Rant: Social Cliques and Favoritism

 Consider your inner circle of friends.  I'm betting that in almost all cases, the following characteristics are the same for all members of the clique:

Race, gender, education level, socioeconomic status, marital status, children.  Broaden your horizons.  

While I pride myself on seeking out friendships with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, it is only natural for people to gravitate towards those from similar backgrounds.  I'm guilty of it myself.  Especially if I am abroad, if I hear a southern accent, I will approach that person and engage in conversation.  There's a good chance of forming a connection with a common native land.  That said, I doubt that I would have approached a New Yorker even though they likely would have been interested in my recent trip to the city.

Some of my favorite co-workers are black women.  I made the following comment on social media:  A person's race is part of their identity and should be recognized and appreciated.  That said, I don't dwell on it and certainly don't treat them any differently.  In a perfect world, it should not be a factor at all when it comes to choosing your friends.  My comment was well received overall but one idiot accused me of having unconscious bias.  According to him, even though I don't consider myself racist, I do treat black people differently whether I realize it or not.  This person has never even met me let alone seen the way I interact with others.  He made that assumption just because I am white.  Get out of here with that crap!

Treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO.  That's good advice.  I'm improved in this area and don't really look down on people who are less educated.  I've worked as a tutor before and can attest that not everyone is college material.  That doesn't mean that they can't be productive citizens or impact the lives of others.  Two of my favorite people were servers at my regular lunch stops.  Neither one had more than a high school education but I didn't care about that especially when I was greeted with a hug every time I came in.  There was a cleaning lady at Clemson who had an unforgettable smile and I still occasionally think about her even after almost 20 years.  Trump took some heat for saying that he loves the less educated.  I didn't find that offensive at all.  If your car breaks down and you need a mechanic, you should not care whether he is educated or not.  Same deal with a plumber.  All that matters is the quality of the work and the service provided.  If you do have a college degree, I am betting that most of your close friends do as well.  Again, broaden your horizons.  Would I date a woman who is less educated?  Ten years ago, I would have said no, but I've since changed.  

One thing that saddens me is after people get married and especially after they have kids who are school-aged, they drift apart from their single friends and in some cases, look down on them.  Chances are if you've been married for 10 years, your best friends will be other parents, especially parents of your children's friends.  Again, it's natural to gravitate towards those with similar life experiences but I encourage you to make an extra effort to stay in touch with old friends.  I've also observed that if you are divorced with kids, your best friends tend to be other divorcees and/or single mothers, not never marrieds.  There are plenty of support groups for divorced Christians and rightly so.  That said, once you age out of College and Career and Young Professionals, there's not much there if you've never been married.  I'm not suggesting that being divorced is easier but being never married and un-dateable is an entirely different beast.  

When it comes to gender relations, things can get a little thorny and I should be more careful about how I word this section.  If you are married, you should be careful about getting too close with members of the opposite sex.  I get that, but some people take it to extreme levels.  I've said repeatedly that forbidding your spouse from attending social runs with a mixed group is over the line and I still stand by that assertion 100 percent.  I once encountered someone who would not even allow other guys to make small talk with his wife at the pool.  That is extreme.  If someone is that controlling, they are probably abusive.  Just saying. 

 I see nothing wrong with complimenting someone's outfit or hair style and I don't consider that to be flirtatious. On a recent trip, a flight attendant told the woman behind me that her hair was beautiful.  If I had said the same thing to a stranger, I'd be considered a creep and I don't think that's right.  As for me, I do get the occasional compliment on my hair or my smile from strangers.  A girl from California said my southern accent was "beautiful."  I'll admit that hearing it from women means a bit more to me but I never took it as more than friendly.  At a bar in Oregon, I was told that blonde guys with southern accents are sexy.  That would be inappropriate if it came from a married woman.  You should not use that type of language to anyone except your spouse.  In this case, because it came from a single woman, I appreciated it and took it as a nice compliment.  I'd be afraid to say the same thing to a woman.  

I've read numerous articles about how women need to support other women.  That bothers me a little and some articles crossed the line when it came to negative attitudes towards men.  One person asserted that women never exhibit prejudice or favoritism based on gender, which is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.  There was a recent post that made rounds in which women said that if they were lost in the woods, they would rather encounter a bear than a male stranger.  If that's not a prejudiced viewpoint, I don't know what is.  Support good people because they are good, not because they are of a certain gender.  Men should support and compliment women and vice versa but don't withhold correction if it is necessary.  Never take the side of your own gender in a conflict when they are clearly in the wrong.  

