6/25- Day 7. AM- Hated test interval workout at Gold's Pelham. 4x400. As a baseline, if I had taken neither the MF nor the Sam-e, it would have been right around 2:00 (8:00 pace). Here are the stats:
0 MF- 2:17 (9:08 pace)
400 MF- 1:50 (7:20 pace)
800 MF- 1:35 (6:20 pace)
1200 MF- 1:19 (5:16 pace)
At 1200, I felt "almost normal" and the pace was actually slowed by the tight turns. I believe I had a 75 in me on a 400 meter track. 1400 is optimal just like before. 1600 probably would have worked as well but 2000 left me considerably weaker. I did not run an interval but suspect it would have been around 1:35-1:40. 2400 would put me back to 1:50ish. I HATE the sensitivity but at least it was stable in the past. Sam-e is a viable option.
PM- 3 miles in 22:35 (7:32 pace). Not half bad for being weakened by the excess MF. On the optimal dose, I'm probably around 21-flat if not a little better. Actually managed a slight negative split. This was MINUS 5 compared to yesterday. Tonight, I'll try extra Sarcosine again but predict it will be a non-factor. I likely had problems with higher Sarcosine doses because of TMG not caffeine but I'm sticking with the restrictions.
Distance=4.0
Sam-e versus TMG:
One of the 2 must be taken in order for the Methylfolate (MF) to be tolerated. With Sam-e, I need a near exact ratio of 3-4 parts MF per part Sam-e. I currently take 400 mg Sam-e so I will perform only if I take between 1200-1600 MF. Suppose I drop the Sam-e down to 200. In that case, I'll perform only if I take 600-800. Sam-e is MUCH more expensive as well.
If I switched to TMG, my MF dosage DOES NOT MATTER! My times will be the same for each interval give or take 1-2 seconds regardless of whether I take 400 MF or 2400 MF. I'll save quite a bit of money in the process as well. Obviously, that's a far better scenario than what is described above. There is only one problem. I CANNOT TOLERATE TMG WITH SARCOSINE! Even without Sarcosine, my tolerance was limited to 1000 mg. If there's anything I can do so that I can tolerate it, I'll try it. That's where Yasko's BHMT comes into play. Indeed I do have the genetic defect and its action is to process TMG according to the methylation cycle diagram.
6/26- The extra Sarcosine left me a bit weakened but I was still able to salvage a workout. 2 miles out and back on Lakeshore in 15:04 (7:32 pace). Faded a bit on the back half but this was done in 92 degree heat with a 102 heat index. Same pace as yesterday but 1 mile shorter. I bet I hold this pace indoors for another mile. 2 scoops it is.
I have mixed feeling about this one. 2 scoops should be enough to be effective but it's a bit unnerving to be weakened by taking more. Then again, I wasn't horrible out there today and if I had attempted this dose with TMG, forget it. It would have been 20 minutes or more for 2 miles.
I am prepared to endure another rough day tomorrow because Yasko suggested Phospho Serine instead of TMG for short cut methylation support. I predict a similar outcome as with the Sam-e. It will be a ratio with the MF. PS is slightly cheaper than Sam-e so yes, it could be an option. Again, with TMG, the ratios don't matter. A mega dose of MF won't effect me and both PS and Sam-e will also be tolerated at large doses. IF ONLY I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TOLERATE TMG! Yasko's BHMT nucleotide product should arrive soon.
Distance=2.0
Regarding the heat, if I had waited just 30-45 minutes after work, it would have been MUCH more comfortable. I intend to do that more often as the summer wears on. That's one thing I like about Central time. Workouts after work would be unbearable at 5 PM eastern (4:00 Central)
6/27- This is a YUGE DAY!
AM- Tried Phospho-Serine for the shortcut pathway. It was interesting. Took 2 pills and it was a non-factor. Opened with a quarter mile in 1:59.5 (7:58 pace), which is just about what I did without either MF or Sam-e.
400 MF- Slipped to 2:05 (8:20 pace) PLUS 22
1200 MF- 2:06 (8:24 pace) PLUS 4
Took a Sam-e later and I did improve but it did not feel the same as my top form yesterday.
Reaction:
Interestingly, the PS seemed to mitigate some of the ill-effects of taking the MF or Sam-e alone BUT the benefits of taking them both together were not fully realized either. PS is NOT a viable option.
PM- On Sam-e, I opened with a 1:38 (6:32 pace). Nearly 2 minutes faster thanks to the Sam-e but still NOT even close to my top form yesterday, which was a 1:19 (5:16 pace)
-Did not have TMG but did have DMG, which I figured would have a similar effect. Indeed it did.
Slipped to a 1:58 (7:52 pace). PLUS 80. Again, this was after just 1 pill.
Next, it was the moment of truth.
HOW WOULD I DO ON THE NEW YASKO NUCLEOTIDE PRODUCT?
- I could definitely feel a difference after just half a dropper.
Improved all the way down to 1:30.5 (6:02 pace). Still, that's short of yesterday possibly due to the PS but the DMG+ nucleotide actually worked better than Sam-e. 30 SECONDS BETTER!
-To prove it was no fluke, I took just a trace more and improved to a 1:23.1 (5:32 pace) for another MINUS 30! Tacked on a cool down.
Distance=3.0
-Reaction:
I have 2 viable options now. The Sam-e with the ratio OR the DMG (TMG will likely produce the same effects) plus the nucleotide product with flexible doses of MF. So far, it looks like the TMG+ is the better option. Things are beginning to look up now but again, it's way too early to celebrate anything.
6/28- 3 miles in 22:28 (7:29 pace). Well, I did get below 7:30 pace today (MINUS 3) but it was not a significant difference from the last 2 days. Felt heavy and slow on Sam-e and even with the nucleotide product, I remain sensitive. If this is the best I can do on Sam-e, it is not real good. I am going with the TMG and hope it's better. Cheated on the diet yesterday but I got back on track today and I don't think it hurt me. TMG with the nucleotide product appears to be well tolerated.
