Training 9/28-10/4 Race Week

 9/28- AM- Montreat Intervals

Opener- 3:30 (10:30 pace)

TRS- 3:55 (11:45 pace)

Probiotics- 2:14 (6:42 pace)

PLUS 75 on TRS.  MINUS 5:13 on Probiotics.

PM- 3 miles also on Montreat.  Finished in 25:51 (8:37 pace).  Kinda meh on this one.  About the same as yesterday in terms of distance and pace but I did finish stronger with splits of 8:48-8:38-8:25.  I'm past 24 hours without sugar or caffeine and there are no serious withdrawal symptoms.  If I can make it through tomorrow without an adrenal spike, I'm probably in the clear.  Regular use of energy drinks is BAD but an occasional cheat day should not hurt me.  With probiotics, it should be tolerated.  Tomorrow, I want to see the gap reduced, both with the TRS and the Probiotics.

Distance=4.0

9/29- AM- Vestavia Intervals.  I expect paces to be faster here because it is shorter and flat but the gaps should not be affected.

Opener- 1:59.2 (7:56 pace)

TRS- 1:50.2 (7:20 pace).  Shocked at the improvement.

Probiotics- 78.7 (5:14 pace).

MINUS 36 on the TRS.  MINUS 2:06 on Probiotics.  MINUS 2:42 overall.

MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT!  Hard to believe that the TRS made things BETTER today.  I credit the sugar abstinence.  Until the toxic metal were addressed, that would not have helped.  No sign of caffeine withdrawal or adrenal spike after 36 hours.  The 2nd 24 hours are usually the worst.  I still had trouble on a 3rd probiotic however.  Not sure how I would do on 1 of those.  Get the 400 under 75 and I have a fighting chance of a sub-6 minute mile.

PM- Very interesting.  Performance was meh again.  Trak Shak 3 mile in 25:30 (8:30 pace).  Only slightly better than yesterday afternoon, which was disappointing after the big improvement yesterday.  I took 2 additional Probiotics after the morning session.  I felt pretty lousy but it cleared pretty quickly.  Took the large dose of TRS and 1 more Probiotic.  Never felt strong in the run.  I passed the halfway point in 12:50, took another Probiotic and finished in 12:40.  That's pretty much statistical noise.  Slightly better but not enough to be considered significant.  I've had stronger negative splits in the past.  

Got home and did 3x half lap at Montreat.  Opened with a 72, popped 2 more Probiotics and expected to be awful but NO.  Managed a 74, which again is just statistical noise.  Pissed out some toxins and improved to a 65.  That IS a significant improvement.  

Distance=4.5

Reaction:

Tolerance to Probiotics is clearly improved.  That's good news.  Even if I take too many, it probably won't be disastrous.  TRS does NOT seem to trigger an intense need anymore.  Question is how many pills will yield the BEST result?  Is it 4 per day in divided doses or perhaps less?  We shall see. 

9/30-AM- Needed extra sleep so Montreat was the only option.  

4x half lap plus a 1 lap cool

Opener- 69 (6:54 pace)

TRS- 63 (6:18 pace)

1 Probiotic- 52 (5:12 pace)

2 Probiotics- 58 (5:48 pace)

Interesting again.  Opener was much better.  Same amount of improvement with TRS.  Probiotics were the moment of truth.  I felt almost full strength on 1 pill.  This loop is shorter than 400 but the hills partially offset that.  Figure, I would have been close to the 78 400 yesterday but probably don't break it.  I'd guess it would be more like 80 seconds.  Noticeably WEAKER on 2 pills.  Took a total of 8 yesterday and I'm probably still reeling a bit from that. 

PM- DAMN!!  Cannot tolerate probiotics.  Took only 1 this afternoon and it was a disaster.  Hoped to run 6.5 miles on Lakeshore and settled for 1 with a time of 10:15.  Only positive was that I was better, or should I say less awful on the back half.  The watch read 5:27 at the half but after a piss stop, I improved to a 4:48.  That's a MINUS 78.  Why the hell could I tolerate it last night but not today?  I have 2 options.   Go back to energy drinks and 2 probiotic pills twice a day OR go off the probiotics and attempt to gradually re-introduce them while keeping sugar to a minimum.  I do know that after a week off probiotics, the sugar intolerance will be extreme.  I'm leaning towards the latter option.  Prospects of a non-disaster are not good.  Once again, I cannot get through a week without a collapse.

Distance=2.0

10/1- Planned rest day.  Flight to Rapid City.  Night in Sundance, Wyoming.

10/2- 2x600 plus a cool in Wyoming.  I was pretty bad without the probiotics but improved with a pinch and was significantly better on a full pill.  Unfortunately, I was tying up a bit down the stretch and by the afternoon it was clear that the need for probiotics kicked in with a vengence.

Distance=1.0

10/3- Just a few strides.  Felt reasonably well but needed LOTS of probiotics.  

Distance=0

10/4- Race was a disaster.  I was doing okay through Mile 7 then crashed HARD.  I went from relative comfort to flat out awful in a matter of seconds.  I walked/slow jogged it in to a finish at either 2:15 or 2:16.  Who cares?

Distance=13.5

-25 miles on the week.

Probiotics and TRS Part 2

 Learned a lot this past week.  I'll list the bullet points and the ramifications.  Here they are:

A. The fungal/candida infection binds with the toxic heavy metals

This means that the two treatments MUST be taken together and twice a day as I learned today.  If taken separately, it will leave me worse off than without either one.  To be more specific, the probiotics need to be taken either with, or better yet, slightly after the TRS.  If I reverse the order, I've got trouble.  Why?  The TRS eliminates the heavy metals, thus breaking the bond with the candida.  Then, the candida is freed to wreak havoc on the whole system unless the probiotics are taken.  In my interval workouts, things went from bad to worse after taking the TRS alone but I saw BIG improvements after the probiotics.  Why not the probiotics first?  Without breaking the bond with the heavy metals, the candida is not easily killed and the result is a die off reaction, which releases worse toxins than candida itself.  I've wondered in the past why my urine sometimes has a foul smell but whenever it does, I feel noticeably better afterwards.  I'm not exactly sure what it is that is being eliminated but I can be sure that the stuff is nasty and highly toxic.  

B. I must take at least 5-6 sprays of TRS for the probiotics to be tolerated.  

TRS is expensive and this will be costly but I can afford it.  Going back to Point A, on lower doses of TRS, the bonds don't break as much.  I still need the Probiotics but tolerance is very limited.  Suppose that I only take 2-3 sprays of TRS, I'll only be able to tolerate a pinch of Probiotics.  It will be better than nothing but not very effective.  If I take a whole pill or the usual 2 pills, it can get VERY UGLY as I learned yesterday.  

C. What about the sugars?

This is the one point about which that I remain unsure.  Obviously, sugared drinks are not good for me over the long haul but it is nearly impossible to avoid them altogether.  Gatorade on a long run, especially on a warm or humid day, is indispensable.  A large energy drink is BAD but a cup of orange juice should be handled with no problem.   I admit to cheating this week.  It was partly in frustration but partly to see what would happen.  On the positive side, an extra sugared drink does NOT appear to affect tolerance for Probiotics.  When I didn't take enough TRS, the intolerance to Probiotics was no worse than before nor did it trigger a need for more.  When I DID take enough TRS, the Probiotics were still tolerated up to 2 pills.  More good news is that if I remain on the Probiotics after quitting the sugars, it does NOT appear that I will experience withdrawal or an adrenal spike. When that happens, I am worthless for at least 2 days then only slowly come out of the hole.  

Over the long haul without sugar, it could become complicated.  Based on what has happened in the past, my need for probiotics may diminish.  That will not be clear for another 5-7 days.  That would be good news.  Will my tolerance diminish as well?  That would be bad news and a potential disaster on race day if I take Probiotics that I cannot tolerate.  I know all too well that what works one day may not work the next. Also. I know that the longer I go without the Probiotics, the worse the sugar intolerance becomes.  Yes, I will react badly to juice even after several clean days.  Fortunately, I do not see that as a likely scenario.  IIRC, I was clean for 8 days until I caved in response to the missing NADH.  I took the Probiotic BEFORE the energy drink and YES, the Probiotic was tolerated.  Again, it was tolerated because I took enough TRS.  That is KEY!

Race day is just 7 days away and I'm just hoping for a non-disaster.  The half is a companion event with the full so the course is open for 7 hours.  No way that I don't finish within that time limit even if I have to walk almost all of it.  A finish is a finish no matter how slow it is.  I had hoped to get all 50 under 2 hours but I failed too often last year and don't see myself repeating that many.    

Training 9/19-9/27

 9/19- 3x400 at Vestavia plus a cool.  

Opened with a 3:01 (12:04 pace)

1 Probiotic (2:30) (10:00 pace)

2 Probiotics (1:59) (7:56 pace)

2 miles of junk added.  Gap of 4:08.

Distance=3.0

9/20- 4x400 at Vestavia

Opener- 2:37 (10:28 pace)

TRS- 2:52 (11:28 pace)

1 Probiotic- 2:26  (9:44 pace)

2 Probiotics- 1:47 (7:08 pace)

Gap of 3:20 between the opener and closer.  4:20 if you count the TRS.  Just as I said, the TRS eliminates the toxic metals and frees the bound fungi, which is why I was worse afterwards.  I am going to need probiotics for a while and I expect to see the usual pattern.    Finished the day with a 3 miler in 31:42 (10:34 pace) but did manage a 9:57 last mile.  2 weeks out from race day and believe it or not, I am optimistic about my chances.

Distance=4.0

9/21- Good news all around.  I did not run anything without treatments today.  Instead, my floor was after the TRS.  The floor improved to 2:19.7 (9:18 pace).  Skipped the 1 pill trial and jumped up to 2 and clocked a surprising 86.7 (5:46 pace).  Floor improved by 2:10.  Ceiling improved by 1:22.  Gap was reduced from 4:20 to 3:32.  If I can get the 400 time down to near 75, I have a shot at a sub-6 minute mile.  I know all too well that I can't expect this much day to day improvement going forward.  Eventually, I will level off.  

Drove immediately to Lakeshore and repeated yesterday's 3 mile route.  Improved to 27:36 (9:12 pace) with a strong negative split and last mile in 8:45.  Compared to yesterday, I was MINUS 82 per mile.  Even better, there is no sign of caffeine withdrawal or sugar intolerance.

PM- Another 3 mile this time on Canterbury.  Finished in 25:33 (8:31 pace).  Continued improvement but the story goes deeper.  Very sore joints and it feels like detox.  That was confirmed afterwards.  3 or 4 probiotic pills will probably serve me well.  If I go up to 5 or 6, I won't crash but I will be weakened.  I can't recover my old form on pills alone but that's to be expected.  I may take it easier tomorrow.

Distance=7.0

9/22- Opened with no treatments and clocked a 1:49 at Vestavia.  Almost as fast as my ceiling just 2 days earlier but I figure that would have been more like 2:00 if I used TRS. This time, still on no TRS but with probiotics, I improved only to a 1:34.  MINUS 60 per mile.  I did feel noticeably better but the effects were not nearly as dramatic as yesterday.  

20 minutes later, I was at Lakeshore and took the TRS.  Didn't run immediately but felt noticeably WORSE.  Recovered only after the 3rd probiotic pill.  Did the 2.5 bottom leg this time and clocked a time of 19:47 (7:55 pace).  Another half mile in 4:13 or better to come in under the Mendoza line?  I think I had it in me.  1st half in 9:56, 2nd half in 9:51 so the splits are evening up.  This may be my last day of significant improvement.

Distance=3.0

Reaction- All the questions have been answered for now at least.  Because much of the fungus is bound to the toxic metals, probiotics will be less effective when used alone.  They must be taken either with or shortly AFTER the TRS.  That way, the TRS breaks the bond and frees up the fungus, which is then killed by the probiotics.  Too much probiotics?  3 or 4 per day in divided doses is probably best.  More than that will trigger an unpleasant die off reaction.  It won't be debilitating but can cause sore joints and fatigue.  FINAL ANSWER, PLEASE! 

9/23- I said yesterday that too many probiotics won't hurt me too badly.  I spoke too soon.  Aimed for 5 miles on Lakeshore at near 9 minute pace.  Came through the first mile just a few ticks slow but died after that and had to walk/jog it back.  Came home and confirmed that excess probiotics was the culprit.  Once again, I cannot make it through a week without a collapse.  

PM- Improving with time.  Took me 6 minutes to do a half mile but a few hours later, I was down to 5:12.

Distance=3.0

9/24- Rainy day.  Opened with a 4:20 half mile.  Nice improvement over yesterday but I hoped for and expected better so this will not be a quick bounce back.  

PM- 3x half lap at Montreat.  Opener in 75 (7:30 pace).  Felt like I could have gone sub-4 for a half mile.  Definitely under 4:20.  TRS alone- slipped to a 92 (9:12 pace).  Worse than expected.  I was PLUS 60 last time,  this time, it was PLUS 1:42.  The big question would be how much would I bounce back on probiotics?  I managed a 69.5 (6:57 pace).  Pleased that I was significantly better than the opener but this is still not good at all.  Obviously, I am still dealing with die off and I know all too well that if I took more than 2 probiotics, I'm back to 12 minute pace.

Distance=1.0

9/25-AM.  3 miles on Lakeshore in 32:39 (10:53 pace).  Didn't expect to set the world on fire but expected better than this.  2nd half was only slightly better than the 1st half.

PM- Trak Shak 3.  Very sore and fatigued but my time is down to 27:56 (9:19 pace) with a 3rd mile below 9 minutes.

Distance=6.0

9/26-AM- Aimed for 5 miles at around 9 minute pace.  Again, I could not do it.  Started off okay but crashed HARD after 2 miles and walk/jogged home to a 34+ minute finish for just 3 miles.  The culprit was too much probiotics despite the fact that I had taken the same dosage as yesterday (2 pills).

PM- I thought that perhaps the sugar abstinence had caused the sudden intolerance but no, that was not the case.  Opened with a 3:37 lap at Montreat AFTER TRS but improved to 3:05 after just a pinch of probiotics.  However, after a full pill, I was right back to where I started from and knew that a 2nd pill would spell disaster.  Later in the day, I got a new theory.  I had cut back a bit on the TRS sprays in recent days.  Perhaps, I needed more to tolerate the probiotics.

Distance=4.0

9/27- AM Theory appears to be correct.  Took a massive dose of TRS and opened with an abysmal 5:52 for a half mile at Montreat (11:44 pace).  Signs of hope came with probiotics at half lap intervals:

Pinch: 1:38 (9:48 pace)

Full pill- 75 (7:30 pace)

2 pills- 53 (5:18 pace)

Would I do better on 3 pills or not?  Not sure.

PM- Took nothing and opened with a 5:20 half mile on South Lakeshore.  Clearly, I need two treatments per day, not just one.  Real workout was 2.5 on the bottom leg of Lakeshore.  I came through the first half on the standard TRS plus 2 probiotics in 10:16 then popped a 3rd probiotic.  Started off pretty well on the back half with a sub-8 pace through the next half mile then suddenly died.  I was still at 16:40 through 2 miles but the last half mile took 4:45 for an overall time of 21:25 (8:30 pace).  Again, I believe all the questions have been answered.  I need extra TRS to tolerate probiotics but no matter how much I take, 2 is probably the sweet spot.  If I am wrong on the dose, it is better to miss low than miss high.

Distance=4.0

- 34 miles but it was over 9 days.  

Probiotics and Toxic Metal Elimination

 About 3 weeks ago, I began a plan in which I eliminated ALL sugared drinks and stopped taking probiotics, which seemed to be toxic at the time.  I began to dig myself out of the hole slowly but surely and even completed a 10 miler at just over 2 hour race pace for 13.1.  Still, things didn't feel quite right and my stomach upsets and diarrhea were getting worse all the time.  Then, I ran into a snag when my NADH ran out and the shipment did not arrive as scheduled.  Thanks to the TRS, I can miss a few doses of most key pills every now and then without any noticeable ill-effects.  The only exceptions are TRS itself and Glutathione.  Unfortunately, I had to go 5 days without the NADH and that proved to be too much.  I experienced a sudden crash but it was followed by a quick rebound once I found the stuff at a local health food store.  

I did cheat on the caffeine on the day of the crash but in my defense, I kinda had to do so.  It was my week to be in the office and my mind had to be sharp enough to get my work done.  I also took some probiotics.  It was one of those scenarios in which I knew I was already messed up so what difference will it make?  Surprisingly, the probiotics were tolerated but the next day, I didn't take them.  This time, the intolerance to a small Red Bull (8.4 oz, 80 mg caffeine) was severe and I was back to the 12 minute range for just 1 mile.  I figured that I had gone too far with the 2 days of cheating and I would have to endure another slow climb out of the hole.  Again, after 2 days clean, I began feeling a little better.  However, on my trip home to visit my parents, I drank a cup of ORANGE JUICE for breakfast.  I figured that was safe enough because it was not caffeinated.  NOPE!  Another terrible reaction!  Same would probably happen with Gatorade so that's completely unacceptable.  Strangely, I could handle alcohol.  One night, I had the equivalent of 3 beers in a canned cocktail and felt no noticeable issues the next morning.  No headache or let down feeling at all.    

On a hunch, I tried probiotics again and improved immediately.  However, the dosing was tricky as usual.  I also discovered that the brand that I need Syntol.  Others are ineffective and possibly harmful.  Here are a couple of INTERESTING outcomes last week:

On Wednesday, I was not as horrible as usual on no pills (2:46/8:18 pace) then significantly faster on the usual TRS plus Glutathione (2:01/6:03 pace).  However, I was NOTICEABLY weaker after just ONE SIP of Red Bull.  I finished the can and slipped to an 85 for a half lap (8:30 pace) THEN after just a pinch of probiotics, I was all the way down to 50 (5:00 pace).  With a half pill, I slipped to 58 then slipped to 66 on the whole pill.  I found that the reaction to the excess probiotics was not so bad if I didn't take the TRS.  As soon as I took the TRS after the probiotics, WHAM, it felt like I got hit by a truck!  That told me that it was a detox reaction and the need and tolerance would likely go up.  

On Thursday, I got down to a 48 (4:48 pace) on a pinch of probiotics but needed more by the afternoon and overshot the balance point.  Friday, it appeared that the tolerance had improved.  Today, the need is insatiable.  I know the drill.  There will be a large gap between the ceiling and floor.  Both will improve but the floor rises faster and the gap diminishes.  Eventually, the gap will close to the point of insignificance and like the other pills, I can get by without it for a few days.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

I found out yesterday that fungal infections are inter-related with toxic metals.  In the past, my fungal levels had been flagged as high.  I got some relief from the probiotics but as was the case with all the others, it was not the answer to the sensitivity.  Fungus binds with toxic metals.  Thus, when the metals are eliminated, the fungus is set free to wreak havoc thus increasing the need for probiotics.  Too much too soon however triggers detox symptoms just like the others.  My workout today confirmed this assessment.  I was actually WORSE with the TRS and NO probiotics but made significant gains only after the probiotics.  The gains were short-lived and I needed more in a few hours.  The jury is still out.  Right now, my need for probiotics is insatiable.  The last question is what happens when I get back off sugar?  I'll know in a couple more days.  Once again, I will enter a race almost completely untrained.  It's gonna suck but I only have 4 more to go and barring cancellations, I can finish this next year. 

South Dakota Road Trip Plan

 I'm excited about this one.  My parents took me here when I was 8 years old and yes, I am old enough to remember, so it counts among the 49 that I have visited.  It was one of our favorite family vacations.   However, it is the only state that I have visited as a child but NOT as an adult.  Too many other races have been on my radar and better fit my schedule.    

This trip will require 2 days off work.  I'll get into Rapid City at mid-afternoon on Thursday 10/1 after a connection in Chicago but I figure it will already be after 3:00 by the time I get my rental car.  What I do after that is still to be determined.  I'll definitely head north to Spearfish, which is only about an hour away.  Do I spend the night there and just relax or do I head west into Wyoming?  Devils Tower Monument is only an hour further down the road and there appears to be a very nice park called Keyhole that's just 30 minutes farther.  Knowing me, I'll probably opt for the latter.  I figure I'll have to spend the night in Wyoming.  There is no way that I can catch both the park and the tower before sunset.   

