Training 3/31-4/5

 3/31- Unplanned rest day.

4/1- Very bad day.  Had to leave work early.  Couple of key discoveries.  I still need extra Thym Adren.  Malic Acid may have actually increased the need for it.  Second, there is no insatiable need.  I must be judicious with the Malic Acid.  Too much will definitely cause problems.  No more than 2 scoops per day in divided doses.  I may cut it down to 1.  If I take too much, I always feel better after a trip to the toilet.  Definitely detox.  Did do 1 Mile worth of intervals, which confirmed the findings.  

Distance- 1.0

Rant or Rave: Brutal Honesty

Several years ago, a former co-worker told me that he actually prefers to deal with open racism rather than closet racism.  His quote was something to this effect: I have more respect for a man who lets me know where he stands even if he's wrong.  I have no tolerance for hypocrites who don't practice what they preach.  I was initially taken aback by that statement but now that I think about it, I get what he was saying and part of me can relate to it.  

This post is not primarily about racism but I need to get one thing off my chest.  I've noticed that many people put on a fake southern accent when making a mockery of racists.  As someone with a real southern accent, that does bother me.  I've met northerners who have made horrible racist comments to me under the assumption that I agreed with them.  They were quite surprised when I told them that I did not.  I'd wager that the average person in the South today is less racist than the rest of the country.  Unfortunately, the ones that are tend to be in your face about it.  Indeed, I have encountered a few people who regularly use the n-word, which is disgusting in any context.  

Northern racism is more subtle but just as offensive.  I heard about a black kid from Pennsylvania who wanted to play football on a predominantly white team.  Other players talked about hazing him and excluding him from parties in hopes that he would quit the team.  If I were in his position, I think I'd rather be told to my face that I am being excluded because of my race.  

Imagine that you are an NFL hopeful who was a standout in college but projected to be a late round draft pick and on the roster bubble.  You live and breathe football for 8 months but at the end of August, you get the bad news.  When cutting a player, most coaches try to sugar coat it with statements like 'You're a great player but there's not a fit for you on this team." Cut the crap, especially if it's not a winning team. Just tell me the truth.  I'm not fast enough or I have another weakness that you believe would prevent me from being successful in the NFL.  A few of those guys might catch on with another team after a stint in the UFL but most will never play their beloved game again.  I really do feel for them.  

Back to my situation.  Suppose that I grew up with an Autism diagnosis.  How much differently would I have been treated versus being undiagnosed?  Maybe not so much.  I probably would have faced less severe bullying but just as much subtle rejection.  Surveys show that a sizeable percentage of the population won't even date anyone with a diagnosis.  Have the guts to tell me that to my face and never lead me on if you are not interested.  

A few years ago, I saw a girl that I used to run with at church.  After I told her that I had not been well recently, she actually asked me out for coffee.  Yes, I was interested but didn't make it too obvious.  I didn't expect it would lead to anything beyond friendship but she would have been HIGHLY valued if we did this with any regularity.  When I texted her to set up a time, she was always busy.  Then she posted pictures with her dog at the park.  She chose her dog over me.  Very hurtful.  

I think I'd rather be told something like this:  

I just don't like you well enough to hang out one on one.  You've got too many annoying quirks that get on my nerves a little bit.  Don't ask again.  

My exception to this rule is willful ignorance.  Someone else rejected my friendship because I was too negative and judged me for being single.  Maybe I would be more positive if I had encouraging friends.  Nevermind that this person had been through a bitter divorce and posted death threats against her ex.  She told me that I just need to love myself.  That's one of the most ignorant and hurtful things to say to people with chemical imbalances.  I was flabbergasted that someone who used to read my blog would say that.  Good riddance.

Getting back to the racism angle, I know what it's like to be mistreated for being different from others and I share your outrage.

Malic Acid Part 2

 Two pieces of good news:

As long as I take all my Methylation supps, especially NAC and TMG, I won't have any problem tolerating Thym Adren.  I can get away with an occasional missed dose.  Just don't make a habit of it.  Second, the sensitivity to NAC and B12 appears to be gone thanks to the Malic Acid.  That's YUGE.

BAD NEWS:

It appears to have triggered an adrenal spike, which is not a surprise and is common after a major problem is solved.  

Also, the tolerance to Malic Acid itself is very limited.  I had a slight negative reaction the first day, then it became positive for a couple days.  One day this week, it appeared to be a non-factor as I repeated my interval time to within a fraction of a second after taking a scoop.  

I should have known that was too good to be true.  If toxic Aluminum really is the source of the sensitivity, it has been there for 20 years.  If I was unable to detox from vackseens, it's been there for 40 years.  I can't expect that a week of Malic Acid will clear it up.  It will go out kicking and screaming.  If I had to guess, I only scraped the surface of the detox process.  There are multiple layers that will be exposed and it will get worse before it gets better.  Despite countless false hopes, I'm actually somewhat optimistic about this long-term.

I planned to go to the FLA Gulf this weekend for my first surf session of the year.  Forecast high was close to 80 degrees with a water temperature of 67.  Chilly but tolerable.  As I headed south, I began feeling weaker and weaker and my stomach was jacked up as well.  Halfway there, I knew I couldn't make it safely.  Fortunately, there was a town 15 miles away with a cheap hotel.  I stayed there overnight and came home Friday morning.  2 hours of driving was all that I could handle and I crashed out again after I got home.  

Malic Acid was clearly the culprit.  A confirmation scoop this morning made things much worse.  Again, I can tell that it is detox.  I always feel better after a trip to the toilet especially if it's a number 2.  It does feel like my kidneys are stressed, which makes sense because that's the organ involved with Aluminum detox.  

The only thing I can do right now is just rest and let the detox run its course.  I will force myself to drink extra fluids.  Caffeine may speed up the detox but I prefer not to take that route.  Still, I need to stay functional at work.  I will sharply reduce the Malic Acid but will not eliminate it.  I won't be at all surprised to see an INSATIABLE NEED FOR IT in the near-future.

UPDATE: 

Insatiable need has kicked in just 1 day after I wrote this.  I believe there will be other layers that will be peeled off.  I only hope it is a little more gentle in the next round.

Training 3/24-3/30

 3/24- AM- The adrenal spike has been confirmed. Opened with a 1:58 on just B12 and NAC.  Fared no better after a scoop of Malic Acid and repeated the 1:58.  2 Thym Adren proved to be a game changer at 1:36 but that's not even close to enough to be considered respectable.  Took 3 more Thym Adren before work and will try to gradually reduce the dosage.  That's probably all for today.

PM- Didn't want to waste a beautiful day.  Forced a non-stop half mile at Montreat in 5:50 (11:40 pace) with relatively even splits.  Took no more Thym Adren and I plan to keep the dose at 5 until further notice.  It will be better tomorrow.

Distance-1.0

3/25-AM.  Got about what I expected.  Montreat Mile in 10:44 with splits of 5:28-5:16.  I doubled the distance and increased the pace by 56 seconds.  I'll take that any day.  Unfortunately if I am to run this evening, I expect to fare no better unless I take more pills.  In fact, I might be worse.  Tomorrow's dose will make it better.

PM- I was wrong.  Surprisingly, I was significantly better.  Repeated the Montreat Mile and my time is down to 9:15.  Even pace with a little something left at the end (4:40-4:35).  Is the adrenal spike beginning to die down?  Tomorrow I will cut the dosage to 4 and attempt to run 2 miles.

Distance-2.0

3/26-AM- Began to feel different yesterday evening.  By bed time, I had a strong feeling that the Thym Adren needed to be eliminated altogether.  Unfortunately, I had to confirm it.

Opened with an 85 then improved to 81 on NAC and B12.  Clearly able to tolerate higher doses thanks to Malic Acid.  I may not even need Melatonin going forward.  This pace felt sustainable and am confident that I would have been well below 9:15 over a full Mile.  

Took just 2 Thym Adren instead of the planned 4 and got an immediate negative reaction.  Slipped to 1:50 on the next interval.  If I am to run this evening, it will be ugly.

PM- Not as ugly as I expected.  Half mile at Montreat in 4:38 (9:16 pace).  Figure 9:30ish for a full Mile.  The 3rd interval this morning was 11:00 pace.  Less than 12 hours later and I am better already.  Sadly, I won't be the least bit surprised if I need Thym Adren again next week.  Switching back to the modulator is an option.