I recall a news program in which a man told a woman to shut up on the air.  Not a nice thing to say but I highly doubt that he was motivated by sexism.  He responded to an idiotic assertion and had been interrupted a few seconds earlier.  Not surprisingly, the woman flipped out and made it about gender.  I'm quite sure she's heard those 2 words from other women.  Whether you are a man or woman,  think of a time when you were bothered or offended by words of someone from the opposite sex.  Now, ask yourself this.  What if the same thing was said by someone of my own gender?  Would my reaction be any different?  Unless it was clearly motivated by sexism, the answer should be no.    

    

Rant or Rave: US Olympic Trials System

 Provided that an athlete has achieved the Olympic standard, a 3rd place finish at the Trials gets them an Olympic berth even if they are a relative unknown.  At the world class level, there is not a whole lot of spread.  It's possible for an unheralded athlete to get red hot on race day and beat the best in the world.  By the same token, if the best in the world is nursing a slight injury or catches a virus at the exact wrong time, they are off the team if they finish outside the top 3.  I see pros and cons to this system that I will discuss later.

I don't really follow Track and Field much nowadays but I did see a few clips from this year's Trials.  I was saddened by the outcome of the Women's 800 in which one of the strong favorites fell 200 meters into the race.  It may be possible to come back in the 5000 but certainly not the 800.  She put her heart and soul into training for so many years and now must wait 4 years for another opportunity because of a split second of bad luck.  Tough break!  I really do feel for her.  I read that she was the defending champion and was ranked at or near #1 in the world last year.  Cases like this are the reason why many people call for reform.  

In 1992, Carl Lewis entered the Trials in the 100 as the defending Olympic championship, reigning World Champion and world record holder.  Even though he was 31 years old, he was the clear favorite.  Weakened by a virus, Lewis finished 6th in the 100 and 4th in the 200.  Tough!  He did qualify in the Long Jump and was selected for the 4x100 relay so I can't feel too sorry for him.  

Not many Track fans remember Michael Bates.  He was a relative unknown who just barely edged out Carl Lewis for the 3rd and final spot in the 200.  Under most systems of selection, only the winner is guaranteed entry and the next 2 are selected by an Independent panel.  Sometimes, only 1 is selected while the top 2 are guaranteed entry.  My point is that if Carl Lewis ran for any other country, he's almost certainly in even with a poor performance at the Trials.  Defenders of the American system will say that Bates was deserving because he ran the same race as everyone else and finished third fair and square.  Certainly a valid point.  Also, there may be corruption and even bribery involved with the selection committee.  Taking the top 3 with no ifs ands or buts eliminates that possibility.  For the record, Bates went on to win the Olympic bronze so he certainly turned out to be a worthy representative.

My solution is to leave the system as is but allow an International panel to choose one wild card per event.  That's one in the world per event, not one wild card per country.  IMO, that's a fair safeguard against an untimely injury or illness and you don't bump anyone off who earned it at the Trials.  Corruption is still possible but it can be avoided by finishing in the top 3.  I'd give the wild card to the athlete with the highest rank in the previous year.

In 1997, Michael Johnson missed the US Nationals after he was injured in the match race with Donovan Bailey.  Somehow, he was given a wild card entry in the 400, which he won.  Nobody else who missed the Nationals was given the same treatment but Johnson was the defending champion and the king of the sport at the time.  I agreed with the decision.  Again, this was for the World Championship, not the Olympics.

When it comes to meeting the Olympic standard, it can be just as cruel.  In the 100, the standard is 10.00 seconds.  A 10.01 into a slight headwind or a barely wind aided 9.91?  No good.  Both are good for a sub-10 in still air but won't be accepted.  Tough!  It's a hard line but I have to agree with it.  Too subjective otherwise.  Life isn't fair.  Nowadays, you need to be in the 9.90 range to make the US team so that's a moot point for Americans.  

My last topic of discussion is the one false start rule.  I am STRONGLY against disqualification and removal from the race because of a split second lapse in concentration. Again, all that training and the hopes and dreams are dashed because of a false move or twitch.  Just not right.  Usain Bolt false started and was DQed in the World Championships.  I don't remember what year.  Linford Christie got DQed in Atlanta in 1996.  His reaction time was measured at 0.086.  Just 14 THOUSANDTH of a second slower and it would have been legal at 0.10.   Christie had a legitimate beef IMO.  

I do believe that now, you can run under protest.  That is, you are not removed from the race but you will be DQed at the end unless the protest is upheld.  My proposal is a penalty.  A tenth of a second is added to your time, which is significant.  You could cross the finish line first but take home the Bronze.  Still, that's better than the alternative and guards against athletes trying to jump the start by guessing the gun time.  Especially in the 100, a perfect start can and does make the difference in the outcome.