Distance=3.0
6/29- Unplanned rest day. I WAS SO BAD THAT I WAS ACTUALLY WALKING WITH A LIMP! I doubt that I am injured. It's the pills. I thought TMG would be okay. Apparently not. Why did this happen? 2 theories:
- DMG plus the nucleotide product is tolerated but TMG is not. At least not yet. It's possible that the TMG is simply a bridge too far at least for the time being. This is only the 3rd day on the nucleotide and after taking a large dose the first day, I have cut it down. I DID FEEL BETTER WHEN I GOT HOME AFTER I TOOK MORE NUCLEOTIDE SUPPORT! Also, I took twice the dose of TMG as I did the DMG and TMG only comes in 500 or 1000 mg.
TMG may require more nucleotide support than DMG to be tolerated and this appears to be doubly true as the dose increases. Previous treatments have "worked around" the genetic mutations. This one goes right to the source! Perhaps it will take time to build up a reserve or I simply need a high dose given that the pathway is SEVERELY blocked. At any rate, even a cut from 1000 to 500 may still require a lot of nucleotide support.
In contrast, the DMG might be just as effective and better tolerated. Another advantage is that it does come in smaller doses. If 250 mg or less is effective, I'm going with it. It should also require less nucleotide support as well. This SEEMS LIKE MY BEST OPTION!
6/30- AM- DMG IT IS! Another hated interval test at Vestavia:
Took 500 TMG and opened with a pathetic 2:29.2 (9:57 pace)
Took a full dropper of the nucleotide. I did expect to be better, maybe around 2:00, but I never expected a 1:36.8 (6:27 pace). MINUS 3:30! Yes, you read that correctly. I WAS 3 MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS FASTER PER MILE WITH THE NUCLEOTIDE!!
I suspect that a 2nd dropper would have brought me all the way back (under 80 seconds) but I didn't try it. The nucleotide product is very expensive and I just can't afford to go through an $85 bottle in 2 weeks or less especially if DMG is effective and does not seem to require as much nucleotide support.
Speaking of DMG, things got even more interesting after I took some of that stuff. After one of those pills, I expected to be slightly weakened (maybe 1:45ish). Nope. I actually got better and ran the next lap in 1:31.2 (6:05 pace) MINUS 22. I ran the next 200 as a cool down then got the idea to take another DMG and sprint the next 200. I clocked a solid 35.5 (4:44 pace). No doubt that it would have been significantly better than the 91 over a full lap. I'm guessing between 80-85.
Now the question is: Is DMG really beneficial to me? Not sure. It's possible it took more than just a few minutes for the full effect of the nucleotide to kick in and therefore, I could have done it just the same if not better without it. Again, I know for sure that I will be weakened significantly (PLUS 80) if I take DMG without the nucleotide.
PM- 2x200 at Vestavia plus a cool. Heat was not a factor at this distance.
Interval #1 was a solid 35.0 (4:40 pace)
Interval #2 was a decent 37.7 (5:02 pace) AFTER another DMG, I was a bit weakened.
This tells me that the tolerance to DMG is NOT unlimited but I won't be horrible if I take too much as is the case with the Sarcosine. I'll take the minimum effective dose and limit the nucleotide to half a dropper and hope it's sufficient.
How do I know that DMG is effective? My MF dose will not matter. I will feel and perform about the same regardless of whether I take 400 or 2400. With Sam-e, I need at least 1200 and no more than 1600 or else and even then, my performance may still be sub-par.
Distance= 2.0
7/1- Day 1- In theory, everything is all squared away. We shall see about what happens in reality. I've thought that many times before and ended up being burned. One more thing that I'd like to re-try is Liver Beef but that will wait until after next week. Even if it's tolerated, it will only be taken occasionally. Today's "workout" was 6x200 at Vestavia plus a 400 cool down. I deliberately took it slower because my plantar fasciitis has flared up. I hope it's due to cheating on the sugar and will go away when I am back on track. I took the nucleotide about 30 minutes before the start. Again, I made it a point to keep the effort level consistent on each interval.
Opened with no DMG and 1200 MF and clocked a 60.0 (8:00 pace)
Took half a DMG (125 mg) and improved to 52.5 (7:00 pace) MINUS 60
Upped the MF to 2000 and slipped to 56.0 (7:28 pace) PLUS 28
Upped the DMG to 250 and improved to 48.2 (6:26 pace) MINUS 62
Upped the MF to 2800 and improved to 47.0 (6:16 pace) MINUS 10
Upped the DMG to 500 and slipped back to 48.2 (6:26 pace) PLUS 10
Not too much difference with extra MF or with extra DMG.
Reaction:
YES! DMG WILL EFFECTIVE ELIMINATE MF SENSITIVITY! I need at least 200 DMG for it to be effective. At or beyond that dose, the amount of MF doesn't matter. Just like with TMG, I will likely get no additional benefit above 400 but unlike with SAM-e, mega doses of MF will be tolerated. If I take too much DMG, I will be weakened but not too severely and a little extra nucleotide support will mitigate the ill-effects. With TMG, at least for the time being, it's a bridge too far and requires a LOT more nucleotide support to be tolerated. I'm going with DMG and combined with the Sarcosine, it should IN THEORY ELIMINATE ALL SENSITIVITY!!!
Monday, June 25, 2018
Monday, June 18, 2018
Training 6/18-6/24- NO EXCUSES
6/18- AM-3 miles in 23:45 (7:55 pace). This was done on Day 1 so my time is much faster than usual at this stage. It's usually closer to 9 minute pace. I credit the Tyrosine + C. Most likely, there is a good reason why I was sensitive to larger doses of Sarcosine. It suppressed adrenaline production. Tyrosine + C solves that. MAYBE, I won't have to sacrifice speed for stability.
