Training 3/30-4/5

 3/30- Became completely intolerant to alcohol and caffeine last weekend though non-caffeinated sugared drinks appeared to be okay.  I was awful yesterday but somewhat better this morning.  Did 2 intervals.  1:40 without pills and 1:25 on the full dose plus a cool.  

Expected continued improvement through the day but I was noticeably worse by the afternoon.  I thought it might be lack of Glutamine.  I simply cut the dosage.  I didn't quit those pills.  Picked up a new bottle at the store and it was half mile intervals.  Opened with a 5:30.  Improved to 5:08 on 1 pill then 4:44 on 2.  Alcohol appears to be tolerated and I bet caffeine is too but I will still steer clear.

Distance-2.0

3/31- 2x400 at Vestavia.  Opened with a very poor 2:22.  Drank a small can of Red Bull and actually improved significantly to a 2:09.  Hmm.  Red Bull is not the answer but why did I improve?  Maybe I wasn't warmed up the first time.  1 lap cool then returned to Montreat.

Did a 74 interval, popped 2 extra Thym Adren and improved to 67.  Again, that's enough to be considered significant.  At least the caffeine intolerance is gone but I may face withdrawal tomorrow.  Odds are the adrenals have spiked and it will take time and lots of pills to get closer to balance.  The pills won't work unless the gut is healthy.  Probiotics and Glutamine are essential.

PM- Began feeling worse at lunchtime.  Went home and popped Zinc and Paramin, which I forgot to take last night.  Zinc did nothing but Paramin did.  It is also a critical need.  Not pleased but at least it's treatable.

Distance-1.0

4/1- 1 Mile in 11:00 and was fading fast.  Once again, I felt noticeable improvement AFTER caffeine though I didn't actually test it out today.  What I think is happening:  I am getting a temporary boost from caffeine but when it wears off, it's ugly.  It seems like the withdrawal peaks around 12 hours rather than 24-48.  Hmm.

Distance-1.0

4/2- Caffeine wore off in about 6 hours and the morning was ugly.  Did an opener in 1:55 (11:30 pace) and actually was expecting worse.  Afternoon was only slightly better.  Did 1 Mile in 9:45, which is a lot better than yesterday but I was heavy and easily winded.  Tacked on another 1/3 mile as a cool down.  Passed 24 hours off caffeine and I don't think I am melting down.

Distance-1.5

4/3- Lakeshore 2.5 in 23:48 (9:33 pace).  Solid improvement over yesterday but still sore and easily winded.  Decent pacing (11:49-11:59).  Under the Mendoza line and pretty sure I can hold on for a sub 30 5K 

Distance-2.5

4/4- Lakeshore 5.  Last week, I only managed a 54:46.  Today, my time is down to 52:21 (10:28 pace).  Nice improvement but still a LONG WAY TO GO!  Slow start the first quarter mile but found a nice groove through the first half.  Noticeably poorer after the turnaround however.  Splits were 25:30-26:51.

Distance-5.0

4/5- Opened with a 93 (9:18 pace) then improved to 74 (7:24 pace) with pills.  Opener was much better than last time but that's still a big gap and that pace was not sustainable.  Nearly 2 minute gap. 

 Real workout was 1.5 at Crestline.  Dexter loop.  Finished in 13:24 (8:56 pace).  Splits were 6:36-6:48 but the back half is tougher.  Added a short cool to make it legit distance.  Surprisingly decent and better than expected after yesterday.

Distance-2.0

15 miles for the 2nd straight week.  I'll shoot for 18-20 next week.

Nashville Trip Report

 

I know this city well but it's been 5 years since my last visit.  Cynthia hasn't been here since she was a child.  It was a good fit for this time of year.  Only one afternoon was a little on the warm side but the weather was good overall.

3/20-

Left work after lunch and was on the road by 1:30.  Traffic was a little rough but we made it by dinner.  There was a little bit of a SNAFU with the check in but it was no big deal.  We stuck to the hotel lounge for dinner then went out for drinks.  

Our first stop was a quieter bar that was off Broadway, which I actually prefer.  I don't like a total zoo scene that is loud and not conducive to conversation.  We connected with a couple from Toronto because I visited there in the summer of 24.  We then browsed a souvenir shop on Broadway and then hit Alan Jackson's bar.  That was a lot of fun because the band played a lot of my favorite songs.  We tried Hank Jr's next but found it too crowded.  We took a walk to the bridge then called it a night.  

3/21- Slept in a bit then had breakfast at the hotel where we met a really nice woman from California.  First stop was the Country Music HOF.  I did the tour the last time I was here but it was worth seeing again.  Exhibits were different this time around and I suppose they do a rotation.  

Next up was the Johnny Cash museum.  I'd wanted to see that many times but never made it.  It was smaller than expected but still worth it 

Lunch was a decent BBQ rib plate.  Cynthia needed a nap so I went out to the Capitol and Bicentennial Park.  The walk there was tough even for me.

  

I would have liked to have toured the Ryman Auditorium but the pool and hot tub was a good call as well.  We met a fun group of people from North Florida.  Broadway tonight was a total zoo scene and not a lot of fun.  Instead, we got mini bottles of Tangueray from the liquor store to pay tribute to my grandfather for his would be 106th birthday.  

3/22- Up with the sun.  Attended church together then checked out.  Unfortunately, the Parthenon was closed but it was still cool to see from the outside.  From there, we visited a few places of significance for Cynthia then headed back south to Birmingham.  

Successful trip and I think we are ready for a fly away this summer.  

Training 3/23-3/29

 3/23- 2.5 miles on Lakeshore in 22:27 (8:59 pace).  Pleased with this but it took just about all I had.  I likely can hold a sub-2 pace for 5K but another 10 miles looks insurmountable.  Added a cool.

Pleased with my progress.  I will not increase my dosage.  

Distance-3.0

3/24- Had nothing today and it was probably caffeine withdrawal.  1 cheat day is allowed but not 2.  Hmm?   I took caffeine later to see if the symptoms would ease.  It actually made things worse.  Tomorrow may be worse.  The only thing that helped was extra pills 

Distance-1.0

3/25- 2 miles in 20:52 (10:26 pace).  UGLY!  At least it was an improvement over yesterday.  Heavy and sore with shortness of breath but the pacing was decent (10:23-10:29).

Distance-2.0

3/26- Repeated the 2 mile distance and my time is down to 19:36 (9:48 pace) with a negative split (9:55-9:41).  More power in the legs but cardio is still weak.  Solid improvement over yesterday but still above the Mendoza line.  

Distance-2.0

3/27- Below the Mendoza line.  Improved to 18:56 (9:28 pace).  Splits were 9:36-9:20.  Started slowly again.  Half mile split was only 4:56 but the pace was a steady 9:20 after that point.  I'll take it.  Next week, I will extend my daily run to 3 miles.

Distance-2.0

3/28- 5 miles on Lakeshore in 54:46 (10:57 pace).  Main goal was to finish.  I don't think I've gone longer than 3 so far this year so I am pleased with the finish.  I did expect my pace to be about 30 ticks faster.  1st half-26:30, 2nd half- 28:16.  Really slow in 3-4 but did have a little in the tank at the end.

Distance-5.0

3/29- Planned rest day.  I deserve it.

15 miles

Training 3/16-3/22

 3/16- Woke up feeling awful but Thym Adren did help.  Waited until evening for the real workout.  It went about as expected.  Maybe not quite as bad as I feared.  1 Mile in 10:37 with even splits.  Added a short cool.

Distance-1.5

3/17- Adrenal spike hit hard last evening but fortunately, the worst of it passed overnight.  Did a half lap in 1:48 (10:48 pace) then improved to 3:06 for a full lap (9:18 pace) on the full dosage.  It didn't feel sustainable and a real workout would have been ugly.  That's it for today.  Temps will warm up starting tomorrow.

Distance-0.5

Caffeine Tolerance:  Probiotics definitely help with the sugar tolerance but the caffeine withdrawal is just as bad even with the Probiotics.  If I can't quit that stuff, it would actually be better if I had a daily habit.  Off and on will trigger painful withdrawal.  Again, I will try to stay off.  Alcohol appears to be tolerated but I want to limit that to special occasions.

3/18- AWFUL!  I was so bad today that I didn't even go into work.  It appears that the culprit was Vitamin C.  It the past, I needed it to tolerate a high dose of Thym Adren.  Not so now.  Since it stimulates adrenal activity, I suppose this does make sense.

Distance-0.5

3/19- Much better.  1.5 miles in 14:28 (9:39 pace) or RIGHT AT the Mendoza line.  I had some gas in the tank at the end.  Even pace (7:16-7:12).  

This evening and tomorrow morning will be critical.  I binged on caffeine yesterday out of frustration.  Today was caffeine free but not sugar free.  If I don't crash, I'll know that I can tolerate an occasional cheat day.  Just don't make a habit out of it.  Hopefully with the Probiotics, there will be no sugar withdrawal.

Distance-1.5

3/20- Repeated the 1.5 miles only because I slept in.  No collapse!  Improved to 14:02 (9:21 pace) with splits of 7:07-6:55.  I'll take it.

Distance-1.5

3/21- Just some strides in Nashville but felt surprisingly decent.

Distance-0.5

3/22- Improved from 85.9 to 78.6 on 2 additional pills.  That is significant but I don't want to take mega mega doses.  

Distance-1.0

7 miles

MLB reforms

 Opening Day is less than 2 weeks away and my first game of the year will likely be in Philadelphia on April 17.  I'd like to hit 4 ballparks this year, which will leave me with only 3 remaining.  There is a real possibility of a lengthy lockout in 2027.  The worst case scenario is a canceled season and I'd hate to see it come to that. 

Let's start with recent changes:

Ghost runner on 2nd in extra innings.  

I support that but I think I'd make it 1st for the 10th-11th innings.  With a runner on 2nd, all it takes is a sac bunt and a fly ball to score a run.  The plus side is we won't have any 18 inning marathons, which really tax the bullpen.  I would not be opposed to a game being declared a tie after 15 innings in the regular season.  

Universal DH.

I grew up in a National League market and opposed the DH until recently.  It's more challenging to manage and teams will use their bench players.  I'd probably still oppose the DH if the average pitcher could hit near .200 with an OPS around .500.  As it is, the pitcher is usually almost an automatic out with a BA just over .100 and a 50 percent K rate.  I hope that we see more 2 way players.  I can think of several good hitting pitchers who could have been competent as a part time DH.  This would allow an extra man on the bench if outfield is crowded.

A DH allows a veteran with bad wheels to extend his career if he can still hit and opens up a regular spot for a prospect blocked by a star player.  I support this change.  I also support the pitch clock to keep the time of games reasonable.

Draft Lottery:

Support with further reforms that I will discuss later.  Let's say that there is a consensus once a decade type generational talent available in next year's draft.  In order to get him, a team blatantly tanks by trading their best players for mid-level prospects who are 2-3 years away.  They replace the real MLB talent with D-potential AAA scrubs in order to get the worst record in baseball.  Now, imagine multiple teams doing the same thing.  Players will try to win but management might not use their best relief pitchers in a close game.  Tanking must be discouraged and a lottery is a good first step.

Playoffs- The new format is likely here to stay.  I'm not a big fan. It's rare to see the best team win and a barely above .500 team can win it all by getting hot at the right time.  In hockey and basketball, a sub .500 team made it as far as the Finals but lost in 6 games.  I'd like to see 2 expansion teams to bring the number of teams to 32.  I'd go back to 2 divisions per league.  The division winner is guaranteed a spot then it's the next 2 best records.  You have to be a very good team to make the playoffs.  

That said, the current system is an improvement over the one and done wild card game.  Pittsburgh got screwed 2 years in a row when they had to face a starting pitcher in the midst of one of the most dominant stretches in history.  

Now on to further reforms:

Salary cap and floor- This is the big one and the arguments may not be negotiable on either side.  After what happened this off-season when a very good but not all time great player got a 60 million AAV contract, YES I support a salary cap.  In order to make it more palatable for the players, I would allow existing contracts to be grandfathered in.  Thus, Juan Soto and Shohei's mega deals don't count against the cap but future contracts do.  I'd also set the cap high so that few teams can reach it even with wild spending.  