Turks and Caicos Trip Report

 Country #10 for me.  If Puerto Rico ever declares independence, it will be 11 countries visited including the USA.  This is not the type of trip that I would have taken on my own but I will agree to go pretty much anywhere except for war zones and countries with severe human rights abuses.  This was not about me anyway.  I was there to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary.  My sister and niece were able to join up with us too.  We had some great family trips when I was growing up and I knew that this would likely be the last time that it would be possible to do this with the whole group so I wouldn't miss it.  

 I left work an hour early the previous day to catch a morning flight out of Atlanta.  No issues with the International terminal this time.  I arrived in plenty of time and was able to get a sit-down breakfast.  The flight went off as scheduled but there was a short delay after landing because no gates were open.  No issues with Immigration but I did have a bit of a wait for the shuttle to the resort.  I was the first of the family to arrive and squeezed in a quick dip before dinner.

  

This was my second stay at an all-inclusive resort and this time, it was clearly the best option to have all restaurants on the resort property within a 10 minute walk.  We stayed at Beaches Resort, which is about a 15-20 minute ride from the Providenciales airport.  Compared to Riu Republica in the Dominican Republic, this was much better.  Though the rooms were nothing special, the  restaurants and the pools were a significant upgrade.  My parents arrived about an hour after I did.  We went straight to dinner then took a sunset walk on the beach before settling in for the night.  I had NASTY diarrhea early in the morning but for the rest of the trip, my health was no worse than usual. 

Overall, the food was quite good.  I had a couple of steak and egg breakfasts plus Italian, Japanese and wood fired pizza in addition to buffets.  We did have one fancy dinner to celebrate the anniversary.  Fine dining isn't really my kind of thing but again, this trip was not about me.   

Turks and Caicos is located just below the Tropic of Cancer at about 21 degrees north latitude, just north of the island of Hispanola.  Definitely a tropical vibe with ubiquitous palm trees.  Everyday was sunny to partly cloudy with an air temp in the upper 80s and a water temperature of 84.  Mornings and evenings were fairly pleasant but the humidity was quite oppressive in the afternoon.  Fortunately, there was a nice sea breeze on the beach itself.  With the possible exception of Saona Island in the DR, this was the clearest water with the most beautiful shade of blue that I have ever seen.  Unfortunately, the big negative was that the waves were minimal and nothing was rideable.  I knew that coming in and didn't even take my board.  

When I am with my family, I have to tone down the extreme Type A personality.  On a solo trip,  I'm normally up with the sun and on the road within minutes.  I once traveled with a couple who slept in until 10:30 then insisted on a sit-down breakfast.  By that time, half the day is shot and I was not happy.  On this trip, we normally went to breakfast around 8:30 and I was okay with that.  Since there were no waves to catch, I wasn't upset about missed time in the ocean.  Most days were divided between the beach and one of three large pools with swim-up bars. We did spend one morning at the water park.  That was pretty cool.  It had about 5 waterslides and a lazy river with waterfalls. 

As I've said before, you can't truly experience a country unless you leave the resort.  In this case, we did take 2 excursions.  One was a horseback riding trip on a secluded beach.  Yes, the horses went into the water.  That was interesting.  I met a guy from Haiti and had a Spanish conversation with our Dominican driver.  The other excursion was a beautiful sunset cruise.  

No issues on the trip home.  Customs was a breeze and since it is a small airport, you don't need to arrive 3 hours early for an international flight.  I landed in Atlanta around 6 but because of the long line at Immigration and the shuttle back to the Domestic terminal, I didn't get on the road to Birmingham until 7:30.  Because you gain an hour, I still got home at a reasonable time.  A very good trip that I will remember for the rest of my life.   Any other Caribbean destinations on my radar?  Maybe the Bahamas, Barbados or the Cayman Islands.  

       

Training 6/21-6/30

 I only ran once in Turks and Caicos.  Plenty of walking but that doesn't count for distance.  It was a 5 minute junk run.  Call it a half mile give or take.  Dew point was consistent in the upper 70s so anything even remotely hard under normal conditions would have been damn near impossible here.  Actually the mornings and evenings weren't too bad just walking around but I knew better than to try anything strenuous.

6/21 AM- 1 lap at Montreat without pills plus a half lap cool and was encouraged by the result.  Last week, I only managed a 3:02 without pills.  Today, my time was down to 2:44.  I am progressing on schedule despite drinking too much at the resort.  Next week, I hope to be around 2:30 and may look into reducing the dosage.  That's it for today.  This evening, I want to re-assess my tolerance for Zinc.