Later on I found that not only am I intolerant to caffeine, I can't drink anything sugared (not even a bottle of Powerade) so that will likely set me back a bit. A couple sips on a long run? Probably okay. I will try 4 scoops of Sarcosine again tonight in hopes that the Tyrosine+C will allow for more tolerance. I just want to be comparable to today. In the long run, I will go with the lowest effective dose. Unless I get additional benefit from 4, I'll stick with 2 scoops because it appears to be effective in combating the sensitivity. All pills are tolerated now so there will be no excuses going forward. WATER ONLY TO DRINK!
Distance=3.0
6/19- AM- 1 mile test run on Wisteria. Finished in 8:04. I'll consider this mostly good news. Yes, the 4 scoops left me weakened but the tyrosine mitigated MOST of the ill-effects. On level ground at Gold's, I bet I'm in the 24s for 3 miles and this is Day 1 again. 2 scoops it is! I've got a couple other things I would like to try: Ascorbic acid vs Whole Food C. Okay, I know the latter option is better for me but if the AA helps with adrenaline production, I might go with it temporarily. I will give Liver Beef another shot after my Upper Midwest trip. Blood donation will also be done at a later date. I might be out again this evening for another short run.
Distance=1.5
6/20- Day 2. AM- 3 miles at Gold's in 25:46 (8:35 pace). Not good at all. True, Day 2 is often worse than Day 1 but what is troubling is that I am NOT getting better as the day progresses. In fact, I actually feel more out of whack this afternoon. It seems as if the tyrosine helps when I am on caffeine but HURTS when I am off and complete the worst of the detox. BIZARRE! I'm going back off that stuff but will stick with 2 scoops of Sarcosine. Perhaps it doesn't affect adrenaline after all?
It crossed my mind that the fructose malabsorption has flared up again. That's possible but it seems unlikely because caffeinated drinks without high fructose corn syrup have also caused a bad reaction. I may try a product for it but expect it to be a non-factor. There may be a couple tweaks that I will try but basically, I plan to stick to this formula for better or worse.
Distance=3.5
UPDATE:
It has been confirmed that Tyrosine is BAD. I'll pitch that stuff but will likely struggle for the next few days as it clears my system. Ironically, caffeine would probably make me feel better now but I have made it through Day 2.
6/21-AM- Day 3. Morning was awful as I struggled through a 1 mile junk run on Wisteria. Tyrosine has yet to fully clear. All I can do is wait.
PM- Today, I did feel better as the day progressed. 3 miles in 23:25 (7:48 pace). MINUS 47. I believe this is the best I've done since I decided to go with the 2 scoops for better or worse. There is still room for much improvement but eventually, I will level off. Made it through Day 3 and it should get easier from here on out.
Distance=4.0
6/22- Day 4 and I took a step backwards. I knew it as soon as I woke up in the morning but tried to run through it. Quit after 2 miles in 16:56 (8:28 pace) with splits of 7:57-8:59. This would have been a 26:xx if I had kept going for another mile. I could tell that it was NOT Sarcosine related. Instead, it turns out that I really do need the TMG (Tri-Methyl Glycine) after all. Since Sarcosine is mono-methyl glycine, I thought it could do the job but I was wrong.
Distance=2.0
6/23- Day 5. Skipped the BTC run but it got rained out anyway. It has become apparent that even though I am still off caffeine and sugar, TMG is STILL not tolerated together with Sarcosine. ARRGH! I'll have to work around it. Fortunately, there are substitute products out there that target the same defective enzyme pathway. I tried several this morning: DMG is a NO. Betaine HCl is a NO. Yasko's Folinic Plus (formerly Methyl Mate) is an option but has a few questionable ingredients that could raise toxic Iron levels.
SAM-e appears to be promising. Did the same 2 mile distance this time in humid conditions at Vestavia. Finished in 15:41 (7:50 pace). MINUS 38 with even splits.
If Sam-e or Folinic Plus fails, the last option is to take the TMG and try to target the BHMT enzyme with a nucleotide product. Still a chance to get a resolution next week. I could go back to what I was doing before, which was 1 scoop with the TMG. If I go that route, I must be content with being a 1:45-1:50 half marathoner on a GOOD DAY and feel that I am vulnerable to getting worse. Not a real attractive choice but it's still better than quitting.
Distance=2.0
6/24- Day 6. 3 miles in 22:51 (7:37 pace). MINUS 13 over an extra mile. I should be pleased with this one but I am really not. Something is clearly still off. I definitely need BOTH the SAM-e and the Methylfolate BUT it appears that it will require a specific ratio once again. I failed the toe touch test after the run then passed it immediately after taking an extra MF. I am virtually certain that Yasko's product would produce the same result because SAM-e is the key ingredient there as well and it contains other bad ingredients. I'm not even going to try it. Extra Sarcosine would likely be a non-factor but I'm willing to try it.
The alternatives are to accept the "exact ratio" of SAM-e/MF or take the TMG with the nucleotide product BHMT.
Distance=3.0
Later on I found that not only am I intolerant to caffeine, I can't drink anything sugared (not even a bottle of Powerade) so that will likely set me back a bit. A couple sips on a long run? Probably okay. I will try 4 scoops of Sarcosine again tonight in hopes that the Tyrosine+C will allow for more tolerance. I just want to be comparable to today. In the long run, I will go with the lowest effective dose. Unless I get additional benefit from 4, I'll stick with 2 scoops because it appears to be effective in combating the sensitivity. All pills are tolerated now so there will be no excuses going forward. WATER ONLY TO DRINK!
Distance=3.0
6/19- AM- 1 mile test run on Wisteria. Finished in 8:04. I'll consider this mostly good news. Yes, the 4 scoops left me weakened but the tyrosine mitigated MOST of the ill-effects. On level ground at Gold's, I bet I'm in the 24s for 3 miles and this is Day 1 again. 2 scoops it is! I've got a couple other things I would like to try: Ascorbic acid vs Whole Food C. Okay, I know the latter option is better for me but if the AA helps with adrenaline production, I might go with it temporarily. I will give Liver Beef another shot after my Upper Midwest trip. Blood donation will also be done at a later date. I might be out again this evening for another short run.
