Monday, November 18, 2019

Training 11/18-11/24

One last chance to get back on track.  The glycine triggered a relapse last week and I had to use caffeine to get me through work and that too triggered a relapse.  Fortunately, the withdrawal was not as severe as in the past.

11/18- AM 1 mile at Montreat in 8:51.  Splits were 4:32-4:19.  Ouch.  This was an improvement over yesterday's 9:47.

PM- 3 miles at Gold's in 25:53 (8:38 pace).  About what I expected at this stage.  Added a half mile cool.
Distance=4.5

11/19-AM.  Repeated the Montreat Mile and my time is down to 7:58.  MINUS 53 compared to yesterday but I am not pleased with how I felt.  Afternoons are usually better than the mornings.  Added a half mile cool.

PM- Lakeshore 4 in 32:28 (8:07 pace).  As expected, it was an improvement over the morning session.  I was 15:56 at the half but faded to a 16:32 on the back half.  I bet I'm right on the edge of the Mendoza line now.  Cheated a bit on the diet today but no problem.  Don't make a habit of it.  As long as the pills don't give me trouble, I won't need caffeine.
Distance=5.5

11/20- AM.  Montreat Mile in 7:27.  MINUS 31.  Noticeably better than yesterday.  Shoot for a sub-7 tomorrow.

PM- Gold's 3 in 23:51 (7:57 pace).  I was expecting to finish well below the Mendoza line today but instead, I just barely squeaked under.  Not a significant improvement over yesterday.  Perhaps, it's not an improvement at all but at least it's not a relapse.  I know I've got more in me than this.  Perhaps I got dinged a little bit from yesterday cheating.  I did NOT consume sugar or caffeine today but did drink alcohol tonight.  We'll see if it has any effect.
Distance-4.0

11/21- AM- Alcohol triggered a relapse.  I only drank the equivalent of 2 beers so that's hardly a binge.  The conventional wisdom was that sugared drinks are a no-no but alcohol is okay.  Not so!    There is a clear limit to how much non-water drinks that I can handle.  I had best not push my luck.  Didn't even try to run.

PM- Not as bad as I feared.  2 miles on Lakeshore in 16:50 (8:25 pace) with splits of 8:36-8:14.  Very interesting.  I was better than expected because I did not take any TRS this afternoon.  When I did take it, I was noticeably worse.
Distance=2.0
Reaction:
Forbidden drinks will not trigger much of a reaction UNLESS I take the full dose of TRS.   Very interesting.  Still, I won't get good long-term results without the TRS.    Another piece of good news:  Lithium was a non-factor and so too was the DIM.

11/22- AM-The dreaded better with or without test.  3x1 lap at Montreat.  Started off with a 2:49 naked.  Took TMG, which triggered a relapse just 10 days earlier.  Today, it was a non-factor.   I did the same lap and repeated the 2:49.  That's THE definition of a non-factor.  However, 5 sprays of TRS slowed me up considerably.  I managed just a 3:17 with it (PLUS 84/mile).  I responded by cheating again.

PM- Once again, not nearly as bad as I feared.  3 miles at Gold's in 24:45 (8:15 pace) with splits of 12:29-12:16.  If I had taken the TRS, I would have been AWFUL!  When the withdrawals kick in, we shall see when the need for TRS kicks in.
Distance=4.0
Reaction:
I am basically immune to the pills.  I won't even notice a single day of missed doses.  Pills that very recently triggered a relapse are now non-factors.  I'm sticking with the current formula but see no need to go back to TMG or DIM.  As for the sugars/alcohol, even daily use will not be disastrous but it does cause intolerance to TRS, which remains my best hope for recovery.

11/23- AM- The withdrawal did hit and I needed the TRS.  It seems as though it is not as intense as in the past.  1 mile in 10:08.  That's awful but not too long ago, I'd be looking at 12-13 minutes at the worst stage of withdrawal.

PM- 2 miles at Montreat in 16:54 with another slight negative split.  Getting better from hour to hour.  Hope to go at least MLR tomorrow.
Distance=3.0

11/24- Lakeshore 4 in 37:48 (9:27 pace).  Pretty sorry excuse for a workout.  I'm disgusted and will take next week almost completely off to try to reset this.
Distance=4.0

-27 miles on the week.









Thursday, November 14, 2019

Four Relapses

No training updates recently because my running has been absolutely dreadful so far in November.  4 times in the last 4 weeks, I have been FORCED off pills that were, until very recently, NECESSARY for me to function.  I even tried to quit one of them back in September, which turned disastrous after just 4 days off it.  This is par for the course nowadays.  In between, I did manage a 22:36 for 3 miles but as is always the case, I collapse just as my hopes are rising.

