They call me Crazy Justin for a reason

My half marathon progression

2012-02-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

First things first, I have not posted on the Marathon Forum in more than 3 weeks yet I am still a topic of discussion. It got back to some people that I expressed my irritation on this blog and my 3M race report has gotten well over 100 hits. I feel I should explain myself. If you make fun of slower runners and suggest that anyone can run a certain time if they train properly, you ARE stuck up. As for the attacks on me, I've been accused of exaggerating my medical issues for the purpose of self-promotion and "bragging" about my workouts. Among the attacks was a quote that my posts are "full of crap" and "make them want to vomit." I have nothing against those who were constructive in suggesting that I should not train so intense but almost everyone will admit that some of it was "over the top." The word that I used was appropriate for the situation and only applied to 4 or 5 people. That said, I have preached forgiveness before so I must do no less. If anyone reads this, no apology is needed. I will forgive you and will not post on the subject again.
As for the bragging, when my training is going well, I'll post it. When it's not going well, I'll post it. Anyone who has followed me even casually knows that. I give all the honor and glory to God and my races and workouts are evidence of His work in me.

I'll start this timeline back in 2003-4. I was a graduate student at Clemson fighting adrenal fatigue and chemical instability. I only trained about 20 MPW because of time constraints but almost all of it was hard. I estimate based on a couple of 10 mile training runs @ 7:40 pace, I was good for a half in the low-mid 1:40s. I only raced once in those 2 years (a 10K in 45:04). In 2005, the bubble burst and I endured a living nightmare for more than a year. I needed powerful stimulants just to function at a basic level and crashed after 2-3 miles of slow jogging on a good day. On a bad day, a trip to the grocery store would leave me exhausted.

2006: Diagnosed with full blown adrenal exhaustion. Limited to walking at first but progressed to walk/jog then a 9 minute pace in training. Progress was very rapid.

2007- Debuted at Seaside with an exhausting 1:59:37 half in which I had to walk/jog the last 5K. Soon after, I was diagnosed with numerous neurotransmitter imbalances. Again, improvement was rapid but I was VERY unstable. In Memphis 9 months later, I had improved to 1:48:17 without much additional training.

2008: Continued to improve but remained unstable. I improved at every distance but only raced one half (1:42:50 in Chicago). Finally, I was at a level comparable to before the crash. A sub-1:40 was looking likely but 10 minutes faster than that was unthinkable.

2009: A great year for me in almost every way even though there were quite a few rough stretches. Set a massive PR at Mercedes in February (1:36:16). For the first time, I began to think that 1:30 might be possible after all so I set it as my lifetime goal. I followed that one with another strong PR in Baton Rouge 10 months later (1:32:57)

2010: This was a down year for my running. I suffered 2 significant injuries but raced 3 halves that ranged from 1:34-1:42.

2011: Squeaked out a baby PR in Chattanooga in February (1:32:49) but the breakthrough came after quitting soda for good. I set back to back PRs in October with a 1:31:32 in Montgomery and a 1:31:02 in Columbus. My final attempt was a disappointing 1:33 in Arkansas.

2012: 1:28:12! Victory. Can I improve on that? I believe that I can but anything beyond it is a bonus. This is nothing short of a miracle recovery!

Training 1/30-2/5

2012-01-31T20:53:00.000-08:00

1/30- Well deserved day of rest. Flew back to the Ham, worked a half day then shut it down.

1/31- Getting back to the normal routine now. Easy 6 in 44:12 (7:22 pace). Slight soreness in the IT band but outside of that, I felt great. Slowed down some in the 2nd half but that was only because I intentionally backed off after seeing a 7:13 split for Mile 2 without even pushing. How to train this week? It could be a bit tricky. I have 13 days until I race 26.2 but I am fresh off a half taper. I don't want to push too hard but I feel I could lose fitness if I go too easy. I think mileage near 40 is in order this week. That's solid but not extreme then it will be very little next week.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.5

2/1- Sensational performance after a rough day at work. I had to go indoors because I got stuck at the oral surgeon's office. It was just a check up and everything looks good. Easy 7 in 50:32 (7:13 pace). That's a 3:09 marathon if I held it for 26.2. Yes, it really did feel easy. The pace was fast because I am fresh. I did race 13.1 3 days ago but it was the only hard run I did all week.
Tempo tomorrow and I think my Saturday's run will be a MLR. Those 2 will be my only quality sessions before Mercedes.
Grade:A+/1 credit/distance=7.5

2/2- Tempo on Lakeshore. Very good but not a great performance. Finished with a time of 33:05 (6:37 pace) with a fairly even pace. Sloppy form and labored breathing. Felt just a tad off form but there's no need to panic. I won't have A+ stuff every day. Easy tomorrow.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0

3M half RR

2012-01-30T08:17:00.000-08:00

I give all the honor and glory to God.
Training:
I wanted to do this race 2 years ago but was forced out by an Achilles injury but this time, I was healthy and had been eying this race as my best chance to hit my lifetime goal of 1:30 since the Fall of last year. A turning point occurred in December after receiving prayer at the LIFE retreat. My Thym-Adren dosage began trending down the next day and since the first of the year, I have been freed from my dependence on that stuff. Those of you that have followed me for any length of time can appreciate how much that means to me. I believe that God did it and cannot think of any other explanation. It was by far my best training cycle. I jacked up the mileage but my training paces stayed pretty much the same. I did 5 runs in excess of 15 miles since my last PR including a 20 and 22 miler. I also set an unofficial 10K PR of 40:14 in training. I had only one day of symptoms this entire month and that was only because I took a thyroid pill the previous day. The only irritation that I had was a few stuck up pricks on the Marathon Race Training forum online that criticized my training in a manner that was downright mean spirited. However, the half marathon forum has always been very supportive of me. In short, high mileage at slow paces simply does not work for me and I do not enjoy it either. I top out between 50-55 MPW with yearly average in the low 40s but my intensity level is higher than most others. I know 2 runners who broke 3:10 in a marathon with a similar strategy. It can be done and I believe that I am talented enough to do it if everything goes right. It won't happen this year but possibly in the near future.

Trip:
It was not to be an especially relaxing trip outside of the race. In addition to Austin, I had plans to visit San Antonio and College Station. I flew direct from Birmingham to Houston and rented a car. It was probably the quickest way to Austin. Because the flight was delayed, I altered my plans and headed to San Antonio from Houston instead of College Station. I did not see much of Houston though the downtown looked impressive. My biggest gripe was that the traffic was terrible. Birmingham's 280 is mild by comparison. Finally, I got onto I-10 W and it was clear sailing to San Antonio for 3 hours. I parked in a garage and walked around town for about an hour to get a sample of the Alamo plaza and the Riverwalk, which was a cool area under a set of bridges with shops and restaurants along the water. I got a nice Texas ribeye and one Lonestar beer before leaving town. From there, it was less than 2 hours to Austin so I split the difference and stayed in a cheap motel in San Marcos. The trip to Austin the next morning went without much of a hitch. I picked up my packet at a rather small expo then called up an old high school buddy that I had not seen in more than a decade. We had lunch together and he showed me around town for a bit and gave me a tour of some of his running routes. From there, I headed to my hotel near the starting line and had a fairly relaxing evening. After the race, I headed back to downtown Austin for a walking tour of 6th Street and a BBQ pork sandwich for lunch. Next, I took country roads to College Station and toured Bush 41's presidential library for a little over an hour. That was really cool and anyone interested in history would enjoy it regardless of political affiliation. Finally, it was time for another nerve wracking drive back to the Houston airport. I stayed the night there and caught my flight back home without a hitch.

Race:
Near perfect weather conditions. Clear skies with light winds and temps in the low 40s at the start, near 50 by the finish. I had targeted this race because it is a blazing fast course. It is point to point net downhill with several bumps along the way. Most of the course was a shallow downhill that was barely noticeable and some miles seemed to have just as much incline as decline. There was a tough stretch early in Mile 10 but more significant downhill early in Mile 13 before a small bump up to the finish. According to the elevation profile, taking into account that you only gain 1/2 as much going down as you lose going up, runworks projects this course to be on par with pancake flat courses such as Mobile and Disney. If I ran a PR, it would not contain an asterisk.
My plan was to hang with the 1:30 pace group for about the first 5K then move ahead if I felt good. My training had gone so well that 1:30 was near the low end of my expectations. I had hopes of a 1:28 or maybe even 1:27 though I never publicly aired my lofty expectations. The first half mile was slightly uphill it felt much too slow. Again, my Garmin would not cooperate. In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, that's it with this piece of junk, I've had it. Somebody asked the pacers if they were on target and they responded that they had started a little slow. Just over 7 minute pace. I ditched the pacers and would not see them again. Some mile markers had clocks while others did not so I had to ask others for the approximate time so here are the estimated splits for the first 4 miles:
6:50 (6:50)
6:45 (13:35)
6:33 (20:18)
6:32 (26:40)
I felt great. Almost no pain whatsoever. At that point, the notion of a 6:40ish pace for the remaining 9 miles did not seem daunting. However, miles 3-4 were nearly all downhill. The next few miles were up and down. By now, my Garmin was working and according to the instant pace, it seemed to matter little whether I was going up or down. My pace seemed to stay about the same. Over the 4+ miles that it actually worked, every mile was between 6:41 and 6:47. According to the results, I passed 10K in 41:40 and saw a clock at Mile 7 that showed a clock time at 47:10. I figured that my chip time was just under 47 flat. I've always had good math skills and that includes during a race. I figured that since 42 is 6:00 pace and 49 is 7:00 and I'm 5/7 or 71.4% in between, my overall pace is about 6:43. From that point on, even if I faded to 7:00 for the rest of the way, I'd hit 13 in 1:29 and barring a collapse in the final 200 meters, I had it.
6:43 (33:23)
6:45 (40:08)
6:47 (46:55)
6:41 (53:36)
6:44 (60:20)
Now, I had no doubt that I would do it. A 7 minute pace would bring me to Mile 13 in 1:28:20 and a decent finish from there would put me under 1:29. I still felt good and was confident that there would be no major fade after 15K like my previous efforts. My Garmin cut off again after Mile 9 and I was unable to get it back on so I had to go naked for the remainder of the race. The course went through University of Texas and finished just outside the capitol building so I saw some cool landmarks. Based on the final results, I can assume that I basically held the same pace all the way through. I'm sure Mile 10 was a little slow because of the incline and Mile 13 was faster. In any event, my clock time was 1:27:43 at Mile 13 so my chip time was approximately 1:27:30. That means that I covered Miles 10-13 in approximately 27:10 (6:48 pace). I knew that I was under 1:29 but I didn't know by how much. I wish I knew how close I was to breaking 1:28 in Mile 12 because I knew that I could not cover the final .11 in under 30 seconds going uphill. I passed 2 just before starting my all out kick but nobody else was within reach. It was a decent kick but nothing spectacular and I raised my arms in triumph as I crossed the line with a chip time of 1:28:12. I got my medal and used another photo op for the purpose of Tebowing.

Final thought:
I smashed the barrier by a full 8 seconds per mile (6:44 pace for 13.11 miles). This was no doubt an A+ performance and I am certainly very excited but I am really not too surprised. It was in line with my high expectations albeit near the upper end. Anyone who has followed my training this month could have predicted a sub-1:30. My buddies on the half marathon forum have encouraged me to strive for 1:25. My answer to that challenge is the same as before. I will continue to train and strive for improvement but anything beyond this is a bonus. I expect to race this distance many more times over the next few years but if this turns out to be the fastest half marathon of my life, I will be well satisfied with it. Texas was state #13 in my drive for 25. On the radar this year are the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Denver and Indy. I plan to add more interval work starting in early Spring. This race predicts a marathon in 3:06, which won't happen this year if ever. However, it also predicts a 10K under 40 and a 5K near 19 flat. Both of those goals should be within reach with interval training if not right now.

Training 1/23-1/29 (race week)

2012-01-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

1/23- Planned rest day and it is the right call. If I get the itch this evening, I will do a couple of strides in the parking lot but that's it.

1/24- Stress free tapers are a rarity for me and this one appears to be no exception. Taper paranoia has set in big time and I'm afraid of a relapse so I allowed myself a bit of a test run. Lakeshore 2.5, roughly a 3 minute rest, then another 2.5 going the other way. The plan was to run near tempo pace with a marked pick up in the last 600 meters. I got off to a sensational start but was fading by the end of Mile 2 with a bit of tightness in the calf. 1st half was 16:11. 2nd half was 16:47. Not very good splits but still a 6:35 overall pace. Only managed a 6:27 pace over the final 600 meters. More concerning was the way I felt. I had tightness in my muscles and felt just plain out of sync much like before White River. I panicked when I got home and tried half a thyroid pill. I quickly realized that it was not the answer, which is actually a relief but may have to endure a rough day tomorrow until it clears my system. This workout was not too bad and I'm still 5 days out. Plenty of time to get things right.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=5.0

1/25- I expected a rough day today and it was a price I was willing to pay to confirm that I do not need thyroid pills. I did not expect it to be THIS bad. Funny thing is that I did not feel too bad during the day but as soon as I took my first stride running, I felt horrible. I hoped to run an easy 3 with a pickup at the end. I ended up doing only 1 Mile from the Shak and finished in 7:55 and I had to hustle at the end just to break 8. This would be an "F" if I was not in taper mode. Now 4 days out, I am still hopeful to get back on track but the brash confidence of a week ago is gone. I need a half decent run tomorrow to get back at least some confidence. I took no thyroid pills today and do not expect to take any more.

2 hours later: Went to the track at Vestavia after taking some Paramin (to regulate blood sugar) and felt an improvement. 1200 in 5:38, on pace for about 7:30. I stopped for about a minute then clocked a 400 in 73.3 (best time of the year). Nothing to brag about but I do feel like I've taken a step forward. 1/2 mile cool.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=2.5

1/26- 5 miles indoors in 35:45 (7:09 pace). Back on track today. Effort was easy and even with a pace of 7:13 through 4.75 miles then stepped on the gas for a 90 second last quarter. With normal volume, the pace would be 7:25-7:30. It was faster today because my volume has been so light over the past 7 days (only 24 miles). Today went just like it should have and I am regaining some confidence. I may be dependent on Paramin but I'm okay with that because if I do miss a day or two every now and then, it won't hurt me. With the Thym-Adren, if I missed even 1 dose during the day, I would suck in a workout. Much better situation.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=5.5

1/27- Planned rest day. Flight to Houston was delayed. Drove to San Antonio for dinner then stayed in San Marcos for the night.