Distance=1.5
6/20- Day 2. AM- 3 miles at Gold's in 25:46 (8:35 pace). Not good at all. True, Day 2 is often worse than Day 1 but what is troubling is that I am NOT getting better as the day progresses. In fact, I actually feel more out of whack this afternoon. It seems as if the tyrosine helps when I am on caffeine but HURTS when I am off and complete the worst of the detox. BIZARRE! I'm going back off that stuff but will stick with 2 scoops of Sarcosine. Perhaps it doesn't affect adrenaline after all?
It crossed my mind that the fructose malabsorption has flared up again. That's possible but it seems unlikely because caffeinated drinks without high fructose corn syrup have also caused a bad reaction. I may try a product for it but expect it to be a non-factor. There may be a couple tweaks that I will try but basically, I plan to stick to this formula for better or worse.
Distance=3.5
UPDATE:
It has been confirmed that Tyrosine is BAD. I'll pitch that stuff but will likely struggle for the next few days as it clears my system. Ironically, caffeine would probably make me feel better now but I have made it through Day 2.
6/21-AM- Day 3. Morning was awful as I struggled through a 1 mile junk run on Wisteria. Tyrosine has yet to fully clear. All I can do is wait.
PM- Today, I did feel better as the day progressed. 3 miles in 23:25 (7:48 pace). MINUS 47. I believe this is the best I've done since I decided to go with the 2 scoops for better or worse. There is still room for much improvement but eventually, I will level off. Made it through Day 3 and it should get easier from here on out.
Distance=4.0
6/22- Day 4 and I took a step backwards. I knew it as soon as I woke up in the morning but tried to run through it. Quit after 2 miles in 16:56 (8:28 pace) with splits of 7:57-8:59. This would have been a 26:xx if I had kept going for another mile. I could tell that it was NOT Sarcosine related. Instead, it turns out that I really do need the TMG (Tri-Methyl Glycine) after all. Since Sarcosine is mono-methyl glycine, I thought it could do the job but I was wrong.
Distance=2.0
6/23- Day 5. Skipped the BTC run but it got rained out anyway. It has become apparent that even though I am still off caffeine and sugar, TMG is STILL not tolerated together with Sarcosine. ARRGH! I'll have to work around it. Fortunately, there are substitute products out there that target the same defective enzyme pathway. I tried several this morning: DMG is a NO. Betaine HCl is a NO. Yasko's Folinic Plus (formerly Methyl Mate) is an option but has a few questionable ingredients that could raise toxic Iron levels.
SAM-e appears to be promising. Did the same 2 mile distance this time in humid conditions at Vestavia. Finished in 15:41 (7:50 pace). MINUS 38 with even splits.
If Sam-e or Folinic Plus fails, the last option is to take the TMG and try to target the BHMT enzyme with a nucleotide product. Still a chance to get a resolution next week. I could go back to what I was doing before, which was 1 scoop with the TMG. If I go that route, I must be content with being a 1:45-1:50 half marathoner on a GOOD DAY and feel that I am vulnerable to getting worse. Not a real attractive choice but it's still better than quitting.
Distance=2.0
6/24- Day 6. 3 miles in 22:51 (7:37 pace). MINUS 13 over an extra mile. I should be pleased with this one but I am really not. Something is clearly still off. I definitely need BOTH the SAM-e and the Methylfolate BUT it appears that it will require a specific ratio once again. I failed the toe touch test after the run then passed it immediately after taking an extra MF. I am virtually certain that Yasko's product would produce the same result because SAM-e is the key ingredient there as well and it contains other bad ingredients. I'm not even going to try it. Extra Sarcosine would likely be a non-factor but I'm willing to try it.
The alternatives are to accept the "exact ratio" of SAM-e/MF or take the TMG with the nucleotide product BHMT.
Distance=3.0
Friday, June 15, 2018
Sarcosine and Glycine Conjugation
I am virtually certain that impaired glycine conjugation is
the cause of my sensitivity issues and have tried the following products to
combat the problem:
TMG (Trimethyl Glycine)
Plain Glycine
Sarcosine (Monomethyl glycine)
DMG (Dimethyl Glycine)
The first product that I tried was TMG and after much trial
and error, I found that it must be taken with methyl folate to be
effective. If either one was taken alone
or without the other, it would leave me worse off than if I had taken neither
of them. Although it did allow me to
tolerate a few other supplements that I could not take before, I remained
baffled by the severe negative reactions to certain pills such as Whole Food
C.
Plain glycine appeared to be a miracle at first. It completely eliminated the sensitivity. Then, in what I described as the Ultimate in
Cruelty, I became sensitive to the glycine.
This sensitivity later evolved into a complete intolerance. To make matters worse, by this time, some
form of glycine was necessary for me to function. Simply not taking it or the problem pills was
not an option.
Sarcosine also appeared to be nothing short of miraculous
early but once again, I became sensitive to it.
Fortunately, after 2.5 months, I can still tolerate at least 1 scoop (1 gram). The problem is that one scoop is not quite
enough to eliminate the sensitivity. I
am not interested in reducing the sensitivity to a manageable level. I will not tolerate ANY negative reaction to
something as healthy as Whole Food C and I suspect that other must take pills
are now giving me problems if I don’t take Sarcosine. For these reasons, I’ve decided to go with 2
scoops for better or worse.
Early signs indicate that YES, the sensitivity is completely
gone and so is the depression. However,
my tolerance to methyl glycine appears to be limited and thus, it may slow me
down if I exceed 1 gram. I’ve said it
over and over again that I am more than willing to sacrifice some speed for
stability and freedom from depression and sensitivity. Now, this trade opportunity could become a
reality. Yes, I will keep my word and
gladly accept it.
Any ideas why this is happening:
First, the reason why I can tolerate at least 1 gram of Sarcosine
(Methyl glycine) but not plain glycine is likely the same reason why many
people (myself included) cannot tolerate folic acid but need methyl folate
instead. There is a genetic mutation in
play.