The next morning, you can bet that I will be up with the sun and quickly on the move.  I'll head back east to Spearfish with a possible short detour to Montana.  I want to get a picture of as many Welcome signs as I can.  From Spearfish, 14-A looks to be a very scenic road through the Black Hills.  I can see Bridal Veil Falls and especially if I started in Wyoming, it may be almost lunch by the time I get to Deadwood.  From there, it will be 385 down towards Keystone.  Again, how much I do there is to be determined.  My gut tells me to hit Badlands NP just about 2 hours or so before sunset and stay there until the sun goes down.  This is a MUST see.  I may spend the bulk of my Friday afternoon at Badlands and catch the Custer attractions on Saturday.  I can be flexible depending on the weather forecast.    

Of course, the number one attraction in the Custer area is Mount Rushmore.  Also on my radar are Sylvan Lake, Black Elk Peak and Needles Highway.  Wind Cave may have to be skipped.  I can't see everything and I usually don't find caves to be overly exciting.  Black Elk Peak is the highest point (7244 ft) east of the Rocky Mountains and there is an epic hiking trail to the top of it.  Unfortunately, that will probably also have be skipped.  It's a strenuous trail of 7.6 miles round trip and takes 4 hours.  I don't have that kind of time and don't want to jeopardize my race.

Race day is Sunday at Crazy Horse.  It's a point to point high altitude downhill course (roughly 6,000 ft down to 5,000).  Tahoe at 7,000 was ROUGH but I actually found Teton at 6,000 to be not so bad.  Neither was Denver at 5,280.  Most runners say that their times are slightly better on this course than a normal rolling course located at near sea level.  As for the weather conditions, I expect a chilly morning.  Probably in the 30s at elevation but it warms up nicely in the afternoon.  Average highs this time of year are still in the mid 60s with a good probability of sunshine.  Should be a good trip.  My flight back leaves just before 4:30.  With an 8 AM start, I should have no trouble making it to the airport in plenty of time but won't be able to catch any sights that I may have missed.

Training 9/7-9/13

9/7- This week will have to be front loaded because I'll be traveling over the weekend.  5 miles on Lakeshore starting at Target this time plus a cool.  Finished in 43:24 (8:41 pace).  I'll take it.  Not a bad showing but I was hoping for a little better.  Felt like I lost a half step compared to yesterday but most likely, I am feeling the effects of increased mileage.  Improvements won't come so easily from this point forward but I knew that was coming.  Two areas of concern are continued stomach upset and I am still HORRIBLE WITHOUT TRS AND GLUTATHIONE.  Most importantly however is that I am not collapsing.

Distance=5.5

9/8- AM- Planned on 4 plus a cool.  Legs went dead after just 200 meters so I packed it in after just 1 mile in a time over 12 minutes.  Smart money was on too many missed doses of NADH.  That proved to be right but it ain't my fault.  I re-ordered it almost 2 weeks ago and it has still yet to arrive.  Fortunately, the local health food store came through and I got the last one on the shelf.  

PM- Effect of NADH was immediate.  Improved from 93 to 71 on the Montreat half loop then hit Lakeshore for a 2 mile quickie.  Finished that in 16:18 (8:09 pace).  Moderate effort with a bit of a push in the last quarter mile, which enable a 2nd mile a tick below 8:00.  Still, I wasn't flat out even at the end.  

Distance=3.5

Reaction:

Yes, this was a crash but it's crash that I can accept.  I could see it coming yesterday and remarked that something felt a little off.  I went from just a little off to AWFUL in just 24 hours.  I confess that with the exception of the TRS and Glutathione, I've not been as diligent about taking all my pills every day since I can get away with a couple missed doses every now and then.  It will probably take about 5 consecutive missed doses of any other key pill before things really start to fall apart.  I can live with that.  It would be nice if the same held true for the TRS and Glutathione but maybe some day.   