Distance-1.0

3/27- Well, I know why my system rejected Thym Adren this time.  It was the lack of TMG, which I thought I no longer needed.  Wrong!  As soon as I took it again, the adrenal spike kicked in with a VENGEANCE.  Good thing I have an extra bottle in my cabinet.   

1 Mile on Lakeshore in 11:58 with splits of 5:50-6:08.  This spike won't be going down anytime soon.  I may have to raise the dosage.  This was done on 5 pills.  That's it for today.  Probably going to FLA tomorrow.  Need to clear my head.

Distance-1.0

3/28- Unplanned rest day.  Didn't make it to FLA

3/29- Unplanned rest day.

3/30- Insatiable need for Malic Acid has hit far sooner than I expected.

Opened with a 1:33 then slipped to 1:53 just 1 hour later but another trace of it brought me all the way down to 1:15.  It was short-lived.  Just a few hours later, I was barely moving for a half mile cool 

Distance-1.0

-6 miles 

Rave: Public Transportation

 Every year, I take a trip from Birmingham to Pittsburgh to visit family.  There is no easy way to get there.  I've driven it before and it can be scenic if I take the Eastern route through Appalachia.  The Western route offers a chance to visit Louisville, Nashville or Cincinnati for a night.  Problem is that it's just too long to do in one day.  Either way is about 11 hours driving time plus at least 2 stops for food.  You're looking at north of 12 hours even without traffic jams.  You really need to get 3 hours in on the first day to make it.  I can hit the road after work then it's manageable on the 2nd day.

What I usually do fly out of Birmingham.  I leave home 2 hours before the flight departs then it's about an hour and a half to Charlotte for a connecting flight, which is also about an hour and a half.  Factor in the layover and the trip into town and it's about 8 hours total by plane.  Not much time savings but at least I can make it in one day.  Of course, I run the risk of a delay and missed connection.  

A third option is to drive 2.5 hours each way to Atlanta for a direct flight.  I need to leave at least 5 hours before my flight.  If it's in the morning, I almost have to stay in a hotel the night before.  Not fun.  Nashville also has a direct flight but it's an even worse drive and I've never opted for that.  

If there was a bullet train similar to the ones in Japan, I could get there in about 4 hours.  I would do that in a heartbeat.  That sounds much easier than driving or flying.  In Japan, many people take the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto in just over 2 hours.  The cost is about $90 US for a one way ticket.  Western Europe also has a good rail system.  It's affordable and the speed appears to be comparable to car travel but I still plan to use it.  It certainly seems both safer and cheaper than renting a car and driving in a strange country or countries.  

If I am going to California, I would probably still opt for a plane ticket.  A trip to a city like Memphis, Atlanta, Nashville or Gulf Shores that can easily be done in a single day?  I'd probably stick to old fashioned car travel with the possible exception of Atlanta.  What about a trip to cities like Dallas, Chicago, Tampa, Daytona or Miami?  In that case, high speed rail has appeal especially if there is no direct flight as is the case for Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Kansas City.  Also, it would be nice if I don't have to wait in a long line at security and a car is unnecessary.  If I am staying on the beach with a boardwalk full of restaurants and convenience stores or going to a city with a good subway system, I don't need to rent a car.  

There has been talk about a nationwide high speed rail network in the United States but it has never gained any serious traction.  I did take a train from Connecticut to NYC and there's talk about a line from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  LA to Phoenix or Vegas?  I haven't heard anything about that.  Sure, it would cost quite a bit to build but if we could cut back on military spending and continue to eliminate waste, it could be done.

My Autistic Traits

 I've read that the MMR vackseen in particular has been implicated as a cause of Autism.  A new shot came out in 1983 so figure that I got it right around the time I turned 3 years old, give or take a couple of months.  By the time I was 4, I had numerous autistic traits.  I think it's perfectly reasonable to question whether or not there is a connection especially if I am correct about the Aluminum toxicity being responsible for the autoimmune reactions.  

I do not remember getting the shot so I have no idea if there was an immediate negative reaction though I've heard that 15 percent get a fever.  My mother might remember but I don't want to ask her and make her feel bad.  Even if it's proven that I was harmed, I certainly do NOT blame my parents.  They had no way of knowing that it could be dangerous nor did they know that I have the MTHFR mutation.  I believe it was required to attend public school, so what choice did they have?

One change in me that I do recall was new food aversions.  I liked eating peas as a toddler but when I was about 4-5, I could not stand the sight of them.  To this day, I still won't eat them.  This is just one of several examples and is a common autistic trait.  

When I was 4, I was sent to a special pre-school which judged me as "very delayed" and predicted that I would never keep up with my grade level.  Autism was often mistaken for mental retardation especially when it was poorly understood in the mid 1980s.  What happened next was inexcusable.  After I had a meltdown over a food aversion, I got tied up with a rope and locked in room alone.  My parents were horrified and my sister was quite disturbed as well even though she was only 9.  Fortunately, my parents sent me to 3rd pre-school, where I had no significant problems.  

Childhood traits that I have outgrown:

Stacking soup cans in the kitchen 

Making strange sounds repeatedly 

Needing to touch or hold something when I entered a room.

Poor eye contact and appearance of dishonesty even when telling the truth.

Difficulty with transition such as getting out of the shower, going to bed and especially getting out of bed.  That's mostly gone now.  Occasionally I do sit idle in my car for a couple minutes after I get home.  

Stimming action such as rocking back and forth in a chair and shaking my legs without realizing it

Traits that have evolved:

I used to watch the same videos over and over and often repeated the same statements over and over.  I suppose that falls under the umbrella of intense interest in several topics.  I knew everything that there was to know about baseball and football stats in the late 80s and early 90s.  I still remember much of it today.  

Intense interest later shifted to Back to the Future, Seinfeld and the Rocky and Star Wars franchises.  Now, it's travel and foreign languages.  If I ever get healthy again, the interest in running and alternative medicine will return but maybe not to its former intensity.

"Spikey skill sets"

It's common for autistic people to excel in a certain discipline but struggle mightily in others that most people can easily handle.  I taught myself how to multiply and divide in kindergarten.  My mother was playing a Math game with my sister in the living room and I easily recognized the pattern. I bet I would have figured it out even earlier if given the opportunity.  I scored in the 99th percentile in a few standardized Math tests.  I was strong in History as well.  Sometimes, I struggled with Science lab reports but usually did okay if I had a good lab partner.  My English and Reading skills were average at best.  That gap did close in high school.  I could get an A in Regular English but scored in the mid 80s in AP.  My Math remained strong but was no longer in the top percentile.  I had terrible hand writing and still do today.  My Art and Mechanical skills were and still are probably among the worst that my teachers have ever seen. 

I've taken a few IQ tests over the years and usually scored between 120-130.  That's probably about right.  Though I was a very good student, it didn't always come easy and I had to work for an A in most subjects.  My crystalized intelligence is much higher than my fluid intelligence, which makes perfect sense.  I may struggle with new or unfamiliar tasks that I don't do regularly but once I do learn, it sticks long-term.

Social cues:

I simply could not read social cues.  I truly couldn't tell if I was being subjected to harmless teasing or real bullying.  I went through a phase in which I would make a fool of myself to make people laugh.  I thought kids found me funny but didn't realize until years later that they were laughing because they thought I was stupid.  One poster said that they followed the written rules but didn't understand the unwritten rules of conduct.  I can identify with that.

I often didn't get sarcasm and took everything literally.  Knock em dead.  You can say that again.  Don't cry over spilled milk.  I took all of that literally.  All common autistic traits right there.

A quack psychologist immediately told me that I think in absolutes and my thinking is "too black and white.". I don't even remember what I said that made her think that but supposedly it's another autistic trait.  My Dad agreed but said it's all right.  As a Conservative, I tend to believe in moral absolutes rather than cultural relativism.  I joked about joining the dark side because in the words of Obi Wan Kenobi: Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

Growing up, I usually did have a couple of close friends but never fit in with any group.  High school was different.  I was friends with the group (cross-country) but didn't really have a best friend.  I had shaky coordination.  I could hold my own in a pickup game of soccer or basketball but was terrible in baseball and football.  My only chance to make a sports team was track.  I took it and it turned out to be an intense interest and provided a refuge from severe bullying.  However, it was also very frustrating to work my ass off only to be beaten by slackers with more natural talent.  

