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.