Here are the pills that I've been forced off in order:
Lithium
DIM with Maca
Sarcosine
TMG

Both the DIM/Maca and the Sarcosine once greatly improved by sensitivity to the pills and were once thought to be the key.  TMG was once necessary for me to tolerate methyl folate.  What is especially unnerving to me is that I was FORCED OFF!  By that, I mean that the pill triggered an immediate reaction such that I had the usual flu-like malaise with VERY sore muscles and no flexibility. 

Here is what should happen:
The pill will become ineffective and seemingly unnecessary.  After maybe 5-10 days, you are still performing at the same level without the pill but when you do take it again, it's a non-factor.  That's being set free from a pill.  By contrast, I was forced off.  It will take 3 days for it to clear.  Not surprisingly, I cheated on caffeine.  I kinda had to get through the day at work/  Since I am on phone duty, I could not afford to take the day off. 

On the bright side:
I am saving money by not ordering so many bottles of pills.  I cannot see another relapse on the horizon (I've been wrong countless times) because there is a genetic need for all of my other pills.  The TRS is more effective anyways than the DIM/Sarcosine at controlling the sensitivity. 

Here is my current cocktail:
-TRS
-Magnesium
-CBS/NOS caps
-Methyl Folate
-B-complex
-Stand alone B-12 (rotation with Liver)
  I really can't imagine any of these triggering a relapse.  I'm in BIG trouble if they do!  I have the CBS/NOS, MTHFR and MTRR mutations so I NEED those pills. 

Another piece of news that is a relief to me:
The lines on my thumb nails are likely NOT a sign of organ damage after all.  The skin is simply infected from picking at my cuticles.  It's washboard nails, not Beau's Lines.  It was just a coincidence that they appeared at the time my steep decline began.  It is highly doubtful that this poses any real threat to my health.  Sustained improvement must begin NOW!

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Rave: Florida Atlantic Beaches

Everyone in the Birmingham area is familiar with the Emerald Coast, a strip of land from Panama City to Gulf Shores with sugar white sand beaches and crystal clear water.  You can go out chest high but look down and clearly see your feet.  It's pretty awesome but there are some negatives.  Even during the off season, prices remain quite high especially if you want to stay on the beach itself.  There are some days in which the surf is pretty good (3-4 ft) but those days are rare.  Expect 1.5 foot waves as the norm and there are days in which it is completely flat.  Swimming in the Gulf is usually comfortable from early May through the end of October.

I took a trip to Daytona last weekend and did not use any time off work because I had Veteran's Day off as a State employee.  It's about 8.5 hours driving time.  I went part way on Friday evening then got in before noon on Saturday.  I had all day Sunday and half of Monday before I had to leave for home.

There are 2 ways of getting there that are about equidistant.  Route 1 is 65 down to Monty then  231 like I was going to Panama City.  Then, it was east on I-10 to Jacksonville and finally 95 south to Daytona.  The alternate route is 280 down to Columbus, GA then pick up 75 at Tifton before 10 and 95.  I took route 1 going down and route 2 going back.  Probably a good call.

Daytona most definitely has a different vibe.  Sand here is off white and HARD.  You will not struggle at all running on this sand and you can even drive on the beach when it's not high tide.  The water is not as clear but the surf is MUCH better.  Conditions were nearly perfect when I was in there.  Well, maybe a tad too rough but I never felt unsafe.  Waves were in the 4-6 ft range most of the time and came one after the other.  I got wiped out several times but recovered quickly and liked the adventure.  Though I was there primarily for the surf, there are several good restaurants and fun bars as well.  I'll admit that I got a little tipsy on Sunday night.

Several people asked me if I was getting too cold.  NO!  Both the air and water temperature were 75 degrees.  To me, it was quite comfortable.  Even 5 degrees cooler would have been tolerable.  Surprisingly, I was one of the only ones in the water but always swam near a lifeguard in case of unexpected trouble.  Here, water temperatures will remain above 70 from mid-March through the end of November.  I actually prefer going during the off-season to avoid the crowds and high prices while the water remains warm enough.  Perhaps October is the ideal month to go.  Surf definitely picks up starting in the Fall and there is less chance of a cold front.

If you go down to Miami, you will find the crystal clear water.  If the current is flowing from the Caribbean,  it will have a more aqua tint rather than emerald green.  Unfortunately, surf is less consistent and can go flat in the summer.  I wonder if there is a spot in between Cocoa and Miami that offers the best of both worlds.  Looking at YouTube, I'm thinking it's Fort Pierce.  At any rate, I will most definitely take more trips to Florida's Atlantic coast in the future.

Here are some pictures from Daytona: