Training 9/29-10/5

 9/29- About what I expected.  Yesterday, I managed only 1 Mile in 12:42.  Today, I upped it to 1.5 with a time of 16:48 (11:12 pace).  MINUS 90.  Gotta be pleased with that but it will probably be another 3 days until I am back to the new normal.  Then, something else will pop up.  No pills at all this morning.

PM- Half mile in 4:30 (9:00 pace) at Montreat.  Better than expected.  Pace was probably not sustainable but it still would have been a lot better than this morning.

Distance-2.0

9/30- 2 miles in 17:41 (8:50 pace).  Back to normal much faster than I expected.  Near perfect splits.  This evening, I want to see what low dose C does 

Distance-2.0

10/1- Took half a Vitamin C last night and half this morning.  No discernable reaction.  Repeated the 2 mile distance in 17:52 (8:56 pace).  Slightly slower but not enough to be considered significant.  I simply took too much for too long.  This is NOT an inexplicable reaction.  Splits were 9:06-8:46.  I could have matched yesterday if I had gone out faster.  Good news overall.

Distance-2.0

10/2- No pills.  A tad sluggish but no real concern.  Finished 4 miles in 36:30 (9:07 pace). Dialed down the effort a bit but did push a bit in the last mile (8:58) to shore up the sub-2 half Mary pace.

Distance-4.0

10/3- Planned rest day.

10/4- 10K in 59:24 PR (9:30 pace) plus a cool.  I believe this is my fastest time since at least 2022, possibly 2021.  Splits were 29:04-30:20 but I was pretty even from Mile 3-6 after starting too fast.  More importantly, I have achieved my bare ass minimum standard for racing!

Distance-6.5

10/5- Veterans Park.  2 loops around the lake (1.33 miles) in a time of 11:54 (8:56 pace) plus a short cool.  Surprisingly decent pop in my legs.  For a recovery day, I probably ran this too fast but given the short distance, it probably won't hurt me.

I drank the equivalent of 2 beers yesterday to celebrate the milestone.  No real buzz and I had to nap for an hour afterwards.  Not worth it.

Distance-1.5

18 miles on the week.  I want to add a little bit of speed going forward 

RANT or RAVE: Autism Report

 First, I will address Trump and RFK's recommendations:

Avoid too much Tylenol during pregnancy 

Separate the MMR Vackseen

Remove Aluminum 

Don't get multiple shots in a single visit 

Promoted a new drug to improve social skills of autistic children.

My thoughts:

Definitely a step in the right direction.  I don't know if my mother took Tylenol or its active ingredient when she had me, and I am not going to ask.  As I've said before, I don't blame my parents.  They always did what they thought was right for me.  

As I understand it, the effects of Tylenol are indirect.  It depletes Glutathione, which is the master cleaner of toxic heavy metals.  Thus, if Glutathione is deficient, you are more vulnerable to toxic metal buildup and thus, more likely to be autistic.  

Just had a thought right now:  A Rheumatologist may have given me a prescription for Ibuprofen, which has the same active ingredient as Tylenol.  Long-term heavy use of that stuff would have left me even more toxic over time.  That could have been a disaster!

Predictably, Leftists have said that they will only trust a real doctor rather than Trump.  Name is Du Mass!  A Harvard Medical study said the exact same thing!  Pregnant Leftists have taken mega doses of Tylenol just to spite Trump.  At least one of them ended up in the hospital for Liver failure and may not make it!  If Trump had said not to smoke crack while pregnant, would Leftists do it?  Maybe.

Separation of the MMR over multiple visits is a good start but I question whether or not the benefits really outweigh the risks.  Studies show that the shot may be more dangerous than the virus itself.

The new drug is nothing more than a mega dose of Folinic Acid.  It would not have helped me on its own.  I already take 5-MTH Folate for my MTHFR genetic mutation.  At least in the past, it had to be taken with TMG to be tolerated, let alone effective.  

Removing Aluminum could be YUGE!  I am nearly certain that Al was the source of my autoimmune reactions and inexplicable reactions to benign substances.  

Recent health news:

Adrenal support may be unnecessary going forward.  I've tried small doses of the suppressant, stimulant and modulator.  The results are the same.  Minimal benefits from low doses but if I up it from 1 pill to 3, the reaction turns slightly negative.  Still too early to tell but that could be a big victory.  I've been very cautious with Malic Acid but it appears to be tolerated at low doses.  Most importantly, the inexplicable reactions to certain pills have not returned.   

That said, I was quite displeased by today's reaction to Vitamin C.  Just 2 weeks ago, I got a significant benefit from raising my dosage.  Now, I may be intolerant.  That's nothing new for me.  I can only hope that I will hit equilibrium after a couple weeks off it.  Then, it will be tolerated again at low doses.  

My best showing this week was 2.5 @9:04 pace, which translates to a 28:30 for 5K.  I'm still over 8:00 for 1 Mile.  I've got a LONG WAY TO GO!  My realistic long-term goals are a sub-7 Mile and a 5K under 25.  

I have been alcohol free for 2 weeks but still can't kick the sugar.  AFF!

Another common autistic trait that I have is difficulty making friends with people my own age while relating better to people who are significantly older or younger.  

For a long time, I have found it much easier to talk to women who are about a decade older than I.  Could I actually date one of them?  I may be open to it.  Age differences are less of a factor as you grow older.  30 vs 20 would never work but if I'm 60 and she's 70, it's probably not a big deal.  

My best friend in the office is not yet 30 and I have a couple of female friends who are around that age as well.  Yes, there are exceptions to the rule.  I hit it off with a guy from my neighborhood who is only a couple years younger than I am.  

I have participated in a few Facebook groups for autistic adults and am disappointed by the defeatist attitudes.  Many of them believe it's purely genetic and must be accepted as their lot in life.  My social skills have definitely improved with treatment.  Sure, I am upset about the low energy but I refuse to give up.

Rant or Rave: Alcohol and Tobacco

 When I was in college, I described myself as anti-tobacco but pro-beer.  How did I justify that?  

Less addictive and less likely to become a daily habit though I did concede that if it does, it can be extremely ugly.  However, when used in moderation, it is not bad for you.  Think of it this way.  Give a 19 or 20 year-old kid with no history of alcohol use a case of beer.  

Tell him or her that you must have 1 every day until the case is finished but 1 is your limit.  In the absence of any outside influence, 9 out of 10 times, I am betting that it will not progress to several beers every day and he or she won't have any trouble quitting or at least limiting consumption to 1-2 times per week.  

Now, give the same kid a pack of 20 cigarettes.  You must smoke 1, but only 1 every day.  In that case, I would bet that there is about a 70 percent chance that they won't be able to limit themselves to just 1 by the 20th day.  By then, they will be up to 3-4 per day.  That's still a manageable amount that probably won't affect you much but after another month, you're likely up to 12-15.  You need a cigarette almost every hour to feel satisfied.  Not good.  

If you are able to quit before age 40, you will most probably go on to live a full and healthy life but unfortunately, it usually doesn't happen.  75 percent of smokers say that they wish they never started.  They say that they'll quit after college or when they start a family but sadly, it usually doesn't happen.

As for me, I started drinking at 19 as a college freshman.  I usually drank about 4 or 5 beers once per week but rarely exceeded 6.  Also, I seldom drank more than once a week.  That's probably about average for a college student but I had a reputation as a big party guy because of my low tolerance.  Looking back, that was likely related to Autism.  Sure, I had plenty of fun and never got into serious trouble but I could get awfully silly after just a few drinks.  I'm sure people laughed at my stupidity behind my back 

Nowadays, I might indulge 2-3 times per week but almost never exceed 3 in one sitting.  My consumption ticked up a bit during COVID but since brought it back down.  I'm thinking seriously about either quitting or limiting it to social gatherings or special occasions.  It's not because I think I have a problem but I usually don't enjoy it anymore.  It usually just puts me to sleep.  Also, I suspect that it may indeed be harmful to my health even in moderation.  

Thankfully, I never tried tobacco because something inside told me that it would be a big problem for me, plus I knew how it would hurt my running.  Indeed, a genetic test confirmed that I am vulnerable to nicotine addiction.  Though I would still describe myself as anti-tobacco, I am not nearly as judgmental towards cigarette smokers nowadays.  

A coworker saw my heartbroken expression after my grandmother died and took it upon herself to give me flowers.  She is a smoker.  Several servers at my regular restaurants have given me hugs every time I came inside.  At least 3 were/are smokers.  Now, what kind of self-righteous sicko could dislike people like that just because they have one bad habit that is difficult to break?  I have wanted to quit sugar for years but haven't been able to do so.  

