Training 4/9-4/15

4/9- AM- One last test before I get serious.  Woke up early and tested myself on Sarcosine only with no other methylation support and no adrenal support.  Finished in 6:53 for 1 Mile with even splits (2:17-2:20-2:16) but no access to higher gears.  HR was only 146 while the Cadence was 186.  I was hoping for a little better but what is more important is how I do with a stacked deck. Skipping the rest of the pills is probably about on par with skipping the Sarcosine and taking the rest.  I'll be significantly weakened but not disabled.  Before the Sarcosine, I would have been over 9 if I tried to pull a stunt like this. Can I go 54 seconds faster with all the pills?  It's going to be close but I'll get there with consistent training if I'm not there already.  I'll be out again this evening.

PM- 4 miles easy on Lakeshore.  Finished in 31:31 (7:53 pace).  Decent energy but sore and stiff.  No need to panic.  This wasn't horrible and it's only my first day on a stable formula.  As for the dietary restrictions, the ill-effects from cheating will not be as severe as before the Sarcosine but still, the sugars, caffeine and possibly the preservatives are not good for me and must be limited.  HR 162, Cadence=178.
Grade:B-/ 1 credit/Distance=5.0

4/10- Junk run on Wisteria.  1 mile in 7:20.  Mostly positive about this one.  I felt markedly worse after drinking a Coke with my lunch today.  I don't know if it's the sugar or the benzoates but either way, I am not bulletproof.  I'm okay with that. FWIW, I did take a PABA pill at the halfway point and was actually 2 ticks better on the back half despite going slightly uphill so I bet it's the sugar.   Even a healthy person loses about 10-15/mile from a daily Coke or Red Bull habit.  Supposedly, the full benefits of Sarcosine don't kick in for 4-6 months.  I've only been on it a week so I've got to be pleased with where I am now.  Once again, if I cheated this much before Sarcosine, today's run would have been over 9 and I would follow the usual pattern.  This counts as a rest day.
Distance=1.0

4/11- Trak Shak 5 in 38:15 (7:39 pace).  Not bad overall.  Strong start and passed 3 miles in 22:25 but faded to 15:50 over the last 2.  HR-164, Cadence-178.  Decent improvement over Monday but still a little off.  Drank an organic energy drink this morning and I don't think it hurt me but I'm still going clean from now on except for the weekends.  Interestingly, I can tolerate PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) in supplement form but benzoates as a drink preservative will leave me weakened but not disabled.  That could change down the road but that stuff is still not good for me.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

4/12- 3 miles in 23:53 (7:58 pace) at Veteran's Park.  Hilly route with a gravel trail.  That's why it was slow.  Good news is that I am not relapsing.  Bad news is that I still don't feel up to par and I think the caffeine was hurting me even if it is organic.  It will take a couple days for the benefits of abstinence will kick in.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0

4/13- Beautiful weather this evening.  Performance was anything but.  Quit after just 2 miles on Lakeshore in 16:30 (8:15 pace) but did have a surprising negative split and added a mile cool.  Feeling very overstimulated.  That could be a healing reaction and is actually common after solving a MAJOR problem as I believe Sarcosine has done.  It's only temporary.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0

4/14- FAILURE- Did not even attempt to run.  The culprit is wait for it....  Sarcosine.  Fortunately, I was warned that this might happen.  It's been a slow fade so that's a good sign.  Most likely, all I need to do is reduce it and I'll be okay.

PM- Here's what I think is happening.  The optimal dose is either 1 or 2 scoops.  Probably 2.  I've been taking 3 most of the week.  A single day in which I overdose or underdose won't present much of a problem.  Keep it up for several days and I will be weakened.  A full week of an overdose and I'll be disabled.  I can live with that and it still beats the hell out of the alternative.  Unfortunately, going back down to 2 will result in a gradual improvement so I'll drop to 1 for a few days.  Stopping it completely?  90% chance I go back to where I was, which was hopeless.  Though the sugars are still not good for me, I do not believe cheating on the diet played much of a role this time.

UPDATE- I've learned that Glutamine appears to be synergistic with Sarcosine.  It likely must be cut.

4/15- AM- Same song, different verse.  The usual for a day after relapse.  3 miles in 25:43 (8:34 pace).  Even pace but no energy and this was about as fast as I could go.  Maybe an evening session is on tap.

PM- Repeated the 3 miler and my time is down to 23:39 (7:53 pace) with a slight negative split.  HR-157, Cadence-174.  I'm going with the 2 scoops of Sarcosine (no more) AND NO GLUTAMINE!
Distance=6.0

-22 miles on the week.