As far as the TMG vs Sarcosine, I don’t fully understand the
difference but I do know that if everything is working properly, the TMG will
eventually be converted to Sarcosine but it requires at least 2 additional steps
in the conversion process to produce glycine. If certain enzymes are defective, something
could go wrong. The Sarcosine is a
direct pathway and it appears to perform all the necessary functions as
TMG. Consider this analogy. I want to
get a flight to Philadelphia next Spring for the Delmarva road trip. I can do it directly so why risk problems
with connections by stopping in Chicago and/or Charlotte?
My tolerance to methyl glycine is limited at least for the
time being. TMG counts toward my limit
but it’s not effective in combating sensitivity to Whole Food C. Let’s suppose that my limit is 1500 and I
take 1000 Sarcosine and 1000 TMG as I have been doing. 1000+1000 puts me over the top but I only get
benefit from the 1000 Sarcosine so TMG is useless now. I only took DMG for 1 day but got a similar
reaction to the TMG. Perhaps taking the
Mono-Methyl together with the Tri-methyl somehow confuses my system? It’s a thought but either way, both the DMG
and TMG go in the trash. Same with the
plain glycine. In that case however,
because Sarcosine is effective in regulating glycine concentrations, plain
glycine becomes a non-factor. It’s a
harmless placebo but I want to clear some space in my cabinet.
Caffeine is a methyl donor and I’ve observed multiple
instances in which I ran significantly WORSE after taking caffeine. This seems to be especially true when I go
over 1 scoop of Sarcosine. That stuff
has GOT to go and hopefully, this is the last time I will say that. I will not even allow a cheat day once a
week. If I slip up once, just get back
up immediately.
Bottom line:
It is probable that 2 scoops of Sarcosine is the minimum
effective dosage in combating the sensitivity.
It might be more than I can handle and thus cause me to slow down. It’s a price that I am more than willing to
pay. Cutting out the caffeine and the
TMG MIGHT VERY WELL increase the tolerance to Sarcosine. If that’s true, I’ve got it WON! Either way, I expect the final resolution
will come by the end of the month though the effect on my running speed may not
be known for sure until the Fall.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Training 6/11-6/17
6/11- VERY interesting yet again. Regarding the options from last week, #1 and #5 are clearly winners and could potentially be game changers. #2 may be helpful. #3,4 probably won't make much difference and will not give me the long-term answer. Opened with a 7:41 mile and likely would have been comparable to yesterday's morning session over 3 miles. This was done on 2.5 scoops yesterday plus DMG so it was encouraging to see an improvement from the 9:17 on Wisteria yesterday evening. Figure it was probably the equivalent of 3 scoops but WITHOUT TMG.
Took a TMG like usual and the reaction was immediately negative. I knew it before I started but stuck it out and finished in 8:52, Cheated on caffeine to confirm that it would make it worse. It did. Did not even attempt an evening session.
Distance=2.0
Reaction:
More to come in a separate post but TMG stands for Trimethyl glycine. It resolved the sensitivity to MF as well as a few other things but not the Whole Food C. Only the Sarcosine resolved that. Sarcosine is mono-methyl glycine. I don't fully understand the difference but do know that Sarcosine is MUCH more effective is solving the sensitivity. The only problem is that I am sensitive to Sarcosine. I thought that perhaps cutting out the TMG (Tri-Methyl) would increase the tolerance to Sarcosine (Mono-Methyl). Looks like I may be right.
Regarding the other options, if I take the C at night, yes some of it will clear by the morning and I'll do a little better than if I take in in the morning but I should NOT have any kind of reaction to it. Again, this is a supposedly healthy WHOLE FOOD C, which I need to balance Copper and Iron. I'm not satisfied with minimizing a reaction. I will NOT TOLERATE ANY REACTION! I know 1 scoop of Sarcosine (Mono-methyl glycine) isn't enough and I'm not sure that 1.5 will be enough either. I bet that I need 2. Cutting out Tri-methyl glycine appears to allow me to tolerate the 2 that I need. That could be the FINAL VICTORY! As for the DMG, as y'all may have guessed, it stands for Di-Methyl glycine. Will it be as effective as Sarcosine? Can it be taken with Sarcosine? We shall see. I want to try this option but if it fails, Sarcosine WITHOUT TMG shows promise.
6/12- Unplanned rest day. DMG is NOT the answer but I'm okay with that. Did not take any form of methylated glycine last night (no Sarcosine, DMG or TMG) and woke up feeling like crap. As expected, the Whole Food C made things worse. DMG alone made it only marginally better. Adding Sarcosine may have actually made it worse. I know that TMG+ Sarcosine is a NEGATIVE. It appears that the same is true for the DMG+ Sarcosine.
It's got to be Sarcosine MINUS TMG MINUS DMG. In short, it's Sarcosine or BUST and I truly believe that one way or the other, I will get a resolution by the end of the month.
Distance=0
6/13- Overdose yesterday on Sarcosine and paid the price today. That's okay. 1 mile in 8:49 then confirmed that caffeine is still bad when off TMG. Treated the next mile as a cool down. Detox starts tomorrow. The worst of it should hit on Friday evening with the way I've timed it.
Distance=2.0
6/14- Day 1 on the detox. HARD mode with NO sugar and NO caffeine. Struggled as expected in the morning. 2 miles in 19:48 (9:54 pace). Fairly even splits.
PM- Began feeling noticeably better as the day progressed. 3 miles at Gold's today and my time was down to 25:54 (8:38 pace) MINUS 76 with an extra mile. Very encouraging rate of improvement. The goal is to be consistently below 20:15 for this distance, which is the equivalent of a 21-flat 5K. I need to improve the pace by 1:53/mile to achieve that. If that sounds insurmountable, I hacked off 1:16 per mile in just 10 hours. Sure wish it was this easy to improve on a 7:30 pace. I'm going with this plan for better or worse! Traditionally, Day 2 is the hardest of the detox. Perhaps it won't be so bad this time because I was only on the stuff for 4 days.