I wasn't great but was good enough to enjoy the team camaraderie.  However, whenever I asked to hang out with a couple of guys that I really looked up to, they always politely declined.  One time, I had 2 free tickets to an amusement park but couldn't find anyone to go with me.  That was really hurtful.  Perhaps if I was a little faster or neuro typical without annoying quirks, things would have been different.  Still by my Senior year, most of my classmates respected me for my academic and athletic achievements.  I got along better with average students than my AP circle.  

I don't care about fashion in the least.  I have a rotation of roughly 20 outfits that I wear all the time.  I eat at the same restaurants often on the same days of the week and order the same item from the menu.  

Speech:

In recent years, my southern accent has been described as "beautiful" "lovely" and "adorable" but that wasn't always the case.  It used to be slower, flatter and monotone.  Even though it was no secret that I was an A student, I still got called a retard.  It was not uncommon for me to get laughed at for answering a question correctly in class or told to STFU after joining a conversation with an inoffensive remark.  When I asked what was so offensive, they admitted that they weren't even listening to me.  WTF!   

It's rare but I've heard about autistic kids with an accent that doesn't match where they grew up.  I can see how that could happen.  Suppose that you are bullied over your speech but with a couple subtle vowel shifts, you can pass for "normal" in another region.  I don't see any problem with that.  

Long-term Memory:

Autism is not all bad.  One of my fun little quirks is the ability to remember vivid details from events that took place 30+ years ago.  I've chatted with people that remember exact dates.  I'm usually not that precise but can always remember the year and usually the month.  I can also remember the exact location and if it happened at home, I remember the room.  

I remember childhood phone numbers and addresses of people that I never called.  I remember my locker combination and my neighbor's as well.  I could tell you my schedule, room numbers and my grades every year from 6th grade on.  I often remember who sat next to me as well.  I'm an entertaining story teller.  Some people are amazed by it but others find it a little creepy.

 Again, I was never diagnosed but few people would argue that I am not autistic after reading this post.  If I was growing up today, I almost certainly would have been diagnosed and treated differently.  That said if I was harmed by childhood vackseens, I can't even imagine how badly off I would be if I had to take today's schedule.  

Having one or two of these traits is fairly common and I don't agree that "everyone is a little autistic.". One or two traits doesn't meet the criteria but having all or most is a different story.

Two traits that I thankfully do NOT have:

Aversion to unfamiliar surroundings and inability to smile.  Not every case looks the same but certain traits are common.

Aluminum Toxicity and Malic Acid

 For more than a decade, I have been searching for the source of my extreme sensitivity to pills.  I may have finally found it.  I thought perhaps it was defective enzymes then Liver congestion then impaired methylation then Iron Overload, high oxalates, Cytokines and Candida.  Though it's good that I tacked those issues, none of them were the answer.

  I've pretty much known for years that it is toxic metals.  Just a day or two after starting Advanced TRS, a zeolite, I was able to tolerate pills that I could not take before but it was not the answer either.  In fact, I am worse off today than before I started it.  It appears that there is one toxic metal in particular that is especially problematic and difficult to eliminate.  It's not Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Iron, Copper or even Mercury but rather Aluminum.

Call me a conspiracy theorist if you want but I am feeling that it is more and more likely that I was harmed by childhood vackseens, particularly the MMR.  They've admitted that those vackseens contain Aluminum as an adjuvant but argue that it's a good thing because Aluminum stimulates the immune system.  What if the Aluminum caused the immune system to be overstimulated and thus it reacts to substances that should be harmless or even beneficial?  I think it's pretty clear that's what happened to me.  I didn't develop this sensitivity until my early 20s, but until then, I never took supplements regularly.

Environmental exposure certainly doesn't help either.  I regularly drink out of Aluminum cans and sometimes use underarm deodorant.  Those 2 sources need to go.  If my body odor is a problem, I can use cologne or an Aluminum free deodorant.  That said, I've read that Aluminum absorption is far greater when it is injected.  Perhaps, I was unable to eliminate the toxic Aluminum from the vackseens and it continues to accumulate, which explains why the sensitivity got worse over time.  Before you call me a nut job, do you have a better explanation?  I don't think so.  

Melatonin has definitely helped the sensitivity and indeed I read yesterday that it can be used as an effective detox method against Aluminum.  Unfortunately, it probably will not be enough.  I am very disturbed by my recent reactions to NAC.  Excess B12 seems to increase the demand for it and without it, I can't tolerate the adrenal support that I need.  However, my tolerance for NAC appears to be limited to just 1 pill per day when I take 5 mg Melatonin.  Without the Melatonin, I would not tolerate it AT ALL!  

I don't think excess Sulfur is the problem because Moly wasn't a game changer. It is possible but unlikely that Yucca could help.  Extra Melatonin was a game changer.  I improved my half lap time from 98 to 77, which is a gap of more than 2 minutes per mile just because I took an extra 5 mg.

Unfortunately, a Melatonin dosage greater than 5 mg caused me to feel drowsy and lethargic, which is to be expected.  At a dose higher than 10 mg, I'd go as far as to say that the cure is worse than the disease itself.  Without any other options, my only chance is to limit the B12 and the NAC dose to 1 pill per day and hope it's enough.

Malic Acid is supposedly very effective against Aluminum.  I take Magnesium Malate but that's obviously not enough.  It's got to be straight Malic Acid in powder form.  I've used it occasionally for tooth whitening but usually spit it out after I rinse.  Yesterday, I swallowed it.  I got a slight negative reaction shortly thereafter.  I got a bit of a headache and was a little more stiff than usual but saw a noticeable improvement after I went to the toilet.  That's clearly detox.  Perhaps more importantly, extra NAC seemed to be tolerated.  Was that because of the extra Melatonin still in my system or the Malic Acid?  I'll find out soon.

Training 3/17-3/23

 3/17-AM.  1 Mile in 12:18 but the splits were 6:24-5:54, a full minute per mile faster on the back half.  That suggests that improvement is on the way.  

PM- MUCH BETTER.  2 miles in 19:27 (9:43 pace).  Splits were 9:46-9:41.  Probably around 30:15 for a 5K so I have a long way to go.

Distance-3.0

3/18- 1.5 miles in 17:11 (11:27 pace).  Culprit was NAC.  MAYBE if I limit it to 1 pill per day, I'll be okay.  B12 did help but it wasn't nearly enough to get me back to respectable times.  Took a B12 twice at the half mile and the Mile mark.  Splits were 6:12-5:36-5:23 so the 2nd dose was less effective.  Again, I thought that the Melatonin was going to stop this from happening.  Is it an autoimmune reaction or something else such as excess Sulfur?  

Had time for testing when I got home.

Opener-1:44

Moly-1:38

Melatonin-1:17

Moly helped but it wasn't a game changer and I know what happens if I take extra.  That's not the answer.  Extra Melatonin is a game changer but too much of that will make me drowsy.  

The only solution is to limit the NAC to just 1 pill per day and hope it's enough.

Distance-2.0

3/19- Very interesting.  After the overdose of Melatonin yesterday, I expected the morning to be rough but I would get better in the afternoon.  It didn't happen.  I was awful when I got home but the hated intervals gave me hope.  

Opener-1:49

NAC- 1:41

B12-1:33

Malic Acid-1:12

1 LAP COOL.

NAC and B12 need to be taken together.  I still don't know if I tolerated extra because of excess Melatonin or Malic Acid but taken together, that's enough to be considered a game changer.  The improvement after taking the Malic Acid was YUGE.   I'm not too surprised.  I often get an insatiable need shortly after a new treatment.  Sadly, I won't be at all surprised to wake up feeling awful tomorrow morning but get better after taking Malic Acid.

Distance-1.0

3/20- Unplanned rest day.  The insatiable need kicked in even sooner than I expected.  In fact, I could feel it before I went to bed yesterday.  Took 2 full scoops of Malic Acid at work and got much better after each of them but it was short lived.  Good news is no apparent ill-effects from extra B12 and NAC even on reduced Melatonin.

3/21- Took one scoop in the morning and one scoop at lunch but didn't take any before the run.  Just wanted to see what would happen.  It was worse than expected.  Started off decent but I knew a massive fade was coming.  Finished 1 Mile in 11:29 at Montreat with splits of 3:10-3:58-4:21.  Ouch!