1/28- Spent whole day in Austin. Junk run outside the hotel for 11 minutes. Felt good.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=1.5

1/29- 3M half marathon in 1:28:12 PR. Lunch in Austin, tour of Bush 41's library in College Station, back to Houston.
Grade:A+/4 credits/distance=14.5

Weekly summary:
Sheer exhilaration about my performance. Enough said.
Distance=29.0/ GPA= 3.66

Spring outlook

2012-01-19T08:33:00.000-08:00

One month from today, I expect to be basking in the glow of a shiny new marathon PR and fresh off a 7 day period of inactivity to guard against burnout. The first signs of Spring come around the first week of March here in Birmingham and daylight savings time starts on 3/11. Here's the plan for the Spring and Summer:
-Mileage will be cut to the neighborhood of 40 per week.
-More speed sessions.
-Fewer long runs and nothing over 15.
Other training decisions will be played by ear. What will happen to my base training pace on fewer miles? It's possible that it will get even faster. Maybe down to 7:15. On the other hand, the speed workouts could take a lot out of me and my pace could slow. I will do whatever feels comfortable for me. Lately, a basic workout has been in the range of 6.5-8.5 miles. Do I keep it there or drop it back down to the 4-6 range? Again, we'll see how I feel.
I have 5 options for a quality workout:
1. A weekday medium long run (10-12 miles). This is a staple of marathon training and will be phased out entirely. I enjoy this one the least and always have.
2. Weekend long run (12+). On the weekends that I do not race, this will continue to be a regular part of my training. Most will be in the 12-15 range with the fast Gnomes.
3. Tempo run- I like this workout and it will be run at least twice in three weeks. The distance will be varied from 5-8 miles usually from the Shak. Typical paces are just over 6:30 for 5 miles and closer to 7:00 on the 8 miler but paces will slow in hot and humid conditions.
4. Ladders and long intervals- Need more of these for a good 5K. I also anticipate doing these twice every three weeks.
5. Short intervals-Hard, nearly all out sprints from 400 all the way down to 100s with full recoveries. I hope to do one such workout per week. 59.9 or bust!
Reasoning behind the shift:
Since 2009, I have shown a lot of improvement at distances 10K and above. By comparion, my 5K PR has dropped a mere 6 seconds. True, I've been plagued with a lot bad luck at that distance (humid weather, unstable, just didn't have it). My Mile time is down by only 3 seconds while in the 400, I have actually regressed a bit. At 31 years old, time is running out. If I can't break 60 in the 400 within the next 2 years, I don't see it happening. The same is true to a lesser extent in the Mile and 5K.
Race plans:
Rumpshaker 5K in late March- local event. Fast course, competitive field.
Possible:
Crescent City Classic- New Orleans mega 10K
Kentucky Derby Half- for fun to add another state.
My goal to run a half/full in at least 25 states is not too original. Here are 2 others that some may find interesting:
-5K in 5 states: Already done this (PA,WV,AL,GA,TN)
-10K in 10 states: Only 3 down (SC,AL,GA). Louisiana could be number 4. Three more quick options include a companion 10K on a Pensacola Beach marathon weekend, a Labor Day 10K in the Nashville area and the Gum Tree 10K in Tupelo, MS. That leaves 3 destination races. On the radar are the Pittsburgh Great Race, Bolder Boulder and Broad Street (Richmond, VA).

Training 1/16-1/22

2012-01-16T12:06:00.001-08:00

1/16- My critics and cynics do not believe that anyone who has had adrenal fatigue can train like I do. My response is that nothing is impossible. Others doubted that I would improve significantly when off the pills because my condition was simply "a manageable fatigue" not the chemical instability that I describe. I must admit that this latest hot streak is so amazing that even I am speechless. Then again, God is able. I never had any doubt of that. Today, I had the day off work for MLK day and took advantage of the opportunity to do a MLR in the daylight. I took off at 6:50 pace and never slowed down. Well, maybe a little in Mile 8-9 but only because of the hills. I proceeded to bounce back with a 6:30 finish in which I showed no real sprinting form. Final time was 68:20 (6:50 pace). That's a PR with an asterisk. I did stop for a few minutes in Mile 5 after I felt a slight twinge in my Achilles Tendon, which proved to be of no concern. Added a Mile cool down. MUST go easier tomorrow. No more than 5, preferably no faster than 7:30 pace.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=11.0

1/17- Easy 5 indoors in 37 flat (7:24 pace). Again, that's over a minute per mile slower than race pace at this distance. Very strong, smooth and relaxed. Nearly painless. Even pace. No faster than 7:22 or slower than 7:27. 1st half was 18:30, 2nd half was 18:30. I have capped the mileage at 42 for the week before the race. I am now in semi-taper mode with 12 days until race day. I remain confident and predict a sub-1:30 but won't go any further than that.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=5.5

1/18- Moderate 5 at the Shak followed by a fast finish. Audit assignment enabled me to do this one in the daylight. I covered 5.75 miles @ 6:56 pace overall. First 5 were all in the low 7s then kicked it in for the final .75 @ 5:50 pace and I only showed sprinting form in the final .25, which was run @ 5:20-5:30 pace slightly uphill. Added 2 laps around Soho block for a cool down. Yet again, amazing and unbelievable. 1 workout to go (easy 6) before I hit full blown taper mode. Need to be more careful with race day so close. I am a bit sore but nothing unusual. Just need to survive one more day and I'm golden. I want to shoot for 7:45 pace. Plan to rest Friday with no long run this weekend.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=6.5

1/19- Easy 6 in 45:52 (7:38 pace). Slight fade. (22:50-23:02) and that ends the streak of "A" workouts. I've now done 58 miles in the past 7 days. That's just 2 away from the "red flag" aka "danger zone." That's why the pace was slower. Once again, if I was running 70+ MPW, my paces would be in line with McMillan but I choose not to subject myself to that for reasons I discussed earlier. I have completed the training. 10 days out now and I am now in full blown taper mode. Dreamed that I ran in a 10 Mile race that ended with an indoor maze going through a building. I surged near the end to take the lead and would have won but could not find the finish line. LOL! I need to rest.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

1/20- Planned rest day. I will attend the BTC annual party.

1/21- Not good. Even after the rest day, I was still sore and gassed. I cut the run to 4 miles and finished with a time of 30:56 (7:44 pace). Faded badly after Mile 2 (15:18-15:38). Fortunately, there is an explanation. I did not start this run until almost 11 AM and did not eat anything in the morning. Bad call there. No major concern yet. If I do not feel fresh tomorrow, that will be very worrisome.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=4.5

1/22- Moderate 6 in 43:17 (7:13 pace). Even pace, felt good all the way. Yesterday's poor effort proved to be of no concern. Still a bit sore but my energy was back to normal. I admit that I over reached in training the last 2.5 weeks but I've got another week to get fresh.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=6.5

Weekly summary:
Very good week overall despite the hiccup on Saturday. Let the taper madness begin. I plan to rest every other day until race day. It's now been 3 weeks since I was freed from the Thym-Adren. Back in the Fall of 2010, I had 5 weeks of freedom then suffered a nasty relapse. If I can make it 3 more weeks, my fears and doubts will greatly diminish.
Distance= 40.0/ GPA= 28/8= 3.50

Marathon training vs shorter distances

2012-01-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

Since Labor Day or so, I've been in half/full marathon mode and I'm looking forward to the end of this cycle. I still like the short distances better and do not plan on running another marathon until at least the Fall of 2014 when I can get into Boston with a 3:10. If healthy and under the exact right conditons with the aid of a downhill course, I might have a chance. Until then, I will put it out of my mind and focus on where my heart is, middle distance running.

The orthodox philosophy for marathon training is little to no speed, at least 80 miles per week with virtually all of it being a good deal slower than the pace that you will run for 26.2 miles on race day. Despite what everybody says, that approach will never work for me. I am often criticized for my fast training paces and my defense is as follows:
1. After my medical breakthrough, I am now much better than my current PRs indicate.
I don't think there is any doubt about that. I've basically proven that I can run below 3:20 with my most recent long run and had enough left to come back for 5 more @ sub-8 the next day. That would be a PR by more than 15 minutes in the marathon. It meant a lot just to know that I am capable of it. Who knows what will happen on race especially with my history of instabilty?
2. I take sharp cut backs periodically to guard against burnout.
When leading up to a race, holiday weekend or if I feel it's necessary, I've been known to cut my mileage by up to 50%. I always come back fresh and ready to roll. After the full, I get 7-10 days of complete rest before I tackle the next cycle.
3. I do not enjoy long slow distance every day nor do I like how it makes me feel.
Going by the book, I should do a lot of 10-14 mile runs during the week in addition to my weekend long run. Training guidelines such as McMillan are designed for 80 MPW runners. I've never topped 70 MPW but I did sustain 60+ for several weeks in the Fall of 2010 with disastrous results. With the same effort, paces will slow naturally as distance increases and you will never feel fresh. There will always be residual soreness in the legs and a bit of tiredness in the body as a whole. At 50 MPW, I feel fresh but suggested training paces feel much too slow. When coming off a cutback, 7:15 feels easy but 7:30ish has been the norm recently. I'm sure that I'd be more like 8:00 at higher volume. Also, it's too darn time consuming to run long every day. I need 8 hours of sleep. When you run 12+ miles in the evening, decompress, eat and shower, it's almost bed time. Not the life I want and it could put a strain on relationships.
4. The marathon is not a distance that I take too seriously.
It's little more than a fun lark every 2 years or so. I'd get a lot more satisfaction out of a sub-40 10K than a 3:20 marathon so why not train accordingly and do what I think is best to meet that objective.
5. I am improving by training this way
Race results don't lie. PRs at every distance that I raced last year and I didn't even have my best stuff in some of those races either. I know 2 runners in Birmingham than BQ'd on under 60MPW so it can be done.
Rant:
Many, not all, sub-elite runners (2:40-3hr marathoners) seem to be a bunch of stuck up little pricks. I had a bad experience when I tried to run in college and it seems that little has changed as an adult. Some have suggested that anyone can run a sub-5 Mile or sub-3 marathon if they train hard enough. That's as idiotic as suggesting that a person with an IQ of 85 can get an advanced degree from a top ranked university. There's a little thing called talent that dictates your potential. I respect anyone who makes an earnest attempt to get in better shape by running regardless of their paces. I have no problem with constructive criticism about my training or differing philosophies but many of the comments on RWOL were downright mean spirited. The more I defended my training, the worse it became. I know where I stand with the Lord and I'm not after praise of men or women but to suggest that I only care about myself and my training paces is ridiculous. I've devoted countless hours to help others with chemical imbalances and hope to inspire others with my hope, faith and determination. If that offends you, you've got the problem, not me. I'm done posting in Marathon Race Training. I will stay on the 1:30 Half Thread where the group is supportive and encouraging.

Training 1/9-1/15

2012-01-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

1/9- Easy 7.5 in 57:05 (7:37 pace). A little slower than my recent paces but I'm fine with that. After all, I'm only 2 days removed from a monster workout. Don't get me wrong. I did not feel fresh by any stretch but the soreness was manageable. Fast start but settled into 7:40 pace in Mile 3 and it stuck there. Added a half mile cool. Solid performance. Only 1 full week until the taper.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0

1/10- Just as I wrote earlier, as the volume increases, paces will slow automatically. I've now done 43.5 in only 4 days. That's too much for me. I'm so glad that the taper is almost here. Planned on 9 or 10 but ended up cutting it short to 8 in 61:44 (7:43 pace) plus the usual tribute. I have residual soreness and a bit of tiredness in my body as whole. Need a good rest.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.5

1/11- Planned rest day to get my implant at long last. Hoping to do a tempo tomorrow. It may have been a mistake to do this before the race. If I had known it would go like this, I would have put it off another month. First, I didn't get the new tooth. It was just another surgical procedure to get me prepared for it. The dentist, not the surgeon will have to do that. More concerning is that I was prescribed antibiotics, perhaps unnecessarily. That can mess up my body chemistry and cause nasty diarrhea similar to the nightmare that I had in the Fall of '09. I'm in the best shape of my life. Please, let's not have another race sabotaged.

1/12- Planned workout was a 6 mile tempo with a fast finish. I came through 1/2 Mile in 3:10 feeling strong so I threw caution to the wind and decided to go for it. I finished the full 10K in 40:14 PR (6:28 pace). 1st half 20:05, 2nd half, 20:09. The former is my best time of the year at 5K. Just 2.5 ticks per mile shy of THE goal and that's the closest I've ever come at any distance. Needed a 78 final quarter. I may have coaxed an 85 if need be but I knew I could not do it and finished with a modest 92. I'm in the best shape of my life.
I may not have even have been at full strength either. This was Day 2 of the antibiotics. I must be cautious from here on out. Yes, I have to take them or there is a risk of an infection that may not be contained to the mouth. I can take less than the suggested dosage. I'm already getting some stomach discomfort. Worse yet, this antibiotic carries a risk, albeit small, of Achilles tendon ruptures. That, my friends, would royally suck! Please pray that I will be protected from that outcome. Easy the next two days and my long run will not be nearly as hard as last week.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=7.0

1/13- Back to the norm. Finished 6.5 miles in 48:39 (7:29 pace) indoors (cold and windy) plus a half mile cool. Day 3 on antibiotics and I'm doing well thanks to the probiotic use. Only 4 days of that stuff to go. More good news is that the class of antibiotics that I am taking do NOT belong to the family that has been linked to tendon ruptures. Pace felt relaxed and even. Never below 7:24 or above 7:33. I was a full minute slower than my 10K time trial pace on an easy day while covering just about the same distance. That sounds pretty reasonable to me. A guy at the gym told me that slow running lowers testosterone but speed work raises it. I believe it.
I've covered 57.5 miles in the last 7 days. That's approaching the danger zone so my long run will not be as long or hard. Shooting for 16ish tomorrow.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0

1/14- Missed the run with the Gnomes so I opted for a daylight run in Homewood from the Trak Shak. I wanted to get the hills out of the way first so I went with the 7 and 9 er route with a time of 1:56:55 (7:18 pace) with a 6:30 closing mile. That's a 3:10:xx marathon pace. Can I hold that for another 10 miles? No. In another 3 years? Maybe. Even small hills will really hurt you after Mile 16. Not as hard as last week's run but not far off either. Very strong.
My 10K time trial projects to a 1:29:30 half and Self Coached Runner predicts a 19:07 5K.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=16.0

1/15- SENSATIONAL! Easy 5 in 35:49 (7:10 pace) in the ZONE. I felt no pain today whatsoever. I planned to run 6.5 today but chose to play it safe because the pace was so fast. I plan to do a MLR in the daylight tomorrow for MLK day so it was probably a good call to cut it short. Added a half mile cool at the end and even that was run at a decent pace. I've never gotten an A+ on an easy run before but today, it is appropriate.
Grade:A+/1 credit/distance=5.5

Weekly summary:
I am in the best shape of my life. It feels like there's another gear available to me that I could not access before. That 10K was done only 26 hours after receiving oral sedation at the oral surgeon. Barring a really bad day, sub-90 is as good as mine in 2 weeks. Taper will start in the middle of next week. GPA was 4.0 over the final 7 credits.
Distance=52.0/ GPA= 34.3/9= 3.81