Distance=5.0
6/15- Day 2 is often worse than Day 1 but I got through it unscathed. In fact, I actually improved upon yesterday's performance. 3 miles in 24:25 (8:08 pace). MINUS 30. Before today, I was 1:53 per mile short of the target. I am now within 83 seconds. Splits were 8:10-8:16-7:59
Distance=3.0
6/16- Slipped up today but that's okay. Just get back on track tomorrow. BTC run. My route was basically the reverse Trak Shak 5 with a couple of different side streets. Finished in 41:21 (8:16 pace). In terms of pace, it was PLUS 8 versus yesterday but I still say it was an improvement because it was 2 extra miles in tough conditions. Temps were in the low-mid 70s with sunny skies and nearly 100% humidity. That's going to be the norm for the next 9-10 weeks but now is perhaps the worst because of the early sunrise and I'm just not used to it yet. Even at this pace, I was among the leaders at the BTC group. If I get faster, I need to find people who match my pace.
Distance=5.0
News:
I suspect that glycine has been suppressing my adrenaline production, which certainly slows me down. Tyrosine can fix that. Again, stability for speed is a trade that I am more than willing to make but I may not have to do it. We shall see. Extra taurine+ phosphoserine made me more sluggish and sleepy, which is why I cheated today. I may take a step backward tomorrow but that's okay.
6/17- Paid the price for yesterday but got some good news. It was a junk run at Vestavia and the hated better with or without test. Opened with an 8:54 and it took a 4th quarter rally to get under 9. Then I popped a Tyrosine + C hoping to see significant improvement. I was expected to see 8:30ish but surprised myself with a 7:50 (MINUS 64). That's YUGE! I bet the glycine was indeed suppressing adrenaline. Now, I see a real chance at becoming competitive again IF I can stay clean on the diet. NO SUGARED DRINKS AND NO ALCOHOL!
Distance=2.0
-19 miles on the week
Took a TMG like usual and the reaction was immediately negative. I knew it before I started but stuck it out and finished in 8:52, Cheated on caffeine to confirm that it would make it worse. It did. Did not even attempt an evening session.
Distance=2.0
Reaction:
More to come in a separate post but TMG stands for Trimethyl glycine. It resolved the sensitivity to MF as well as a few other things but not the Whole Food C. Only the Sarcosine resolved that. Sarcosine is mono-methyl glycine. I don't fully understand the difference but do know that Sarcosine is MUCH more effective is solving the sensitivity. The only problem is that I am sensitive to Sarcosine. I thought that perhaps cutting out the TMG (Tri-Methyl) would increase the tolerance to Sarcosine (Mono-Methyl). Looks like I may be right.
Regarding the other options, if I take the C at night, yes some of it will clear by the morning and I'll do a little better than if I take in in the morning but I should NOT have any kind of reaction to it. Again, this is a supposedly healthy WHOLE FOOD C, which I need to balance Copper and Iron. I'm not satisfied with minimizing a reaction. I will NOT TOLERATE ANY REACTION! I know 1 scoop of Sarcosine (Mono-methyl glycine) isn't enough and I'm not sure that 1.5 will be enough either. I bet that I need 2. Cutting out Tri-methyl glycine appears to allow me to tolerate the 2 that I need. That could be the FINAL VICTORY! As for the DMG, as y'all may have guessed, it stands for Di-Methyl glycine. Will it be as effective as Sarcosine? Can it be taken with Sarcosine? We shall see. I want to try this option but if it fails, Sarcosine WITHOUT TMG shows promise.
6/12- Unplanned rest day. DMG is NOT the answer but I'm okay with that. Did not take any form of methylated glycine last night (no Sarcosine, DMG or TMG) and woke up feeling like crap. As expected, the Whole Food C made things worse. DMG alone made it only marginally better. Adding Sarcosine may have actually made it worse. I know that TMG+ Sarcosine is a NEGATIVE. It appears that the same is true for the DMG+ Sarcosine.
It's got to be Sarcosine MINUS TMG MINUS DMG. In short, it's Sarcosine or BUST and I truly believe that one way or the other, I will get a resolution by the end of the month.
Distance=0
6/13- Overdose yesterday on Sarcosine and paid the price today. That's okay. 1 mile in 8:49 then confirmed that caffeine is still bad when off TMG. Treated the next mile as a cool down. Detox starts tomorrow. The worst of it should hit on Friday evening with the way I've timed it.
Distance=2.0
6/14- Day 1 on the detox. HARD mode with NO sugar and NO caffeine. Struggled as expected in the morning. 2 miles in 19:48 (9:54 pace). Fairly even splits.
PM- Began feeling noticeably better as the day progressed. 3 miles at Gold's today and my time was down to 25:54 (8:38 pace) MINUS 76 with an extra mile. Very encouraging rate of improvement. The goal is to be consistently below 20:15 for this distance, which is the equivalent of a 21-flat 5K. I need to improve the pace by 1:53/mile to achieve that. If that sounds insurmountable, I hacked off 1:16 per mile in just 10 hours. Sure wish it was this easy to improve on a 7:30 pace. I'm going with this plan for better or worse! Traditionally, Day 2 is the hardest of the detox. Perhaps it won't be so bad this time because I was only on the stuff for 4 days.
Distance=5.0
6/15- Day 2 is often worse than Day 1 but I got through it unscathed. In fact, I actually improved upon yesterday's performance. 3 miles in 24:25 (8:08 pace). MINUS 30. Before today, I was 1:53 per mile short of the target. I am now within 83 seconds. Splits were 8:10-8:16-7:59
Distance=3.0
6/16- Slipped up today but that's okay. Just get back on track tomorrow. BTC run. My route was basically the reverse Trak Shak 5 with a couple of different side streets. Finished in 41:21 (8:16 pace). In terms of pace, it was PLUS 8 versus yesterday but I still say it was an improvement because it was 2 extra miles in tough conditions. Temps were in the low-mid 70s with sunny skies and nearly 100% humidity. That's going to be the norm for the next 9-10 weeks but now is perhaps the worst because of the early sunrise and I'm just not used to it yet. Even at this pace, I was among the leaders at the BTC group. If I get faster, I need to find people who match my pace.