I'm not thrilled about a payroll floor.  In that case, a 38 year old journeyman who is on his last legs will get one more big pay day just so a team hits the floor.  In doing so, he blocks a prospect with B-potential while performing below league average.  That said, if it's necessary to get a deal on a cap, so be it.  IMO, a better idea is severe penalties for tanking.  How about no 1st round pick and reduced revenue sharing after consecutive 100 loss seasons?  I'd even go as far as to force an owner to sell if the team goes a decade without a winning season.  

Several quality veteran free agents have gone unwanted in recent years.  The attitude is that a $10-15MM signing might be worth maybe 3 extra wins.  Instead of losing 97 games, they'll only lose 94 but still won't be competitive.  That line of thought needs to be discouraged and is a good argument for a payroll floor.  

Guaranteed Contracts:

I'm STRONGLY against that but the union is highly unlikely to budge on this issue.  Two big contracts in Rendon and Bryant have been total wastes and nobody could have predicted that they'd fall off THIS badly at the time of the signing.  I'm willing to meet halfway and allow a player to be released while collecting half of his salary.  

Example: Angels release Pujols after a negative WAR season.  They pay him $15MM instead of 30.  If he's signed by another team for $5MM, Pujols collects $20MM.  If he has a resurgence and a team thinks he's worth $20MM, Pujols still collects 30 but the Angels only have to pay 10.  Fair enough?

Another big reform that I favor has to do with PEDs.  If a player is suspended, their team should have the option to void the remainder of his contract.  It's really not fair to juice up in your contract year, get caught next Spring then come back diminished while getting paid like a superstar.  

Free Agency- As it stands now, teams have 6 years of control over their rookies no matter their age.  I propose reforms favorable to the players here.  Increase pre-arbitration salaries and minor league pay.  If a player debuts after age 24, he gets a shot at free agency after 5 years, maybe even 4.  A 21 year old phenom can get a big pay day when he hits free agency in his prime at 27.  By contrast, a late bloomer is already on the wrong side of 30 probably won't get more than 4-5 years even with superior performances in the past.  

Training 3/9-3/15

 3/9- AM- Interesting.  1 Mile at Vestavia in 11:50 while taking Glutamine after every lap.  Splits were 3:08-3:02-2:56-2:44 and I may have increased the effort slightly on Lap 4.  Yesterday, Glutamine was a game changer on just 1 pill.  Today, the first dose was borderline insignificant and even 3 pills barely got me under 11:00 pace.  

Perhaps, the insatiable need is already fading and the expected adrenal spike has already hit.  Took a Thym Adren at work and felt a discernable improvement but not so much on ADHS.  

PM- Opened with a 1:49 at Montreat (10:54 pace).

1 Thym Adren-1:34 (9:24 pace).  MINUS 90

1 ADHS- 1:25 (8:30 pace). MINUS 54

Exactly what I want to see.  Both forms of adrenal support are working but one is more effective than the other.  I'll probably go with the Thym Adren this week then switch back to ADHS to prevent an over-correction.

Distance-1.5

3/10- Same pattern as yesterday.  Opened with a very poor 1:52.  Yesterday, I already had pills in my system when I opened with a 1:49.  Today, the improvement was greater on Thym Adren but slightly less on ADHS.  1:35 on Thym Adren and 1:28 on ADHS.  Again, both worked but Thym Adren was much more effective.  Tomorrow, I will lead off with ADHS and see if I get the same result.  That's it for today.  Plans for this evening.

Last week, it was ADHS that worked well while Thym Adren was ineffective.  A leaky gut, fixed by Glutamine was likely the reason for that.  Again, it could have been worse.  At least the Thym Adren was tolerated.  

Distance-0.5

3/11-AM- Split decision.  Sprints were much better.  Opener was down to 1:42 (MINUS 60) compared to yesterday.  This time, I led off with ADHS and improved to 1:32 then Thym Adren got me down to 1:19.  Thym Adren remains more effective but the difference is less significant.  It's possible that the first dose has a greater effect.  Thym Adren it is at least for the next week.  New goal is to close the gap.

Unfortunately, the real workout was beyond awful.  1.5 miles in 18:57 (12:38 pace) with even splits.  Not going to panic.  Most likely, my body just wasn't ready for distance work yet.  I should be better tomorrow.  Evening session was rained out.