Training 1/1-1/8

2012-01-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

1/1- Not an auspicious start to the new year but it was better than last year's New Year's debacle in which it took more than 9 minutes to cover one mile. In 2010, I began the year with a still standing marathon PR so it's impossible to predict what the year will bring based on its first workout. It was an uninspiring 3 mile run on Wisteria (my neighborhood). The running routes suck here but will suffice for a junk run. Finished with a time of 23:13 (7:44 pace). Even pace but I was struggling because I still have lots of crud in my system. It may take another 5 days before it's gone. Set a new best time of the year in the Mile (7:39). I hope to get back up to the 6 mile range tomorrow.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=3.0

1/2- Another step forward. Typically, when coming off an illness, it's baby steps first followed by a breakthrough. Today was decent progress and a nice improvement over yesterday. Indoor 10K just to get on the board at that distance. My time was 47:11 (7:34 pace). I also set new best times of the year at the 3 shorter distances along the way. Times are nothing special but here they are: 400: 1:42, Mile: 7:19, 5K: 23:33. One good thing about a slow start to the year is that I can show a lot of improvement from one workout to the next.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.5

1/3- Back to the grind at work again. A great step forward today. I am still coughing but I am feeling a lot less congested. I actually felt somewhat like myself today. It was the coldest day of the winter thus far so I wisely opted to stay indoors. Comfortable 8 miles in 58:35 (7:20 pace) plus a tribute to Ochocinco. Never hurting. Very enjoyable run. New best times of 2012 in all 4 of the shorter distances. Great.
400- 90, Mile- 6:58, 5K- 22:40, 10K- 45:39.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.5

1/4- Trak Shak 5 in 37:17 (7:27 pace). Added a full mile cool down. Solid but unspectacular performance. Still do not need any Thym-Adren pills. Still clearing the gunk out of my system and it's not a pretty picture if you know what I mean. My biggest concern is GI issues again. It's probably related to the virus but I'm taking some pro-biotics and yogurt at least for a few days. I've had worse than this before. Good mileage so far. Slight groin pain. I may or may not do my scheduled prolo appointment. If not, it will be done after Austin. I need to train now.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

1/5- The negative thoughts from yesterday are gone now. Easy 6 indoors plus a final mile hard. Passed the 6 mile mark comfortably in 43:45 (7:18 pace) then kicked in the turbo with a 7th mile in 6:02. Even that was fairly comfortable and I really didn't feel the effort until the final quarter. Finished with an overall time of 49:47 (7:07 pace). New best times of the year are as follows:
400: 84, Mile: 6:02, 5K: 21:32, 10K: 44:15.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0

1/6- Planned rest day. Hoping the weather will cooperate for my long run.

1/7- Yet another all time great long run workout. 22 miles in 2:43:20 (7:25 pace). That's a marathon pace of 3:14. Passed 13.1 in 1:36:20 (best time of the year). This workout was GREAT but I still intend to err on the side of caution on race day with a 7:30 speed limit until Mile 20. I felt the effort around Mile 13 which is sooner than I would like but fought through it well. Every mile was below 8 but I could not have kept this pace for another 4.2 miles. I'd estimate around an 8:15 pace to the finish, which would bring me home in 3:18. Since my PR is so soft, I'd rather leave 5 minutes on the course than shoot for a 3:10, be on pace through 18, then bonk something awful. Pretty even splits today too.
1st 5: 36:40, 2nd 5: 36:40, 3rd 5: 37:06, 4th 5: 37:49. Mile 21: 7:54. 22: 7:13.
If I average 7:30 through 20 miles, I need a 50:00 last 10K (even 8 pace) for a 3:20.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=22.0

1/8- Easy 5 indoors (rain) in 39:49 (7:58 pace). I certainly will not call this 5 miler uninspiring. I felt appropriately tired and sore today. I did fade some in the last 2 miles but slacked on purpose. 8 minute pace was as fast as I could go without pushing but that's just about what I expected. Hit my quota on the week and that's all I will do today.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
Despite the inauspicious start, it was a solid first week overall. Outstanding long run but outside of that, it was rather ordinary. Barring disaster, I've got a PR coming in the full and a very good chance at one in the half before I shift gears to speed work. I've completed the hardest long run of the cycle so it's all downhill from here.
Distance=58.0/GPA= 26.6/8= 3.33

2011 year in review

2011-12-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

The final stats read as follows:
Distance= 2,092 miles (PR). Average Weekly GPA: 3.03 (PR)
Average weekly mileage: 41. Highest: 55. Lowest: 24.
Weeks lost due to injury: ZERO (4th time in the last 5 years that I avoided a major injury)
12 races: 5 local, 6 overnight trips, 1 fly away.
Best race: Statue 2 Statue. Worst race: Peavine.
Best times:
400: Did not run
Mile: 5:19 (adult PR)
5K: 19:21 (adult PR)
10K: 40:28 PR
Half: 1:31:02 PR
Full: Did not run
Month by month highlights:

January: Bad vibes from 2010 seemed to carry over as I entered the year with a nasty sinus infection. Trained fairly well for the remainder of the month and would be ready to go for my first round of racing.

February: Better than expected showing at the Mercedes half (1:34:02) followed by a PR 2 weeks later in Chattanooga (1:32:49). Chromium dependency re-appeared. ARRGH!

March: New 10K PR in Atlanta (40:55) followed by a mediocre local 5K (20:01) with worsening chemical instability as the month progressed.

April- Statue 2 Statue 15K in 64:15 with my fastest finishing kick ever, added more speedwork and a couple decent time trials but still unstable.

May- Took care of a low grade oral infection that was a contributing factor to my instability. Traveled to Coeur D'Alene to visit states #47 and 48. Finished in 1:33:25 on a course that was "a bit long."

June-August- Extremely unstable. For much of the summer, I was either red hot or ice cold, very little in between. I did set an unofficial 10K PR of 40:28 and ran a sub-32 for 8K but could not get it done on race day. I was horrible at Peavine and average in a local 5K (19:45).

September- Things began to improve this month. Set adult PRs in the 5K (19:21) and the Mile (5:19). Sharply reduced consumption of sugared drinks and was much more stable for the remainder of the year.

October- 2 straight half marathon PRs in Montgomery (1:31:32) and Columbus (1:31:02).

November- Mini slump at an inopportune time. White River half was a downer (1:33:34).

December- Shifted gears to marathon mode and trained very well until Christmas but succumbed to a respiratory infection at the end of the year.

Final thoughts:
A "pretty good" year overall. My training focused on the 10K and Half Marathon distances and that is where I showed the greatest improvements. I remain frustratingly close to my lifetime goals in the 5K,10K and Half. Based on some of my workouts, I believe that I had it in me multiple times but just could not get all the stars to align on race day. If you are within 5 seconds/mile of your goals, you are indeed capable. I am there at every distance except the marathon.

Looking ahead:
First, I've got to get over this respiratory infection which should be gone in 3-5 days. Then, it's yet another attempt at that elusive sub-1:30 half on a blazing fast course in Austin, TX. 2 weeks later, I will run the full here in Birmingham. It's not my goal race and haven't trained properly for the distance but I can certainly expect to put a big dent in my current PR. After that point, it will be mid-February and I'll take 7-10 days off then shift gears to heavy speed work. At 31 years of age, it's pretty much now or never if I want to get that 59.9 in the 400. I figure that I still have another 3-5 years of potential improvement at the longer distances before age begins to slow me down. Plenty of time to reach my lifetime goals. I'll still continue my "drive for 25" half/full marathon states. Texas will be #13. Top tier options include Louisville, KY, Denver, CO and Indianapolis, IN. Oh yeah, as of now, I no longer need Thym-Adren pills. Only a medical report can determine if this freedom is permanent or temporary as it was in 2010.

Training 12/19-12/31 (bonus)

2011-12-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

12/19- The beat goes on. Easy 7.5 in 56:15 (7:30 pace). I was a little behind pace but didn't care until Jordan showed up in the last 1.5 miles. I did have a little bit of quad soreness during cool down but still pretty strong overall. Hit 2,050 on the year. The weather will be rainy for the rest of the week so if I am to take a shot at the 5K, it must be after Christmas. If I can go long as planned on 12/31, I may hit 2,100. Took 2 pills in the morning, 1 in the afternoon and I'll take 1 more before bed. We'll see how that goes. I may stabilize at this dosage.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0

12/20- Very enjoyable and comfortable 8 miler in 59:56 (7:29 pace). I honestly do not try to hit 7:30 pace on the nose every time. It just happens that way and it's a very comfortable effort as well. I can envision myself holding that pace through Mile 22 at least. If I can hold it all the way to the finish, I will cross the line in 3:16 and change. 3:16 huh? Man, I like that number. I've been hammered for my training by the 3:20 group on RWOL but they are clueless about how it feels to have freedom from adrenal fatigue in my sight and the improvement that comes with it.
I get a better grade than yesterday despite the same pace because I felt better during the run.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.0

12/21- First signs of wear and tear today. A bit of soreness in the shins and calf muscles but I still did pretty well in the workout. Trak Shak 5 in 37:54 (7:35 pace). There were numerous stops because I'm extra cautious in the dark so the effort was likely equal to about a 7:45. Weather was good but the crowd was sparse probably because many of the regulars are already on holiday. I've got one more day to go myself and hope I can do well on my tempo.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/22- Tempo was a failure. I knew I could not do it after I took my last pill in the afternoon. I bumped it up to 4.5 and it was a bad call. I am trending down, not up. I have got to be smarter than this. One thing that I did do that was a good call was not forcing it when I wasn't feeling it. I've got plenty of mileage on the year already and it won't hurt even if I don't do much for the next 4 days. I should have 2 chances to do at least a junk run. The workout was cut short to 4 miles in a time of 30:39 (7:40 pace). First half was a respectable 15:05, 2nd half was 15:34. If I had kept going, my pace would have gone over 8 by Mile 6. 1/2 mile warm and cool.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/23- Travel day and a planned rest. Back down to 4 pills and it was way too much. I would have been horrible in a workout.

12/24- Moderate effort on the trail. Finished 5 miles in 36:58 (7:23 pace). 1st half- 18:15, 2nd half-18:43. The 2nd half was slightly uphill though. Started off well then faded to the 7:30s in Mile 4 and worked pretty hard to hold it in Mile 5. A tempo or race would have sucked but for an easy run, this gets the job done. It is an improvement over 2 days ago. I only took 1.5 pills this morning and will take only 2 more for the rest of the day. I may try to cut it to 3 tomorrow and see what happens.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/25- No running on Christmas day. Just 31 miles in the last 7 days. YTD now stands at 2,073 so I still have a chance at 2,100.

12/26- Naked 2 mile junk run on very hilly terrain. Felt okay and put forth little-no effort. I was successful in getting down to 3 pills yesterday so I am now down 66% since receiving prayer at the LIFE retreat on 12/10. I believe that God is able to set me free but whether or not I will see it in early 2012 is another question. Just last year there was a 6 week period in which I felt best on no pills. 1 month later, I was far worse off than I had been before. That was not the first time it has happened that way. I don't know what to make of this. Only a medical report will confirm that I am free. Pray for me in this area of doubt. YTD is 2075.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

12/27- Back in Birmingham. Not a good day but that was not a total shock after being off my routine for 4 days. I felt pretty good in the morning but after taking pill #2, I was immediately much worse. I struggled the rest of the day at work and did not expect much in the workout today. Finished 5 miles in 40:12 (8:02 pace) indoors on a cold and windy day. First half was around 19:45. Second half was 20:27. Mile 5 felt much like Mile 25 in a marathon but the pace never went above 8:18 and managed a slight pick up at the end. I have reached 2,080 on the year (40 MPW) and expect to finish near 2,110. I will take only another 1/2 pill tonight and go down to 2 by tomorrow. 3 pills leave me way too sluggish. Let's hope that 2 will not push me to the opposite side of the spectrum.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/28- Trak Shak loop in the dark. The watch malfunctioned again so I had to go at it completely naked. I am not pleased at all with the Garmin 110. I only took 1 pill this morning and will take just 1 before bed. I felt MUCH better than yesterday. My grade is based solely on how I felt during the run and it rates as "good" but not quite "great." My only shot at the 5K time trial is tomorrow but I will probably bail because I'm too unstable. I may do a fast finish easy run and I've got to break the monotony of uninspiring 5 mile workouts.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0

12/29- Blah. Planned workout was a fast finish 7-8 miler. I came through 5 in 38:48 (7:46 pace) with a mild fade (19:15-19:33) then had nothing left. I managed only a 7:38 6th mile then hung it up. 2 factors were holding me back. I may be able to quit the pills at least for now but the dosage is still too high. The bad news is that I may be sick. This feels like a low grade sinus infection but at least it's contained to my head. I may go to the doctor tomorrow. This may put a damper on my planned long run on New Year's Eve but I have 4 weeks to set things right after that. As for the grade, I get a "C" on the easy 5 and an "F" on the tempo. YTD: 2,091. Need to do the long run to hit 2,100 but at least I'm over 40 MPW.
Grade:D/2 credits/distance=6.0

12/30- Feel worse today and went to the doctor. Paid a $35 copay, waited a full hour and paid another $35 for pills. As expected, the diagnosis is an upper respiratory infection. Doc thinks it's viral but gave me antibiotics anyway and told me to hold off on them for a couple of days. I will wait one day only. Today was a planned rest day anyway but barring a miracle recovery, I'm out for tomorrow's long run. No chance to make it up later in the year so I'll have to take an "F." I'm glad that I clinched early. This "bonus week", which started out so great will end up being my 4th lowest GPA of the year. Today, I have zero energy/ zero appetite and it's not due to chemical imbalances. Has this infection affected my chemistry? I'll know soon.

