiago looks to be a nice city between the beach and the mountains. What I’d do here is fly into Santiago and maybe check out Valparaiso. After the race, I’ll take a bus to Mendoza, Argentina during the day so I can ride through the stunning Andes Mountains. Rather than a round trip bus ticket back to Santiago, I can take a night train to Buenos Aires, tour a bit then fly home from there.
South Africa- Cape Town is the destination here and there are 3 race options (February, April and September). Must see attractions include Table Mountain, Cape Point, Chapman’s Peak, Long Street and the V&A Waterfront. Other possibilities are Robbin Island (Nelson Mandela’s prison) and Muizenberg’s beach. From Cape Town, I can get a cheap flight to Durban for warmer waters on the Indian Ocean side.
Iceland- A race in June here affords me another opportunity to experience the midnight sun as this location is even further north than Anchorage, Alaska. I could take a short boat ride to a neighboring island and cross the actual Arctic Circle. I would see breathtaking landscapes such as black sand beaches, cliffs and waterfall in the Golden Circle. I can swim in 95 degree geothermal pools at Blue Lagoon with snow-capped peaks in view.
United Kingdom- This one is to get in touch with my roots as my paternal grandmother was born and raised near Glasgow, Scotland. After the race, I can hop on the tube and ride down to London with a possible stop in Birmingham just for laughs.
Germany/Poland- This trip would cover 70% of my ancestry. I would probably choose the April stand- alone half marathon then take a 2 hour train to Poznan, Poland. Attractions include the Berlin Wall, GDR museum and a Holocaust memorial.
Israel- This ought to be on any Christian’s bucket list. There is a marathon in both Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. I would choose the latter. Word on the street is that you need at least a week to do it justice.
Australia/New Zealand- I could race in either Melbourne or Sydney and I would want to explore the coast as well as Great Ocean Road. New Zealand is a very beautiful country as well. It would be tough logistically though and would require a lot of time off.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Training 2/19-2/25
2/19- Time to get serious now. Trak Shak 8 mile loop in 66:25 (8:18 pace). I'm okay with this one despite the slow pace. I believe this is my longest run since November plus it is a very hilly route. HR was the same as yesterday at 156. Overall energy level is still not where it needs to be but every day without a relapse is a good one. I'd expect a 5 miler would have been comparable to yesterday, maybe a hair better. I'll take it little by little.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.0
2/20- Gold's 5 and my time is down to 37:35 (7:31 pace). MINUS 14. That's an improvement of 71 seconds overall in just 2 days in spite of a hilly 8 miler the day before. I'll take it but I still don't feel a bit like the Crazy J of old. Legs are heavy and sore constantly and am still low on energy. Still, when the plan is working well, I usually DON'T see dramatic improvements from one day to the next. It is only over the course of a few weeks that improvement becomes clearly evident. HR came up by 3 to 159 while the cadence remained 176.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
2/21- Trak Shak 6.5 mile. Out and back route to the trail section of Jemison so it was a moderately hilly route. Finished in 51:17 (7:53 pace) and dialed back the effort a bit from yesterday. HR finally hit 160 with a cadence of 178. Tacked on a half mile cool. Solid performance.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=7.0
2/22- Lakeshore 3 mile tempo on a BEAUTIFUL evening. Finished in 21:36 (7:12 pace). Not bad but still not feeling all that great. Legs remain heavy and sore but I have jacked up the mileage. Faded on the back half (10:35-11:01). HR-161, Cadence-184. I'm hoping to be under 36 for 5 miles by the end of next week, which means I'd have to average this same pace for 2 additional miles. If I can do that, I've got a shot at a post-35 PR for 10K.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=3.0
2/23- Planned rest day. I'm going to count this as a win if I can finish a decent long run this weekend. I've got a couple small questions to answer. As for the diet, I've not broken any major rules but I have been drinking some Gold Peak Green Tea. It's made with real sugar and contains no forbidden preservatives and only minimal caffeine. Still, I may be better off sticking to water. Second, the glycine dose is currently at 6 g. That could be the source of the sluggish feeling and I am considering reducing it to 4. Does occasional cheating impact the dose? We shall see. Still, if I remain stable but mildly sluggish everyday, it is still an acceptable outcome.
2/24- Split decision. I did get through my first double digit run of the year but it was ugly. Finished 10 miles on a relatively flat route in 86:40 (8:40 pace). A full 13.1 would have been around 1:55-1:56. That is NOT acceptable. Never did have a good pace and faded on the back half (42:10-44:30). HR dropped to 148 and Cadence was a slow 172. As for the questions to be answered. 4 glycine was clearly not enough and it was apparent before the run so I went with 5. Felt considerably worse after sugar consumption later. I won't suffer a full relapse as long as I don't make a habit of doing this but it most definitely is slowing me down. WATER ONLY!