Distance-1.0

3/22-AM- One scoop in the middle of the night but nothing before the run in order to be consistent.  Improved to 10:36 with a negative split (3:38-3:33-3:25).  I'll take it and may try again later.

PM- Continued improvement.  Repeated the Mile and my time is down to 9:24.  Splits were 3:10-3:12-3:02.  Again, I waited over 3 hours after I took my last scoop.  It seems like I am not seeing the big gains immediately but the positive effects last longer.  That's good news.

Distance-2.0

3/23- Heardmont.  Hoped for at least 2 but maybe 3 miles.  Settled for 1.  Decent start but the power cut off at 400.  Cut off the watch after passing the half in 4:52 and treated the last 2 laps as a cool down. 

 Culprit is most probably an adrenal spike.  Not a surprise but I didn't expect it to hit so quickly.  I expected a few more days of improvement with the detox.

Distance-1.0

-10 miles on the week.

Training 3/10-3/16

 3/10- Hoped to improve on yesterday's 3 Mile but had to settle for 1 in a time of 10:12 with splits of 4:57-5:15.  Culprit was Molybdenum.  I often get in trouble when I take larger doses to get rid of a bottle that I think I no longer need.  That's what happened today.  Melatonin was supposed to stop this from happening but this is not an autoimmune reaction.  Moly can overstimulate.  Thym Adren did help but I would rather quit both.  I expect to struggle tomorrow as well because the confirmation dose made it worse.

Distance- 1.0

3/11- Naked half mile junk run at Montreat.  It feels like the moly has cleared but not the Thym Adren.  Should be better tomorrow.  

Distance-0.5

3/12- Not pretty but I did what I planned.  Lakeshore 2.5 in 24:11 (9:40 pace).  Only slightly slower than my average.  Very well paced (12:04-12:07) but when I tried to dig, nothing was there.  A little bit of hip soreness but probably nothing to worry about.  Right on the edge of 30 pace for 5K.

Distance- 2.5

Felt MUCH WORSE shortly thereafter and figured that I needed NAC after all.  After I took it, the need for Thym Adren kicked back in with a VENGEANCE.  I don't give a damn what pills I have to take.  All I want is stability!

3/13- 1 Mile junk run on Lakeshore in 9:54.  Even pace without effort to kick. No problem with my hip.  May hit equilibrium tomorrow.  I know two things.  First, I still need to limit caffeine and alcohol or I can't absorb B12.  Second, extra NAC does NOT mean that I need mega Thym Adren.  Just 1 pill triggers the need but the dose is constant even if I take more NAC.

Distance-1.0

3/14- AM. Thym Adren interval test.

2 pills-83

3 pills-81

4 pills-82

As I predicted last week, a dosage between 2 and 4 pills makes little difference at least over the short distance.  I will go with 3 for now but may drop it to 2 down the road.  If I had tried either 1 or 5 pills, the result would be very poor.  

Distance-1.0

3/15- Planned rest day.  Predicted severe weather 

Update: Felt worse as the day progressed yesterday but extra NAC helped.  Today, it seems like B12 is tolerated even with caffeine but 3 Thym Adren left me feeling stiffer than usual.  It's clear that I need more than 1 NAC pill.

3/16- It seems like excess B12 has increased the need for NAC.  Will I ever reach equilibrium?  

AM- 1 Mile at Heardmont in 9:46.  Strong negative split.  5:04-4:42.  May run again this afternoon.

7 miles on the week 

Training 3/3-3/9

It seems like my adrenal support will stabilize at 3 Thym Adren.  I will probably be okay on either 2 pills or 4 but can't deviate further.  I can live with that and will confirm this finding later in the week.

 3/3- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 18:59 (9:30 pace). Much better than last time.  I did the same thing as last time.  Passed the Mile mark in 9:46 then improved to 9:13 on extra B12.  Significant improvement but not a game changer.  No real effort to kick.  Just so happened that I was just below 19.

Distance-2.0

3/4- Repeated yesterday this time in the morning.  Slipped to 19:52 (9:56 pace).  Step backward but no panic.  Passed the Mile mark slightly ahead of yesterday at 9:38.  This time extra B12 was a negative as the back half was only a 10:14. 

 I confess to a small transgression last night (Mountain Dew).  That's probably why I went backwards.  I bet I can handle a beer or Coke on the weekends.  Just don't make a habit of it.  Both alcohol and caffeine inhibit B12 absorption.  I've had no issues with other pills.

Distance-2.0

3/5- Half mile in a time over 6 minutes.  Probably caffeine withdrawal.  B12 didn't do anything either way.  Extra Thym Adren helped during the adrenal spike, which should go down soon.  Air pressure was very low after the storm last night, which probably didn't help either.

Distance-0.5

3/6- Adrenal spike only lasted a few hours and I overshot on the Thym Adren.  Should be back to equilibrium by tomorrow.  Today was not bad.  1.5 on Lakeshore in 14:08 (9:25 pace).  Splits were 7:08-7:00.  Didn't take B12 during the run but it didn't seem to make much difference this morning.  3 days clean.

Distance-1.5

3/7- North Lakeshore 3 mile in 28:31 (9:30 pace).  It wasn't pretty but I finished the distance with relative ease.  Very well paced (14:17-14:14) but I still felt sluggish.  This is presumed equilibrium at 3 pills but the dose may be cut further.  This is barely under 30 for 5K.  I want my daily run to be 3 miles going forward.  No more 1-2 mile junk runs.

Distance- 3.0

Edit: Noticeably worse after a 4th Thym Adren pill.  I'm cutting it to 2.  Got a nice little boost from caffeine today.  Do NOT make a habit of it.

3/8- Interval tests as planned but it was to determine if I need Thym Adren at all.  At least for today, the answer is NO.  

Opener in 88.  2 Thym Adren in 93.  That's significantly worse.  Unfortunately, in my weakened condition, a junk run was all that I could do.  1.5 mile on Lakeshore in 16:23 (10:55 pace) with splits of 8:04-8:19.  UGLY!  I expect to struggle tomorrow as well but I should be able to go longer.

Distance- 2.0

3/9- My best showing of the week.  Track Shak 3 mile in 27:47 (9:16 pace).  Passed halfway in 13:58 and finished with a 13:49 despite a tough hill just after the halfway point.  No Thym Adren today.  I doubt that I can stay off but I will go with it until it stops working. Nasty weather.  Fortunately, I finished before the worst of the rain hit.  Hopefully this is the last day under 60 degrees.

Distance- 3.0

-14 miles on the week 

Rave: Foreign Languages and Accents

 On the bus ride from Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita, I made some light conversation with a young Mexican woman.  I made a comment in Spanish about the bad traffic and to my surprise, the response was in English with barely a hint of a Mexican accent.  The story was similar in Sayulita itself.  Many of the servers at restaurants and bars could have almost passed for native born Hispanic Americans.  I could be wrong, but I assume that they have lived in Mexico for their entire lives and received a bilingual education.  Indeed, I did see an advertisement for a bilingual school in Sayulita.  While I certainly applaud people for learning a second language, I would encourage you NOT to lose your native accent when speaking English.  I love to hear almost any accent and much prefer it to reporters and wanna be Valley girl talk.     

With all the mass migration, I can envision a world in about 500 years in which everyone speaks the same language in the same neutral dialect.  Also, everyone will have a similar ethnic mixture with some African, European, Asian and Native American DNA.  Of course, I’ll be long gone before that happens, but I see some pros and cons to that type of world.  The first big pro is that there will be no racism.  Though there may be some variation, most people will have a similar light brown complexion with dark hair and brown eyes.  Another pro is that most likely, it will be a more peaceful world without various ethnic conflicts. The BIG negative would be the utter lack of diversity.  In addition to everyone looking the same and talking the same, all children will be taught to think the same as well.  There will be immense pressure to conform to societal norms and if you stand out in any way, you will be ostracized.  Also, it will probably be a one world government.  No Thanks.  Glad I’ll be gone before that happens.

If you move to the USA before you turn 13-14, you will probably lose your foreign accent and may pick up the local dialect.  I befriended a Polish immigrant who was adopted around the age of 10.  When we met in 6^th grade, he still had a thick accent but lost it over the next couple of years.  By the time we got to high school, he had forgotten most of his Polish and many people didn’t even know that he wasn’t born in the USA.  I’ve met several Asians with southern accents, but all were born in raised in the South.  I had a bit of a crush on a girl who was born in Venezuela but immigrated to South Carolina at 7-8 years of age.  She still spoke fluent Spanish, but her English was always Southern American style, which I thought was really cool.

