Training 10/31-11/13 Taper

 10/31- 3 miles in 25:48 (8:36 pace).  Not bad but hoped for a little better.  Strangely, I was actually trying to hold back early and still clocked an 8:23 opening Mile.  Once again, I faded in the back half (12:40-13:08).  Legs were fine but cardio was weak.  I need more distance and that will be the top priority when I come back after Christmas.  I may benefit from blood donation but it's too late now.  I can't predict how I will respond to it.  

Distance=3.0

11/1- Thanks to the Cytokines, I am confident that I will not fail in Hawaii because of a sudden intolerance to a pill in my cocktail.  The biggest danger is quitting a pill that I THINK I no longer need but in reality I still do.  I need to test this out now.  In 2 weeks, I will be on extended break and not as well in tune with my body.  

AM- On nothing, I opened with a 74.  With Cytokines, I improved to a 69.  Still a significant difference but not night and day.  That's without adrenal support.  I was noticeably better with it but I don't think that an increased dose made much difference.  

PM- Only 1.5 on Lakeshore.  I passed the halfway point in 7:07 (9:30 pace) then took the TRS spray.  I improved to a 6:21 on the back half (8:28 pace).  Much better but I still did not set the world on fire and I believe that over a 3 miler, I would have been much worse than yesterday.  I suspect that I still need the Fulvic Acid as well.  Not real pleased but at least I can make it through a long weekend without it.

Distance=2.0

11/2- Forget what I said about not being worried about a bad reaction to a pill.  DISASTROUS response to both Quercetin and IP-6.  Fortunately, there is an explanation.  Both strengthen the immune system, which is the opposite of what I need.  I may need to INCREASE the Cytokine suppressants and/or find something stronger.  That won't be done until after Hawaii. I still don't think I have to worry about a reaction to anything in my cocktail.  That something stronger may be none other than Eye-Vermectin.

I opened with a pitiful 1:48 then I was WORSE after taking TRS.  I probably would have improved on Fulvic Acid but as it is, I went with Cytokines.  Just one pill brought me down to 90 seconds then 2 more got me to 62.  Fulvic Acid got it down to 59.  Unfortunately, IP-6 made things worse than ever.  The result was similar on Quercetin when I got home.  Fortunately, extra Cytokine pills did mitigate some of the ill-effects.  Taking the Quercetin may be why I was so bad on EITHER Probiotics or Taurine alone but much better together.

I think this will be a 1-2 day blip.

Distance=1.0 

11/3- 2 miles in 21:38 (10:49 pace).  TERRIBLE performance.  Last mile was over 11:30 and if the race had been today instead of 10 days out, I don't think I make it.  Concern, panic or doom?  It's concern.  I didn't see this coming and I do worry that something similar could happen 8-9 days from now.  However, it happened because I tried something new 2 weeks out.  Of course, I'd NEVER do this within 5 or even 7 days of race day.  As long as I take everything in my cocktail and nothing new for the few days before race day, I SHOULD be okay.  

I took TRS after I got home and felt worse but got better after Fulvic Acid.  I need to clear out the IP-6 and Quercetin and keep up or increase the Cytokine suppressants and I bet that I'll be a lot better tomorrow.  After Hawaii, I will add another Immune modulator and may order Eye-Vermectin as well.

Distance=2.0 

11/4- Opened with a very poor 1:43 (10:18 pace) on nothing but adrenal support.  3 Cytokine pills got me down to 65 (6:30 pace).  MINUS 3:48!!  2 additional got it down to 57 (5:42 pace).  MINUS 48  That's a night and day difference on 3 pills, which did NOT happen just 3 days earlier.  I saw further gains by increasing the dose.  Not night and day but still enough to be considered significant.  

If a HS 400 runner who normally runs a 57-58 can suddenly no longer break 65, people will ask what is wrong!  The gap should decrease when the bad stuff fully clears my system.  A question that will be answered early next week: Will I continue to see gains with increased dosing or will I level off after a certain dose?