12/31- 1 Mile run at Vestavia on a beautiful day. I wish I was able to enjoy more of it. I did better than expected and finished with a time of 6:51 with a negative split (3:30-3:21) on no pills. That's goal half pace. Still, when the planned workout was 22 miles and I only finished 1, there is only 1 grade that is appropriate.
Grade:F/2 credits/distance=1.0

Weekly summary:
That's a wrap on a "pretty good" year for me. It ended much the same as it started, with a respiratory infection but the good outweighed the bad for the 50 weeks in between. The final numbers are in and my odometer reads 2,092 miles with an average weekly GPA of 3.03. Both are PRs. I'm neither high nor low heading into the New Year.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 22/11= 2.00

Training 12/12-12/18

2011-12-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

12/12- Reached a new yearly mileage PR today. 2009- 1,993 miles. As of now, I'm at 1,995 for 2011. I fully expect to pass 2K tomorrow. Outside of that, today's performance was rather forgettable. Easy 6 indoors in 45:58 (7:40 pace). I said that I planned to slow down this week so I'm fine with that pace. I did fade to 7:45 in the last 2 miles but did not allow myself to push it. 1 mile cool down in which I felt like I was zonked out. I need a good meal tonight to recover the lost calories from yesterday. Another goal that I have is to finish the year with a 3.0 average. I need a 3.61 this week to clinch it. If I fall short, there's still one more "extended week" to go. Only an injury can stop me from this goal. I'll have to do better if I want to clinch it this week.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0

12/13- Training goal #1 has been accomplished. This one was special too. Easy 8 on Lakeshore (trail plus double extension) and finished in 59:51 (7:29 pace). Smooth and relaxed all the way. Actually tried to slow the pace but could not. Very enjoyable run. Temps were a comfy 55 degrees even after sundown. YTD: 2,003 miles. New goal is 2,080 for the year (40 MPW over a 52 week year). I'll probably lose 3 whole days over Christmas but with 2 long runs ahead, I still think I can do it. This run is also key for the 3.0 goal as well. I'll still need to do very well in my tempo and LR to clinch it this week. Dosage has been cut from 8 to 7. Nothing to get excited about yet but it's a start.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.0

12/14- I've seen better days. Dreamed that I was in Compton, CA (birthplace of gangsta rap) and had to stay in a cheap motel. I have NO IDEA where that one came from. Garmin malfunction forced me to run half naked. When it was working, it showed paces in the 6:30s and I felt pretty decent during the run but didn't have PR stuff. I had to stop early because of GI distress that probably came from my protein bar and made up the shortfall with a cool down. The grade is based on how I felt when running which was pretty good but not great. I'll need a sensational long run to clinch the 3.0 this week. Dosage is trending down.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0

12/15- Better today. Easy 6 indoors in 45:32 (7:35 pace). I often struggle in the mornings on weekdays but today was a nice even effort. Added a half mile cool. This evening is my last Bible study with the LIFE group and I'll miss those guys. I only took 3 pills this morning and will try to get by with 6 on the day. 8 to 7 is not a big deal. Down to 6 is encouraging.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.5
PM- Got off work a little early so I was able to squeeze in another 5 mile tempo this one was fully clothed. Finished in 33:12 (6:38 pace) with a final mile slightly uphill in 6:20. 1st half was 16:48, 2nd half was 16:24. Strong! I was successful in getting down to 6 pills too.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=5.0

12/16- Planned rest day. Tomorrow's long run will likely be a slow paced affair with a solo fast finish. In order to clinch it this week, I need 11.4 QP over the remaining 3 credits. I need one "A" and one "A-" and the "A" can be in either the long run or the easy run. If I can pull out an "A+" tomorrow (ranked among my best of all time), I only need a "B" on Sunday. Of course, if I fall a hair short, I'll clinch early next week barring a severe injury.

12/17- Run with the Gnomes. Planned on 17 and I ended up at 15 plus a cool down. Ran with the fast group that included a sub-4:30 miler and clocked a 1:46 flat (7:04 pace). Slowest mile was #1 at 7:37, fastest was #15 at 6:27. From about Mile 4 on, I was near 7 all the way. I'd say this qualifies as an all time great workout. My previous best long run was 18 @ 7:21. Even if I slowed to 8:00 over the last 3 miles, I still would have run a 2:10, which is an average pace of just under 7:15. I could have PR'd a half today for sure. All I need is a "B" tomorrow. As long as I feel decent at base training pace, I've got it clinched.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=16.0

12/18- Lakeshore 6.5 (trail + extension) at basic easy effort in a time of 48:10 (7:25 pace). I reduced my dosage to 5 pills yesterday and only took 2 this morning. Again, I was sensational. This almost feels too good to be true. This is the best that I have ever felt on a day after a long run. I could have gone below 7:20 if I pushed it just a hair. Crystal clear skies with temps in the mid 50s. Can't ask for better weather.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance= 6.5

Weekly summary:
I have now clinched a 3.0 for the year with back to back 50+ weeks with 3.5+. Any training I do for the rest of the year is pretty much a bonus. YTD total stands at 2,042. 38 away from a 40 MPW average for the year and I expect to do that. As for the rest of the year, I'd love to take a shot at the 5K PR but if I can't fit it into my schedule or the weather won't cooperate, I'll be content with what I've accomplished. With 13 days left in the year, there will be only one more training post because I expect to run little or nothing between 12/23 and 12/26.
Distance= 54.0/ GPA= 37.3/10= 3.73

Training 12/5-12/11

2011-12-05T17:49:00.000-08:00

12/5- New phase of training begins today and it has gotten off to a good start. 8 miles at 3:10 marathon pace. Finished with a time of 58:07 (7:16 avg) with nice splits. I never went over 7:24 and every mile in the 2nd half was below 7:20. 1st half: 29:17, 2nd half: 28:50. I'm not too excited yet. The pace was fast today because I haven't done anything in 60 hours with the exception of the junk run yesterday. I expect to pass 2K miles by the middle of next week. Added a half mile cool as an emotional tribute to Ochocinco. I'll likely be inside for the next 2 days because of bad weather. I'm okay with that especially in the darkest time of the year.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.5

12/6- 8 miles indoors this time at base training effort. Time was a solid 60:22 (7:33 pace). Just a slight fade in the 2nd half (30:05-30:17) but that's only 3 ticks difference. My basic paces will slow as the miles pile up and that's fine. Strong performance. I can see myself doing 55 MPW comfortably for 7 weeks. There won't be much speed but that will come in the next phase. Finished with another "moving tribute" to Ochocinco. Hit 1950 on the year.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.5

12/7- HOT! Fast finish 7 miler with an overall time of 48:50 (6:58 pace). First 4 miles were nearly effortless in 29:25 (7:21 pace) then turned it up to tempo effort with a 19:25 last 3 (6:28 pace). This will probably be the only real speed that I do this week but that's okay. Heck, I bet that I could have gone sub-20 if I had run a full 5K and started a kick earlier. Again this was after a 4 miles @ 7:21 with no rest in between. 1 Mile cool and no tribute.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=8.0

12/8- Easy 6 at Vestavia track in 45:00 (7:30 pace). Smooth and relaxed all the way through. Nice even pace with nothing over 7:34 or under 7:25. Marathon training is not too glamorous but the miles look good at the end of the week. Temp was near 40 but at least it wasn't rainy or windy and it was good to run outside again.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

12/9- AM indoor 3 in 21:44 (7:15 pace) plus a short cool down. Getting up in the morning during the week is half the battle and once again, I had to cut it short to get to work on time. That's okay, I only planned to do 4 anyway and I can just do a 5 minute parking lot junk run to make up the shortfall. A fast pace is acceptable on a short run like this. Got progressively faster (7:22-7:14-7:08) without trying to pick up the pace. The penalty comes from not getting up on time to make this a relaxed easy 4 or 5.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.0

12/10- Planned rest day for the LIFE retreat. The Gnomes are running at 5 AM today and the sun doesn't even rise until 6:30. I sure hope nobody gets hurt. Best of luck to those running Huntsville today. I've got my LONG run scheduled for tomorrow.

12/11- First and possibly only 20 miler of the year. Finished in 2:30:57 (7:33 pace). Route was a quadruple out and back on Lakeshore on a pleasant 50 degree afternoon. Boring? Maybe but I never had to stop for traffic, only for drinking.
1st 5: 37:30, 2nd 5: 37:31, 3rd 5: 37:40, 4th 5: 38:16. Slowest mile was the 19th at 7:52 but bounced back with a 7:17 in Mile 20. Most of that came in the final quarter mile. A bit of foot pain but I can fix that with prolo if need be. I have no doubt that I can go below 3:30 for a full mary. 3:20 will be a challenge. Overall, not as strong as my 18 miler but still very solid.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=20.0

Weekly summary:
Highest mileage of the year and I am feeling the effects of these paces. I fully expect that the paces will slow down next week. I have only a week and a half to go until the Christmas cut back. I have no plans to go over this mileage. I believe that my GPA is the highest of the year. I have only 6 weeks of quality training until Austin. I sure hope I can survive it. Year to date: 1988 miles. 2 workouts away from 2,000.
Distance=55.0/ GPA=29.8/8=3.73

Training 11/28-12/4

2011-11-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

11/28- Weather was more like Seattle than Birmingham today and it will not be any better tomorrow. Temps never got much above 40 and there was a light rain or mist all day. Again, I opted for an indoor run and it went well. I think that the slump is officially over. Now that I have stopped the Juice Plus, my Thym-Adren dosage has jumped back up but the sensitivity seems to have diminished a bit. Workout was 7 miles in 50:52 (7:16 pace/ 3:10 marathon) plus an extra quarter mile in 82 seconds. That would have been near 75 outdoors without the tight turns. 1/4 mile warm and 1/2 mile cool to hit an even 8 on the day. Again, volume will be light this week because of the prolotherapy appointment on Friday but I hope to get at least 30-35 in the first 5 days. Can I stand to do 10 indoors tomorrow?
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.0

11/29- Answer to the previous question is yes. I actually think the weather was worse today. Upper 30s and windy and mist never stopped. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with temps near 50. Much better. Today's workout was good. 10 miles in 74:47 (7:29 pace). Solid and even pace all the way. I never went over 7:33. I did not feel quite as strong as yesterday but still very solid overall. I'm back up to 8 Thym-Adren. I'd like to cut that down but I've got to do what makes me feel my best.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=10.0

11/30- Darkest evening of the year. 4:39 sunset today, which is tied for the earliest of the year. To clarify, the day with the shortest amount of daylight is Dec. 21 but days begin to "get longer" now. The morning sunrise will continue to occur later until mid January.
Average performance today. Trak Shak 5 outdoors in 34:55 (6:59 pace). I suppose that considering the paces I've run this week, it's not so bad but I was off form today. I tried cutting down from 8-7 and my body was too loose. The only way to reduce it is to go back to the Juice Plus and that did not work so well. I had to rally from behind in the last mile just to secure the sub-7 pace to prevent a "C." Stopped several times because I'm extra cautious in the dark.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0

12/1- AM run indoors (outside temp was 26 degrees). Covered 4 miles in 30:21 (7:35 pace). Not a real hard effort and it's acceptable for an easy day but my body is feeling a bit out of sync again. I hope to get another easy one in tomorrow then I will have to take the weekend off.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=4.0

12/2- Confusing. My paces were good but I just wasn't feeling it today. I think part of it was mental. I almost never run all 5 week days and when I do, it's only to make up for a horrible performance earlier in the week. I did lapse on my diet again yesterday and may be paying the price now. I ended up at 3 miles total with a rest at 1.5. The first half was 9:48 (6:32 pace) but I didn't time the 2nd half. I'm checking out for the weekend. I'll be back on Monday.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0

12/3- Forced rest day (prolotherapy). I decided to volunteer at a local 5K and I'm glad I did but this is still a rather depressing day. I only had 6 shots this time instead of 9 so I might be up for a junk run tomorrow. Either way, it won't be graded.

12/4- Naked 2 mile run at Veteran's Park. I could have gone longer but chose not to. This won't do anything for my fitness but I just wanted to get out there. 65 degrees outside and I was out there running in shorts in December. Felt slightly better today both physically and emotionally. Time to go to work starting tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

Weekly summary:
Enough slacking. I've only got 7 weeks of quality training to go until my next round of racing and Christmas will be a built in cut back. I thought the slump was over after a strong start to the week but it seems that I've slipped out of sync again. YTD total stands at 1,933 miles. Barring disaster, it's 2 weeks until I hit the 2K mark.
Distance=32.0/GPA= 21.1/7= 3.01

White River half RR

2011-11-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

Training:
I really felt like I was in the best shape of my life. I had been coming off 3 consecutive 50 mile weeks including the best long run of my life by far (18 @ 7:21 pace) and I was primed for a sub-1:30 attempt. Up until about a week ago, I fully expected to do it. Then the taper madness hit. I never felt in sync all week long and my dosage went down during the week then back up prior to the race. I really did not have a good feeling about this one at all.
Trip:
This is state #12 in my 25 state quest and my first Arkansas race experience. The race is located in the small town of Cotter (pop 900) in the north central part of the state, just across the Missouri line. The only nearby town that you may have heard of is Mountain Home, about 10 miles away. In terms of nearby cities, it's about 3 hours due north of Little Rock and 2 hours south of Springfield, MO. I worked a whole day on Thursday, drove 4 hours to Memphis that night then it was all country roads for another 3.5 hours into town. Arkansas is an interesting state geographically. The eastern third is pancake flat and not a very exciting drive. If there's a race in West Memphis or Jonesboro, it would be a very fast course. The northwestern quadrant is very hilly with strikingly beautiful lakes. The race was located at the edge of the Ozarks and I'm sure it's nice in the Spring and Summer but in late November, there's not much to do. That's okay with me. I was there for a fast time and this course was all along a river and billed as one of the flattest in the country.
Race morning:
Once again, I did not feel right in the morning even with with normal dosage so I upped it and it was something that I would regret. The course went downhill for about 5/8 of a mile then leveled off or as I should say, became gently rolling. Indeed it was a fast course but the area down by the river was not perfectly flat. The first half had a bit more up than down, which made for a nice end. On the downhill, do I bank time or bank energy? Hopefully, a little of both. I would run about 6:50 effort, which I figured would equate to more like 6:30 with the downhill. I was out a little faster but it still felt pretty much effortless and I came through the Mile marker in 6:21, giving me a cushion of about 2.5 seconds/mile to the finish. I kept the effort even down by the river but my pace was still a little fast. By mile 3, I felt the first signs of trouble. I made the decision to deliberately slow to the mid 6:50s but I had to push just to maintain that. My calf muscles were as stiff as a board. Too many pills. Dumb. This could turn out to be a nightmare. I knew that there was no way that I could hold this pace another 10 miles and I feared that it could be a meltdown on the level of Nashville in which I had to walk some in the last 2 miles and saw my pace go over 9. Determined to avoid that, I punted early and settled into a fairly comfortable effort. Approximate splits:
6:21 (6:21) downhill
6:44 (13:05) plenty of time in the bank
6:53 (19:58) this does not feel right
7:02 (27:00) ready to punt
I expected that every subsequent mile would be another 15-20 seconds slower and by the end, my pace would be in the 9s and I'd have to walk some of it. I hit the portajohn in an attempt to clear some excess out of my system. It cost me about 30+ seconds but it seemed to be a good investment. Before too long, I was feeling better. I managed to re-pass 2 runners and decided to throw in a surge at the turnaround point. With less than 10K to go, the sub-1:30 was gone and probably the PR as well but I still had a chance at a "good time" (1:31:xx) if I could maintain it to the line. I heard a few encouraging comments such as : "Yeah. Push it." What a surprising turn of events. Perhaps the slow down earlier would allow me to do better in the last 5K this time.
7:50 (34:50) bathroom
7:15 (42:05) just get this over with
7:05 (49:10) what's happening. I'm feeling better.
6:48 (55:58) back under 7 pace, can still get a good time.
By the end of that mile, it was becoming clear that I could not hold it. I would run the best I could for the next 5 miles but it was not very good. However, if you had told me in Mile 4 that I could hold these paces late in the race, I would have been thrilled. Two other factors were holding me back. The winds were picking up (15 mph) right into my face and I was running in no mans land. It was quite a lonely last 5 miles. In the final tenth, I took a few steps in the wrong direction because I could not see the finish area. After that point, I did not kick it in because I no longer cared.
7:02 (63:00) looking like a 1:32:xx
7:15 (70:15) thankfully,this will be over soon
7:32 (77:47) stopped for a full cup of Gatorade and water.
7:18 (86:05) do I have enough pride to finish strong?
7:03 (1:32:08) still battling but the course will be measured a hair long.
1:26 - last .17 once it turned 1:33, I no longer cared.
Finish: 1:33:34 (7:09 pace)
Final thought:
My initial reaction was Ehh but this one is aging well. I was 17 seconds/mi off my goal on a fast course with good temps and moderate wind. That's not good by any stretch but it could have been a lot worse. In Mile 4, I feared a ghastly fade with a finish time over 1:40. That did not happen. If not for the 2 stops, it would have been in the 1:32s. That's still not close to the goal or even a PR but it's far from my worst also. I'll be lenient and give myself a "B." I've cheated on my sugar restrictions of late and I think that's what caused the minor instability with the pills. Still, there is no need for manganese or chromium. I had some soreness in my feet after the race. I think it's related to the pills but I'm leaning towards a few days off since I'm not racing for 2 months.

Training 11/14-11/27 (taper/holiday)

2011-11-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

11/14- No matter how well I feel, I am resting today. Let the taper madness begin. This is a 2 week post because I'm traveling over Thanksgiving and won't be able to run much. I'll be lucky to hit 50 combined. Not to worry though. December will be big. Signed up for the 3M Austin half in January then it's the Mercedes full 2 weeks later. Early forecast looks pretty good for Arkansas.

11/15- Taper madness is in full swing. I was really restless last night and did not feel right this morning so I decided to do a small test to see if it's paranoia or the usual race week drama that includes a last minute adjustment to my formula. Good call on the test.
AM- 3 miles in 21:30 (7:10 pace) looks okay on the surface but I did not feel well at all even from the beginning. Splits were 6:59-7:12-7:19 and my muscles were quite stiff. This is NOT taper paranoia. 1 Mile cool down and I will try again in the evening. Tomorrow, I will try to reduce my dosage from 3 to 2. Unless I am balanced, I really don't feel comfortable going any lower than 2.
PM- No improvement over the morning. 2.5 miles in 18:06 (7:14 pace). Started out at 7:20 pace and held it for 2 miles but it felt quite uncomfortable. Final half mile, nearly all out, was run in 3:26. Last half mile was run at goal half pace so that's just barely enough to avoid a "D" grade. Added another half mile cool down. The dosage will be cut to 2 pills per day.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.0

11/16- AM-Worse than yesterday. I'm at the other extreme now. Will I need 2 pills or 2.5? I'll know by the afternoon. I have 3 days to figure this crap out. I felt awful from the get go and was cooked after 200 meters. I wanted to quit then and there but finished 1 Mile in 7:28.
PM- 3 miles at goal 10K pace. Finished in 19:10 (6:23 pace) with nearly dead even splits. After taking a pill late in the afternoon, I was pretty much back to normal. Maybe just a hair tight so it appears that 2 pills will do the trick, not 2.5. That's good. I don't like cutting them in half. My Achilles felt a little tender after I was done but did not bother me at all on the cool down. Still, I will take the precautions. I expect that tomorrow, I will have all of this figured out. Weather still looks decent for race day. Cloudy with temps near 50.
I get a "D" in the morning and a "B+" in the afternoon so it's an average of the 2.
Grade:B-/2 credit/distance=4.5

11/17- Another stressful taper has been completed. I felt some old injuries coming back. I sure hope it's just taper paranoia. Magic formula is currently somewhere between 2 and 3 pills and I still don't know. I'll just have to take little bits on race morning until I feel my best. AARRRGH! I feel pretty down on my chances. I jogged 3/4 mile then ran a 1/4 at 5K pace.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5

11/18- Complete rest. There may be a delay in posting the race report because I'm traveling.

11/19- White River half in 1:33:34
Grade:B/4 credits/distance=14.0

11/20- Planned rest day.

11/21- Still don't feel very well. No desire to run so it's another rest. I'm leaning towards a mini break (3-5 days off) but that could change if I get the itch to run tomorrow. 3-5 days won't kill my fitness and may help prevent burnout.

11/22- Feeling somewhat better but I'm still going with an elective rest day. I plan to run tomorrow.
P.M- I couldn't wait. 1 Mile junk run in the rain with no watch. Foot pain from the race was gone. The groin was a tad sore. I had been extremely inactive since 11/19 and it sure felt good to get out there even if it was for less than 10 minutes in dreary conditions. Still essentially a rest day but I feel like I'll be back full throttle by tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance= 1.0

11/23- 6 mile tempo in 40:42 (6:47 pace). Pretty solid performance. Still a bit of foot pain and it's beginning to be a concern. I'm due for another round of prolo anyway and I can treat that as well as the groin.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0

11/24- Terrible performance on Thanksgiving. 6 miles in 51:32 (8:35 pace). First 3 miles were on target at 23:02, last 3 were a pathetic 28:30 (9:30 avg) with a final mile in 9:52. I pitched a bottle of pills that may be the cause of this latest slump. AWFUL! The only reason this is not an F is that I actually finished the workout.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=6.0

11/25- Still not good by any stretch but a nice improvement over yesterday's debacle. Easy 5 on the trail in 38:40 (7:44 pace). That time is within my easy range but the effort was tempo level. Faded again in the 2nd half but managed to keep my pace below 8 until the very last part. My foot did not bother me at all during the run and is only mildly sore now. I expect to pass 1900 miles on the year in my next workout.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0

11/26- Elective rest day. Toured Sun Studios and got some tasty fried chicken on Beale Street in Memphis. Got back to the Ham in time to see the 2nd half of the Iron Bowl.

11/27- It looks like the slump may be over. This is probably the best I've felt in 2 weeks. I'm done with the Juice Plus and I'll take the higher dose of Thym Adren. Still a trace of foot pain but I don't think it's anything to worry about. I had hoped to do a double digit run today but we've got an all day rain and I won't do a long run indoors. I was quite pleased with the workout. 6 miles at an easy effort with a time of 44:48 (7:28 pace). Nice steady pace and even effort. 1st half: 22:44, 2nd half: 22:44. How about that? It's 1 PM and I'm not leaving my apartment for the rest of the day.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Down week overall but at least there is an explanation. Unless I can squeeze in a time trial, I will fall short of all of my lifetime goals this year again. Ugh. With nearly 5 weeks to go on the year, I need only 99 miles to hit 2,000 or less than 3 per day. That should be a cinch. Can I finish above 3.0 for the year. That one is going to be close. The way I felt these 2 weeks is worse than the GPA indicates.
Distance=51.0/GPA= 32.1/12= 2.68

Rant::Obsessive sports fans

2011-11-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

I watched a documentary last night about the Alabama/Auburn rivalry and was sickened by some of the statements that were made. Couples have reported that it puts strains on marriages, which was pretty upsetting but one statement was particularly upsetting. An Alabama fan said that when his team lost, it felt like "somebody stuck a fist inside my chest and ripped out my heart." GIVE ME A BREAK! Heartbreak? Are you kidding me? At that point, I could not watch any more and turned off the TV. Let me tell you about what a tragedy really is. How about dealing with a serious chronic illness? Losing a loved one? Seeing your wife leave you for another man? All of these are indeed tragedies and should cause heartbreak. If you equate a game to anything like that, you have some serious mental issues. I'm no fan of psychologists but someone who allows the outcome of a game to dictate your happiness, you're mentally ill and need to get well. This is not intended to anti-Alabama in any way. The same thing happens in New York/Boston with the Yankees/Red Sox. I once heard a Steeler fan say that when the team loses, it ruins his whole week. Even the talk show host said: "Get a grip buddy!"
I suppose that I could understand such fanaticism if you have a close personal friendship with some of the players but most fans of major college and professional teams have no such relationship with any of the players. The only time I did know the players was in high school and I actually rooted against my own school because most of the players were a bunch of jerks who insulted cross-country runners. Okay, now somebody explain how your life is so much better when your favorite team is winning? Can it help you get a job or get a raise?
With all the hell I've been through, I'm certainly not going to let the outcome of a game determine my happiness. Every day that I am chemically stable is a good one. I've had some irritating things happen at work recently but I won't even let that get me down. I have been pretty much chemically stable for 7 weeks. My friends, THAT is indeed something worth celebrating.
My Clemson Tigers have a pretty rabid fan base and had been contending for a national title through 8 games. I'll watch the games with interest. When they win, I'm glad but I'm not going to use it as an excuse to get drunk and act like an idiot. When they lose, there may be a bit of sadness that evening but I'm not losing any sleep over it and I'm over it by the morning. I know that my problems won't be going away if they win nor will they get any worse if they lose.
As for the NFL this year, I have a few comments:
It's been an interesting season so far. I'm glad to see historically weak teams like Houston, Cincinnati and Detroit contending this season. 12 of the 16 AFC teams still have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. I am surprised at how the Colts have gone from a perennial contender to a bunch of scrubs seemingly due to losing their star quarterback. Speaking of which, I think it's a bad idea to trade Peyton Manning and put your future in the hands of a highly touted rookie. There's really no such thing as a can't miss prospect at the QB position. In fact, first round picks have about a 50/50 chance of long-term success. Remember that people thought JaMarcus Russel and Matt Leinart were "can't miss." Not only do you need extraordinary talent and work ethic to be successful, you must be in an offensive system best suited to your skill set and be surrounded by talent both at the line and the skill positions.
One last comment that I have relates to the Tim Tebow affair. Critics said that he could never succeed in the NFL before he even threw a pass. How do you know until you give him a fair chance? Obviously, he needs to improve his accuracy but he's produced a lot of touchdowns with few turnovers. Michael Vick also completed under 50 percent of his passes as a rookie and nobody called him a bust. Tebow is unlikely to put up big numbers and throw for 300 yards per game but he's capable of 100 on the ground and he's shown that he can be a winner at this level. Some people were actually rooting for him to fail because he's an outspoken evangelical Christian. I don't air my religious views on this blog (see my Main Website for that) but such a viewpoint is bigoted. Pure and simple. One quote was that "his imaginary friends in the sky can't help him in the pros." Can you imagine if anyone insulted a Muslim player like that? In conclusion, yes I'm rooting for Tebow and may invest a bit of emotion in his success but that's because I admire him as a person, not just as a football player. What I do not want to see is sadness about the outcome of a game when you have no real reason to care about the players on a personal level.

Training 11/7-11/13

2011-11-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

11/7- Easy 7 in 52:21 (7:29 pace). Nothing overly exciting to report. Felt strong despite a trace of soreness in my knee. I think the Kinvaras are about shot and the Lunar Elites are not far off so I'll switch to Brooks Cadence for easy runs. A bit fast for an easy run but it did feel easy. That's okay because my mileage will be a bit lower this week. Even pace. No major complaints about this workout. I hope I'll be up for Johnny's tomorrow.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0

11/8- Johnny's workout as planned. 6x400 followed by a Mile on a nice 60 degree evening. Not a bad workout but I was hoping for a little better. 400s were right on time at 75. I was hoping for a Mile in 5:40 but had to settle for a 5:50. Felt good to run at 5:00 pace for the first time in a while. I could feel that my condition was beginning to deteriorate towards the end. The race is 11 days away and there could be some more drama with the pills. If it happens, I want it to be now, not next week. I went with 1.5 in the morning then nothing until evening. I may have to tweak this further. Even 1/4 pill could potentially make a difference. The medical report will be mailed in about 2-3 weeks. The results? We'll see.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0

11/9- Dreamed that I visited a friend's house and was greeted by a talking dog who threatened me and eventually cussed at me. Easy 5 at the Trak Shak. My IT band hurt during the day and I was worried about it but once I warmed up, I was fine and it felt no worse after the run. Finished with a time of 38:03 (7:37 pace) but the final 3 averaged 7:45. Average performance overall. Ho-hum affair but I survived. If I can survive this week, I can feel good about my situation.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0

11/10- Scheduled day of rest. I expect that my body will demand a rest and I dare not disobey.

11/11- Celebrated the day off work in my own style. The Gnomes wanted to run in the cold and dark but I chose to take advantage of the opportunity to run in the daylight. I took a ride down to Oak Mountain Park and ran 11 miles on a beautiful Fall day in Alabama. Sunny skies with temps near 60 and peak foliage. Very hilly out and back route and finished with a time of 82:30 (7:30 pace) on a route that included nearly 700 ft. of elevation gain and loss. Every mile was below 7:45 despite the fact that 2 of them had 152 ft of uphill with 0 downhill. That's an average uphill grade of nearly 3%. IT band is still a bit sore. I'm beginning to think that the orthotics will not work in the Cadence shoes. I can still use them as part of a rotation but I may need a new long training shoe. Newton Gravity? In any event, it was a strong MLR. I've got another double digit run tomorrow but it will be run with the slower Gnomes. Paid tribute to the Armed Forces with a 1 mile cool down at Veteran's Park on the way home.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0

11/12- Run with the Gnomes. With the time change, it's daylight now at 6 AM now. Not a bad run but I was not pleased that I faded near the end. Finished at 13.5 in 1:45:46 (7:50 pace) but the final 4 averaged over 8 minute pace. Yesterday did take something out of me but I may need to tweak something with my formula. Average performance overall. All I need is a basic easy run tomorrow, which will be the official start of the taper. I'm sure looking forward to it.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=13.5

11/13- Intense runner's high after yesterday and I'm trying to keep it going. Basic easy run on Lakeshore plus one extension. Finished at 6.5 miles in 50:05 (7:43 pace). Solid performance. Not too exciting but that's fine for a run of the mill affair. Slowed just a tad in the last 2 miles but I was fine with the overall time and pleased that I showed restraint in not going for the sub-50 at the end. There's another 50 that's more important.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5

Weekly summary:
Another good week overall. Nothing was as great as last week's long run but I rated every workout as "average" or better. Nothing less than a B minus. That'll work for me. Third straight 50 mile week and my year to date total is 1,850. I have a taper and a slack week ahead but will still finish well over 2,000.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 28.5/9= 3.17