I want to highlight 3 celebrities that I enjoy hearing:  They are Sofia Vergara from Colombia, Salma Hayek from Mexico and Arnold Schwarzenegger from Austria.  To my knowledge, Arnold made no attempt to lose his trademark accent.  Vergara tried but found that she struggled with auditions, so she gave up.  Interestingly, Nicole Kidman from Australia and Charlize Theron from South Africa are able to pull off standard American English.  I’d rather hear their natural speech.  I saw a few interviews with Salma Hayek from back in the late 90s in which she had a light Mexican accent.  Nowadays, she lays it on thick.  Good for her!  Be proud of where you were born and raised.  You don’t have to be like everybody else.  I’ve gotten several compliments on my Spanish even though it is spoken with an American Southern accent.  A Dominican driver told me that it is clear and easy to understand because it is spoken slowly.  A girl from California said it was “beautiful” and there is no reason to try to lose it when speaking Spanish.  I follow a Peruvian Spanish teacher on YouTube and though her English is heavily accented, it is clear and easy to understand.  I think it’s beautiful and have binge watched her videos to listen to her talk.  Most young Europeans have a working knowledge of English and have been taught it from a young age.  I follow a German woman and a Swedish man who make travel videos on YouTube.  Both could almost pass for American.  Especially in large cities, I doubt that you will find many Germans who speak English like Arnold Schwarzenegger.  IMO, that’s a little sad.      

My views on immigrant assimilation have evolved in recent years.  I remain opposed to open borders but do not support mass deportation.  I still believe that all immigrants must learn English and should speak it in public as well.  When I was younger, I believed that they should fully embrace Americanism and drop the hyphenated labels.  I no longer feel that way.  In fact, I would encourage you to embrace your heritage by continuing speaking your native language at home and with friends and relatives as well as to teach it to your children.  If I were a Mexican immigrant with native born children, I would designate weekdays for English and weekends for Spanish at home or vice versa depending on schedules.  Many Americans take 2 or 3 years of a foreign language at school then never speak or study it again.  As a result, they only remember the very basic phrases.  I regret that I stopped studying Spanish in my 20s and 30s but it’s not too late to re-learn. 

Bilingual education in the USA?  If you grew up here but English is not your dominant language, I don’t think it’s a good thing, so I would not go that far.  Exposing children as young as 6 years old to multiple foreign languages?  I’d be all for that.  Hire a teacher who is a polyglot and give him or her an hour with every grade level.  Then, offer languages as an elective in middle school.  I, for one would have preferred a Spanish, Latin or French class over an Art or Shop class in middle school.  I certainly would have performed better in the foreign language.  That’s for sure. 

Arizona Road Trip Plan

 I haven't booked it yet but it's a definite for the dates of April 24-28.  Nothing is planned for March.  I'm a little sorry that I didn't make it to the slopes this winter but my energy has been too iffy to know if I could enjoy it.  

As for Arizona, I was there in 2020 just before the lockdown but only saw Monument Valley and Horseshoe Bend.  In 2022, I did a southern Arizona trip that included a border crossing into Nogales, Mexico.  In 2015, I did visit the Grand Canyon and Sedona but couldn't do it justice because of bad weather.  

In late April, it almost never rains.  Phoenix can be hot but even if it's 90 degrees, it won't be too uncomfortable with the low humidity.  Northern Arizona should be perfect.  

Southwest Airlines has a direct flight from Birmingham to Phoenix that lands in 4:05 PM local time.  Unlike most other cities, the Phoenix airport is located right in the heart of town.  The Diamondbacks are home and the game starts at 6:45.  Even if there is a short delay, I figure that leaves me enough time to get the rental car and  check into the hotel.  From there, I can walk to the stadium.  Since it's a night game, there is a chance that the roof will be open.  Ballpark number 19.

If I am delayed, the D'Backs wrap up their homestand on the 27th.  I'd have to cut some stops short but I can make it back to Phoenix for an afternoon game.  If I miss the night game, I'll go out for drinks instead. Obviously, I prefer to make it to the game.  

Either way, I will leave Phoenix first thing next morning and head north. It's about 3.5 hours to the Grand Canyon.  It will be a Friday with school still in session so crowds should not be too bad.  Plans are flexible from there.  I don't plan to do any serious hiking.  Just a couple short ones.  I've heard conflicting reports on the amount of time needed.  Some say that you only need 3-4 hours if you stick to the upper rim.  Others say you need all day.  I'll play it by ear.  

Option 1 is to stay in the Grand Canyon until golden hour and drive 2 hours in the dark up to Page, on the Utah border.  Option 2 is to leave the Grand Canyon in late afternoon and catch a sunset over Lake Powell.  I'd probably lean towards #2.  

I will spent Saturday morning in the Page area and cross into Utah to add to my yearly tally.  Scenic spots include Vermillion Cliffs, Lone Rock Beach, Marble Canyon, Waterholes Canyon.  That's a lot.  Because of this, I will most probably not spend the whole day at the Grand Canyon.  I may have to skimp a bit here if I want to do justice to Sedona.

From Page, it's slightly less than 3 hours to Sedona.  Hopefully, I make it by mid-afternoon.  I will only spend one night in Sedona and hotels are very expensive.  My preference would be to spend most of the day on Sunday in Sedona and drive back to Phoenix in the evening.  If I miss the Thursday evening baseball game, I'll have to leave Sedona mid- morning.  It's 2 hours back to Phoenix.

Edit: I heard of a beach called Revel  Surf Park near Phoenix.  If I run out of hikes in Sedona, this is an option.  Oceanfront Property in Arizona?  

Again, I can get a direct flight back and get home at a decent hour.  Trip looks good.

Training 2/22-3/2

 I didn't run at all in Mexico but it did become apparent that the stimulating affect of B12 had calmed down.  In the 2 cold days after my return home, the adrenal spike also died down.  

2/22- 6 Thym Adren was clearly too much.  If I had been running, I would have known that earlier.  As it is, I knew it before I started but still wanted to get something on the board.  1 Mile at Lakeshore in 11:37 but at least I didn't collapse.  Splits were 5:45-5:52.  I was THAT bad because I did it minutes after the pills.  I was already better by the evening.

Distance-1.0

2/23- 2 miles at Heardmont in 17:56 (8:58 pace).  Cut the dose from 6 pills to 4.  Still too much but this was a LOT better.  Pace was pretty steady all the way.  Passed the Mile in an even 9-flat then slipped 5 seconds in the red before a 2:06 finish.  I was pushing at the end but wasn't all out.

Distance-2.0

It appears that I am heading for an X number of pills every day or else scenario.  I don't like it but as long as the dose is consistent, I can live with that.  NO MOVING TARGETS.

2/24- Interesting observations last night.  I felt a bit overstimulated but I knew that extra Thym Adren would have triggered a negative reaction.  I took a double dose of Methyl Folate and Intrinsic Factor and felt much WORSE.  It wasn't until I took the B12 (low dose) that I felt somewhat better.

Hated test intervals:

Opener-1:30

3 Thym Adren- 1:54

Whole B12 pill- 1:25

Reaction:

The MF increases the demand for B12, which appears to be necessary to tolerate Thym Adren.  I feel like I am so close to figuring it all out.  Then again, I felt that way too many times.

PM- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 13:15 (8:50 pace).  Damn near perfect splits (6:38-6:37).  If I had kept going, I bet I would have been marginally faster than yesterday over the 2 mile distance.  Didn't feel great during the day but extra B12 was the difference maker 

Distance-2.0

Key questions have been answered.  2 more remain.  I know that B12 is necessary to tolerate Thym Adren.  Is there a dose that will trigger an adrenal spike?  Will B12 close the performance gaps?  It is my hope that I stabilize on 3 but the difference between 3 and 6 is not significant.

2/25- Mega doses of B12 DO TRIGGER an adrenal spike.  Took 6 Thym Adren and it still wasn't enough.  1 Mile on Lakeshore in 9:53 and it took a 4th quarter rally to get under 10.  If I had only taken 3, it probably would have been another 11:30ish effort.  I will cut the B12 down to 2 pills and I will see what that does.

