TMG Relapse

 I've had some relapses that I saw coming or at least should have known would happen.  For example, taking an adrenal glandular to combat the detox symptoms was necessary because it was unbearable otherwise.  I knew that taking it meant that my chemistry was moving in the wrong direction and the aftermath would not be pretty.  Also, caffeine may have helped the detox process because it is a diuretic.  Again, I knew full well that when I stopped, I would be down for a few days.  I'm okay with that.  

This one left me COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED!  TMG is Tri-Methyl Glycine and I have taken it for several years and had no problems.  In fact. it was actually necessary to take it because without it, I could not tolerate Methyl Folate.  I have the dreaded MTHFR 677 gene, so I had no chance without the MF.  

One evening, I felt noticeably worse after my evening cocktail of pills.  I took them all again and found that TMG was the culprit.  Fortunately, I've had no issues with MF without it.  I thought that perhaps it had lowered my homocysteine too much so I tried NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine).  I saw significant improvement for a few days then developed an intolerance to NAC.  Going back to the TMG only made things WORSE!  Increasing the TRS and the probiotics had no effect on the tolerance.  OUCH!  All I can do is stop this pill and hope that I will not develop an intolerance to another one.  If you think stopping running will help, think again.  I probably would have identified this problem sooner if I had been in decent running shape.  

I've now got just 3.5 months to train for Hawaii.  It is looking bleak.  I'll need to have one of my better days just to beat the time limit and it will be a miserable experience.  However, I am ONE state away and cannot quit now.  If I fail, I will try again.  The year is more than half over and I have NOT ONCE been healthy enough to do a long group run.  This is my worst year yet and next year may be worse.

After Hawaii, I plan to take 7 weeks of complete inactivity with the possible exception of skiing.  I will see a "real doctor" but doubt that he can help.  I will NOT take anti-depressants again.  I already know that SSRIs and SNRIs don't work for me.  I have looked into Wellbutrin, which is dopamine based.  I've heard that rage is a common side effect.  I have to deal with uncooperative clients at work.  That could be a disaster.

States Visited Only Once

There are only a few states that I have visited only once.  Depending on the standard used, that number is either 3 or 7.  In each case except for one, I was there for a race but usually combined it with other tourist attractions.  In order to qualify for multiple visits, 2 separate trips must be done.  For example, going back and forth from Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota does not count.  

Here are the states with only one visit under the lenient standard:

North Dakota- My first and only visit came in 2009 for the Fargo Marathon, where I set a then-PR of 3:43 for my first of 3 sub-3:45 marathons.  I did little else but yes, I can envision myself coming back.  There is Government Bay outside of Bismarck and Theodore Roosevelt NP.  I want to combine it with a visit to Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  I expect that to be underwhelming but I need only 3 provinces in hit all 10 in Canada.  This trip will not happen until Disgustin' Justin lifts the vackseen mandate to enter Canada.

Alaska- I have unfinished business here without Cara's boyfriend.  I was there for the Mayor's Midnight Sun half in 2016 and finished in 1:54.  We saw a good portion of Anchorage plus Denali NP and Talkeetna but missed out on the glaciers in the south around Seward as well as Denali State Park, which has better views of Mt. Denali.

Hawaii- I was just there last winter without a race and feared that it could be my only chance because of a potential vackseen mandate.  Fortunately, that has been lifted and I'll be back in November.  I am DREADING the race but the rest of the trip to Oahu will be fun.  I'd like to see all 4 major tourist islands.  I've only been to the Big Island.  I'll still need Maui and Kauai after this.

Strict standard-

Kansas and Nebraska- In 2016, I did the Scout Challenge half at the Kansas Speedway just outside of Kansas City, Kansas in a time of 1:45.  I also saw a Royals game and the Truman Library on the Missouri side.  I had one prior visit but did nothing  except get gas and eat at KFC.  As for Nebraska, the race was the Autumn River Run in 2018 in 1:57.  I also stopped at a lake and the Scottsbluff Monument.    Again, I had a prior visit in 2010 as a Denver detour but did nothing except make a small purchase at a grocery store.  

A return trip could be a good one.  I'd fly to Denver and drive roughly 7 hours to Lincoln, Nebraska for a night on the town then work my way back with stops at the Eisenhower Library, Little Jerusalem and Gypsum Hills in Kansas plus the Great Sand Dunes NP and Garden of the Gods back in Colorado.

Idaho- My first visit came in 2011 for the Coeur D'Alene half mary, where I clocked a strong 1:33 at mild altitude on a course that may have been a tad long.  It was part of a road trip that included stops in Spokane, Washington and Missoula, Montana.  I did return in 2017 for a photo op outside of Yellowstone but was only there for a few brief minutes.  