Another prolotherpy review

2011-11-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

According to the stats page, my post from February 2010 entitled "2 days after prolotherapy" is my most popular post of this blog. I want to thank all of you for reading it and considering this treatment. Now, nearly 2 years later, despite the fact that I needed more treatments for the hip/groin than anticipated, I still endorse the treatment. When facing an acute athletic injury, prolotherpy is a fairly easy fix. Your time on the sidelines will be greatly reduced especially if the injury is treated early.
What is prolotherapy exactly? You will be examined by a doctor for painful trigger points then stuck with a needle in that painful area and injected with a special solution to promote natural healing rather than mask the pain like NSAIDS or corticosteroid injections. The pain is roughly on the scale of a root canal at the dentist. You will have an inflammatory reaction that can cause you to walk with a limp for 1-2 days but the tissues will be smoother and stronger within 5 days. More information can be found by looking up prolotherpy on google or You Tube. A directory of practitioners can be seen at: www.getprolo.com
In the winter of 2010, I injured my achilles tendon pretty badly. Those of you that have had this injury will attest that it is a tough one. When you can walk pain free, you think you're recovered but attempting to get out there and run too soon can lead to quick relapses and potentially a chronic problem. In my case, I was pretty much out for the better part of 5 weeks although I did struggle through a few short 2-3 milers while injured. A single shot of prolotherapy and like magic, I was healed within 5 days and it has never bothered me again. A month later, I ran the ING GA half in 1:38 (a respectable time on a hilly course) with no trace of Achilles pain. In October of the same year, I injured my knee so badly that I was walking with a limp a full week after the initial injury. This time, I needed 2 treatments (3 shots total) but once again, I was cured once and for all. Just 5 weeks after my 2nd treatment, I ran the full marathon in Huntsville in 3:43. Without prolotherapy, I would have been out for several months with each injury. With it, I was as good as new within weeks. Some people blame over training for my injury plagued 2010 season. I do not. I blame the chemical imbalances that hindered my connective tissue healing. I have no doubt that if balanced, I can handle 60 MPW during marathon training especially if my training paces are a bit slower.
As for chronic, longstanding, low-grade pain, it gets more complicated. Odds are, you may need upwards of 5-6 treatments about one month apart to get the desired results. You might think that you are in the clear when you are about 80% there but you are likely to relapse. If I do not get the 5-6 treatments now, I could be back in the doctor's office 2-3 times a year indefinitely. Not good.
The best thing to do is to continue to receive treatment until an examination for trigger points causes no pain and reveals no sensitive areas.
I injured my groin BADLY in the fall of '99 and was out for 3 months. Because of the Synthroid and the fact that I was in the early stage of adrenal fatigue, it never healed properly. The pain was usually little more than an annoyance and often disappeared completely after I warmed up. Still, the hip would usually pop and crack when I stretched it and some days were so bad that I could feel pain when coughing or sneezing. Without prolotherapy, I have little doubt that it would have progressed to a chronic problem that significantly hindered my running.
As for potential complications that could limit the effectiveness of the treatment:
The most common problem is hormonal deficiencies, specifically low testosterone. I suspected that because I had adrenal fatigue, I could be low. I am not. Because I developed the disease in my 20s, it did not damage my testosterone production as much as if I was in my 40s or older. Lastly, mineral deficiencies, revealed on a tissue mineral analysis can hinder your progress. The reason is that unbalanced body chemistry will hinder connective tissue healing. When my pills are off, I am abnormally sore and it is often the groin area that is especially bad. However, when I make the needed adjustment, the pain always diminishes so there is no doubt that chemical imbalances are a contributing factor and if I was balanced, the hip/groin issue may not even be there at all. That being said, prolotherapy has always helped no matter how unbalanced I am and again, it likely prevented me from developing a debilitating condition. I wish it were easier and less costly to treat long standing injuries but I can't think of anything more effective than prolo.
I see Dr. Mark Johnson in Nashville and highly recommend him. He is both skilled and a caring person who prays for the patient before doing the treatment.

Training 10/31-11/6

2011-10-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

10/31- Plan was to run 10 miles on Lakeshore with the first 7.5 at marathon pace then pick it up at the end. I covered the full distance in a strong time of 71:17 (7:08 pace). If sustained over a full 26.2, my time would be 3:07. I have now run 34 miles in 3 days, all at 7:30 pace or under. That seems awfully fast and it is but I will have 2 days off following the prolotherapy. Speaking of which, the groin felt pretty good today but it's not 100%. Quarter splits were 17:56-18:04-18:07-17:10. That's a 6:52 pace over the final 2.5 miles. I like that. The Lunar Elites are getting a bit worn so on a MLR run, I went with the Brooks Cadence. I wore black, LOL. I feel like I may be peaking too soon but I'll have some slack time after Arkansas.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=10.0

11/1- Forgot to mention that I passed 1,750 miles on the year yesterday. Barring disaster, I will finish well over 2,000.
AM run- Today was not one of my better efforts. Not a big surprise considering the training that I've done over the last 3 days. Believe it or not, I don't think that was the problem. I took 2 pills in the morning, which was too much. I'll need to take 1 pill three times/day or 1.5 in the morning and 1.5 in the evening. Also, I did not have enough to eat. The workout was the Trak Shak 5. From the beginning, I wasn't feeling it but I did pass 3 miles in 20:47 (6:56 pace) then shut it down and jogged to the finish because I was out of energy. Headed up to Nashville for prolotherapy in the afternoon.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0

11/2- Forced day of rest.

11/3- I had 9 shots in the hip/groin area on the afternoon on 11/1. Based on how I felt this morning, I can either take a 2nd rest day or do a junk run in the evening. I'm leaning towards the former. I'll be ready for a basic easy 5-6 tomorrow and hopefully long on Saturday or Sunday at the latest. Mileage should still be in the 40s.
PM- Opted for the junk run. 2 miles indoors in 16:16 (8:08 pace). No cause for alarm. This is just about what I expected at this stage of treatment. I should be nearly normal in 2 more days.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

11/4- AM- 2.5 miles in 18:51 (7:33 pace). I cut it short only because I wanted to get to work on time. I took 1.5 pills this morning and felt good. I will try to run again this afternoon without any more pills and see how that goes. I am unsure if I can go long tomorrow and that's okay. I can do it Sunday without a problem.
PM- This will be my last workout after work in the daylight until the end of February. I decided to run the Trak Shak loop and finished it just before it got dark. I covered 4.5 miles in a solid 33:21 (7:25 pace). Slowed just a tad toward the end but still pretty strong. I should be up for a LR tomorrow but it will be solo in the daylight.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0

11/5- Skipping the 10K was probably the right call but I know that I would have done well in a race today. Instead, I did the best long run of my life. 18 miles in 2:12:08 (7:21 pace) with pretty even splits and a 6:43 closing mile. AMAZING! Route was (Trak-Shak to Lakeshore, up Green Springs then the remainder of the 5 mile loop) times 2. Fairly flat route but this is BY FAR my fastest pace for this long of a distance. This is 3:12 marathon pace and even if I slowed to 9 minute pace over the final 8.2, I still would have run a 3:25, which is a 10 minute PR.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=18.0

11/6- Easy 8 on South Lakeshore. 2 extensions plus trail. Time was 61:35 (7:42 pace). Sluggish start but I was fine after the first quarter mile. I actually had to force myself to slow down. Miles 4-8 were all 7:45-7:50. I needed a flat route after yesterday with the sore quads. Solid performance. I hope that this was easy enough to recover by tomorrow.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0

Weekly summary:
Unbelievable to hit 50 during a prolotherapy week. I believe that's an even 1800 on the year. I will cut back just a hair next week with a race coming up on 11/19. Good call to skip the 10K. Strong MLR and LR but no quality speed or tempo sessions. That also changes next week. I've got a tough stretch of training in December and early January but if I can survive that, I'm golden. If I can manage to sustain this for 7 weeks, I've got PRs in my first 2 races of 2012. I will NOT normally push my LR quite this hard in the future.
Distance=50.0/GPA= 25.6/7= 3.66

A few comments on running shoes

2011-10-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

In short, I have gradually embraced the minimalist movement but do not see myself going any further down that road than I already have. Please take this with a grain of salt for I am in no way endorsing any brand or model as the one that everyone should be wearing. On the contrary, I believe that everyone must be pragmatic because the perfect shoe for one person could be a disaster for another. Here's a brief history:
In the early 2000s when I was relegated to recreational running, I had custom made orthotics designed to manage tarsal tunnel syndrome that could only fit one type of shoe. At that time, it was the New Balance 991. This shoe is still around but the number may be slightly different now. It's a rather heavy shoe but offers plenty of support. Thankfully, my tarsal tunnel syndrome went away shortly after quitting Synthroid, which I was wrongly prescribed in the first place. I now wear OTC orthotics which are cheaper, just as durable and can fit almost any running shoe.
I buy all my shoes at the local running store, the Trak Shak and I recommend that all serious runners do the same because the workers are actually knowledgeable about the shoe that will work for you and seem to care much more so than department store employees. The Trak Shak sells shoes in 4 different categories:
Performance: racing flats, super lightweight but not very durable.
Neutral: lighter weight every day trainers for those with normal arches.
Stability: less flexible but provide more support for mild over pronation or supination
Control: heavy and stiff shoes, mostly tailored to heavy runners, heel strikers and severe over pronators.
In a department store, it is difficult to tell which shoe belongs in which category and you may realize after 2 or 3 runs that you spent $100 on a shoe that will not work for you.
As for me, I am a natural forefoot striker with a rather narrow foot and a high arch that easily collapses upon impact but do not over pronate or supinate . Something in between neutral and stability is the best fit for me and since I wear arch supports, I can get away with neutral more often than not. Control would be a disaster for a forefoot striker. I can use a minimalist/performance for a tempo or speed workout a couple of times a week as well as in a race but if I wear them everyday, I will eventually develop the dreaded plantar fasciitis. Still, my taste in shoes has steadily evolved toward lighter weight, more flexible options in recent years.
Here's a partial list of some of my training shoes:
Asics Gel Kayano- good support shoe but not very flexible.
Pearl Izumi Synchro Fuel- I like their slogan "Run Like an Animal." Lightweight with good support, cool design but not very durable.
Brooks Ravenna- pleased with just about everything here except the durability.
I'm wary of injury so I tend to replace my shoes perhaps more frequently than necessary. I tend to show a lot of wear in the forefoot area but the treads on the heel appear almost brand new even towards the end of their life. As I've moved towards a minimalist direction, I've tried some others in the Neutral/Performance line as follows:
Nike Lunar Elite: I didn't like these at first and almost returned them but they've grown on me since then. For some reason, I can't use the orthotics in these shoes or I'll get blisters. I still use them for walking and easy runs. Lightweight but not much forefoot support.
Nike Zoom XC- super lightweight and I thought they might be good interval and 5K shoes but they will not work for me. They provide too little support, zero cushioning and are not very flexible either. I'll probably end up giving them away.
Nike Lunar Racer- Good shoe for intervals, tempos and races. Decent durability, lightweight and flexible but not quite supportive enough. Still, I may buy another pair of these down the road.
Saucony Kinvara- Perfect for tempos, long races and okay for long intervals. Surprisingly durable and supportive given how lightweight they are. Not recommended for short intervals because the design is more for midfoot landings. Too much toe running in these is hell on the metatarsals.
Brooks Pure Cadence- Most supportive of the new Brooks minimalist line. This is my current long run shoe and thus far, I am very pleased.
One brand that I would like to try in the future is Newton. The shoes are lightweight, flexible, seem to provide decent support and are designed for a forefoot landing. The big negative is the price tag of $175. I hesitate to spend that much unless I know it's perfect for me.
My current rotation is as follows:
Easy: Nike Lunar Elite
Tempo: Saucony Kinvara
Long: Brooks Pure Cadence
Interval: Don't have one right now, Kinvara will do for 600s and above. May go back to Lunar Racers or Newton MS2 in the future.
I've seen some runners in the Vibram 5 fingers (basically a glove for feet) or even barefoot. To each his/her own but I know that would never work for me. That's a guarantee for PF and probably knee issues as well.

My thoughts on Facebook

2011-10-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Like the internet itself, there is a lot of potential for good as well as bad here. I joined the site as a graduate student at Clemson back in 2004 when it was restricted to the college campus. Since then, I have accumulated roughly 340 "friends." How many of them do I talk to with any regularity? Maybe 50. Still, I like to keep tabs on people and see what some of my old friends and acquaintances are doing now. As for the good that has come out of this, I can think of several things. I have gotten in touch with a few people that I had really hoped to find. I rekindled a friendship with a high school buddy that I had not seen in more than 6 years and recently found an old running buddy that I had not seen since '98. He has since become a Christian and is inspired by my messages. I also used facebook to help organize an annual reunion with my old high school cross-country team. Lastly, I found a girl who had stuck up for me when I was being bullied but had not seen since 9th grade. When I messaged her to say thanks, she said that it affected her so much that she started crying. It turns out that she is a runner now as well and we've talked about doing a race together.
Now, the potential for bad:
First, posts are widely read and the social network can be used as a tool for cyber bullying as well as to betray trust, spread gossip and to slander other people. For this reason, I would restrict it to those 18 and older. If a teenager insists on joining, I would suggest that his/her parents set up a facebook of their own and insist on being "friends" as a condition for allowing them to have their page. That way, the parents can view everything that their kids post and can take action in the event of anything offensive or inappropriate.
Second, in order to be facebook friends, you have to send a request to add the person as a friend. The requested friend then has the power to accept, reject or leave you hanging. You can also remove a person from your list, which is known as "unfriend" or "de-friending" as I prefer to call it. This can potentially cause hurt feelings.
I generally have a policy of no rejections and no de-friending because I don't like it when it happens to me. I may make exceptions if I get a request from somebody who is obviously not a real person or if I have a bad break up/nasty falling out with a real life friend, I would de-friend. That has not happened yet. The downside to this is that I have people on my list that I really do not care to have. I was prepared to ask someone: "We haven't seen each other in 10 years and didn't like each other in high school. Why did you add me?" I ended up just accepting them and forgetting about it. I've also gotten requests from people that I am quite sure that I have never met before. I go ahead and accept them as well because they might click on my site and either hear the Gospel or get in better health.
Have I ever been rejected or de-friended? Yes. If it's a high school or college acquaintance that I never really liked in the first place, I don't care but I've had a couple times in which I was hurt a bit. I can understand dropping someone if they post insults about you or use the news feed to push their fringe political ideology. I may post a Scripture verse, race result or random thought on occasion but I'm not a news feed hog. I almost never air my political views but do identify myself as "conservative" on my profile and yes, I was once de-friended just for that. Some people, like my sister, choose to limit their friends to those in which they are extremely close and family members. I suppose that I can respect that. However, there have also been times that I see a former classmate that I liked with 40+ mutual friends and is obviously not too choosy yet I was not good enough to make the cut. That's pretty low. In another case, I was de-friended for no reason by someone who had recently thanked me "from the bottom of her heart" for praying for her and encouraging her.
Facebook can be an effective networking tool and can help you gain or deepen friendships that you may not otherwise have. In some cases, an old acquaintance may embrace a cause that is very important to you or share a common interest later in life. Beginning runners have asked me for advice on Facebook. Perhaps most significantly, a college acquaintance developed adrenal fatigue so I mentioned my site and we ended up talking on the phone for a half hour. We were cordial back in college but I never really thought of her as a friend, that is not until recently. That's the best example of why I don't de-friend and readily accept others. In conclusion, I still think the good outweighs the bad so if any readers want to look up the one and only Justin Zehnder, go ahead and add me. You will not be rejected.