Distance-1.0

2/26- Unplanned rest day.  Intolerant to B12.  One day I can't get enough.  The next day I can't tolerate it.  My only explanation could be that caffeine interferes with the tolerance.

2/27-Unplanned rest day.  It appears that my theory on caffeine was correct.  I reduced it today and I can't get enough B12.

2/28- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 21:27 (10:44 pace).  Passed the Mile in 10:54, popped an extra B12 and improved to 10:33.  Hoped for a greater improvement but it was noticeable in the last half mile.  The extreme need for B12 had got to fade in a few days.  It will probably be replaced by another adrenal spike.

Distance-2.0

3/1- Interval tests.

Opener-2:06

2 Thym Adren- 1:55

B12-1:37

Pleased to see improvement on Thym Adren.  I fully expected the BIG gain on B12.

Unfortunately, the real workout was an abject failure.  I quit after just a half mile.  

It appears that Red Bull and alcohol are BAD but Coke is tolerated.  I have no explanation and am fearful that the Melatonin may be losing its effectiveness.

Distance-1.0

3/2- Heardmont Mile in 9:25.  A lot better than yesterday.  That's all that I will say.

I drank a Coke for lunch and had a reaction.  Melatonin was supposed to stop that from happening.  I fear that inexplicable reactions to pills will come back.

Distance-1.0

10 miles total 

Rant or Rave: Anti-Vax Movement

 Disclaimer:

A certain word will be deliberately misspelled in this post.  I am open minded and able to change my viewpoint if presented with new information that contradicts it.  If you disagree, please do so with respect and civility.  Here we go.

A couple of years ago, I called for the childhood vackseen schedule to be reduced and spread out over a longer period of time.  My views have evolved towards a more fully Anti-Vax position.  Surveys show that the movement has gained traction in recent years, especially among Republicans.  

To me, it's all a matter of risk vs benefit analysis.  For example, chicken pox poses virtually no long-term threat.  Supposedly, I had a pretty bad case when I was about 3.  My parents and I endured a rough week or 2 then it was all over and I gained lifelong immunity.  Elementary school classmates talked about going to chicken pox parties over the summer to get it over with so they wouldn't have to miss any school or risk getting it at another inopportune time.  That shows how little it was feared among the public.  I see no need for a chicken pox vackseen even if it is safe and effective.

I learned just a few years ago that the word measly, meaning small and insignificant, was derived from the measles virus.  How bad is it to get the measles?  For most people, it's a 100-102 fever with a rash that lasts 3-5 days.  More severe cases can occur, which tend to last 7-10 days with a 102-104 temperature.  As with chicken pox, when it's over, 99.9-99.99 percent of people will fully recover with no long-term complications and gain lifelong immunity.  RFK believes that experiencing the measles will leave you with a stronger immune system that is better able to fight cancer and other serious diseases as an adult.  Again, if it were up to me, I'd take my chances with measles rather than get the vackseen.  I know too little about Mumps to offer an opinion and I've heard that though Rubella is rare, it can be dangerous for pregnant women.  There is a school of thought that many of the diseases were already nearly wiped out thanks to improved sanitation before the vax was developed.  

This is a hypothetical example:

Let's suppose that a childhood disease similar to the measles exists.  At worst, you will have to endure a painful 7-10 days but except for maybe 1 in 5,000-10,000 people, it poses no long-term issues.  There is a vackseen available that will eliminate the threat of the 7-10 day illness but the risk of complications is 1 in 250.  If you have a certain genetic mutation, the risk increases to 1 in 50.  Unless my child has a compromised immune system, the vackseen is a far greater danger than the virus.  Hard pass.  Of course, the media will highlight the rare cases when measles is deadly and I don't intend to make light of that, but when vax injuries do occur, it's crickets or outright denial.  I bet that drugs and other treatments can be developed to further reduce the risk of severe measles.  Edit: I learned today that Vitamin A is a very effective treatment for severe cases of measles.

Now, suppose that there is a monster pandemic with a 5 percent mortality rate and 15 percent disability rate.  In that case, gimme the shot even if the risk is the same as described above.  See, I can be reasonable.  However, in order to take the shot, the risk of the disease must be higher than the risk of complications from the vackseen.  Sounds pretty logical to me.

There is no treatment that is guaranteed to be 100 percent risk free.  I recall my 8th grade science teacher told my class a tragic story of a teenage boy who had a severe allergic reaction to Aspirin and died.  Vackseen injuries do occur.  That's indisputable.  I contend that they are more common than we are led to believe.  It's usually not a dramatic downturn but rather a slow fade over time that cannot be traced to a specific event.  

My case:

I recall getting some sort of booster shot almost every time I went to the pediatrician.  I'm betting that almost all of them were completely unnecessary.  I got a free lollipop out of it but I do remember a couple of times when I felt pretty rotten after the shot.  My 5th grade teacher asked me repeatedly "what's wrong with you lately?". Eventually, I did snap out of it.  Perhaps I did better in high school because I wasn't getting the shots anymore.  Who knows?  

Has Autism increased or is it simply better understood and diagnosed more often?  I stated that the truth is somewhere in between and stand by that assertion today.  The rate hasn't really increased 100 fold but it is indeed much more common today.  Teachers who are near retirement say that they didn't see these behavior problems 25 years ago.  

When I was a child, I had numerous traits consistent with mild Autism and almost certainly would have been diagnosed if I was growing up today.  As it was, I grew up with neuro imbalances at a time when it was poorly understood.  You can probably imagine what that was like for me.  My mother agreed that I "had a little bit of Autism as a child" but is convinced that I have fully outgrown it.  I'm not so sure.  I believe that I am better able to mask and perhaps it manifests differently as an adult.  Is the extreme sensitivity to pills Autism related?  Possibly.  I do know for sure that toxic metals are a factor, which can be a root cause of Autism.  A medical report did indeed confirm that I am a poor eliminator of toxic metals and that I have the MTHFR mutation, which is present in 91 percent of people with Autism.  

Getting back to the vackseen debate, I am afraid that there may not be a solution that is in the best interest of all vulnerable people.  With a live virus vackseen, even in its weakened state, the virus still has the potential to cause disease especially among the immune compromised.  I heard about a measles outbreak in Texas that was likely caused by a live virus vackseen.  

I found out from a Jillian Michaels podcast that the solution to that problem is to use a dead virus with an adjuvant.  Since the immune system may not even respond to a dead virus, something else must be added to the shot, which are known as adjuvants, to "wake up" the immune system.  These adjuvants are none other than Mercury, Aluminum and a host of other nasty ingredients.  Most people are able to detox.   However, there is a significant percentage of the population with impaired detox pathways that may be vulnerable to complications.  Taking too many of these shots over a short period of time can be especially dangerous.  Even if you reject the Autism link, everyone should be in agreement that injecting toxic metals into young children can damage their health.  I personally believe that vackseens are a contributing factor but not the only reason for the increase in Autism.  Pollution, pesticides and crap food are likely in play as well.  

At the very least, MTHFR positive children's parents should be given the choice to opt out.  Sadly, the problem is that according to many schools of thought, there must be a certain threshold of the population to get the vackseen or the disease could come back.  Because the virus mutates, almost everyone has to get a vackseen.  Therefore, if you are immunocompromised, I can understand your negative feelings towards Anti-Vaxers.

Unless there is a monster pandemic as described above, I would lean against just about any vackseen if I had the choice.  I don't trust it unless it is thoroughly tested especially if it's a new technology such as mRNA.  If Democrats had their way, the COVID shot would still be de-facto required.  Without it, you can't board a plane, attend college or even any public gathering.  They doubled down even after it became clear that it didn't prevent the virus or stop the spread.  No, I will not forget!  

As a conservative, I have my differences with RFK on certain issues, but I am thrilled to have him as HHS Secretary.  I do believe that crap food is certainly contributing to the chronic disease epidemic.  Has the use of pesticides and food ingredients banned in other countries increased in the last decade?  Possible.  I've heard stories of Americans who live in Europe for several months and lose 10-15 pounds without trying.  I normally need to eat a full rack of ribs to be satisfied.  In Mexico, I struggled to finish a half rack plus a small appetizer.  Other tourists agreed with me that the food was more filling and I'd wager it's healthier too.