Distance-2.0

3/12- AM-Went with all Thym Adren and no sprint trials.  MUCH better than yesterday.  1.5 miles in 14:21 (9:34 pace).  Slight negative split too.  Cold, windy and RAW day outside.  One last shot of cold air is coming early next week.

PM- 2 miles in 19:32 (9:46 pace) with splits of 9:52-9:40.  Slightly slower than this morning but added more distance so I will call it a wash.  I was afraid that I would struggle because it's been 12 hours since I last took a pill.  Maybe the extreme need is beginning to fade.

Distance-3.5

3/13- 3 miles in 28:22 (9:27 pace).  Pleased overall as this was better than yesterday but I faded badly down the stretch.  1st half- 13:49.  2nd half- 14:33.  On pace for about 29:30 for 5K.  Below the Mendoza line but too close for comfort.  I'd like to be in the mid-high 27s before I race again.  

Distance-3.0

3/14- Half mile in 5:56 (11:52 pace). Splits were 2:48-3:08. I expected to struggle after yesterday but NOT like this!  

The culprit was lack of Probiotics.  I ordered the pills from Amazon and according to the tracking, it was delivered 2 days ago.  I never received it.  Most probably, the postal worker delivered it to the wrong address and the person who received it never dropped it off at my door.  Other neighbors have had similar issues.  THIS PISSES ME OFF! 

 Fortunately, the local retailer did have it but I got the last one!  Felt better immediately after taking it but I'm still pissed!  I should not be THIS BAD after just 1 missed dose!  I'm taking the rest of the day off and will try again tomorrow on fresh legs.

Got the pills in the mail this afternoon.  I have a spare now.  

Distance 0.5

3/15- 2 miles in 21:36 (10:48 pace) with a slight negative split (10:54-10:42).  Improvement over yesterday but still way behind Friday.  

What I said about the 1 missed pill wasn't completely accurate.  I had to lower the dose this week so the bottle would last until Friday.  I made it about 3 days before I felt ill- effects from the reduced dose.  I was already starting to fade by Friday evening and would have had a poor showing yesterday even if I took 1 Probiotic.  I need at least 3 of those every day but can get by on a lower dose for a few days.  That makes me feel a little better.  

Distance-2.0

Cold weather is coming and so is the sugar withdrawal so I'll likely be out of commission for the next 2 days.

13 miles on the week.

Need for Probiotics

 Here's a synopsis of what I've been up against the past couple of months:

Stand alone Calcium triggered an extreme need for Zinc but without Calcium, Zinc wasn't tolerated.  

Paramin (Cal/Mag combo) allowed for limited tolerance of Zinc.  I needed Zinc but couldn't tolerate more than 1 pill.

Stand alone Magnesium was not tolerated.  

Strong need for adrenal suppressants, but that seems to have diminished over the last 2 or so weeks.  ADHS works better than Thym Adren.

I knew it wasn't related to toxic metals as Malic Acid did nothing.  At least I didn't react badly to it.  I chalked it up to extremely unbalanced chemistry and a 2 front war.  

I figured that my Ca/Mg ratio was very low, while the Na/K was extremely high.  That would make sense.  Since Calcium lowers K, it would make the Na/K ratio worse but since Zinc raises Potassium, I need both.  Why wasn't the Zinc tolerated without the Cal?  The smart money was on the Ca/K ratio, which got worse with extra Zinc.  

I decided to go with the Paramin plus low dose Zinc and hope the sensitivity would diminish with time.  Also, I considered the possibility that sugar abstinence could help.  Within 12 hours of my last sip, withdrawal hit HARD!  I was so overstimulated that I had to drink a Dew to get through the day last Friday.  Surprisingly, I calmed down and felt better after a 16 oz can. 

 Then, the withdrawal hit again Saturday morning.  This time, I stuck it out and began feeling better by evening but went backwards again before bed time.  I got the idea to take Probiotics and felt a difference immediately.  Unfortunately, I woke up Sunday with an extreme need.  No mega doses for a quick fix this time.  I'll go with 2 pills in the morning and 2 in the evening.  