PM- 1.5 miles in 13:54 (9:16 pace).  Better than yesterday but still very poor.  I think I could have made it if the race had been today but it would have been very slow and painful.  Again, faded badly on the back half.  Last half mile was 4:56.  Ouch!

Distance=2.0

11/5- Junk run in the parking lot at P'Cola.  I thought that perhaps the caffeine is hurting me.  No evidence of that today.  I was actually slightly better with than without.

Distance=0.5

11/6- Determined to finish 5 miles non-stop no matter what the pace.  I might as well have walk-jogged it but with the exception of a water break at the halfway point, yes, I made it.  Time was 52:46 (10:33 pace) with bad splits (25:31-27:15) but I finished.  Now 7 days out from race day.  I'm not sure that the IP-6 and Quercetin have fully cleared but barring another relapse, I WILL finish.  It will be a very slow and painful affair but I will make it.  All downhill from here.  I will do very little in between now and race day.  Need to take it easy in the surf the day before race day as well but I think I can handle a hike.

Distance=5.0

11/7- Planned rest day.  I know exactly what will happen tomorrow.  I'll be pretty awful on no treatment, only somewhat better on everything but the Cytokines.  I will see further gains on additional Cytokine pills.

11/8- EXACTLY as expected.

No pills- 93 (9:18 pace)

Full cocktail minus Cytokines- 83 (8:18 pace)

3 Cytokine pills-58 (5:48 pace)

5 Cytokine pills-51 (5:06 pace)

1 lap cool to make it an even Mile.  

Distance=1.0

Reaction:

Pretty bad without pills.  On the full cocktail, I was significantly better but it didn't become a night and day difference until I took the Cytokines.  Yes, I saw additional gains on extra pills.  I'm going with this cocktail in Hawaii.  I'll take 3 every day but jack it up to 5 only on race day.  If I had opened with Taurine or Probiotics alone, it would have been around 1:45.  If I added IP-6, I'm over 2:00.  That gap MUST close.  I do believe that it will with continued Cytokines while avoiding the bad stuff.  Standard issue run tomorrow then just 1 or 2 shakeouts in Hawaii.

11/9- AM- 2 miles in 16:24 (8:12 pace).  I feel like the IP-6 has finally cleared my system.  Felt about the same as last time at this distance.  Good leg power but weak cardio.  Managed a negative split but was unable to hold the pace that I set early in Mile 2.  This was done on 3 Cytokine suppressants.  If I had taken 5, I'm likely well under 16.  

PM- Noticeably weaker by the afternoon.  The same thing happened yesterday so it was an impromptu test.  1/2 lap warm.  Managed only a 77.  Didn't expect to duplicate the 58 but expected better than that.  Popped just 1 Cytokine pill and I was back down to a 70.  Clearly, I have a SEVERE need for these pills because just 10 hours later, this happened.  Fortunately, this won't affect me on race day.  The start is at 5:30 AM and I'll be done before I start to lose strength from lack of pills.

Distance=2.5

Final Thought: I've done all that I can.  I'm racing under Caution (yellow flag) but it could be worse.  I've made it through the training unscathed.  Just 1 or 2 shakeout jogs in Hawaii then I race in 4 days.  I may or may not be able to update this before I get home.

11/10- Planned rest day.  Flight to Honolulu

11/11- Elective rest day.

11/12- 1 mile shakeout run in 8:15 with a mild pickup at the end plus a few strides.

Distance=1.5

11/13- I finished.  Barely.

Distance=13.5

-34 miles total

Plan for Hawaii and Beyond

 

Plan for Hawaii and Beyond

2 weeks from today, I catch the flight and the race is 3 days later.  I’m not doing anything too radical between now and then unless I have to do so.  The taper is approaching.  A marginal gain in fitness that can be achieved from increased training is not worth the risk of injury.  As I’ve said many times, I just want to finish comfortably ahead of the time limit and be done with it.  I expect to do better but I don’t really care if it’s over 3 hours.  That said, I do want just one 13-mile walk/jog session just to prove that I can do it.  That will be done on Saturday.  I’ll keep most of my daily workouts in the 2-3 mile range but was encouraged by yesterday’s 4-miler.  I’ll go up to 5 one day next week but no further.

Blood Donation:

The plan was to get it done in September but given the issues with the doctor and the lab tests, I didn’t get around to it.  It’s too late now.  I can’t predict what will happen but a temporary intolerance to the adrenal supplements is a possibility.  A SNAFU could still happen, but I need to reduce the risk.  I will get it done after the race. 

Sugar/Caffeine Consumption:

I’ve flip-flopped on this.  I will NOT quit cold turkey before the race because a Candida die off could occur.  That is NOT pleasant.  I won’t binge.  No more than one can per day and some days will be clean but once again, the risk of a bad reaction due to a radical change is too high. 

Cocktail of Pills:

There is a flicker of hope that I have found a winning formula with the Cytokine, Adrenal support, Probiotics and Taurine.  I will take the detox and methylation support only occasionally.   I’ve had no trouble with missed doses of that stuff and I’m not even sure that I need it anymore.  Yes, I'll make sure to take a couple doses in the days leading up to race day just in case I am wrong.  After the race, I will reduce the Cytokines and increase the Probiotics.  I will also TRY to drink nothing but water.  If a die off reaction occurs after the race, it will be ugly but it won’t matter. 

Rheumatologist:

The doctor did refer me, but I have yet to hear from them.    Who knows how long it will take?  Will they ever call me?  It is my hope that I can fix this without it.  Word on the street is that the drugs prescribed have AWFUL side effects that are often worse than the disease itself.  A friend of a friend said that it can also mess up your teeth.  I REALLY don’t want that to happen to me.  You should see the comments that I get on my smile.  Several people say that I could be a model for toothpaste companies and my favorite comment is that my teeth are so bright that you need sunglasses.  My weight and blood pressure are both heading in the right direction.  I expect that steady running will be enough to get those numbers where I want to see them. 

Future as a Runner:

Recent improvements have given me a flicker of hope that I can continue.  Nevertheless, I plan to stick with the idea of 6 weeks off after the race.  Now is as good of a time as any with the cold and darkness in December.  After Christmas, everything will be reset, and I will start back again gradually.  How far can I go?  That remains to be seen.  I will not run another half marathon unless I can break 2 hours.  If that never happens again, I can live with it.  I do like my chances of coming back as a 5K and 10K specialist.  If I can run 4 miles @ 9:06 pace with plenty left in the tank, I can go sub-60 for 10K (6.2@9:40) especially with more steady training.  That’s respectable for a non-competitive over-40 runner.  Most big-time races also have a 5K or 10K fun run as a companion to the full and half mary.  Is it worth a road trip for just a 5K?  Probably not, but I’m sure that I can find other stuff to do in the target city or on the way. 

Cities to Target:

Miami, Florida- January race then swim in the ocean.  Can’t go wrong there.

Tampa, Florida- I think there is one here in March, which is the best chance to catch waves.

Charleston, South Carolina- Cooper Bridge Run.  It’s a large 10K in early April.  Kinda wish it was in the Fall but I can still swim here.  I may need a wetsuit.    

Savannah, Georgia- Another Bridge run.  This one is in December.  Again, I need a wetsuit to swim but I can still do it. 

Biloxi, Mississippi- If I’m not in shape for a half, they do have a 5K.  I can enjoy a night on the town in Mobile or New Orleans or possibly swim at Dauphin Island.  It’s in December so again, I probably need a wetsuit.  November would likely be warm enough.

Fort Worth, Texas- I certainly don’t regret my choice to race in Austin but it wasn’t an authentic Texas experience as the culture is much different from the rest of the state.  The Cowtown weekend offers a 5K, 10K, half and full.  I’m sure that I can find worthwhile stuff to do in Dallas even though I was just there last year. 

Little Rock, Arkansas- My Arkansas race choice was a low-key event on a bike trail because I wanted a fast time.  Little Rock is an underrated city that is a manageable drive away from home.  They offer a 5K and a 10K in addition to a half and full.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania- I’ll only race here if it’s a half.  I’ve done a good 10K here already.  My half choice for PA was one of my worst.  It was also on a bike trail that did not showcase the city and I was in really bad shape that day. 

Louisville, Kentucky- I wanted to do the Kentucky Derby race but opted for Lexington because of a family commitment.  I’ve got other options for Louisville, and I believe they have companion events at shorter distances.  It’s a pretty easy drive and there are bourbon distilleries to tour nearby. 

Mobile, Alabama- I’ve already done the Azalea Trail 10K but I’d like to do a half here as well.  There is another race in early November that is basically the same course as Azalea without the crowd and it will probably be warm enough to swim.   

Coos Bay, Oregon- There is a 4 Mile trail race here on Labor Day weekend.  This is the hometown of Steve Prefontaine.  Pretty cool to race in his footsteps.

San Diego, California- I want to go back because I didn’t do it justice.  America’s Finest City is a good race in mid-August that can easily be combined with a beach trip.  It is a half marathon and 5K.

Washington, DC- It's not a state so it was not required to run a half.  I downgraded from the half to the 5 Mile because of health concerns but if I'm in shape, I will come back for a half.  Plenty to do here.

Training 10/24-10/30

 10/24-AM

Opened with Taurine WITHOUT Probiotics OR Cytokines and struggled as expected.  Time was 99 for a half lap (9:54 pace).

With Probiotics but still without the Cytokines, I was all the way down to a 77 (7:42 pace), for a massive 22 second difference.  MINUS 2:12.  I figure that if I had taken the Taurine without Probiotics but with the Cytokines, the difference would have been 7-8 seconds (42-48/mile).  Still significant but not a night and day difference.  On the Cytokines, I dropped to a 70 (7:00 pace).  This was done without adrenal support so that is encouraging.  I did take the adrenal support before work.

PM- Lakeshore 2.5 in 21:12 (8:29 pace).  More than a minute better than last week.  I'll take it.  The rate of improvement has slowed but it continues.  Again, I faded in the back half (10:24-10:48).  If I had kept going for another half mile, I bet I am in the 25s.  Less than 2 minutes away from the Mendoza line.

Distance=3.0

10/25- AM.  Opened again with Taurine alone and improved to 94 for a half lap and kept going for a 10:27 Mile.  I'm actually mildly encouraged by that.  Even if I do everything wrong, I still like my chances to finish in Hawaii.  That said, I DO want to see that time improve down the road.  That's it for today.  Stormy evening.  Lately, I need 8-9 hours of sleep per night so that leaves little time for a morning workout.  Hmm.

Distance=1.0

10/26- 4 miles on Lakeshore in 36:24 (9:06 pace).  I'm pleased with this one.  Dialed back the effort and finished strong.  Mile 4 was 8:44 and though I did turn it up a bit, I was far from flat out.  This is sub-2 pace for a half mary so I am 1/3 of the way there.

Distance=4.0

10/27- AM- Repeated the Taurine alone and improved to a 9:20 for the Mile.  MASSIVE GAIN.  In truth, I was probably aided by taking both the previous evening.  I need to know what happens if I take neither for at least 24 hours.  If I go off both for several days, I bet it's real ugly.  Still, I've got to be pleased with this one.

PM- Tempo.  2 miles in 16:18 (8:09 pace).   This was a tick better than 2 days ago.  Not significant but steady and gradual.  Bad splits however.  7:56-8:22.  I don't think I had quite enough for a sub-16 with an even pace but I am close.  In truth, I badly wanted to see that sub-8 split even if it meant that I would fade in the back half.  I bet that I could have held it for 1.5 miles so I am halfway to the Mendoza line.

Distance=3.0

10/28- Planned rest day.  I did do 1 half lapper with Taurine alone and continue to improve.  Excellent news.

10/29- Double extension for 13 miles on Lakeshore.  Finished in 2:25:29 (11:11 pace).  With a 4:1 jog/walk ratio, my overall pace was around 11:30.  I did jog the last 2.5 and gradually increased the pace.  Mile 13 was my fastest of the day at 9:38.  The plan for Hawaii will be the same.  Word on the street is that there is a tough stretch in Mile 10-11.  In that case, I may make my move sooner but walk most of climbs to recover before bringing it home.  

Conditions today were near perfect (overcast, 55 degrees) and that won't be the case in Hawaii.  Given warm weather and a tough course, I can expect around 2:30 on race day, give or take a few minutes.  I really don't care either way.  Just as long as I am well below 3:30.

Distance=13.0

10/30- 1 mile junk run.  Just a shake out.  Ran it naked.  Legs are appropriately sore but not completely trashed.  Only ten days of training until I catch the flight.  I won't go longer than 5 and will take a couple of rest days.  Let the taper begin.

Distance=1.0

-25 miles on the week.  Made it through the week without a relapse.

Training 10/17-10/23

 10/17- Split decision this morning.  Did a lap at Montreat on no pills in a much less horrible 3:11 (9:33 pace).  With the pills, I improved only to a 2:56 (8:48 pace).  MINUS 45.  Pleased that I was less dependent on the pills, but the ceiling MUST be higher than this.  Caffeine withdrawal is the likely culprit.  Added another lap as a cool and did not even attempt an evening workout.  Should be better by tomorrow afternoon.

Distance=1.0

10/18- BAD!  I was beyond awful when I got up but did get a little better in the afternoon.  Workout was 1.5 miles in a robust 15:45 (10:30 pace).  OUCH.

Distance=1.5

10/19- 2.5 on Lakeshore in 23-flat (9:12 pace).  MUCH better than yesterday.  Can I keep it up?  Positive split for the 2nd straight day (11:18-11:42) but I still had some left.  Probably around 27:45 if I kept going for 3 miles.  That's still a long way from the Mendoza line.

Distance=2.5

10/20- 3 miles in 26:46 (8:55 pace). Positive split again but no impending collapse (13:08-13:38). Continue to improve.  However, it is often around this point of a cycle that I collapse.  It will be very interesting to see what happens this weekend.  I hope to finish 13 but of course, I'll have to walk/jog it.  

Distance=3.0

10/21- On no pills, I managed only a 10:19 for 1 mile.  If I had only run 1 lap, I'm probably similar to the 3:11 that I did on Monday.   I really hoped for better.  I figure that on the full dose, I am at least 2 minutes faster.  Not pleased that I am still this dependent.  I've got a long way to go to get this under control.  The only positive on this was the negative split (5:14-5:05) and I certainly could have gone further.

Distance=1.0

10/22- Hoped to go 13 but settled for 3 (walk/jog).  Time was 38:30 (12:50 pace).  I knew I was in trouble early when my jog pace was over 10 and it got worse later.  Still, I believe that if I had to, I could have finished 13.1 @ sub-16 pace to beat the time limit.  Culprit was Probiotics WITHOUT Taurine.  Extra Cytokine pills helped but did not knock out the issue.  Not pleased at all.  Another rant is coming.  Forget what I said yesterday about the pills making 2 minutes difference in a 1 Mile.  NO!  I would have struggled with the pills as it was.  

Distance=3.0

10/23- HATED interval workout but I had to test to see where I am.

No pills- 82 (8:12 pace)

Adrenals- 65 (6:30 pace)

MINUS 1:42.  Floor is rising but the gap is still very large.  

Probiotics-83 (8:18 pace)

Cytokines- 70 (7:00 pace)

The Probiotics wiped out all the gains from the adrenals.  I'm sure that I would have been worse if I had taken the Probiotics first.  I got most of it back with the Cytokines but I didn't feel it and if I had to go longer, it would have been ugly.  I bet it would have unraveled after 1-2 miles.  

Energy drink-70 (7:00)

Taurine pills-62 (6:12 pace)

A can of Rockstar with its Taurine content had NO effect at all but I saw significant gains with Taurine pills.  When it comes to Taurine and Probiotics, it's got to be both or neither.  Both is probably the best choice.  It can't be one or the other.  Cytokines will help if I screw up but I would probably have to take mega doses to knock out the reaction.  Perhaps someday, I will build up a reserve of Cytokines to prevent this from happening.  

Distance=1.0

-13 miles on the week

Texas Road Trip Report

 10/6- Worked 2 hours then drove to Shreveport, Loosiana.  That's slightly less than halfway to San Antonio.  I stayed in a casino hotel because it was cheap and in a good location but I don't gamble and really don't understand the attraction.  I had a Cajun seafood dinner then went out to a bar afterwards.  Overall impression:  Shreveport is an okay city and a good stopping point for a night out but not a major destination.  It's got a pretty cool outlet mall on the banks of a river and looks to have some fun bars and restaurants downtown.  Though I didn't see it, there is an aquarium, which is a popular attraction.  I wanted to see it in part because it's the hometown of one of my childhood heroes, Terry Bradshaw.

10/7- Slightly less than 7 hours driving time to San Antonio.  I took I-20 to Tyler, Texas then country roads to Waco.  From there, it was I-35 to San Antonio.  The drive was tough but I made it by mid-afternoon.  First stop was the Alamo, which was pretty inspiring.  Then, I had a steak dinner at the Tower of the Americas, which is a 50 story tower with a 360 degree view of the city.  Finally, it was a walking tour of the Riverwalk.  Very fun city.  I saw most of what I wanted to see but I might be back someday.  

10/8- Only 2 hours driving today down to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas.  

Very nice beach.  Hard brown sand that allows you to drive and park on the beach with pretty clear water.  Pretty comparable to South Padre and much better than Galveston.  Surf was decent.  Waves broke deep, which I like but they did not hit as hard as in the Atlantic.  The rides were decent but did not take you all the way to the shore.  

10/9- Up with the sun and enjoyed the morning session as the surf picked up a bit from yesterday.  I wish I had another day but had to get back to work by Tuesday.  Drove to Beaumont, just across the Loosiana border.

10/10- Smooth ride home.

Final thought:

I recommend flying to either Austin or San Antonio instead of driving.  I chose the drive for two reasons.  I wanted to see Shreveport and I could not risk a SNAFU with a key fob even though I'm sure this beach is safe.  A lot of transplants have moved in over the last 20 years so it's not the Texas of old but it's still a special place to me.  

Training 10/10-10/16

 10/10- Planned rest day.  Drive home from Texas.  To my relief, I felt a difference after taking a Stress Pak pill.

10/11- AM Intervals

0 pills- 1:41, Thym-Adren + Cytokines- 1:23, Stress Pak- 1:05.

Stress Pak is JUST as effective and just as necessary.  Last weekend's collapse was due to a missed pill.  I'd rather have that than a bad reaction to a pill that was recently part of my cocktail.

PM- 2.5 miles on Lakeshore in 22:22 (8:57 pace).  Felt reasonably well early but I could tell that a fade was coming.  1st half- 10:24, 2nd half- 11:58.  Looks bad but it really didn't get any worse after about 1.6 miles and I found a little strength at the end to shore up the sub-9.  What slowed me down was the lack of Stress Pak.  I'll be better after I get more of it in my system.

Distance=3.0

10/12- INSATIABLE need for Stress Pak.  Workout was a stop and go Mile with a moving time of 9:55.  With a low dose Stress Pak, my pace was over 12.  I got down to the 8:30 range after increasing the dosage.  A few hours later, I was awful again.  This is only a temporary reaction.

Distance=1.0

10/13- AM

No Stress Pak- 1:53, 1 pill- 1:40, 2 pills- 1:25.