Training 10/24-10/30

2011-10-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

10/24- The Stress Pak should have cleared my system by now but there is still significant soreness in the groin and quads. This worries me. I will have to go to prolotherapy again before my race but I hope I can put it off until the taper. Dr. Johnson says my best hope is to get a treatment each month for 5-6 months. That will cost a lot of money but if it must be done, it must be done. I still maintain that I would not have this issue if not for the chemical imbalances but I expect my next medical report to be a lot better. I am open to taking a few months off down the road if it's necessary to fully heal. Symptoms fit the description of Gilmore's groin, which mimics a hernia but there's not actually one present. Prolotherapy is an alternative to surgery to fix this problem. Today's workout was 10 miles on Lakeshore in 78:44 (7:52 pace). Aside from the sore groin, I felt pretty decent out there. Relaxed steady pace and never put forth much effort. I planned on running Johnny's workout tomorrow but I may be relegated to all LSD this week. We'll see how it feels tomorrow then I'll reassess it.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0

10/25- Worst day in more than a month. I felt like my groin was improving with stretching and easy runs but I took a step backwards today. Not surprisingly, I was crap in a speed workout. I only did 4x800 in 2:59 on South Lakeshore. On a good day, I can do 6 of them in 2:45-2:50. Then I hoped to do a 5 mile cool down at a low 8 pace. I felt decent at first but my groin gave out on me. I only did 2.5 in a depressing 21:45 (8:42 pace) and I was running 9:30 when I finished. Today sucked. I will call Dr. Johnson tomorrow. If I can't get an appointment by Veteran's Day, I am out for Arkansas.
Grade:D+/2 credits/distance=5.5

10/26- Another depressing performance. Half assed attempt at a tempo at the Shak. Finish time of 37:39 for 4.9 miles (7:41 pace) does not look too bad on the surface but if you look at the splits, it's horrible. Started off at a strong 6:30 then slowed to a 6:53 and it was all downhill from there. Mile 3 was 7:51 then I just slow jogged the remainder in 8:30-8:45 pace. I felt fine except for the extreme soreness in the groin. This feels very much like a sports hernia. Forget about any speed but I can slow jog and be okay. The good news is that I have my prolotherapy appointment on the afternoon of 11/1. I wanted to run 50 this week and I'll be lucky to do 40.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.5

10/27- Terrible day all around. I had to wait almost 4 hours to renew my car tag. I attempted to run at Veteran's Park and did one lap around the lake at junk pace and realized that I was doing more harm than good and quit. Thoughts ran through my head about being out for several months but it has now become clear that just as usual, the pills are largely to blame. I popped a 3rd Thym-Adren after I got home and had a swift negative reaction. Perhaps the groin issue would not even be there at all if the dosage was right. Why didn't I try to cut the dosage on Monday and prevent further damage? Dumb. I'm not ready to declare myself in the clear just yet. I'm still questionable for Arkansas and still need prolotherapy. Perhaps I did over reach a bit with my training but it's highly doubtful that it was the cause of all of this. I will not give up this fight now or ever. I will try again tomorrow.
Grade:Failure/0 credit/distance=1.0

10/28- Thanks for all the page views. I reduced my dosage and as I predicted, the symptoms have improved. The pain in the groin is still there but it's not debilitating.
AM- 2 miles indoors @ 6:47 pace. Mediocre performance but that's light years ahead of yesterday. I will run again this afternoon and the grade will be based on both workouts.
PM- 4 miles indoors in 27:09 (6:47 pace) again. I was shooting for goal half mary pace and did a hair better than that. I can still feel the pain in the groin but it's manageable now. Energy was pretty good but I was not 100% by any stretch. The Nike Zoom XC shoes are no good. Shoe review post will be coming soon.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

10/29- Run with the Gnomes. I was a bit more sensible with the pace this time. I covered 17 miles in 2:08:48 (7:35 pace) but I did have a couple of extended stops. I had some left at the end this time but I could feel the groin and quads especially in the last 3 miles. Once again, the pain is noticeable but not debilitating when my dosage is right. Speaking of which, I may be stuck in the middle there. 3 is not quite enough but 4 is too many. I hope to settle on 3 soon. Still no need for manganese or chromium. YES! Pretty strong run today. I only need 5 tomorrow to reach 50 miles on the week and I may go a little beyond that. Shoe choice today was the Brooks Pure Cadence. Good call.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=17.0

10/30- Oak Mountain run with Lee. Donated the Zoom XCs and wore the Lunar Elites. Slight Garmin malfunction early. It recorded 6.07 @ 7:37 but the actual distance and pace was about 6.15 @ 7:30 then later added a cool down. 379 ft. of elevation gain and loss. Very good out there. Very little pain in the groin and this one did not even leave me hurting in the least.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
The difference in how I feel on 4 pills vs 3 is like night and day. It's very unusual to be so sensitive and it's making me feel uneasy. At least the downward trend is gradual and this beats the hell out of the instability that I had over the summer. After a terrible start to the week, I rebounded with a strong weekend but it was not enough to continue the streak of 4 straight weeks above a 3.0 but I was very pleased with my mileage.
Distance=52.0/GPA= 24.3/9= 2.70

Training 10/17-10/23

2011-10-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

10/17- Naked 3 mile recovery jog at Veteran's Park on a beautiful evening. I'm not looking forward to the end of daylight savings time. The run itself was uneventful and I could not care less about the pace. I did have some sudden GI discomfort shortly afterwards. I cheated badly on my diet after the race and it was probably the sugar and/or caffeine that did it. A one day lapse will not do any long-term harm. The power gel did not seem to upset my stomach during the race but I do think it's possible that it hurt me a bit. From now on, I will stick to water and Gatorade for fuel.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0

10/18- Easy 8 on Lakeshore in 61:56 (7:45 pace). I would have liked to have gone double digits today but I just did not feel safe doing it. Pretty solid performance and my effort was smooth and relaxed all the way. Got the workout in just before a big cold front hit. A little bit of IT band soreness but it is of no concern. I hope that I will be up for a tempo tomorrow.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0

10/19- First taste of winter outside today (50 degrees and windy) but I was a new definition of RED HOT! Trak Shak 5 in 31:22 (6:17 pace). I did have to stop a couple of times for traffic but it was no worse than usual. Energy was unlimited. Even a 6:30 pace felt somewhat relaxed and I think I actually had more in the tank at the end. Splits were as follows:
6:17-6:19-6:19-6:24-6:02. Covered a 5K in approx. 19:30 en route. I believe that I had sub-40 stuff for a 10K but I will probably still focus on the half mary in November.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=6.0

10/20- AM run in an attempt to keep the MO going. Easy indoor 5 in 37:43 (7:33 pace). I would have liked to have done more but I didn't want to be late for work. Got in the groove in Mile 2 and turned in a 7:24 split but made a conscious effort to slow down after that. 1st half: 18:45, 2nd half: 18:58. Only gripe was a bit of groin soreness. Strong.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0

10/21- Planned rest day that is more of a precaution against over training. I have a big weekend planned so mileage in the mid-40s will be fine following a race week. Since my long run is Saturday and the race was last Sunday, my 7 day mileage will be over 50.

10/22- Long run with the Gnomes. I was dumb enough to run with Brad, Eric and David. Not real smart after coming off 2 HMs in 3 weeks. 1st 3 were on target in the 7:40s then ripped off 9 with the fast group at a 7:20 average pace. With 4 miles to go, I finally fell off the pace and continued alone. Miles 13-16 were 7:28-7:41-7:57-7:11. Not much left at the end. Overall time was a 1:59:32 for 16 miles (7:28 pace) with a 714 ft. elevation gain. Pretty significant soreness in the groin and quads at the end. Not as strong as the previous LR but still solid overall.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=16.0

10/23- Brookwood/Lakeshore run. Easy 7 in 55:44 (7:58 pace). It was not a big surprise that I struggled today. I feel that the groin/quad soreness is at least partly related to taking too many Stress Pak pills. I will cut those out entirely. The run started off pretty well with a first half near 27 flat then faded to a 28:44. Weak all around.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
Strong week overall. Outstanding tempo and a solid long run. I only have 3 weeks of quality training left before my final race of the year and would like to average 50 miles over that time. Paces have got to slow to do that. On a side note, I have already topped my 2010 mileage this year. With 10 weeks to go, I have clinched a GPA higher than last year as well.
Distance=45.0/ GPA= 27.7/8= 3.46

Columbus Half RR

2011-10-16T20:59:00.000-07:00

Training:
Following my strong effort in Montgomery, I put in a 50 mile week which was followed by a steep taper. I ran little-nothing in the 3 days before the big day. Although this was technically my 3rd sub-1:30 attempt, it was the first time I approached the race believing that I had a realistic chance. As far as the pills, I had some drama this week as my dosage is trending down. I am more stable now and have not flipped from one extreme to the other but remain quite sensitive. A single pill, whether too many or too few would make a big difference.

Trip:
It's a 9 hour drive to Columbus and that's about as far as I'll go via car. I would have preferred Cincy the following week but my buddy Nick could not get off work and this was our only chance to do a race together this year. This was my first Ohio race experience and my 11th state overall. The goal is to run at least a half in at least 25 states. I worked a half day on Friday and looking back, I probably should have taken the whole day off. The trip was somewhat stressful. I got caught in the Nashville rush hour and lost an hour due to the time zone difference. I made it just past Louisville on Friday night, about 3 hours from Columbus. I slept in until 9 AM then hit the road and stopped at a Pizza Hut Express just past Cincy. I arrived at the airport to pick up Nick with only about 30 minutes to spare. Then, we headed to the expo. I made a wrong turn and got caught in a bottleneck on the way. Fortunately, that would be the last of the drama. We treated ourselves to a dry rub Ribeye, settled in the room and watched our Clemson Tigers win a thriller over Maryland. Race morning went without a hitch.
Race:
Despite some anxiety over the exact right dosage, I felt good warming up and the attempt was on. My plan was to go out at 6:50 pace and hold it right there. If I had anything left, with 4 miles to go, I would let it loose but anticipated a painful finish. We were off right on time and I was feeling nice and loose but my Garmin was acting up again. Every time I looked down at my watch, I saw a pace around 4:30 and it was not slowing down. No way! This can't be right or else I'd be in the lead and running away with it. I asked a few people what the pace was and nobody answered so I would have to run it by feel until I saw a Mile marker. Finally, the watch said that I was slowing down after about a half mile. By the end of the Mile, my watch read 7:28. If that's accurate, it's way too slow. Pick it up a little but don't try to make it up in one Mile. I did see the 2nd Mile marker and an official clock time just under 13:40. I knew that 1st Mile was faster than that. Fine, I'm just a hair ahead of pace now and the Garmin would be fairly accurate from here to the finish. My only concern was that I was feeling some tightness in the calf muscles. That's not a good sign and often means that my dosage is just a bit too high. Outside of that, I still felt pretty well and decided to just keep up this pace for as long as I could. By Mile 4, it was clear that I was going to finish well. How well? Good enough to break 1:30? Under 1:31? At least a PR, I hope? By the end of Mile 5, I noticed that my pace had slipped just a tad and I was now just a couple ticks slower than 1:30 pace. Some downhill was ahead and I made the decision to make a bit of a push here in Mile 6 and turned in a strong 6:45 split. At the 10K mark, I was around 42:40 and I remember not too long ago, that would have been a PR at that distance and unofficially, I was almost exactly 45 flat at the point in which I figured that I was halfway home. Oh man, it's going to be close. This could come down to the last 5K or even the final sprint. Will I find some extra strength this time or fade once again after 9 Miles? The course was one of the flatter ones that I've done but it's no pancake. There were 3 fairly significant inclines in the 2nd half. None was steep enough to break your will but it certainly slowed the pace by a few seconds. The first of these came just after the halfway point and at this time, I began to realize that it's unlikely that I can hold this pace all the way through the 2nd half. Pride kicked in however and I thought to myself: I will remember today for years to come and I want to look back and know that I did not lose heart and I did not stop fighting. The 7th and 8th miles came and my pace remained below 7 minutes. I may be a few seconds down now but if I can find something in the last Mile, I can make it up. Unfortunately, near the end of Mile 9, I could tell that my body was tightening up and my form began to falter. I took a power gel hoping to gain a 2nd wind but it did not seem to be very effective. By the end of Mile 10, the official clock was over 69 minutes and my pace had slipped to the 7:10 range. The dream ends here and I would have to hang tough just to beat my 1:31:32 from 2 weeks earlier. Fortunately, there was no monster hill in Mile 11 here. It was just another mild incline and to my relief,I would not suffer a ghastly fade in which my pace slowed considerably each subsequent mile. I managed to show some heart and kept the pace steady in Mile 11 and 12. With one mile to go, I was in very good shape to PR but I wanted a sub-1:31. Most of the last Mile was slightly downhill and despite the fact that my body had been pushed to its limit, I managed to pick up the pace a bit. One final incline and then, we turned to the finish, heading slightly downhill. After passing the 13 Mile mark, it appeared that I needed about 5:00 pace to break 1:31. Oh, I'm going for it! I got on my toes and sprinted as hard as I could but it was not quite enough. I crossed the line with no disappointment at all in an official time of 1:31:02.
Garmin splits:
6:58* (6:58) estimated
6:42 (13:40) don't try to make it up all at once.
6:53 (20:33) right on pace
6:56 (27:29) just a tad slow
6:54 (34:23) nice and steady
6:45 (41:08) slightly downhill, back ahead of pace
6:54 (48:02) almost exactly 45 at the halfway mark.
6:58 (55:00) uphill, can I find something in the last 5K?
6:51 (61:51) back downhill, hoped for a better split, power gel.
7:09 (69:00) can't solve the 10th Mile issue.
7:09 (76:09) may have to fight for a small PR.
7:05 (83:14). PR is mine but sub-1:31 looks tough.
6:48 (90:02) Need a huge kick.
1:00* (1:31:02). estimated at .17- last .09 was 5:28 pace
Official chip time: 1:31:02, Pace: 6:57, Age group: 31/584
Final thought:
I had to take a shot at THE goal and I paced it almost perfectly. I just didn't quite have it in me today. I don't feel that I had my absolute "A+ stuff either" and I came within 5 seconds/mile. I know that I am capable right now. Once again, I could not clear the hurdle of Mile 10-12 and must get the mileage up to 45-50 MPW consistently. I will take one more shot this year in Arkansas next month and have decided to skip the 10K in November because I feel that my chances of a sub-40 are slim and I would have to sacrifice a long run. If I fall short in Arkansas, then barring injury, I can expect to do it in Austin (Jan 2012).
Congrats to Nick for setting a PR of 1:51 flat. That last minute is yours for the taking.

Training 10/10-10/16 (race week)

2011-10-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

10/10- Elective rest day as part of my taper. I did not feel well today and was glad that I had the day off for Columbus Day. I feel as if it's a combination of over-reaching with my training and perhaps too much Stress Pak pills. I should be fresh tomorrow.