Sayulita Mexico Trip Report

 Climate and Weather:

Sayulita is located on the Mexican Pacific Coast at a Latitude of 20 degrees, just below the Tropic of Cancer.  It's roughly the same Latitude as Cancun and Punta Cana but it's a bit cooler because of the Pacific current.  It has a 2 season climate with hot and humid summers but winter is cool and dry.  

I was a little worried that it might be too cool.  I checked the forecast in January and found several days with high temps in the low 70s with a water temperature about the same as the air.  If it's sunny with calm winds, that's fine.  If it's overcast and windy, not so much.  The dry season runs from early November through the middle of May.  Though November would have been warmer, I opted for mid February because I can drive to North Florida for a November swim.  In February, I'd have to go as far as Palm Beach.  

It proved to be a good call.  Temps were in the upper 70s with a water temperature of 75.  It was perfectly comfortable to walk through town in shorts.  The water was pleasantly cool.  Chilly at first but only at first.  There were times of sun and clouds but even when it was overcast, it was still enjoyable.

Language:

It's a surf town that attracts a lot of American and Canadian tourists.  Almost everyone has a working knowledge of English.  I found that if I asked a basic question in Spanish, I usually got an answer in English.  If I continued speaking Spanish after that, they were very pleased.

Costs and Lodging:

Flight was a bit pricey but there was no rental car expense.  From the airport, I simply crossed a bridge to a bus stop.  The ride only cost me the equivalent of $4 each way.  There are no major hotel chains here, which made for a more authentic Mexican experience.  It was all boutique hotels that were either dirt cheap (less than $50) or pretty expensive ($200). Nothing in between.  For a 4 night stay, that's a difference of $600.  I opted for the cheap hotel.  No harm, no foul but that was kinda not smart. 

 

You get what you pay for, which is a bed, shower and toilet.  That's it, and I was okay with that. Unbeknownst to me when I booked it, there was no service at the front desk after 5 PM.  I wasn't taking any chances of getting locked out so I cut my afternoon surf sessions a little short.  

2/15-

I opted for a flight out of Birmingham with a connection in Dallas.  Atlanta does have a direct flight but it was no cheaper and I preferred not to spend a night and drive 2.5 hours each way.  As I feared, my first flight was delayed by 30 minutes and I barely made my connection.  That was nerve wracking.  No issues with Immigration but there was a lot of traffic on the bus ride.  I didn't get to my hotel until just after 4.  I took a walk through town and along the beach but didn't get deep into the water.

2/16-18

Pretty much the same.  Full day in the surf, which was tons of fun.  Waves were in the 3-4 foot range.  They broke deep and you can ride them all the way to the shore.  As stated earlier, the water was comfortably cool and refreshing.   A fair comparison could be San Diego in August but this was a tad warmer.  Again, for February, that's a great deal.  

Water had a decent clarity too.  Not nearly as clear as the Caribbean but it had a nice light green shade.  Sand was light brown with plenty of tall coconut palms and mountains on the sides.  It reminded me a bit of Costa Rica in that respect.

I ate a wide variety of food including chicken, seafood, tacos, steak and BBQ.  Interestingly, I found the food to be more filling than in the US.  A half rack of ribs was plenty of food and other tourists felt the same.  I also went out for drinks at night and met several interesting characters including a guy from Australia and a nice Mexican girl named Andrea.  One drunk guy didn't believe that my teeth are real.  LOL.  I've heard that one before.  

  

2/19- Glorious morning surf session on a picture perfect day that left me wanting more.  Unfortunately, I had to check out and catch the bus back to the airport.  I had another hour delay on my first flight.  Immigration was painless but I had to go through security again in Dallas.  I made my connection to Birmingham only because of another delay.  I arrived home at 1 AM and awoke the next day to snow flurries.  

Excellent trip overall.  I could see myself going back.  I might try it in the Spring or Fall and will stay at a real hotel.  

Training 2/10-2/16

 2/10 Interval tests at standard effort.

Opener-82

3 Thym Adren- 89

Recovery jog in between.

Real workout was 2.5 on Lakeshore in 23-flat (9:12 pace) with splits of 11:36-11:24.  Satisfactory again.  Comparable to yesterday if not a hair better but changes need to be made if I plateau at this level.

Distance-3.0

Reaction:

I bet if I cut the dose to 2, I match the opener (give or take) and certainly dip under 9 minute pace in the real workout.  That's probably what I will do going forward.

2/11- It became apparent by the end of the day yesterday that the Thym Adren needs to be cut further if not eliminated altogether.  I was bad with the diet last weekend but I don't think that was a factor.  Melatonin is supposed to stop that from happening.

Opener-1:44

Energy drink-1:35

Adrenal stimulant-1:24

PM- Damp conditions but still managed a half mile at Montreat in 5:02 with an even pace.  Probably would be better with more adrenal caps but I'm not doing that.  I will take neither adrenal treatment for the time being.

Distance-1.0

Adrenal stimulation is not the answer long-term.  Why am I rejecting the Thym Adren now?  Who knows?  The best case scenario is that the toxins were driving the fast oxidation, which has normalized now that they are out.  Hate to say it but I expect it to be another false hope.

2/12-AM. Half mile at Montreat and my time is down to 4:48.  That's still BAD!  It became apparent later in the day that I need to go back to the Thym Adren.

PM- Rained out.  Discovered why I had problems with Thym Adren.  Stand alone B12 is necessary after all.  I thought the dose in the B-complex would be sufficient.  Not so.  Adrenal spike is back.

Distance-0.5

Reaction:  I don't give a damn what pills I have to take and how many I have to take.  All I ask is for STABILITY!

2/13- Back to 6 Thym Adren.  Hated 1.5 mile junk run on Lakeshore in 15:42 (10:28 pace) with splits of 7:49-7:53.  It was horrible but I knew that coming in.  It's been 7 days since I took this dose and actually went in the opposite direction for 2 days.  Never felt uncomfortable but the legs would not produce.

Distance-1.5

2/14- Abject failure.  Couldn't even finish 1 Mile.  Culprit is too much B12.  Just took much of a stimulation.  If I lay off it for a couple days, I should be okay.  

PM- Got home and did a half lap in 1:57.  Popped 2 Thym Adren and was all the way down to 1:32.  YUGE!

Distance-1.0

2/15- Flight to Mexico.  I get credit for 1 Mile for airport running.

Distance-1.0

2/16- Planned rest day 

-8 miles

Poland Trip Idea

 This one won't happen until next year at the earliest but it's still fun to make tentative plans.  

Why Poland and what part?

My maternal ancestors are almost all Polish and my grandfather was the son of Polish immigrants.  Remarkably, Ancestry traced my lineage specifically to the Krakow area and the Tatras Mountains in the southern part of the country near the border of Slovakia.  Krakow will be the home base.

Logistics:

Surprisingly affordable flights are available out of Atlanta with just one layover for under $700.  There is a 6 hour time difference going east so the jet lag will be brutal.  It might be a good idea to take an overnight or even a 2 day layover in the connecting city.  Looks like my choices are London and Amsterdam.  Either one could be interesting but I'd probably lean towards Amsterdam because I want to take a more proper UK trip down the road.

Time of year:

If by some miracle I am healthy enough, there is a half marathon in Krakow in late April, which I would love to do.  If I am not healthy, I still think Spring is the time to go.  Normal temps are in the 50s-60s so it will be comfortably cool but unlikely to be cold.  

Side trips:

There will be plenty to see and do in the city to keep me occupied for a few days.  There are 2 must do day trips.  One is a hike in the Tatras.  I imagine that in April, the peaks will be snow capped, which is another reason to go in the Spring.  The other is a tour of Auschwitz concentration camp.  Mode of transportation will probably be a bus.  

Going back:  

Another interesting option could be a stop in Berlin on the way back.  Unfortunately, there is no easy train route from Krakow.  If I was staying in Poznan instead, it would be an easy ride to Berlin.  As it is, I'll probably save Germany for later.  No reason to take an overnight layover on the way back but I will almost certainly have to stay in Atlanta for 1 night after I am back in America.

Edit:

There is a direct flight to Munich and a fast train to Berlin.  I'll do Germany another time.