PM- Tacked on 2 more miles on Wisteria at junk pace just because I felt like it. If I can manage 5 tomorrow, it will be a 40 mile week.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=12.0
2/25- Gold's 5 on a rainy day. Improved to 36:51 (7:22 pace). MINUS 9. Solid performance. I added some Pantothentic Acid (B-5) to help with the glycine conjugation and I felt a difference after taking it. Will it improve my sugar tolerance? That seems unlikely. HR remains low at 149 with a fast cadence of 186. Splits were 18:08-18:43 and really fell asleep in Mile 4 (7:44) but did rebound nicely at the end (7:17). I figure a 10K would have taken me about 9:30-9:40 in additional time and bring me home in the low-mid 46s. My current post-35 PR is 45:40 set last Spring in Miss'Sippy. I might have a shot next weekend.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
Win #1 on the year. I may face a PABA flare next week but hopefully not an adrenal spike.
Distance=40.0/ GPA=3.03
YTD- 209 miles. Record- 1-6
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.0
2/20- Gold's 5 and my time is down to 37:35 (7:31 pace). MINUS 14. That's an improvement of 71 seconds overall in just 2 days in spite of a hilly 8 miler the day before. I'll take it but I still don't feel a bit like the Crazy J of old. Legs are heavy and sore constantly and am still low on energy. Still, when the plan is working well, I usually DON'T see dramatic improvements from one day to the next. It is only over the course of a few weeks that improvement becomes clearly evident. HR came up by 3 to 159 while the cadence remained 176.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
2/21- Trak Shak 6.5 mile. Out and back route to the trail section of Jemison so it was a moderately hilly route. Finished in 51:17 (7:53 pace) and dialed back the effort a bit from yesterday. HR finally hit 160 with a cadence of 178. Tacked on a half mile cool. Solid performance.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=7.0
2/22- Lakeshore 3 mile tempo on a BEAUTIFUL evening. Finished in 21:36 (7:12 pace). Not bad but still not feeling all that great. Legs remain heavy and sore but I have jacked up the mileage. Faded on the back half (10:35-11:01). HR-161, Cadence-184. I'm hoping to be under 36 for 5 miles by the end of next week, which means I'd have to average this same pace for 2 additional miles. If I can do that, I've got a shot at a post-35 PR for 10K.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=3.0
2/23- Planned rest day. I'm going to count this as a win if I can finish a decent long run this weekend. I've got a couple small questions to answer. As for the diet, I've not broken any major rules but I have been drinking some Gold Peak Green Tea. It's made with real sugar and contains no forbidden preservatives and only minimal caffeine. Still, I may be better off sticking to water. Second, the glycine dose is currently at 6 g. That could be the source of the sluggish feeling and I am considering reducing it to 4. Does occasional cheating impact the dose? We shall see. Still, if I remain stable but mildly sluggish everyday, it is still an acceptable outcome.
2/24- Split decision. I did get through my first double digit run of the year but it was ugly. Finished 10 miles on a relatively flat route in 86:40 (8:40 pace). A full 13.1 would have been around 1:55-1:56. That is NOT acceptable. Never did have a good pace and faded on the back half (42:10-44:30). HR dropped to 148 and Cadence was a slow 172. As for the questions to be answered. 4 glycine was clearly not enough and it was apparent before the run so I went with 5. Felt considerably worse after sugar consumption later. I won't suffer a full relapse as long as I don't make a habit of doing this but it most definitely is slowing me down. WATER ONLY!
PM- Tacked on 2 more miles on Wisteria at junk pace just because I felt like it. If I can manage 5 tomorrow, it will be a 40 mile week.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=12.0
2/25- Gold's 5 on a rainy day. Improved to 36:51 (7:22 pace). MINUS 9. Solid performance. I added some Pantothentic Acid (B-5) to help with the glycine conjugation and I felt a difference after taking it. Will it improve my sugar tolerance? That seems unlikely. HR remains low at 149 with a fast cadence of 186. Splits were 18:08-18:43 and really fell asleep in Mile 4 (7:44) but did rebound nicely at the end (7:17). I figure a 10K would have taken me about 9:30-9:40 in additional time and bring me home in the low-mid 46s. My current post-35 PR is 45:40 set last Spring in Miss'Sippy. I might have a shot next weekend.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
Win #1 on the year. I may face a PABA flare next week but hopefully not an adrenal spike.
Distance=40.0/ GPA=3.03
YTD- 209 miles. Record- 1-6
Monday, February 12, 2018
Training 2/12-2/18
2/12- Hoping to run 5 miles today but had to settle for 3 in a time of 23:13 (7:44 pace). MINUS 11 compared to yesterday. Better than a plus but I was expecting faster. Got off to a good start (11:15 at the half) then it was just barely under 8:00 pace the rest of the way. Feeling more and more let down as the evening progresses. This feels like the expected PABA flare but it came sooner than expected. I will take it tonight and hope to be done with it. If I don't overshoot the target by taking too much PABA, I ought to do okay tomorrow.