A YouTuber who smokes in her videos has been very friendly to me in the comments section.  She knows how to make people feel valued and appreciated, which is certainly an admirable quality.  Could I be friends with someone like that?  YES.  Her smoking would not affect the friendship.  I would never criticize her for it but would encourage her to quit if she wanted to do so.  I still say that dating is a bridge too far because it doesn't fit with my lifestyle.  It still hurts me to see someone that I care deeply about do that to themselves. 

Who would win a long distance race with everything else being equal:  A pack a day cigarette smoker or a 6 beer a day drinker?  My money would be on the drinker.

Training 9/22-9/28

 9/22- 2 miles on Lakeshore again.  Time improved from 20:54 to 19:30 (9:45 pace).  Splits were 9:51-9:39.  Steady progress and no real complaints.  Took Mag Malate last night with no real ill-effects.  Even if I was weakened, it cleared by the morning.

Distance-2.0

9/23- 3 miles in 28:28 (9:29 pace).  Sub-30 for 5K.  Route was 1 Mile on New Lakeshore and 2 on Old Lakeshore.  Even pace (14:15-14:13) but struggled a bit down the stretch.  Small step forward but hoped for a little better.  Let's hope nothing is wrong.

Distance-3.0

9/24- Vestavia Mile in 8:04 plus a 1 lap warm and cool.  About as expected.  Probably translates to about 9:15 pace for 3 miles so the improvement continues.  Slow but steady.  I felt a little sluggish on extra ADHS yesterday evening so I went without it today.  Splits were 2:00-2:05-2:04-1:55.  Strong finish but not quite enough kick to break 8.

Distance-1.5

9/25- Planned rest day.  Took just a trace of straight Malic Acid last night and didn't notice any ill-effects.

9/26- 2.5 on Lakeshore in 22:40 (9:04 pace).  Splits were 11:22-11:18.  Hoping for a sub-9 but not quite enough in the tank.  Did this without Vitamin C because I left it at the office.  Translates to about 28:30 for 5K.

Distance-2.5

9/27- 5 miles on Lakeshore in 53:34 (10:43 pace).  NOT PLEASED.  At least I finished but that's the only good thing about this workout.  Went out at 9:35 pace, which was 30 seconds slower than yesterday at half the distance.  Bold but not stupid.  Began to tie up early in Mile 3 but passed the half in a still respectable 24-flat (9:36 pace).

After the turnaround, I had nothing left.  It took me 29:34 to do the back half (11:50 pace).  I suspect that excess Vitamin C is the culprit.  I took 2 yesterday afternoon and 3 this morning.  

Distance-5.0

9/28- 1 Mile at Montreat in 12:42.  Culprit is definitely Vitamin C.  Passed the half in 5:58 then popped a pill and slipped to 6:44 on the back half.  I know the pattern.  I'll get a little better every day but it will take until mid-week until I get back to where I was before this relapse.

Took a half scoop of Malic Acid and felt no discernable difference.  Probably a good thing.  The recent pattern is that last month's medicine is this month's poison.  But.  It will eventually become a non-factor.

Distance-1.0

15 miles on the week 

RANT: Charlie Kirk Assassination

 A little late with my commentary and I probably don't have anything to say that that you haven't heard before but I still need to get it off my chest.

I did follow Charlie on Instagram and was familiar with the TPUSA organization but was not an avid viewer of his videos.  I will look back and watch some more in the near-future.  I'll admit that some of his viewpoints were a little too right-wing, even for me.  However, most of his egregious quotes were either never said or were taken out of context.

I know that he NEVER said gays should be stoned to death.  He did say that marriage is between one man and one woman and that only 2 genders exist. He also said that gays should be welcome in the conservative movement.  No, that's not hate speech.  Many people who screech that he was such a horrible homophobe or transphobe are strong supporters of Palestine but that's a rant for another day.  

Everything that I saw showed that he advocated civil debate.  He often sat at a table advertising his viewpoint then challenged others to change his mind.  From what I say, he was never disrespectful no matter how outrageous the opposing argument.  Never once did I see him respond with name calling, personal attacks or violence.  

The reaction from the Far-Left and the Democratic party as a whole angered me even more than the assassination, but sadly I was not surprised given that Trump and his supporters have been called fascist nonstop for the past decade.

According to this survey, political violence is almost universally condemned on the far-Right but it becomes more and more acceptable the further Left you go.  That was a mild surprise to me.  