Training 2/3-2/9

 2/3- Repeated the 3 mile distance this time at North Lakeshore and my time is down to 27:24 (9:08 pace).  Negative splits today.  9:18-9:04-9:02.  Didn't have as much left at the end but that's okay.  This is exactly 2 hour pace for a half marathon.  Nearly a quarter of the way there.  25 seconds faster per mile compared to yesterday.  I'd actually like to see a more gradual improvement.

Distance-3.0

2/4- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 17:34 (8:47 pace).  Good job.  I wasn't sure how I would do today because it was an evening workout, 10 hours after taking Thym Adren.  Yes, I was overstimulated and may have been a little better in the morning but I'll take it.  Splits were 8:32-9:02 but I was pretty even after a too fast first half mile.  

In the future, I want all my daily runs to be at least 3 miles.  I will throw in a Mile time trial every now and then but no more 1.5 or 2 mile junk runs.

Distance-2.0

2/5-AM.  Interval tests.  I'll only do this once a week going forward.  Thym Adren was probably beginning to wear off by the evening yesterday.  By the next morning, it was completely out 

Opener was a pitiful 1:42.8 (10:17 pace).  I really could not go any faster.  Popped the 6 Thym Adren and improved to a 59.6 (5:57 pace).  MINUS 4:20!

MASSIVE GAP THAT MUST BE CLOSED!

PM- 4 miles on Lakeshore.  Bottom leg plus extension in 37:50 (9:28 pace).  Overall, I am pleased despite the poor pacing.  Splits were 9:02-9:28-9:42-9:38.  6.2@9:39 seems too tough right now.  Fresh legs will make a difference.  I was spent when I finished and would not have kept the pace under the standard much longer.

Distance-4.5

2/6- Planned rest day.  I've earned it.

2/7- AM-1 Mile time trial at Vestavia.  Finished in 11:42 with splits of 5:40-6:02.  Knew it before I started.  

The culprit is too much Thym Adren.  Just 2 days ago, I was WORTHLESS without it.  Now, I am worthless on the mega dose.  I will sharply reduce the dosage and hope to stabilize on 2-3.

I expect to be better this weekend but will probably not be up for a 10K time trial.

PM- Repeated the Mile distance this time at Montreat.  Improved to 9:48 with a strong negative split (5:03-4:45).  Expected to improve with the clearance of excess pills but not by this much.

Distance-2.0

Reaction: 

 I collapsed because I took excess adrenal suppressants when I no longer needed them.  This hurts but I can accept it.  This is what is supposed to happen and it's a simple fix.  Reduce the dosage and I will feel better. If I collapsed because of the Melatonin, B-Vitamins or something that I ate or drank, I'm screwed.  

Still, it was unnerving to me that I was THAT BAD this morning just 36 hours after a decent 4 Miler.  I probably should have known on Wednesday night when I was SPENT after the workout.  I incorrectly attributed it to normal fatigue from increased training.  The evening session makes me feel a little better.  I was THAT BAD in the morning because it was done just minutes after the pills.  I could have salvaged a workout if I had waited until evening.

2/8- 1.5 mile junk run on Lakeshore extension in 15:32 (10:21 pace).  I don't like doing these but I don't have much choice.  Cut the Thym Adren dose to 2 and this was about what I expected.  Much better than yesterday morning but a tad worse than the evening.  Again, I had a strong negative split (8:02-7:30).  Hope to do at least 3 tomorrow.

Distance-1.5

2/9- 3 miles in 28:08 at Heardmont (9:23 pace).  Satisfactory.  Splits were 9:39-9:21-9:08.  Better than I did 7 days ago but still short of where I was before the relapse.  I think I could have coaxed another mile in less than 10 minutes and matched my 4 Mile time (give or take).  This was done on 3 Thym Adren pills and I hope to hold it there.

Distance-3.0

-16 miles on the week.  Let's shoot for 20 going forward.

Training 1/25-2/2

 1/25- Interval tests

Opener-84.0

Low dose Melatonin-85.4- Not a significant difference but I did feel just a tad more sluggish.

B-Complex-79.5- Significant improvement but not a game changer 

Thym Adren-75.0- Once again, significant improvement but not a game changer.

Methyl Folate- 50.8.  Yes, that's right.  FIFTY POINT EIGHT!  Definitely a game changer!

Quercetin and NAC- Noticeably weaker.  Treated it as a cool down.  Untimed.

Distance-1.0

Reaction:

I had trouble with Melatonin last week but found the solution.  I need a B-complex, which is not unexpected.  MF without the B-complex is usually not a good idea.  I won't need the complex every day.  Just don't go a week without it.

MF is still the key.  I am disturbed by just how much difference it did make.  That's more than a 3 minute gap.  That's got to shrink in the future.  Unfortunately, Melatonin is still needed at 5 mg or else the sensitivity will flare up again.

1/26- 3 miles on North Lakeshore in 26:48 (8:56 pace).  Very pleased especially with the splits.  9:08-8:58-8:42.  I did increase the effort in the last mile but I was far from all out.  This projects to about a 27:53 for 5K.  That's about a minute off my reset PR.

PM- Interval tests at base effort.

Opener-75.5 (7:33)

10 mg Melatonin-78.3 (7:50)

B-complex- 73.3 (7:20)

Not a severe reaction to Melatonin but if I hadn't been taking B-complex before this, it would have been a disaster.  As it is, the reaction was borderline insignificant.  I did gain after taking the B-complex but it was not a significant improvement over the opener.  Good news all around.  If for whatever reason, I need extra Melatonin, I won't react that badly to it and the B-complex will get me back to where I was before if not a hair better.

Distance-3.5

1/27- AM- Just 1 sprint.  Wanted to be under 80 or at least see an improvement from the 84 last opener.  Running all out, I managed a 70.5 on no pills.  Still a long way from the 50.8 ceiling but it's progress.

 PM- Planned on either 2 or 2.5 miles but called it at 1.33 for a total of 1.5 on the day.  Felt pretty good during the day and started off pretty well with a pace around 8:30 for the first quarter mile.  The power cut off after that.  The back half was approaching 12 minute pace.  Probably not enough MF.  I only took a low dose this morning.

Distance-1.5

1/28- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 17:58 (8:59 pace).  This is what I meant to do yesterday.  Looks okay on the surface but the splits were BAD (8:17-9:41).  I was doing sub-8 for most of the first half mile but felt the power fade after about 0.4. At least I didn't completely collapse this time and rallied in the last 0.1 to get the sub-18.  I have an INSATIABLE NEED FOR METHYL FOLATE.  Surely, this pattern won't last much longer.

Distance-2.0

1/29- Felt awful at work today even though I took plenty of MF.  It's obvious that I still need Intrinsic Factor.  Shortly after popping one of those pills, I was MUCH BETTER.  Workout was 1 Mile at Vestavia in 7:34.1 (3:44-3:50).  Just 4 seconds off my reset PR.  Good start, struggled in the middle but came back in the last 200.

Distance-1.0

1/30- Awful again.  Hoped for 3 miles this morning but settled for 1 in a time well over 10 minutes.  Never did have a good pace and it was worse in the back half.  Took plenty of MF and it didn't help.  My only conclusion is that I am seeing an increased need for Intrinsic Factor.  The new bottle should arrive today.

Distance-1.0

Update: Learned that MF increases the need for B12.  Intrinsic Factor is needed to absorb it.

1/31- Planned to rest today but needed a test at standard effort.  No sprinting.

Opener-92

Methyl Folate-88

Intrinsic Factor- 78

Extra MF-81

1 lap cool.

Confirmed that Intrinsic Factor is what I need.  Maybe I can reduce the MF.

Distance-1.0

2/1- It appears that the need for MF has diminished.  Not surprisingly, it has been replaced by an adrenal spike.  Did 1 Mile at Heardmont in 9:47 overall.  1st half in 5:18 then improved to 4:29 after I popped 2 more Thym Adren.

Distance-1.0

2/2- 5000 meters at Heardmont in 29:45 (9:33 pace).  An improvement over yesterday and hope to build on it.  The adrenal spike is not going to go down any time soon so it will be 6 Thym Adren until further notice.  

This wasn't good by any stretch but it ends on a note of hope.  Splits were 9:18-9:50-9:34-63.  I wasn't sure if I would even finish at the halfway point but showed surprising life at the end.  Passed 12 laps in 28:42 and planned to stop there but with the sub-30 in the bag, I kept going to make it legit.

Distance-3.1

-15 miles total