Distance=3.0
2/13- 3 miles on a muddy Lakeshore trail. It's staying light enough to begin evening runs in the daylight now. This time I knew how to handle a PABA flare. I took 300 last night, which was still probably a bit too much but none this morning. I expected to take a small step back but managed a marginal improvement. Finished with a time of 22:57 (7:39 pace). MINUS 5. Struggled a bit on the back half but did better than yesterday at holding the pace. Here's hoping for steady improvement from now on. NOW OR NEVER!
Note:
If I had taken no PABA, today would have been a disaster. If I had taken the full 500, today would have been a disaster.
Distance=3.0
2/14- Once again, I hoped to run 5 but had to settle for 3 plus a mile cool. Time was down to 22:45 (7:35 pace) MINUS 4. Just like Monday, it's better than a plus but something still feels off. Not sure what it is but it does NOT appear to be glycine related. It could be that PABA hasn't fully cleared. I'm not messing with anything questionable even if it was harmless in the past.
Distance=4.0
2/15- AM- Junk mile and feel worse. No comments needed.
PM- Felt somewhat better as the day progressed but still took the evening off. I spoke too soon yesterday. It IS INDEED GLYCINE RELATED! Fortunately, there is a probable explanation. The dose seems to go up or down depending on the brand that I use. Here's what I mean:
Country Life brand- Contains glycine plus synergistic B-6. Tolerance will be limited to 2-3 grams/day and there will be a rather narrow window. Taking 5g is disastrous. Taking at least 2g will be necessary. Not sure if I can go higher than 2g. Even 3g could be too much. It is possible that the B6 is the problem, not the glycine. I can buy this one at Whole Foods.
NOW Foods brand- Contains pure glycine. Here, I will need at least 5g or else at least for the time being. However, the tolerance is unlimited. I will feel no significant difference between 6g and 8g. It seems unlikely that I am trending off glycine and would react badly to mega doses of this brand as well.
I've done everything right this week in terms of diet and avoiding questionable supps. I'll try both formulas but if the results are comparable, I'll go with the NOW Foods. Having an unlimited tolerance is highly preferable to a narrow window, which could shift. The only negative is that the NOW brand must be ordered online. I prefer to support local business and don't like to wait for my order, which could be out of stock.
Distance=1.0
2/16- AM- Hated interval workout but it taught me what I needed to know about the Country Life.
0 glycine- didn't even try
1g glycine- 2:58 (8:54 pace)
2g glycine- 2:35 (7:45 pace) MINUS 69
3g glycine- 2:40 (8:00 pace) PLUS 15
PM- 2 miles in 17:54 (8:57 pace). I'm not doing myself any good by running when I feel this bad.
Distance=3.0
Reaction:
I was correct about the narrow window between 2-3 grams with Country Life. The sweet spot is most probably 2.5 but the fact that I could not do better than a 7:45 pace on 2g is troubling. That tells me that I really do need 5 g of glycine and B-6 is the problem. At 3-4 g? I'm still short on glycine but the B-6 intolerance over-rides that need. I'm going with the NOW foods pure glycine, which should arrive by Saturday afternoon. Next week, I start training with no excuses.
2/17- AM- Felt flat out awful this morning as if the B-6 intolerance in worsening. Skipped the group run.
PM- Plain Glycine arrived around noon with the mail. Popped 3 of those suckers and felt better immediately. Did 3 miles on Lakeshore in 23:40 (7:53 pace). MINUS 64. Even pace but no access to higher gears. HR 150. Cadence- 176. I don't expect to be all that great tomorrow either but come Monday, the toxic B-6 should be clear. NO MORE EXCUSES!
Distance=3.0
2/18- Finally got through a 5 miler. Time of 38:46 (7:45 pace) doesn't exactly set the world on fire but it is MINUS 8 over 2 extra miles. I'll take that any day. Still low on energy but I paced it well and got my HR up to 156 with a 178 cadence. Took 5 g of glycine and feel that I may benefit by going up to 6 but any more than that will be a non-factor.
Distance=5.0
-22 miles on the week.
-YTD- 169 miles. 0-6 record.
Distance=3.0
2/13- 3 miles on a muddy Lakeshore trail. It's staying light enough to begin evening runs in the daylight now. This time I knew how to handle a PABA flare. I took 300 last night, which was still probably a bit too much but none this morning. I expected to take a small step back but managed a marginal improvement. Finished with a time of 22:57 (7:39 pace). MINUS 5. Struggled a bit on the back half but did better than yesterday at holding the pace. Here's hoping for steady improvement from now on. NOW OR NEVER!
Note:
If I had taken no PABA, today would have been a disaster. If I had taken the full 500, today would have been a disaster.