Workouts are going as expected.  Flat out awful without the Probiotics but progressively better with each pill.  Too much did trigger a stomach ache and diarrhea.  Stomach was in pain and it was making chocolate rain!  On the second day, I was not as bad without the Probiotics (6:00 vs 5:20 opener).  The best news is that stand alone Magnesium did NOT trigger a reaction on Probiotics and extra Zinc appears to be tolerated as well.  I'm going with the Probiotics and extra Zinc and will TRY to limit sugar too.

I don't doubt my belief in unbalanced ratios but the sensitivity likely stemmed from lack of Probiotics.  What I described above is NOT normal, even with severe mineral imbalances.

Training 3/2-3/8

 3/2- 3x half mile with Probiotics.  Again, significant improvement with each pill.  More good news is that stand alone Magnesium and extra Zinc appear to be tolerated again.  Splits today were 5:20-4:56-4:33.  Trending in the right direction. Much better on both the floor and ceiling.  Another small test this afternoon.  

PM- Took extra Zinc and it was a non-factor.  86.5 without it.  87-flat with it.  Only fractionally slower and I eased up at the end.  8:40ish pace at basic effort.  

Distance-2.0

3/3- 1 Mile in 11:36.  I knew it before I started.  Culprit was an adrenal spike.   Less horrible after extra ADHS.  Last quarter mile was around 10:30 pace after I popped 2 extra ADHS.  Nothing else made a difference.  I might try Thym Adren tomorrow.

PM- No running but it feels like Thym Adren reversed the adrenal spike and may have over-corrected it.

Distance-1.0

3/4- Adrenal spike is back.  2 miles on Lakeshore in 22:20 (11:10 pace).  Improvement over yesterday but hoped for a little better.  I still want to try Thym Adren tomorrow but will likely stay on this path.

On second thought, this was a significant improvement.  Yesterday, I was headed for an 11:50-55 Mile without extra ADHS.  Today, I passed the first Mile in 11:15 then managed a slight negative split.

PM- Just some quick tests.  Opened with a 96 then popped 1 Thym Adren and matched the opener to the tenth of a second.  Non-factor, which was a surprise.  Took 1 Taurine pill, which is known to deplete Probiotics.  Slipped to 99, which is borderline insignificant.  I'll stick to Probiotics with no Taurine for the time being but soon, I'll be able to take both together.

Distance-2.5

3/5- Took Zinc and Probiotics with no adrenal support.  Opened with a very poor 1:58.  Popped 3 Thym Adren and fared no better.  Actually, I was 1 second slower but that's definitely not significant.  

Popped 2 ADHS and improved to 1:47.  If I had taken the full dose, I likely would have beaten yesterday's time.  Most likely, that's it for today.  

PM- Decided to run 2 miles again to see if I do better in the evening.  The answer may be yes.  Improved to 19:32 (9:46 pace) with perfect pacing.  BIG improvement.  Can I keep it up tomorrow?

Distance-2.5

Very strange!  Feel very overstimulated but the adrenal suppressant is ineffective and caffeine actually helps.  I am glad Thym Adren doesn't make it worse.  Yet, the modulator is a game changer.  I don't understand this at all.  If both were effective but one worked a little better than the other, that's understandable.  I don't know.  

3/6- Good news all around.  Opener is down to 1:42 and I was actually holding back.  Added a short warm and cool.  Real workout was 1.5 miles in 13:15 (8:50 pace) with splits of 6:41-6:34.  YUGE improvement!  This was a morning session.

Distance-2.0

3/7- No, I can't keep this up.  Shooting for 3 miles, I had to settle for 1 in a time of 11:27.  Splits were 5:29-5:58.  My best guess was that I had taken the Probiotic/Taurine balance too far in opposite direction.  Nope.  The culprit was an amino acid called Glutamine that I don't even take regularly. 

 I expected to feel much worse on extra Probiotics.  Surprisingly, I got significantly BETTER.  Hopefully, this will be just a 1 day blip.  Perhaps the intolerance to Glutamine will fade once the Probiotic reserve builds.

Distance-1.0

3/8- Flip flop to EXTREME NEED for Glutamine!  Insatiable need.  Walk jogged 1 Mile.  Did do much better with every pill but the gains were short lived.  Adrenals will spike again but maybe Thym Adren will be effective 

Distance-1.0

12 miles