Also, this never would have happened if I had gotten the bottle within 3-5 business days as expected so it ain't my fault.  More good news is that I have bounced back quickly and tolerated Probiotics.  I'm pretty much back to the new norm after just 1 dose so it's not a slow climb out of another deep hole.  I expect continued improvement later in the week though it will not be as rapid as last week.  Bottom line is that if these sort of days happen maybe once or twice a month, I can deal with it.  Crashes every week with no quick bounce back?  No!  Like I said many times, my demands are hardly unreasonable.

9/9- COLLAPSE-  I handled the caffeine yesterday.  I kinda had to take it to get through the day without NADH.  I could not handle to comedown and withdrawal.  2 miles at a pace near 12 minutes.  That's per mile.  Not overall.  I was less than half the speed of my prime.  Again, under normal circumstances, a 1 day binge or even a 2 day binge should NOT trigger a reaction this bad.  I'm right back to where I started from at the beginning of the month.  ANGRY!

Distance=2.0

9/10- Day 2. This is usually the worst day after a collapse.  Could not break 12 for 1 mile.

Distance=1.0

9/11- Repeated the Mile at Montreat and my time is down to 10:45.  Looking at another slow climb out of the hole.  Day 3.

Distance=1.0

9/12- Planned rest day.  Travel.  Terrible reaction to ORANGE JUICE but probiotics made things a LOT better.  

9/13- Interesting.  3 miles on Jefferson Trail in 23:53 (7:58 pace).  Under the Mendoza line in my last run as a 30-something but faded badly down the stretch.  I was at 11:33 at the half but fading and slipped to a 12:20 instead of the usual negative split.  Managed a 4:00 next half mile then faded to an 8:20.  This course is slightly sloped.  The 1st and 3rd quarters are predominantly uphill but the 2nd and 4th are mostly down so the 1st and 2nd halves are basically a wash.  Slowest part was the downhill finish.  Got back and confirmed that I had taken too much probiotics.  MUCH worse after taking a 2nd pill.  I will discover what to do within the next few days.

Distance=3.0

-16 miles on the week.

Possible Ski Trips

 Aside from the day trip to the Fort Payne area, there are several in the East that could be worth a visit on a weekend trip.  There is Gatlinburg, Tennessee as well Maggie Valley and Boone, North Carolina.  I might even go as far as southern West Virginia at Snowshoe if I really get into it.  Another option is to hop from one resort to the next.  That's more my style.  It's a bit of a detour but Boone to Gatlinburg is slightly more than 3 hours.  Of course, the ski/surf double is on my bucket list and my best chance is Maggie Valley/Charleston.

Word on the street is that once you go out West, you're spoiled for life and you'll never want to ski back east again.  Problem is the cost.  I've heard that at the best ski resorts such as Aspen, Jackson Hole and Breckenridge, lift tickets can cost you upwards of $150 per day.  Suppose that you have a family of 4 or 5 and you have to add in the cost of lodging, ski rentals and a rental car, many people would find that to be prohibitively expensive.  I'd be willing to go for 2-3 days but not a full week.  Big problem is that most organized group trips with the Birmingham Ski Club are indeed full week trips.  Perhaps I can find a maybe 2-3 others to join me on a smaller trip.  

Of course, there is also the weather forecast.  I may be willing to bite the bullet and pay for a last minute plane ticket if I know the weather will be good.  You don't want to be delayed by a snow storm even though roads are well taken care of out there.  Optimal conditions are clear and cold but not frigid.  On a cloudy day, spectacular views from the top of nearby mountains can be obstructed.  

Western Ski Resorts That I Would Visit:

-Flagstaff, Arizona.  This trip can be combined with the Grand Canyon and Sedona.  Bad weather prevented me from doing it justice last time.

-Park City, Utah.  I saw plenty of Southern Utah but not much of Northern Utah and have seen very little of Idaho.  I'd probably take 2 days to ski and 3 to road trip.  

Lake Tahoe- Epic California Road Trip that would include Pacific Coast HWY, Yosemite NP as well as skiing and surfing.

Breckenridge- Probably only a long weekend here.  It's 2 hours from Denver and I've got to ski in Colorado.