Distance=3.0
2/14- Once again, I hoped to run 5 but had to settle for 3 plus a mile cool. Time was down to 22:45 (7:35 pace) MINUS 4. Just like Monday, it's better than a plus but something still feels off. Not sure what it is but it does NOT appear to be glycine related. It could be that PABA hasn't fully cleared. I'm not messing with anything questionable even if it was harmless in the past.
Distance=4.0
2/15- AM- Junk mile and feel worse. No comments needed.
PM- Felt somewhat better as the day progressed but still took the evening off. I spoke too soon yesterday. It IS INDEED GLYCINE RELATED! Fortunately, there is a probable explanation. The dose seems to go up or down depending on the brand that I use. Here's what I mean:
Country Life brand- Contains glycine plus synergistic B-6. Tolerance will be limited to 2-3 grams/day and there will be a rather narrow window. Taking 5g is disastrous. Taking at least 2g will be necessary. Not sure if I can go higher than 2g. Even 3g could be too much. It is possible that the B6 is the problem, not the glycine. I can buy this one at Whole Foods.
NOW Foods brand- Contains pure glycine. Here, I will need at least 5g or else at least for the time being. However, the tolerance is unlimited. I will feel no significant difference between 6g and 8g. It seems unlikely that I am trending off glycine and would react badly to mega doses of this brand as well.
I've done everything right this week in terms of diet and avoiding questionable supps. I'll try both formulas but if the results are comparable, I'll go with the NOW Foods. Having an unlimited tolerance is highly preferable to a narrow window, which could shift. The only negative is that the NOW brand must be ordered online. I prefer to support local business and don't like to wait for my order, which could be out of stock.
Distance=1.0
2/16- AM- Hated interval workout but it taught me what I needed to know about the Country Life.
0 glycine- didn't even try
1g glycine- 2:58 (8:54 pace)
2g glycine- 2:35 (7:45 pace) MINUS 69
3g glycine- 2:40 (8:00 pace) PLUS 15
PM- 2 miles in 17:54 (8:57 pace). I'm not doing myself any good by running when I feel this bad.
Distance=3.0
Reaction:
I was correct about the narrow window between 2-3 grams with Country Life. The sweet spot is most probably 2.5 but the fact that I could not do better than a 7:45 pace on 2g is troubling. That tells me that I really do need 5 g of glycine and B-6 is the problem. At 3-4 g? I'm still short on glycine but the B-6 intolerance over-rides that need. I'm going with the NOW foods pure glycine, which should arrive by Saturday afternoon. Next week, I start training with no excuses.
2/17- AM- Felt flat out awful this morning as if the B-6 intolerance in worsening. Skipped the group run.
PM- Plain Glycine arrived around noon with the mail. Popped 3 of those suckers and felt better immediately. Did 3 miles on Lakeshore in 23:40 (7:53 pace). MINUS 64. Even pace but no access to higher gears. HR 150. Cadence- 176. I don't expect to be all that great tomorrow either but come Monday, the toxic B-6 should be clear. NO MORE EXCUSES!
Distance=3.0
2/18- Finally got through a 5 miler. Time of 38:46 (7:45 pace) doesn't exactly set the world on fire but it is MINUS 8 over 2 extra miles. I'll take that any day. Still low on energy but I paced it well and got my HR up to 156 with a 178 cadence. Took 5 g of glycine and feel that I may benefit by going up to 6 but any more than that will be a non-factor.
Distance=5.0
-22 miles on the week.
-YTD- 169 miles. 0-6 record.
Monday, February 5, 2018
Training 2/5-2/11
2/5- Day 1- AM-Took the glycine at night as planned and got an immediate negative reaction. It wasn't much better by the morning. 2 miles in 17:38 (8:49 pace). Started off reasonably well but it was sharply downhill after the first half mile. If I don't cheat today, I can probably avoid the adrenal spike but am still at risk for a PABA flare and glycine spike. One LAST LAST experiment will be L-Serine or Threonine, a glycine precursor next week. May be back out this evening.
PM- Similar pattern as the morning but slightly better overall. Same 2 mile distance and my time was down to 16:52 (8:26 pace). MINUS 23. I actually have 3 options: Stay the course and hope the dose will eventually stabilize, Hack the formula with a precursor such as Threonine/Serine, Go back to last year's success formula (low dose glycine w/2 Ultimate B and no sugar restrictions).
Distance=4.0
2/6- Unplanned rest day. It's becoming apparent that glycine must be cut out altogether. Is this permanent or temporary? What happens with the sensitivity to Vitamin C and the others? Can the precursor be a substitute? Needless to say, I'm not happy but it's gotten to the point in which I am numb now.
2/7- AM- Another unplanned rest day and I'm shutting down the grading until further notice. After just one day off the glycine, the intolerance to Whole Food C has kicked back in with a vengeance. Glycine is still not tolerated. I doubt this has anything to do with it but I have been taking some Vitamin E (succinate) just to finish an old bottle. Nevertheless, I stop that stuff and try again in another day or two so this week is basically a total loss. Odds are, my last hope is the precursor.