I would have expected it to be lowest among Moderates, slightly higher for the Far-Right but not nearly as high as the Far-Left.  Only 55 percent of people who identify as Very Liberal condemn it with no ifs ands or buts.  25 percent openly admitted that it was acceptable and another 20 were too cowardly to admit it.  SICKENING!  More than half of House Democrats refused to condemn it.  Some actually voted NO on the resolution while others cowardly voted Present or NOT VOTING.  I actually have more respect for people who let me know where they stand, no matter how offensive their views.

I have already un-followed most of my liberal friends so I didn't see any celebration posts myself though I did say that I cannot be friends with anyone who roots for death of political opponents, Left or Right.  My post was well-received.  

Some people didn't just celebrate.  They called for MORE, including "getting rid" of Kirk's family as well as other prominent Conservatives.  The scary thing about this is that some interact with the public on a daily basis at their jobs.  They teach your children at school.  Others work in health care.  What if they look me up on Facebook and find out that I am a Conservative?  Could they harm me intentionally and pass it off as accidental?  I wouldn't put it past them if they are on record rooting for Conservatives to die.  Medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the USA.  

I am 100 percent in favor of firing people for such posts on social media.  I certainly wouldn't want my child to be taught by such a sick person nor would I want them as a co-worker.  Is it a violation of free speech rights to fire people for social media posts?  NO.  If they were arrested for celebrating?  As disgusting as it is, NO, they should not be arrested unless they are a clear and present danger.  

A few years ago, someone was fired for calling a football coach "a no good n-----".  I supported the decision to fire him but maintained that he shouldn't be arrested even though I hate the word that he used.

As for the 55 percent on the Far Left who do condemn violence, I invite you to take a look at the other side.  I am not suggesting that you flip flop and go full MAGA.  How about going Indie?  Give that a shot.  

Training 9/8-9/21

 9/8- Forced rest day.  Done with the Para Purge tomorrow.

9/9- AM- Half mile at Montreat in 6:56 (13:52 pace).  Not much better than my brisk walk in San Diego.  Who knows what is going on with those at the very back of the pack in races?  Anyone who makes fun of them gets a throat punch.

PM- Took my last pill about 7 hours ago and I am feeling better already.  Repeated the distance at Montreat and my time is down to 5:40 (11:20 pace).  Stopping a day and a half early?  Highly doubt that will be a problem.  I couldn't take it!  

Distance-1.0

9/10- Full mile on New Lakeshore in 10:10 with a strong negative split (5:18-4:52).  Better than expected.  No cause for celebration yet but I did this without pills 

Distance-1.0

9/11- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 18:50 (9:25 pace).  Progressing ahead of schedule.  Splits were 9:35-9:15 despite easing up a bit at the end.  Took Vitamin C but no adrenal support.  YES!

Distance-2.0

9/12-AM.  Interval test.  1 lap warmup.

No pills- 3:06.7 (9:20 pace)

2 Thym Adren- 3:04.7 (9:14 pace).  

Same effort.  Not a significant gain.  I consider that to be good news.  I may try the stimulant this evening.  

PM- Took the stimulant and improved modestly to 9:10 at New Lakeshore.  It's not the answer.  I had to put out a bit more effort just to run essentially the same pace.  My preference going forward is the modulator.  

Distance-2.0

Interesting.  Modest improvement with BOTH the suppressant and the stimulant but neither was significant.  A SINGLE dose should not have a significant impact one way or the other.  Excellent news.

9/13- Planned rest day.  Lots of walking in DC 

9/14- Planned rest day to visit my parents.

9/15- More interval testing.  I've noticed that while I don't collapse if I miss a dose of Vitamin C, I am weakened if I miss a few days.

Warmup.  Unsure of distance.

1:34 on no pills.

1:23 on 3 Vitamin C pills.

Significant gain.  

Adrenal support doesn't seem to matter but I need the Vitamin C.

Distance-0.5

9/16- Never fails.  I get a little better for a few days, then WHAM.  This time the culprit was a stomach flu.  Fever shot up to nearly 101.

9/17- Unplanned rest day 

9/18- Unplanned rest day 

9/19- First attempt went about as expected.  Half mile at Montreat in 5:55 (11:50 pace).  It took a rally in the last 200 just to get under 6. Stomach hurt with every stride.

Distance-0.5

9/20- 1 Mile at Montreat in 11:18.  Hoping for a little better but I will take it.  Double the distance with a modest 32 second improvement in the pace. Slight negative split (5:42-5:36).

Distance-1.0

9/21- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 20:54 (10:27 pace).  Splits were 10:38-10:16.  The early rate of improvement is slower than previous comeback attempts but at least I am moving on the right direction.

Distance-2.0

-10 miles total