Distance-1.0

6/22- Took the Zinc as planned last night and not surprisingly I got a strong negative response.  It didn't fully clear overnight so I woke up feeling pretty bad.  As I predicted, I actually got WORSE with extra Thym-Adren (1:47 vs 2:01).  Extra Liver did help (1:50) but not enough to attempt a real workout.  I was willing to accept a day like this to get some answers.

Distance-0.5

Reaction:

This is NOT an inexplicable reaction and likely not an autoimmune issue.  I most probably have a Zinc excess relative to bound Copper.  What is puzzling this:  If I take the Liver alone, I am slightly better than I am on no pills.  If I add the Zinc after just the Liver, I am slightly weakened but the ill-effects are NOT significant.  If I take Thym-Adren, the ill-effects from the Zinc are totally debilitating.  

Thym-Adren does contain a small amount of Copper but it also has both Zinc and Vitamin C, which are 2 Copper antagonists.  While the Thym Adren is effective in treating the adrenal spike, it worsens the Copper deficit.  Therefore, I will soon try to reduce that dose.  Tolerance for Zinc will improve if I cut the dose from 6 pills to 3.  Upping the Liver may help as well.

6/23- After 10 days without a real workout, I expected to take a bit of a step backwards.  Lakeshore 2.5 in 22:55 for an overall pace of 9:10. 

 It gets interesting if you break it down.  Attempted the workout on 5 pills and passed halfway in 11:44 (9:23 pace).  On 6/6, I did 2 miles @ 9:20 on 7 pills.  I bet I could have matched that time, give or take a few ticks.  After 2.5 weeks, I need only 5 pills to match what used to require 7.  I've got a long way to go but progress is progress.  

I popped a 6th pill at the turnaround and got a significant boost.  Did the back half in 11:11 (8:57 pace), which is within shouting distance of 5K race pace.  After 10 days almost completely off, I will take it.  I was hoping NOT to see a significant difference from 5 pills to 6 but this tells me that I've got to keep the dosage where it is for the time being.

Distance-2.5

6/24- FAIL!  I'll get confirmation tomorrow but I think caffeine is interfering with Ceruloplasmin production.

Distance-0.5

6/25- What I suspected was confirmed today.  Opened with a bad but not horrific 1:38 half lap on no pills .  Drank a Kickstart and was worse.   Slipped to 1:47.  Worser on 3 Thym Adren (1:57).  Just 2 days ago, I got a boost from taking a 6th pill midway through a workout.  Now, I can't even tolerate 3.  The forbidden drinks are clearly the culprit as they seem to be throwing the Zinc/Copper balance out of whack, which is worsened by Thym Adren.  If I abstain, the adrenal spike will kick back in within 2 days.  Liver will help but it won't be enough.

Distance-0.5

6/26- Adrenal spike kicked back in with a vengeance.  I was beyond awful this morning but much better in the evening.  Did a Montreat Mile in 9:52 with a negative split.  I'll be back to the new normal in another day or two.

Distance-2.0

6/27- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 16:23 (10:55 pace).  Significantly WORSE than yesterday because I cut the dosage back to 6 pills 

Distance-1.5

6/28- Noticeably better on the same dose.  2 miles in 20:38 (10:19 pace).  Still more than 2 minutes per mile slower than my peak.  A couple days of excess caffeine really shouldn't throw me for this much of a loop.  How long will it take to get back?  Probably at least a couple weeks.

Distance-2.0

6/29- Unplanned rest day.  Tried to run and didn't even make it for a tenth of a mile.  It seems like even if I avoid energy drinks, caffeine is still bad.  Alcohol appears to be tolerated and so does non-caffeinated Sprite.  Once again, Thym Adren is not tolerated.  Extra Liver helps but it's not enough.

3 demands

 For a time, it appeared that my system would be able to balance itself out without pills.  That is not going to happen.  I’ve accepted it and though I’m not happy about it, I’ve made peace.  The realistic goal is to get it “under control” with treatment.  I’ll repeat that 3 things need to happen to declare that to be the case and where I am in that regard.  My demands are hardly unreasonable, and my expectations are certainly not unrealistic. 

1.        At least adequate levels of energy almost every day.

I am nearly there.  My bare ass minimum standard for racing is sub-60 minute 10K shape (9:39 pace for 6.2 miles).  I’ve run a 60:44, which is less than 2 seconds per lap away.  This Monday, I did the equivalent of low-27 5K over 3 miles (8:45 pace).  If I had attempted a 10K instead, I’m pretty sure that I finish under that barrier especially if I paced it well.  The trick is being able to do that consistently, which is always more difficult than simply doing it once.  That can only happen if I meet the other 2 conditions.  Low energy does not only affect my running.  I was amazed by how much more productive I was at work when I was not feeling horrible. 

 

2.        No extreme dependence on any one pill

I am in the middle of an adrenal spike with daily dependence on Thym-Adren but the extreme need has diminished.  As recently as last week, it took me 3:29 to run a lap at Montreat without pills (10:27 pace).  Today, I was able to run the distance in 3:02 (9:06 pace) without pills.  Also, I require fewer pills to match my performances from last week.  7 days ago, I did 2 miles @ 9:20 pace on 7 pills.  I’ve already beaten that time on 6 pills.  I bet I could match it on 4, give or take a few seconds, today.  Nevertheless, the gap in performance remains considerable.  On 5 pills today, my time improved from 3:02 all the way down to 2:25 (7:15 pace).  That’s MINUS 1:51 per mile and likely over 2:00 with the full 6 pill dose.  That’s unacceptable.  In order to meet this demand, I need to last at least 72 hours without the key pill (Friday thru Monday morning).  When I go back on the pill after the 72 hours off it, I must NOT see a significant difference in performance.  I’d accept a gap of roughly 15-20 seconds per mile but not more than that.  Also, if I see a significant drop off after more than 3 days off the key pill, I would be okay with that. 

 

Great strides have been made here but there is still a long way to go.  I’m okay with that.  I actually would rather see the adrenal spike go down gradually than have it disappear overnight and deal with the ill-effects of an overshot.  Perhaps next weekend, I can run a 2:45 lap without pills then 2:30 the following weekend.  That would be trending in the right direction.  Though the floor rises faster, the ceiling does not stay the same.  I will most definitely be faster when the spike goes down.  I won’t predict a time for 10K, but it will be well under 60 even with low training volume. 

 

3.        No inexplicable negative reactions

This aspect of the disease is and has always been the most frustrating and maddening part of it.  I need to clarify what I mean by “inexplicable” reactions.  A recent example would be not being able to take Magnesium Malate or anything with Malic acid, such as strawberries, with the amino acid Glycine.  That should NEVER happen, and it was clearly an autoimmune reaction. 

On the other hand, if I took an adrenal glandular in the midst of an adrenal spike and suffered a significant negative reaction, that is NOT inexplicable.  In fact, it’s exactly what is supposed to happen.  This latest development with the Liver and Zinc is unnerving to me but perhaps it can be explained.  If you take Liver with a Zinc deficiency, a bad reaction is understandable because Liver tanks Zinc.  In the reverse situation, taking Zinc when you are deficient in bound copper is not a good idea and again, a negative reaction is understandable. 

 

What should NOT happen is a reversal from Zinc intolerance to a need for it within just a week or two.  Also, a bad reaction to Probiotics should NOT happen!  That said, it’s possible that the Probiotics indirectly affected the Zinc/Copper balance by lowering Taurine, which is necessary for mineral transport.  If that’s the case, I can live with that.  How do I know that Probiotics lower Taurine?  Taking them did result in a much lower Taurine level on Yasko’s Amino Acid profile years ago.  Thanks to Colostrum and the Liver pills, I may not even need the Probiotics to kill Candida.  If Taurine ever gets too high, there are other ways to lower it that I can tolerate.  Imagine being in a situation in which you NEED a pill but can’t tolerate it for an inexplicable reason.  I’ve been there and that’s the ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY!        

Training 6/10-6/16

 6/10- North Lakeshore 3 mile in 26:15 (8:45 pace).  Splits were 13:03-13:12 but a slight positive split is to be expected on this route.  I would have needed a sub-48 in the last .11 to get a 5K PR.  Not likely.  If I had run it on a track, I think I am right there, give or take a few ticks.  There's plenty of room for improvement.

Distance-3.0

6/11- Planned to do a 1 Mile time trial but the track was closed.  Ended up back at South Lakeshore for 2 miles in 16:14 (8:07 pace).  Decent pacing (8:04-8:10).  Slipped a little early in Mile 2 but finished strong.  Added a half mile cool.

My 5K time would have been well under 27 and I think I can break 60 for 10K.  As for the Mile, I would have been well under 8, probably under 7:40 but not sure about 7:30.  At the current rate of improvement, it won't be too long.

PM- Naked 1.5 miles at Montreat.  Felt okay but I am obviously still overstimulated.  Great strides have been made but there is still a long way to go.

Distance-4.0

6/12- FAILURE.  1 MILE time trial in 9:02.  Odds are that the adrenal spike has gone down but I will tinker a bit with the pills.  I knew warming up that it would not be good but I gave it a try.  When I passed halfway in 4:12, I merely went through the motions.  Probably could have done a little better but not by much.