2/8- AM- After just 1 day off the Vitamin E, the need for glycine kicked in with a VENGEANCE! This is good news. Vitamin C will once again be tolerated and my Iron and copper metabolism will be at acceptable levels. I read something online about the succinate-glycine cycle so I thought the E (as succinate) would increase glycine's effectiveness. Needless to say, it didn't work out as planned. It was the dreaded interval workout today and here are the splits:
0 glycine- 3:34 (10:42 pace)
1 glycine- 3:13 (9:39 pace) MINUS 63
2 glycine- 2:53 (8:39 pace) MINUS 60
4 glycine- 2:28 (7:24 pace) MINUS 37.5 per pill
Odds are, I would see some additional benefit from a 5th pill but not much beyond that.
In other news, the precursor did arrive earlier than expected but I will hold off until the evening because I don't want to risk a meltdown at work.
PM- Tried Threonine and it failed. It was a risk that I was willing to take. Although it is possible that Threonine alone could work, I'm going with glycine alone and I'm going to "live or die" with it. That's it. I've done everything that I possibly can. Starting next week, I will begin training in earnest and we shall see how it goes. Workout was a junk run on Lakeshore. I was struggling for 8 minute pace after 1 Threonine pill then popped another and could not do 9 minute pace.
Distance=2.5
2/9-AM- Junk run at Gold's to measure my starting point. 1.5 miles in 14:30 (9:40 pace) and I may be out this evening. NO MORE EXPERIMENTS. DO OR DIE WITH THIS FORMULA!
PM- 2 miles at Gold's in 17:50 (8:55 pace). Even pace but no energy. HR was just 124 today despite a near all out effort. That should not happen until I am pushing 90 years old. I cheated on the sugar and caffeine this week so it's back on track tomorrow. I am prepared to face an adrenal spike and a PABA flare but no matter what happens, I'm sticking with high dose glycine.
Distance=3.5
2/10- 3 miles in 24:38 (8:13 pace). Progressing well. Negative split with a sub-8 last mile. Still, the adrenal spike will hit by the afternoon and the PABA flare will follow in 3-5 days. I'm resting until tomorrow evening.
Distance=3.0
2/11- As expected, the adrenal spike did hit yesterday afternoon. I expected to take a small step backward today but managed to improve to 23:44 (7:55 pace) MINUS 18. HR-152, Cadence-176. Under the Mendoza line for the first time in 7 days. This is only Day 2.
Distance=3.0
Up Ahead:
I am going to need mega doses of ADHS for the next 5-6 days but will continue to improve steadily for the next 2-4 days. Then, I will be hit with a 1 day PABA flare. That my friends, had BETTER be my last relapse barring anything stupid. If my current plan fails, I am done.
-Totaled a measly 16 miles on the week.
- YTD- 147 miles. 0-5 record.
PM- Similar pattern as the morning but slightly better overall. Same 2 mile distance and my time was down to 16:52 (8:26 pace). MINUS 23. I actually have 3 options: Stay the course and hope the dose will eventually stabilize, Hack the formula with a precursor such as Threonine/Serine, Go back to last year's success formula (low dose glycine w/2 Ultimate B and no sugar restrictions).
Distance=4.0
2/6- Unplanned rest day. It's becoming apparent that glycine must be cut out altogether. Is this permanent or temporary? What happens with the sensitivity to Vitamin C and the others? Can the precursor be a substitute? Needless to say, I'm not happy but it's gotten to the point in which I am numb now.
2/7- AM- Another unplanned rest day and I'm shutting down the grading until further notice. After just one day off the glycine, the intolerance to Whole Food C has kicked back in with a vengeance. Glycine is still not tolerated. I doubt this has anything to do with it but I have been taking some Vitamin E (succinate) just to finish an old bottle. Nevertheless, I stop that stuff and try again in another day or two so this week is basically a total loss. Odds are, my last hope is the precursor.
2/8- AM- After just 1 day off the Vitamin E, the need for glycine kicked in with a VENGEANCE! This is good news. Vitamin C will once again be tolerated and my Iron and copper metabolism will be at acceptable levels. I read something online about the succinate-glycine cycle so I thought the E (as succinate) would increase glycine's effectiveness. Needless to say, it didn't work out as planned. It was the dreaded interval workout today and here are the splits:
0 glycine- 3:34 (10:42 pace)
1 glycine- 3:13 (9:39 pace) MINUS 63
2 glycine- 2:53 (8:39 pace) MINUS 60
4 glycine- 2:28 (7:24 pace) MINUS 37.5 per pill
Odds are, I would see some additional benefit from a 5th pill but not much beyond that.
In other news, the precursor did arrive earlier than expected but I will hold off until the evening because I don't want to risk a meltdown at work.