PM- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 16:36 (11:04 pace).  OUCH

Distance=2.0

10/14- 1 mile on Montreat in 9:58.  It took an all out effort at the end to break 10 minutes.  I am progressing but it's the usual pattern.  Missing the Stress Pak was not a one-two day blip.  It's another slow climb out of the hole.

Distance=1.0

10/15- 10 miles on Lakeshore in 1:56:50 (11:41 pace).  I made it.  Even if the last 5K took a full hour, I still finish under 3 hours.  Unless it is an extraordinarily bad day, I am going to make it.  1st half-58:15, 2nd half- 58:35 so I held it pretty well.  I used the 4:1 ratio for the first 9 then jogged all of Mile 10.  I will try to do 13 next week.

Distance=10.0

10/16- Tried to run without pills and clocked a robust 5:45 for a half mile (11:30 pace) but did manage a negative split.  Fared little better on pills and could not hold a 10 minute pace on the real workout so I quit early.  Tired from yesterday?  Maybe but the smart money is on caffeine withdrawal.  That means I'm looking at a rough start to next week.

Distance=2.0

-19 miles

Training 10/1-10/9

 10/1- 8 miles in 89:30 (11:11 pace).  I went with a 4:1 jog/walk ratio.  After a slow start, I found a nice groove from Mile 2-5.  I tied up a bit in Mile 6 but was able to jog non-stop for the last 1.9 miles albeit at a pace not much faster than the walk/jog,  I think Mile 8 was around 10:30.  When I finished, I was pretty much spent and it became clear later on that the adrenals were spiked.  Still, even if I had to slow walk for 5 miles beyond that (20:00 pace), I still finish in 3:10 with a full 20 minutes to spare.  6 weeks out and if the race was today, I would have made it!  Again, it doesn't matter to me whether my time is 2:10 or 3:10.  It's gonna suck and I want to remain in relative comfort as long as I can.

Distance=8.0

10/2- 3 miles at Railroad Park.  Finished in 27:18 (9:06 pace) and felt pretty comfortable all the way.  I think I've only been under 27 a couple times all year and I could have done it today if I really pushed it.  Splits were 13:45-13:33.  This is a hair below 2 hour pace for a half mary.  I think I could have held it for another 1-1.5 miles but not longer.  Even if I see big improvements in the next 6 weeks, I will NOT try to race Hawaii all out.

Distance=3.0

10/3- Planned rest day.  Last thing I need at this stage is an injury because I pushed too hard.

10/4- 3 miles on Lakeshore.  Improved to 26:45 (8:55 pace).  MINUS 11.  I'll take it.  It's better than the alternative but I did hope for a little better out there.  Felt about the same and once again managed a slight negative split though I did push just a tad harder at the end.  Splits were 13:28-13:17.  I felt like something was missing and perhaps I still need that Stress Pak.  There is only one goal remaining and that is to finish in Hawaii.  I'm on track to do that.

Distance=3.0

10/5- Cut the distance back to 2 miles only because I was late.  Improved to 16:34 (8:17 pace).  I figure that translates to a sub-8 for 1 mile and no worse than 8:40 for 3 miles so that's a bigger improvement compared to yesterday.  Perhaps the Stress Pak did make a small difference.  I've re-ordered it but it won't arrive for another 5 days.  No big deal.  I can get along okay without it.  I'm closing in on the Mendoza line.  Can I run sub-8 pace for 3 miles once before Hawaii?

Distance=2.0

10/6- Only 1 mile because it was all I had time to do.  I was curious to see what I could do without the pills.  I predicted a time in the low-mid 9s and I finished in a somewhat encouraging 9:14.  Yes, I was significantly weakened but did not collapse.  Splits were 4:40-4:34.  Can I get through a weekend without pills?  Not for a while.  

Distance=1.0

10/7- Planned rest day

10/8- Elective rest day.  Road trip to Texas

10/9-  Not good.  Planned to run 4-5 miles non-stop and settled for 1 on the Texas beach.  Finished in 10:36.  OUCH!  When I got home, to my relief, I was better after taking Stress Pak.

Distance=1.0

-18 miles