Update: Not a significant change from extra Thym-Adren but extra Liver made it MUCH WORSE!  Tylenol did nothing, which suggests it's NOT an autoimmune response.  Zinc and Glycine HELPED but NAC HURT.  

This probably means that the Zinc/Copper balance is off again.  Liver raises Copper and tanks Zinc.  Glycine and NAC reduce Copper.  Odds are that my Copper is too high relative to the Zinc now, which is a reversal from 2 weeks ago.  However, the combination of Zinc, Glycine and NAC took it too far.  Do I simply need to reduce the Liver or do I need to add back Zinc?  Hopefully, I don't have to mess with Glycine and definitely not NAC.

Zinc and Copper dysregulation is common among autistic people.  I was never diagnosed but am nearly certain that I am on the spectrum.

PM- CRAZY!  TERRIBLE reaction to just a trace of Liver.  Managed just 1:47 for a half lap (10:42 pace) but Zinc was a game changer.  2 pills got me down to 1:06 (6:36 pace).  No, it wasn't sustainable but still that was YUGE!  BAD reaction to probiotics later.  These probiotics probably depleted Taurine, which is necessary for mineral transport.  Perhaps I need to quit the Probiotics, reduce the Liver and add Zinc.  I hope that I won't be dependent on Zinc.

Distance-1.5

6/13- The adrenal spike is still there but it has diminished since last week.  That's good news.  I don't want it to disappear overnight then pop up again.  I had a STRONG negative response to the Liver.  Zinc did help mitigate some of the damage but it didn't get me all the way back.  

Maybe ditching the probiotics will allow me to take the Liver but if may have to just not mess with either the Liver or the Zinc.

Distance-1.5

6/14- Just farting around this morning but I answered key questions.  Since I did not take the Probiotics, would I be able to tolerate the Liver?  If so, what about the Zinc?  I opened with a 1:31 half lap then actually improved to a 1:27 on the Liver.  Well tolerated and that's bordering on significantly better.  On Zinc, I slipped to a 1:29 but that's not enough to be considered significant.  Added a half mile cool after that.  May have time for another junk run this evening.

Edit:  Seems like the ill-effects of Zinc kicked in harder after taking Thym-Adren.  Not sure what to make of that but I'm not taking it again for at least another week.

Distance-1.0

6/15- Planned rest day.  In Turks and Caicos for the next 4 days.  Not likely to do much while I am there

6/16- Elective rest day.

-11 miles on the week 

Timeline for Visiting all 10 Canadian provinces

 The Toronto/Newfoundland trip is all booked.  I will see Toronto first because the Blue Jays hit the road after the 4th.  I do think this is the better choice.  I'd be wiped out the first day in Newfoundland after 3 flights going east.  

There may be some logistical challenges, but they are unavoidable.  I connect from Birmingham to DC to Toronto with only a 51-minute layover.  I prefer 75-90 minutes in case there is a short delay.  Still, this is a big airport and Toronto is a popular destination, so I expect to get a same day flight even with a missed connection.  From the airport, after clearing Customs, I will take the subway directly to Union Station and my hotel is just a half mile away, next to Nathan Phillips Square. 

I get a direct flight to Newfoundland from Toronto and get in by early afternoon, which is perfect.  Getting out of Newfoundland could be a little dicey.  I had to get a 6 AM flight or I could not make it back in just one day.  Since I am not renting a car, that means I have to get a cab at 4 AM.  OUCH!  I will have a VERY long layover in Toronto but otherwise, it would have cost me SEVERAL hundred dollars extra.  Supposedly, when flying from Toronto to the US, you actually go through US Customs in Toronto.  With that being the case, I actually want at least 2, maybe 3 hours in Toronto to avoid a potential delay or unforeseen problem because I booked the flights separately.  It should be pretty smooth after Toronto.  I have a 75-minute layover in Philly and still get home at a decent hour.    

Now, on to my Canadian travel history:

My parents took me to Niagara Falls as a toddler but I only VERY VAGUELY recall being there.  I'm not even sure we saw the Canadian side so I can't count that.  I do have slight memories of a Quebec trip in either 1985 or 1986.  Can I count that?  Put that in the grey area.  I was either 5 or 6 years old.  

1998- Ontario- Spent a day and night in Toronto and ate on top of the CN Tower.  Getting back to the USA required a long wait.  I was 17 at the time so I can certainly count that.  It's hard to believe that was 25 years ago.  

2014- Atlantic provinces road trip.  Saw New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia but I don't feel like I did it justice.  That said, I certainly did enough in all 3 to count them under the strict standard.  In New Brunswick, I did a walking tour of St. John and sampled Bay of Fundy NP.  I crossed the Confederation Bridge for a night in Charlottetown, PEI and did a walking tour of a park.  I also had a sit-down meal and a meaningful conversation with the bartender.  In Nova Scotia, I toured Halifax and ran a half marathon.  That took me up to 4 or 5 depending on the standard.