PM- Tried Threonine and it failed. It was a risk that I was willing to take. Although it is possible that Threonine alone could work, I'm going with glycine alone and I'm going to "live or die" with it. That's it. I've done everything that I possibly can. Starting next week, I will begin training in earnest and we shall see how it goes. Workout was a junk run on Lakeshore. I was struggling for 8 minute pace after 1 Threonine pill then popped another and could not do 9 minute pace.
Distance=2.5
2/9-AM- Junk run at Gold's to measure my starting point. 1.5 miles in 14:30 (9:40 pace) and I may be out this evening. NO MORE EXPERIMENTS. DO OR DIE WITH THIS FORMULA!
PM- 2 miles at Gold's in 17:50 (8:55 pace). Even pace but no energy. HR was just 124 today despite a near all out effort. That should not happen until I am pushing 90 years old. I cheated on the sugar and caffeine this week so it's back on track tomorrow. I am prepared to face an adrenal spike and a PABA flare but no matter what happens, I'm sticking with high dose glycine.
Distance=3.5
2/10- 3 miles in 24:38 (8:13 pace). Progressing well. Negative split with a sub-8 last mile. Still, the adrenal spike will hit by the afternoon and the PABA flare will follow in 3-5 days. I'm resting until tomorrow evening.
Distance=3.0
2/11- As expected, the adrenal spike did hit yesterday afternoon. I expected to take a small step backward today but managed to improve to 23:44 (7:55 pace) MINUS 18. HR-152, Cadence-176. Under the Mendoza line for the first time in 7 days. This is only Day 2.
Distance=3.0
Up Ahead:
I am going to need mega doses of ADHS for the next 5-6 days but will continue to improve steadily for the next 2-4 days. Then, I will be hit with a 1 day PABA flare. That my friends, had BETTER be my last relapse barring anything stupid. If my current plan fails, I am done.
-Totaled a measly 16 miles on the week.
- YTD- 147 miles. 0-5 record.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Rant/Rave- Men's Rights Activism (Red Pill Movie Review)
I recently rented a documentary filmed by Cassie Jaye, a self-described feminist who examined Men's Rights Activism and came away with a very much different point of view. The film touched on issues such as combat deaths, alimony, paternity rights, media bias, criminal justice and domestic violence. It's an eye opener and I would recommend it to anyone with an open mind. Although I am right of center politically, I am open-minded and intend to critically examine these issues with a balanced point of view.
Where do I stand?
I am all for gender equality and that includes everything that goes with it. Yes, there are biological differences between the sexes and for that reason certain professions such as elementary school teaching and nursing will always be female dominated while fire fighting and the military will be male dominated. Still, with that being said, any and all professions ought to be open to both genders and if the best qualified candidate for an upper management position is a woman, she should ABSOLUTELY be hired with equal pay for equal work. I'm all for that.
If any woman is a victim of rape, sexual assault or domestic violence, I share your outrage and if any women reading this have been victims, I assure you that I am on your side and condemn those actions in the strongest terms with no ifs and or but. Drawing attention to the fact that men can be victims as well does NOT mean that I condone violence against women nor does it diminish the impact.
Here are some statistics cited by film regarding men's issues:
-99% of combat deaths
-93% of workplace fatalities
-75% of murder victims
-76% of sucides
-63% longer prison sentences for the same crime
-much more likely to drop out of school, become homeless and imprisoned
-much less likely to be sheltered from domestic violence
-only a 15-20% chance of winning a child custody battle
How do radical feminists react when MRAs cite these statistics?
Like many on the extreme left, they often shout them down in protest with profanity and accusations of bigotry. In one case, a protester pulled a fire alarm in order to shut down an MRA speaker and subjected them to profanity laced screaming outside the building. Not real classy. One chant was "Racist, sexist, anti-gay, MRAs go away!" This has absolutely NOTHING to do with race or sexual preference. In fact, you could make the case that the black community has been hurt the most by radical feminism and absentee fathers. I've also heard that gay men are more likely to be raped.
Workplace Issues:
Nobody in their right mind will deny that women have been historically oppressed and many professions were pretty much off limits to women as recently as 50 years ago. That said, things have changed a great deal since then. Today, you can choose to be a stay at home mother, a career-first woman or a balance between the two. All 3 choices ought to be applauded and you should be encouraged to make the best choice given your unique situation as well as your goals, needs and wants. Same with men. I knew a man who had to quit his job due to health problems and became the primary care giver for 2 children. This is also admirable.
Feminists point to issues such as the wage gap and the fact that 95% of CEOs are men and 80% of politicians are men as evidence of continued oppression. I will cede some ground on this point. The film claims the reason for this is that men are more likely to be willing to work those long hours and make other sacrifices. While I believe that to be true, I do acknowledge that women may have a harder time climbing the corporate ladder and talented women are under-represented in upper management. Still, the wage gap shrinks considerably when occupation and hours worked are factored into the equation. Women are also under-represented in dangerous manual labor jobs, which certainly should be pointed out as well.