Distance=5.0
News:
I suspect that glycine has been suppressing my adrenaline production, which certainly slows me down. Tyrosine can fix that. Again, stability for speed is a trade that I am more than willing to make but I may not have to do it. We shall see. Extra taurine+ phosphoserine made me more sluggish and sleepy, which is why I cheated today. I may take a step backward tomorrow but that's okay.
6/17- Paid the price for yesterday but got some good news. It was a junk run at Vestavia and the hated better with or without test. Opened with an 8:54 and it took a 4th quarter rally to get under 9. Then I popped a Tyrosine + C hoping to see significant improvement. I was expected to see 8:30ish but surprised myself with a 7:50 (MINUS 64). That's YUGE! I bet the glycine was indeed suppressing adrenaline. Now, I see a real chance at becoming competitive again IF I can stay clean on the diet. NO SUGARED DRINKS AND NO ALCOHOL!
Distance=2.0
-19 miles on the week
Monday, June 4, 2018
Training 6/4-6/10- DETOX
6/4- Hilly 2 mile junk run. Untimed but I've seen enough to know that I still should not take more than 1 scoop of Sarcosine. I'd probably be better off going down to a half scoop and I'm curious to know how long I can go without it. If I stop it permanently, there is little doubt that the sensitivity will return with a vengeance. Another product review is forthcoming.
Distance=2.0
6/5- Unplanned rest day. How long can I go without Sarcosine? The answer is about 30 hours. The sensitivity kicked in BIGLY this morning and I doubled up today. You can guess how that feels. Back in Birmingham and back in my routine now. Hard not to cheat when I am out of town. Let's hope for sustained improvement for the next 30 days.
6/6- 1 mile junk run on Wisteria. Time is too embarrassing to reveal. Once again, I am not depressed about this. My reaction is not much more than shrugged shoulders. I am back on Day 1 tomorrow. As expected, I cheated back home and cheated again when I got back.
Distance=1.0
6/7- AM- 2 miles at Gold's in 18:40 (9:20 pace). Better than yesterday and finished with a strong negative split. (9:35-9:05). I'll be back out this evening.
PM- 4 miles on Lakeshore and my time is down to 33:57 (8:29 pace). MINUS 51 over double the distance versus the morning session. I sure wish it was this easy to improve at 7:30 pace. Again, I finished with a solid negative split. 1st half- 17:10, 2nd half- 16:47 with a last mile in 8:12. This is only the first day clean. 20 to go I hope.
Distance=6.0
6/8- SEVERE DETOX REACTION! At least, that's what I hope it is. I did take a Phospho-Serine but I don't think it was the problem. I felt no worse after taking it. The 2nd day is often the toughest but I can't recall a day this bad before. I am in the HARD mode in which I don't allow anything other than water so that might explain it. As it is, I probably should have stayed home from work because all I felt like doing was napping. I forced myself to do 1 mile at Gold's. Time was over 10 minutes, possibly over 11 minutes. I didn't even want to know.
Distance=1.0
6/9- AM-Did what I planned to do at the BTC. 3 miles with an early cut off in 27:33 (9:11 pace) with relatively even splits. Not even close to acceptable but it was a big improvement over yesterday. When the detox reaction fades, there are 2 questions that will be answered:
1) Will I be able to tolerate more Sarcosine?
2) Will I remain sensitive without Sarcosine if I am off sugar?
Predictions:
1- I am betting on a YES. I'll up it slowly to 2 then 3-4 scoops and this time, I expect to see improvement with a higher dose. It is likely that although mega doses will be tolerated, I will not see additional benefit beyond 2 scoops. Maybe just maybe, I'll get back to competitive shape.
2- I am also betting on a YES there. I've been off sugar before and for an extended period in 2012 and yes, I was still sensitive. I've cheated far too often in this regard over the last several years but without Sarcosine, I really don't believe it would have been appreciably better if I was always clean.
PM- Another 3 mile at around 2PM this time at Gold's. Time is down to 24:47 (8:16 pace) MINUS 55. This time, I faded a bit on the back half. I bet that I could have been under the Mendoza line if I had waited until evening. Day 3 is complete. After Day 7, I will try to up the Sarcosine dosage. The Phospho-Serine was probably not a factor. The detox is working so far.
Distance=6.0
6/10- AM- 3 miles on Lakeshore in 24:21 (8:07 pace). Added a full mile cool at a glacial pace. Splits were pretty even but I was strugg-a-ling in mile 3 and would have slowed if I kept going. This was done in steamy conditions. It rained last night then the sun came out in the morning so it was pretty rough but I still feel like I should have been better than this. Why the problem? I'm betting that it was because I took glycine and C this morning. Without Sarcosine, it would have been over 30:00. 1 scoop got me down to the 24s. 2 scoops- better? We shall see.
This really does feel like a glycine/Sarcosine issue because I am somewhat depressed now. With enough Sarcosine, I am NOT depressed no matter how poorly I perform. The answer to Question #2 is a DEFINITE YES! This makes me feel a lot better. If my diet had been better, IT WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED MY DECLINE IN PERFORMANCE! Sarcosine is the only thing that could have made a difference. I will try to up the dose ahead of schedule. I'm on Day 4 now and staying strong.
PM- VERY INTERESTING! Extra Whole Food C made things noticeably WORSE. This proves that while a single scoop of Sarcosine will certainly help, it's not enough to resolve ALL of the symptoms of the enzyme defects. Then as I feared, an extra scoop of Sarcosine knocked out all the issues with the Whole Food C. Even mega doses did NOT phase me. BUT, I had the same old issues with the extra Sarcosine and ended up worse overall at least in terms of running shape. Once again, my overall mood was slightly BETTER. Did a junk mile on Wisteria to confirm and indeed I was right. Time was 9:17. Something must be done.