2017- Alberta and British Columbia- This was an epic road trip that included Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff and Calgary.  I did cross into BC and saw Yoho NP and spent a night there as well.  6 or 7 done.

2019- Repeated British Columbia but this time, I did it justice by seeing Vancouver and Whistler.

2019- Ontario and Quebec- Toured Ottawa and Montreal, which shores up Quebec. Saw a hockey game in Montreal and a museum in Gatineau, Quebec just across the river from Ontario.  7 done with no dispute.

2023-Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  With 7 down, I've got to finish.  This trip was surprisingly decent and better than expected.  Cities visited were Winnipeg and Regina and saw a CFL game. 9 down and only 1 to go.

2024- Lord willing, I am going to repeat Ontario and see Newfoundland for the first time.

Will I ever return to Canada after this?

Probably.  I have no desire to visit the territories but the provinces that I could see myself re-visiting are Alberta and the Atlantic 3 from 2014, especially PEI and Nova Scotia.  In Alberta, I want to go all the way up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and maybe visit Edmonton.  Nova Scotia's Cabot Loop looks beautiful and PEI's beaches look great too.  The water temperature can hit as high as 65F in August.  That could be tolerable especially with wetsuit pants.  

Training 6/3-6/9 (Liver Beef and Adrenal spikes)

 Background:

Extreme dependence on Liver Beef has faded. My times are about the same, give or take a few ticks, no matter what my dosage.  I've gone as low as 2 pills and as high as 5 with similar results.  That's good news.  

Bad news is that I've become intolerant to Glycine, Zinc and Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid).  I do NOT believe it is an autoimmune reaction and thus a Rheumatologist won't help. FTR, Tylenol didn't help at all.  It is a severe deficiency of bound Copper (Ceruloplasmin) and Liver Beef is what I need to be taking to fix that.  All 3 aforementioned products deplete Copper so that does make sense.  When the Ceruloplasmin does normalize and I have every confidence that it will, the Candida may finally be destroyed.  Early signs are promising in that regard.

Also, the adrenal spike is not going down easily.  I still need at least 6 Thym Adren pills.  Probably 8 to be high functioning.  I hope that it's a gradual drop off but in the past, it suddenly stops and I am left on the other side of the spectrum from overshooting.  Maybe that doesn't happen this time.

6/3- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 20:50 (10:25 pace).  I hit the Mile in 10:40 then 2 additional Thym Adren pills brought me down to 10:10.  Enough to be considered significant but not a game changer.  This was the different from 6 pills to 8.  The difference from 4 to 6 is likely greater 

More experiments when I got home.  I fared only 6 ticks better on extra Liver (not significant) but an extra Thym-Adren did yield significant improvement.  I believe it was close to 30 seconds, so I got as much benefit from 8-9 as I did from 6-8. Perhaps the Liver increases the demand for Thym Adren.

Distance-3.0

6/4- Opened with Liver but no Thym Adren and clocked a 3:45 (11:15 pace).  That's BAD but it was an improvement over the 3:56 last week.  3 pills got me down to 3:25 and 6 pills got me to 3:08 (9:24 pace)

PM- Full mile nonstop in 9:24.  I maintained my interval pace for 3x the distance thanks to 2 additional pills.  I want to hold it at 8 then maybe gradually step down.  Tomorrow, I will try Thym Adren without Liver just to see what happens.

Distance-2.0

6/5- Opened with a 1:47 half lap (10:42 pace), which is an improvement over yesterday.  I bet the second half would have been slightly faster because I was warmed up.  Got down to 1:28 on 6 Thym Adren with no Liver then was fractionally slower on the Liver.  I can get by without the Liver for a few days but certainly not long-term.

On 8 Thym Adren, I went to Lakeshore for 2.5 miles in 23:43 (9:29 pace).  Even pace but could definitely still feel the adrenal spike.  MUCH better than yesterday.  Figure that I am about a minute per mile off my 5K PR.  I will try to cut the dose to 7 tomorrow then 6 on the weekend.

Distance-3.0

6/6- 2 miles in 18:40 (9:20 pace).  Marginally faster than yesterday over a shorter distance.  I'll call it a wash but I am still pleased.  I did indeed cut the dose to 7 and it didn't hurt me.  I bet I match yesterday's effort give or take a few ticks.  Even pace with a little left in the tank at the end.