Paternity and Child Custody:
Here, there can be little argument that women have the upper hand over men. Feminists respond that since women carry the babies for 9 months, it is only right. That's a fair point but I do not agree with it because it takes a man and a woman to create a life. While 70% of divorces are initiated by women, they win 80-85% of the custody battles while the father gets visitation rights every other weekend. In the movie Mrs. Doubtfire, Sally Field's character coldly asks Robin Williams, "Are my children ready yet?" His response was "No, OUR children are not ready because you are an hour early and you were late dropping them off." Child support and alimony payments also strongly favor women. Typically, a man will win only if the woman has severe anger management issues and/or a drug and alcohol problem. For this reason, many men will balk at marriage and we will see more absentee fathers, which leads to a plethora of social problems. I'm not at all suggesting to take children away from loving mothers but joint custody ought to be the norm rather than the exception.
The film also brought up several cases in which women became single mothers by choice with no intention of continuing the relationship. This is one of many reasons to remain abstinent until marriage but this should be resolved with joint custody with all else being equal. The film also brought up a case in which a mother gave up her child for adoption without the father's knowledge even though he was willing and able to care. There was another who was forced to pay child support for a child that a DNA test proved was not even his under the penalty of jail time. Any fair minded individual should agree that those 2 situations are clearly unfair to men.
Education and Criminal Justice:
Men's rights activists point to statistics that girls do better in school and are less likely to be disciplined and more likely to attend and graduate college as evidence of oppression. In that case, I do NOT buy into it. Achievement gaps are due to the fact that girls are more likely to do homework assignments and take Advanced Placement classes while boys are more likely to misbehave and get into fights. It's true today and was true when growing up in the '90s. Perhaps more father involvement will close these gaps.
Men are also more likely to end up in jail because they commit more crime. It is sad but true. That said, I do believe girls are less likely to be disciplined for hitting other students and women do receive more lenient sentences for the same crime. Though the film did not touch on this point, I do believe the gender of the VICTIM plays a significant role of sentencing disparity as well. If a man murders a woman, the death penalty is a strong possibility. If a woman kills a man, not so much.
Domestic Violence:
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, if your partner lays a hand on you and it is not an affectionate or playful touch, get the hell out of the relationship immediately and don't look back. No ifs and or but. I agree that a man should NEVER EVER hit a woman. A woman should NEVER EVER hit a man either. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the film was that 42% of victims of domestic violence are men yet while there are hundreds of shelters for women, there is only ONE for men. Nary a word about this from the mainstream media. While it is true that men are on average, stronger and capable of inflicting more bodily harm, it is not always the case. Men are often ashamed to report being beaten by their wife or female partner because of the wimp factor. In cases where both men and women threw punches and there are similar injuries on both sides, both parties should be punished equally and there should be no dispute. In a case involves severe bruises and broken bones versus a couple of scratches, whichever party committed the greater violence should get the most punishment. Simple.
Rape and sexual assault:
Again, I condemn these horrific actions in the strongest terms possible. Have I ever experienced it myself as a "privileged" male. YES. Many times in Jr. High and high school, I was touched in private areas and kicked there as well. It wasn't by girls however. It was done by bullies pretending to be gay just irritate me. One scary event took place about 10-15 years ago. After an early morning run on the beach, I was followed into a restroom by a 250 pound man who wanted oral sex. Fortunately, he backed off when I said NO. Men can be raped or sexually assaulted as well but get little sympathy. I've never discussed this event until now. Though such cases are a slim minority, bringing attention to it does NOT diminish women's issues.
All forms of prejudice and injustice are wrong on all sides.
This could be my most controversial post.
Where do I stand?
I am all for gender equality and that includes everything that goes with it. Yes, there are biological differences between the sexes and for that reason certain professions such as elementary school teaching and nursing will always be female dominated while fire fighting and the military will be male dominated. Still, with that being said, any and all professions ought to be open to both genders and if the best qualified candidate for an upper management position is a woman, she should ABSOLUTELY be hired with equal pay for equal work. I'm all for that.
If any woman is a victim of rape, sexual assault or domestic violence, I share your outrage and if any women reading this have been victims, I assure you that I am on your side and condemn those actions in the strongest terms with no ifs and or but. Drawing attention to the fact that men can be victims as well does NOT mean that I condone violence against women nor does it diminish the impact.
Here are some statistics cited by film regarding men's issues:
-99% of combat deaths
-93% of workplace fatalities
-75% of murder victims
-76% of sucides
-63% longer prison sentences for the same crime
-much more likely to drop out of school, become homeless and imprisoned
-much less likely to be sheltered from domestic violence
-only a 15-20% chance of winning a child custody battle
How do radical feminists react when MRAs cite these statistics?