Distance=5.0
Reaction:
SOMEHOW SOME WAY I MUST INCREASE MY TOLERANCE TO SARCOSINE OR FIND A SUBSTITUTE PRODUCT THAT DOES NOT CAUSE BAD REACTIONS. I will explore several avenues. I will make a separate post for this but here are some ideas:
1) Cut out TMG
2) Switch from Sarcosine to DMG or take some combination.
3) Take the C only occasionally in the evening.
4) 1 Sarcosine plus a pinch more.
5) Continue with the sugar restrictions and hope tolerance improves with time.
I'll explain later why each option could possibly work.
My current situation is NOT acceptable.
- 21 miles on the week.
Distance=2.0
6/5- Unplanned rest day. How long can I go without Sarcosine? The answer is about 30 hours. The sensitivity kicked in BIGLY this morning and I doubled up today. You can guess how that feels. Back in Birmingham and back in my routine now. Hard not to cheat when I am out of town. Let's hope for sustained improvement for the next 30 days.
6/6- 1 mile junk run on Wisteria. Time is too embarrassing to reveal. Once again, I am not depressed about this. My reaction is not much more than shrugged shoulders. I am back on Day 1 tomorrow. As expected, I cheated back home and cheated again when I got back.
Distance=1.0
6/7- AM- 2 miles at Gold's in 18:40 (9:20 pace). Better than yesterday and finished with a strong negative split. (9:35-9:05). I'll be back out this evening.
PM- 4 miles on Lakeshore and my time is down to 33:57 (8:29 pace). MINUS 51 over double the distance versus the morning session. I sure wish it was this easy to improve at 7:30 pace. Again, I finished with a solid negative split. 1st half- 17:10, 2nd half- 16:47 with a last mile in 8:12. This is only the first day clean. 20 to go I hope.
Distance=6.0
6/8- SEVERE DETOX REACTION! At least, that's what I hope it is. I did take a Phospho-Serine but I don't think it was the problem. I felt no worse after taking it. The 2nd day is often the toughest but I can't recall a day this bad before. I am in the HARD mode in which I don't allow anything other than water so that might explain it. As it is, I probably should have stayed home from work because all I felt like doing was napping. I forced myself to do 1 mile at Gold's. Time was over 10 minutes, possibly over 11 minutes. I didn't even want to know.
Distance=1.0
6/9- AM-Did what I planned to do at the BTC. 3 miles with an early cut off in 27:33 (9:11 pace) with relatively even splits. Not even close to acceptable but it was a big improvement over yesterday. When the detox reaction fades, there are 2 questions that will be answered:
1) Will I be able to tolerate more Sarcosine?
2) Will I remain sensitive without Sarcosine if I am off sugar?
Predictions:
1- I am betting on a YES. I'll up it slowly to 2 then 3-4 scoops and this time, I expect to see improvement with a higher dose. It is likely that although mega doses will be tolerated, I will not see additional benefit beyond 2 scoops. Maybe just maybe, I'll get back to competitive shape.
2- I am also betting on a YES there. I've been off sugar before and for an extended period in 2012 and yes, I was still sensitive. I've cheated far too often in this regard over the last several years but without Sarcosine, I really don't believe it would have been appreciably better if I was always clean.
PM- Another 3 mile at around 2PM this time at Gold's. Time is down to 24:47 (8:16 pace) MINUS 55. This time, I faded a bit on the back half. I bet that I could have been under the Mendoza line if I had waited until evening. Day 3 is complete. After Day 7, I will try to up the Sarcosine dosage. The Phospho-Serine was probably not a factor. The detox is working so far.
Distance=6.0
6/10- AM- 3 miles on Lakeshore in 24:21 (8:07 pace). Added a full mile cool at a glacial pace. Splits were pretty even but I was strugg-a-ling in mile 3 and would have slowed if I kept going. This was done in steamy conditions. It rained last night then the sun came out in the morning so it was pretty rough but I still feel like I should have been better than this. Why the problem? I'm betting that it was because I took glycine and C this morning. Without Sarcosine, it would have been over 30:00. 1 scoop got me down to the 24s. 2 scoops- better? We shall see.
This really does feel like a glycine/Sarcosine issue because I am somewhat depressed now. With enough Sarcosine, I am NOT depressed no matter how poorly I perform. The answer to Question #2 is a DEFINITE YES! This makes me feel a lot better. If my diet had been better, IT WOULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED MY DECLINE IN PERFORMANCE! Sarcosine is the only thing that could have made a difference. I will try to up the dose ahead of schedule. I'm on Day 4 now and staying strong.
PM- VERY INTERESTING! Extra Whole Food C made things noticeably WORSE. This proves that while a single scoop of Sarcosine will certainly help, it's not enough to resolve ALL of the symptoms of the enzyme defects. Then as I feared, an extra scoop of Sarcosine knocked out all the issues with the Whole Food C. Even mega doses did NOT phase me. BUT, I had the same old issues with the extra Sarcosine and ended up worse overall at least in terms of running shape. Once again, my overall mood was slightly BETTER. Did a junk mile on Wisteria to confirm and indeed I was right. Time was 9:17. Something must be done.
Distance=5.0
Reaction:
SOMEHOW SOME WAY I MUST INCREASE MY TOLERANCE TO SARCOSINE OR FIND A SUBSTITUTE PRODUCT THAT DOES NOT CAUSE BAD REACTIONS. I will explore several avenues. I will make a separate post for this but here are some ideas:
1) Cut out TMG
2) Switch from Sarcosine to DMG or take some combination.
3) Take the C only occasionally in the evening.
4) 1 Sarcosine plus a pinch more.
5) Continue with the sugar restrictions and hope tolerance improves with time.
I'll explain later why each option could possibly work.
My current situation is NOT acceptable.
- 21 miles on the week.
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