Distance-2.0

6/7- Opened with a 3:29 on no pills (10:27 pace) for continued improvement.  Real workout was 2.5 on Lakeshore in 22:45 (9:05 pace).  Nice and steady improvement.  Not a significant gain compared to yesterday but a LOT BETTER than I was 4 days ago.  I will cut it to 6 tomorrow.  I feel like 7-8 pills is extreme but 6 feels like a more manageable condition.

Distance-3.0

6/8-Trak Shak 5 loop in 50:50 (10:10 pace) with a slight negative split (25:35-25:15).  Over 1 minute slower on the pace but I doubled the distance on a tougher route.  This wasn't that bad.  I did cut the dose to 6 and I could feel some ill-effects.  I plan to hold the dose at 6 until further notice.  Not sure if I could have matched yesterday's performance but I bet I come pretty close.

Distance-5.0

6/9- Lakeshore 2 in 17:48 (8:54 pace).  Back to form.  Maybe a hair better than Friday despite the lowered dose.  Splits were 8:59-8:49.  I think I could have held this pace for 5K, which brings me home in 27:45.  PR is 27:03 so I am within shouting distance.

Distance-2.0

-20 miles on the week.  I will keep the dose at 6 at least through the end of next week.

Coastal Carolina Road Trip Report

 I have been wanting to take this trip for quite a while but it didn't fit my schedule.  When I lived in South Carolina, my primary beach destinations were Myrtle, Charleston and Savannah.  I've also been to Hilton Head.  I rarely ventured up to the North Carolina coast and the section of the coast between Wilmington and the Outer Banks was totally unexplored.  Memorial Day weekend was as good of a time as any for a trip here.

Day 1- Drive was smooth until I got close to Myrtle Beach.  The skies opened up briefly but when I got to the coast, I found cloudy but dry conditions.  I hoped to have time to take a dip but didn't expect it to last much more than one hour because of time constraints.  It turned out that I only got about a half hour in the surf before the storm hit.  It was probably the same one that I had driven through.  Oh well, any time in the ocean was a bonus today.  

My hotel was about 30 miles north and just across the North Carolina border.  It was about 10 minutes from a lesser known place called Holden Beach.  I got some really good fried chicken at a local to go restaurant.  I think it was called Smithfield's.  The rain stopped just in time for a nice sunset over the marina.  

Day 2- Up for the sunrise but unfortunately, it was too foggy.  That would burn off soon and it would be a glorious day at Surf City on Topsail Island.  Air temp was about 82 and CRYSTAL CLEAR on the coast with a water temperature of 74.  Plenty warm enough for comfortable swimming and only cold for a couple of minutes.  What surprised me the most was the clarity of the water.  Beyond waist deep, you could see your feet.  Waves broke far out and conditions enabled long rides all the way to the shore.  Perfect day!  I spent the night in Wilmington and had a beautiful view from my room.  You would have thought that you were in Florida but no, it's North Carolina.  

Day 3- This was Memorial Day itself.  I was up with the sun and went to the nearest beach called Wrightsville.  This time, I did catch an awesome sunrise.  In what turned out to be a questionable call, I went further south to Carolina Beach, still on the same island as Wrightsville.  I chose this beach because I had been there before and liked it very much.  Water was not quite as clear and waves broke too close to the shore. Parking fees were outrageous but  my biggest gripe was the crowds.  There were people lined up at the shore, which meant that I had to be careful with the board.  Fortunately, I had no such issues.  I probably should have stuck with Wrightsville.   Sure, I still had fun.  Almost every wave that I caught took me to dry sand.  One man asked me how I was able to ride the waves all the way in.  I told him to watch me and start to kick when I say.  It felt good to see him catch a few when he was next to me.  

After lunch, I would hit the road again going back south.  I ended up just south of where I stayed the first night, still in NC but just across the border.  The town was called Ocean Isle.  I splurged a bit tonight for a hotel on the beach.  Since the holiday weekend was over, I got a deal on it.  I arrived early enough to take a 2 hour dip.  Conditions were very much different.  It was choppy with more murky water but the waves broke far out.  Rides were longer but did not take me all the way to the shore.  

Day 4- Stopped back at Myrtle Beach on the way home.  I only had 2 hours because I wanted to get home at a decent hour.  It was a very nice time.  Not quite as perfect as Surf City but it was much less choppy than yesterday and I got plenty of good long rides.  

On the way back, I made one short detour to the town of Monticello, Georgia.  My Cousin Vinny is one of my favorite movies and this is where most of it was filmed.  Pretty cool to see that courthouse.

Final thought:

Very nice trip.  Yes, I'd go back.  If I am to do so, I will stick with Topsail Island and possibly Emerald Isle, which is another island just north of Topsail.  The drive is about 9 hours so it's doable in one day.  It's nice that you gain an hour on the way back.