Like many on the extreme left, they often shout them down in protest with profanity and accusations of bigotry. In one case, a protester pulled a fire alarm in order to shut down an MRA speaker and subjected them to profanity laced screaming outside the building. Not real classy. One chant was "Racist, sexist, anti-gay, MRAs go away!" This has absolutely NOTHING to do with race or sexual preference. In fact, you could make the case that the black community has been hurt the most by radical feminism and absentee fathers. I've also heard that gay men are more likely to be raped.
Workplace Issues:
Nobody in their right mind will deny that women have been historically oppressed and many professions were pretty much off limits to women as recently as 50 years ago. That said, things have changed a great deal since then. Today, you can choose to be a stay at home mother, a career-first woman or a balance between the two. All 3 choices ought to be applauded and you should be encouraged to make the best choice given your unique situation as well as your goals, needs and wants. Same with men. I knew a man who had to quit his job due to health problems and became the primary care giver for 2 children. This is also admirable.
Feminists point to issues such as the wage gap and the fact that 95% of CEOs are men and 80% of politicians are men as evidence of continued oppression. I will cede some ground on this point. The film claims the reason for this is that men are more likely to be willing to work those long hours and make other sacrifices. While I believe that to be true, I do acknowledge that women may have a harder time climbing the corporate ladder and talented women are under-represented in upper management. Still, the wage gap shrinks considerably when occupation and hours worked are factored into the equation. Women are also under-represented in dangerous manual labor jobs, which certainly should be pointed out as well.
Paternity and Child Custody:
Here, there can be little argument that women have the upper hand over men. Feminists respond that since women carry the babies for 9 months, it is only right. That's a fair point but I do not agree with it because it takes a man and a woman to create a life. While 70% of divorces are initiated by women, they win 80-85% of the custody battles while the father gets visitation rights every other weekend. In the movie Mrs. Doubtfire, Sally Field's character coldly asks Robin Williams, "Are my children ready yet?" His response was "No, OUR children are not ready because you are an hour early and you were late dropping them off." Child support and alimony payments also strongly favor women. Typically, a man will win only if the woman has severe anger management issues and/or a drug and alcohol problem. For this reason, many men will balk at marriage and we will see more absentee fathers, which leads to a plethora of social problems. I'm not at all suggesting to take children away from loving mothers but joint custody ought to be the norm rather than the exception.
The film also brought up several cases in which women became single mothers by choice with no intention of continuing the relationship. This is one of many reasons to remain abstinent until marriage but this should be resolved with joint custody with all else being equal. The film also brought up a case in which a mother gave up her child for adoption without the father's knowledge even though he was willing and able to care. There was another who was forced to pay child support for a child that a DNA test proved was not even his under the penalty of jail time. Any fair minded individual should agree that those 2 situations are clearly unfair to men.
Education and Criminal Justice:
Men's rights activists point to statistics that girls do better in school and are less likely to be disciplined and more likely to attend and graduate college as evidence of oppression. In that case, I do NOT buy into it. Achievement gaps are due to the fact that girls are more likely to do homework assignments and take Advanced Placement classes while boys are more likely to misbehave and get into fights. It's true today and was true when growing up in the '90s. Perhaps more father involvement will close these gaps.
Men are also more likely to end up in jail because they commit more crime. It is sad but true. That said, I do believe girls are less likely to be disciplined for hitting other students and women do receive more lenient sentences for the same crime. Though the film did not touch on this point, I do believe the gender of the VICTIM plays a significant role of sentencing disparity as well. If a man murders a woman, the death penalty is a strong possibility. If a woman kills a man, not so much.
Domestic Violence:
Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, if your partner lays a hand on you and it is not an affectionate or playful touch, get the hell out of the relationship immediately and don't look back. No ifs and or but. I agree that a man should NEVER EVER hit a woman. A woman should NEVER EVER hit a man either. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the film was that 42% of victims of domestic violence are men yet while there are hundreds of shelters for women, there is only ONE for men. Nary a word about this from the mainstream media. While it is true that men are on average, stronger and capable of inflicting more bodily harm, it is not always the case. Men are often ashamed to report being beaten by their wife or female partner because of the wimp factor. In cases where both men and women threw punches and there are similar injuries on both sides, both parties should be punished equally and there should be no dispute. In a case involves severe bruises and broken bones versus a couple of scratches, whichever party committed the greater violence should get the most punishment. Simple.
Rape and sexual assault:
Again, I condemn these horrific actions in the strongest terms possible. Have I ever experienced it myself as a "privileged" male. YES. Many times in Jr. High and high school, I was touched in private areas and kicked there as well. It wasn't by girls however. It was done by bullies pretending to be gay just irritate me. One scary event took place about 10-15 years ago. After an early morning run on the beach, I was followed into a restroom by a 250 pound man who wanted oral sex. Fortunately, he backed off when I said NO. Men can be raped or sexually assaulted as well but get little sympathy. I've never discussed this event until now. Though such cases are a slim minority, bringing attention to it does NOT diminish women's issues.
All forms of prejudice and injustice are wrong on all sides.
This could be my most controversial post.
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