I've only really seen the panhandle of Idaho so I really haven't done justice to this state.  A return in planned for next winter in which I will go skiing and see Boise, Shoshone Falls and the Snake River Mountains.  It looks beautiful on YouTube.

Wisconsin- My first visit came in 2008 on a Chicago detour.  I did nothing except eat at McDonald's so needless to say, that doesn't meet the strict standard.  I returned 10 years later for a race near Madison and combined it with a trip to Minnesota and Iowa.  I clocked a 1:50 and have not been faster since then.  The highlight was Door County, which included Whitefish Dunes and Cave Point County Park.

A return trip will be a Milwaukee/Chicago tour.  Milwaukee is one of the only cities with at least 2 pro sports teams that I have not seen.  The Miller brewery will be worth a stop and though rare, surf can pick up on Lake Michigan.  A session with Chicago skyline views could be really cool.   I definitely want to see a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.  

Rant: AAA Talent

 I attended a Minor League baseball game in Charlotte.  It was a AAA team (one level away from the Majors).  Most of these rosters are filled with veteran non-prospects with maybe 2 players who are expected to be future stars or at least strong contributors to the big-league team.  I thought of how heart breaking it must be for these players to live and breathe baseball but after so many years, they must accept that they don't have quite enough talent to stick on the MLB roster.  Some of them get a cup of coffee when a key player goes down with an injury and Pitchers are more like to get a shot than position players.  Sadly, in many cases for the AAA player, even the cup of coffee never comes.  

Since I had the academic skills for college, I personally would not sign a pro contract right out of high school unless I was a high first round pick and was offered upwards of $2 million dollars.  It's easier to project the future of 21 year olds than 18 year olds so both the team and the player have a better idea of the odds of making it.   I would take summer classes and try to finish my degree within 3 years.  If I'm a few credits short, I could go back for the Fall semester of my senior year without a conflict with Spring Training.   

Typically, if you are a lower draft choice, you are sent to Short Season A ball (60 games, I think) and it is sink or swim.  About half of the players will be cut at season's end.  If you are battling nagging injuries or illness and can't perform up to your standards, tough luck.  Fortunately, there is the option of Independent League ball but very few of those players will be signed for another shot at the Minors. EDIT: As of 2021, short season baseball has been discontinued.  Draftees will either play in Rookie ball or Low-A.

If you do well enough in your first year, you are then sent to Low-A full season ball.  Succeed there, and you will be promoted to High-A, which is still 3 levels from the Show.  Suppose that you are in your 3rd year of pro ball and still languishing in A ball while struggling to hit your weight.  At 24 or 25 years old under those circumstances, getting cut is not going to hurt too much.  It's clear that you are not going to make it and it's time to get on with your life's work.  After being the star of your college team, it wouldn't be much fun to struggle so much in the Minors, so I think I'd know that it's best to give it up.  Use your signing bonus to go back to school and get your Master's Degree.   

Now, suppose that you are a solid performer in the low Minors.  You hit around .270 with 10-12 HRs per year.  In other words, you are not setting the world on fire, but you do well enough to climb up the ladder.  Coaches will tell you that you have a realistic chance of carving out a niche as a utility player and may even earn a starting role down the road.   AA is typically where you separate the men from the boys.  If you are successful at that level, you've got at least a 50/50 chance of getting at least a cup of coffee in the Majors.  

Now, suppose after 3-4 successful minor league seasons, you hit AAA at 25 or 26 and struggle to hold your own as the competition is just too strong.  You try in vain to improve but you can't hit much better than league average.  You are stuck in AAA just 1 step away from the Show and hope to get the call one day, but it never comes.  Man, that would be so disheartening. Still, you will be able to tell your grandchildren that you faced future stars and perhaps you came out on top.  I was a terrible Little League player but did leg out an infield single against the best pitcher in the league.  

As hard as it is to make it to the Majors, it is even harder to stick.  Most of the 26 or 27 year old AAA players who get their shot are marginal at best and will soon be sent back.  Salaries are pretty decent in AAA and usually higher than an entry level job even with a degree.  That's why so many AAA players stick around for so long.  That said, once you hit about 31 or 32, nobody wants a career minor leaguer.  Teams want to give a chance to younger players with potential upside.  So, what do you do if you are 10 years removed from college with no experience other than playing baseball?  I've met one of those guys before.  He was an insurance salesman who told stories about facing Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr. in Spring Training.  He seemed happy on the surface but I'm sure it was eating at him that he never made it.  If it were me, I'd go back to school to re-fresh my job skills and maybe work as an assistant coach on the side.