10/11- Johnny's workout was a fairly laid back affair. I made it short and sweet but kept the paces up to my standards. 3x600 and 3x400. 600s in 1:57 and 400s were 77-76-67. Not a bad workout but I was expecting a little better. In each interval, I started strong and faded towards the end. In the 600s, I was out in 56 every time then was over 60 on the 2nd half. In the last 400, I saw a 31 at 200 and was hoping for a 64 or even 63 but faded to a 67.6 at the finish. When it comes to the Mile and 5K, I've got the raw speed but when it comes to strength (short distance endurance), I showed today that I am lacking. It appears that I need to reduce the Thym-Adren dosage and a negative reaction this evening confirmed it. An adjustment on a race week again? I wouldn't have it any other way. Overall, a decent workout and if this is a low point, I can feel pretty good about it.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=4.0

10/12- I cut the Thym-Adren from 8 pills to 6 and it was still too much. There is now a trace of concern. If I settle between 2-4, I'll be fine. If I have to quit this stuff and go back on thyroid caps or manganese, that's a BIG problem. My next medical report will not be for another 6-8 weeks. I'll try to cut it to 4 tomorrow and see how that goes. I'll need a small test so it may cut into my planned rest time.
Much of the excess had cleared my system by the evening and I had a pretty strong effort out there. The plan was to run the first 4 near goal race pace (6:45-6:50) then burn a sub-6 5th mile. The first mile was a nearly effortless 6:30 but my calf muscles turned to lead and my body was too tight by Mile 2 and I slowed to the low 6:40s then allowed myself to relax a bit and came through Mile 4 ahead of schedule at 26:43 (6:41 pace). Mile 5 was a solid 6:07 with a strong closing kick. I would have liked to have seen a 6:00 but I'll take it. With a steady 6:50 in the first 4, I think I could have done it. Overall time was a solid 32:50 (6:34 pace).
As for Columbus, the plan is to go out at 6:52 and hold it. No faster than 6:50 until Mile 9.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.0

10/13- Not a good day. I only took 3 pills in the morning (5 in last 24 hrs). That's down from a peak of 9 pills. Once again, 5 was still too many pills and the dosage must be cut further. Race day is only 3 days away so it's the ususal drama. This time, I ran in the morning so I left no time for it to clear my system. The workout was a junk run as planned. 1 Mile in 7:42 indoors. First 3/4 in 5:59 then got down to goal half pace in the last quarter. Sluggish and stiff and it's not because of my training. Nothing but untimed strides until Sunday.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=1.5

10/14- Elective rest day. I hope to feel sharp enough to race one day before the actual event. I only took 1 pill when I woke up and though it wasn't quite enough, it was not far off. I hope to settle on 3/day until further notice. Maybe I'll do a junk run tomorrow. Plan is to leave the Ham early afternoon and get up to the Louisville/Cincy area.

10/15- Junk run on the hotel treadmill. Uneventful workout. Kept the pace just over 8 then allowed a very short pick up. Total distance amounted to just under 1.5 miles. Just enough to keep the legs warm. Today was a bit more stressful than I would have liked. I only made it to northern Kentucky last night because I hit the Nashville rush hour. Part of me wishes I took the whole day off work on Friday. I had to drive nearly 3 hours to Columbus, pick up Nick at the airport, then got in a traffic jam on the way to the expo. As far as the pills are concerned, 3/day will not do and 5 is too much. I will go with 4 tomorrow and hope for the best. My confidence is still fairly high but I'm not sure that I "like my chances" of a sub-1:30 at the moment.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5

10/16- Columbus half marathon in 1:31:02 PR.
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=15.0

Weekly summary:
Strong week despite some drama with the pills. Can't be disappointed with a PR but with the easier course, my performance was about even with 2 weeks earlier in Monty. I'm skipping the 10K in November so that means that my only remaining official race will be the White River half though I do want a 5K time trial.
Distance= 28.0/ GPA= 3.36

Training 10/3-10/9

2011-10-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

10/3- MLR on Lakeshore. 10 miles in 76:19 (7:38 pace). That's a 3:20 marathon pace. Allowed pace to slow a bit in the last 2 miles. Interestingly, I had plenty of energy today but my muscles were VERY sore, especially the IT band and I've been doing a lot of stretching. I must go slower tomorrow. No speed work this week. I just want good mileage here which will be followed by a steep taper with little-nothing next week. A quick nugget about Saturday's half: According to runworks, my projected time on a level course is 1:30:26 and that does not take into account the many turns and curves, which also slowed me down a bit. If all goes perfectly in Columbus, I really believe that I've got a shot. Let's hope the IT band feels better tomorrow or I will be concerned.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=10.0

10/4- Almost a carbon copy of yesterday but shorter. This time I parked at South Lakeshore and did the extension first. 7 miles in 53:03 (7:35 pace) plus a half mile cool. Once again, I was out fast but settled into my base pace by Mile 2. The IT band is still a bit sore but it's holding up. I'm continuing the stretches and in addition to Thym-Adren, I've added a small amount of Stress Pak. The reaction seems to be both positive and stabilizing. I don't feel as terrible if I don't take the mega dose of Thym-Adren. Again, this workout was faster than I planned and I expect Lee will be out to hurt me tomorrow. This could be rough but I've got a shot at 50 this week.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.5

10/5- Trak Shak 7 loop in 47:51 (6:50 pace). Strong tempo effort on tired legs. Lee killed me and I'm afraid that I may not be able to run with him for much longer. He's got a sub-3 marathon in him in the near future. I do think he was a bit fresher than I was. Faded on Mile 6 and those of you from B'ham that know this loop can guess why but bounced back with a sub-7 in Mile 7. This was comparable to my 8 mile loop in 54:50 this Spring so I'll take it. 50 miles this week is looking realistic. IT band pain has diminished and it may be as a result of the Stress Pak. 11 days until Columbus and I ran sub-1:30 pace today. Hit 1,600 on the year.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=7.5

10/6- AM- Indoor 5 mile in 38:35 (7:43 pace). I'm fine with this one. I am appropriately sore and tired today. All I need is a good long run and basic easy run on Sunday and I will hit 50. Not too glamourous today but this week is more like what marathon training looks like.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

10/7- Planned rest day. I am well on my way to consecutive 3.0+ weeks for the first time since late June. As for the 10K in the first week of November, my gut feeling is to skip it but if I break 1:30 in Columbus or get that 5K PR, I may decide to go for it. Hoping to get 15 tomorrow. No bizarre dreams. I've had some sugar cravings recently but I've stayed strong with the exception of a couple mini pieces of candy. I ate a ton yesterday too but I needed it. I've been off soda a month now and I feel good. Since 9/21, I've had no sweet tea and only 2 days with any beer.

10/8- Terriffic long run with the Gnomes. Ran mostly with David and Caitlin for the first 10 then nobody wanted to run my pace anymore. 15 miles in 1:51:45 (7:27 pace). Not including the warmup mile in 8:45, the average pace was a 7:21. I may pay for this one down the road but my objective was to solve the last 5K of the half mary. In Idaho and Montgomery, I faded after Mile 9 and that must not happen in Columbus. Last 6 miles today were as follows:
7:14-7:16-7:08-7:15-7:17-6:18. That last mile is NOT a typo either. Got a shot at it now.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=15.0

10/9- Lakeshore 5 in 36:46 (7:21 pace). I am officially on fire. I was doing 7:15s comfortably until I allowed the pace to slow in the last 1.3 miles and that was partly because it was slightly uphill. No problem at all after yesterday. I was only mildly sore.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
Red hot all week long. 3rd week out of the last 4 that I finished above 3.5 and my yearly cumulative has finally climbed above 3.0 for the first time. Can I stay hot for another week? If so, I like my chances in Columbus. Average pace was 7:26 for 50 miles.
Distance=50.0/ GPA=33.5/9= 3.72 (highest of the year)

Monty half marathon RR

2011-10-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Training:
Not much different than my usual. High quality with an average weekly mileage just over 40. After an extremely unstable summer, I finally felt a breakthrough after I completely eliminated soda, sweet tea and beer from my diet. The results have been so profound that I intend to keep this diet with the possible exception of social gatherings.

Pre-race:
The race starts at 7:00 AM and I figured the drive in to town would be over an hour plus I would need time to park, pick up my packet, warm up and perhaps tinker a bit with the pills. For these reasons, I chose to stay in a hotel that was just out the door from the starting line. If this had been simply a local 5K or 10K, I would have driven it race morning. I lived in Montgomery from August '06-May '09 and this trip alllowed me to check out some of my old hang outs again and reflect on my time there. I have some good memories and some not so good ones but I won't get into that now. Anticipating a minimal expo, I made a couple of stops at gas stations to find what I needed for the morning, a Power Bar and Powerade zero to keep my sugar consumption to a minimum. I picked up dinner at another old hang out in Millbrook and headed to the hotel. It was right around 6:00 so I ate quickly and walked to the minor league baseball stadium just before the expo closed at 7:00. I caught up on my phone calls then went to bed at 10:00 and actually slept fairly well. I did wake up before the alarm at 5:15, took the pills that I needed and headed out the door. Weather was near perfect. 50s at the start and near 60 at the finish with clear skies and light winds. I felt good warming up and was primed for a PR. Sub-1:30? Very difficult especially on a moderately hilly course. My official PR was 1:32:49 in Chattanooga back at the end of February but I did run a time that I believed to be a PR in May in Idaho but there was a question as to the true length of the course. If nothing else, I wanted to put that question to rest and finish below 1:31:57 (my 13.1 time via Garmin in Idaho)

Race:
Pretty scenic route that showcased some of the better parts of the city (Monty has some rough areas). Miles 1-2 were mostly a gradual climb then 3-10 were flat-gently rolling with slightly more downs than ups but Mile 11 would be nasty. However, if I could survive that still feeling halfway decent, I could gun it in the last 2 because it was downhill then level to the finish. The plan was to go out conservative then try to hold 1:30 pace through the middle, survive the hill and kick it in hard. I was out a little faster than planned but not so bad that I would be doomed in the later stages. The first 2 miles each passed by in 6:55 via Garmin though the true pace was likely closer to 7:00. Just like Idaho, the course would be measured 2 tenths too long but in this case, the mile markers were pretty much on target (1.01-1.02) almost every time and the course did have a lot of turns so I will not question the length this time. Miles 3-4 were largely a shallow decline and thoroughly enjoyable as we went through a small park before heading on a main road. Here, the Garmin splits hovered right around 6:40 and despite feeling very strong, I was a bit concerned about going too fast. Mile 5 had more rollers through the Alabama State campus and the student band was out playing music for us. That was a nice touch. Again, I managed another 6:40 split but it may have cost me as the pace would gradually slow over the next few miles. Perhaps I could have held it but I was wary because I had heard horror stories about Mile 11, which was fast approaching. In Mile 6, I pulled up alongside another runner who also had a 1:30 goal and we ran nearly stride for stride for much of the next 3 miles. I managed to hold a sub-7 pace through Mile 8 and 9 and 10 were just a shade over the barrier. The course highlight here was Huntington College, where a friend of mine had recently graduated. According to the official clock at Mile 10, my time was just over 69 minutes, well ahead of PR pace and still on target for a sub-1:30 (barely). I knew I would lose it going up the hill but could I make it up on the downhill. Heading up the hill, I passed the man that had kept me company for nearly 4 miles and though I could feel my energy fading rapidly, the pace was still respectable. Unfortunately, there would be no downhill immediately following the climb. It merely leveled off and the small decline that we did get barely helped at all. Then, we went back up another small hill and the downhill did not begin until the Garmin read 11.1 miles. 2 miles to go now and I figured that the course would be measured around 13.2 so after a quick calculation, I figured that I need to do a 6:30 for each of the last 2 miles and finish strong. I had done faster than that at Statue 2 Statue but on this course, the downhill would be more gradual and I was pretty much spent. My pace increased to the 6:40s but no faster. At this point, I wanted a sub-1:31 but I was pretty much content with the PR. Once the terrain leveled off, I faded again to the low-7 range. To make matters worse, the 12 Mile mark did not come until the Garmin read 12.17. This could be another race measured at 13.3. Now, a mid-1:31 was looking acceptable but there was no doubt that I would PR. With a tenth of a mile to go, I was still under 1:31 officially and we made one last turn into the baseball stadium. It was a respectable finish but nothing special and I crossed the line offiicially at 1:31:32. I was quite pleased with this result.
Garmin splits: (probably should add 5 seconds to each to make it more accurate)
6:55 (6:55)
6:55 (13:50)
6:40 (20:30)
6:39 (27:09)
6:40 (33:49)
6:44 (40:33)
6:47 (47:20)
6:54 (54:14)
7:02 (61:16)
7:00 (68:16)
7:15 (75:31) uphill
6:54 (82:26) downhill
7:05 (89:31)
2:01 (1:31:32) last .32
Aftermath:
My new running buddy Lee aka the Caucasian Kenyan ran a great race in 1:29:51. Way to go Lee. You have now earned that nickname. I broke my rule and had some beer at the finish and took in the atmosphere. As long as I limit it to special occasions and keep the consumption to a minimum, it should not hurt me. Next, I showered, checked out of my hotel and headed down to the awards ceremony, where much to my surprise, I placed third in my age group and got a nice plaque to take home. Another bit of good luck happened on my drive home. I punctured a tire and as soon as I noticed the problem, I saw a Quick Lube place just across the street and got it patched up for just $10. Great day all around.
Final thought:
Not only did I PR, I averaged a sub-7 pace for the first time ever. Am I in sub-1:30 shape on a flatter course? I doubt it but I'm certainly good for a 1:30:xx. It was not a brutal fade at the end but I just don't think 40 MPW is quite enough to achieve the goal. I need at least 45 with a regular 15 mile long run sustained over 2-3 months. I've got the Columbus half in 15 days, which is a faster course. After that, there is one question. Do I race a 10K in November and take a shot at sub-40 (current PR is 40:28 solo) or just focus on increasing the mileage with fewer races? I'd like to get in a 5K time trial in cooler weather that will give me a better idea of my sub-40 chances. I had originally planned a full marathon in November but will downgrade it to the half because of insufficient mileage. The half that I really have my eye on is the 3M (Jan 2012) in Austin, TX, which is a blazing fast course with very few turns and nearly twice as much downhill as uphill. That's my best hope.
Grade: I'll be a little lenient and call this one a solid A because it's a PR.

Training 9/26-10/2 (race week)

2011-09-26T06:13:00.000-07:00

9/26- Planned rest day. I am hoping to be fresh for my final attempt of the year at 5:15. In yet another massive shift, I am taking mega doses of Thym-Adren. In time, I hope to gradually cut it down. I could try going back to choline/inositol but it's too close to race day. Assuming the weather is good, tomorrow's time trial will be my last shot of 2011 win, lose or draw.

9/27- I had the good weather, fresh legs and a smart pace but I failed because my dosage was off. The plan was to try a Mile time trial but if I got to 800 and realized I wasn't going to break 5:19, I would quit and turn the workout into a downward ladder. I knew that I wasn't going to make it as soon as I entered the backstretch the first time. I hit the first 200 in 39 then faded to a 43 for the next 2 200s and finished with a 42 for a 2:47 1st 800. Obviously, I wasn't going to make it. The remainder of the workout was also mediocre. 600 in 2:10, 400 in 79, 200 in 38. The grade will be based on what my Mile would have been if I finished it. I figure that it would have been between 5:40-5:45, which is a grade of 70-75. Not a disaster but mediocre at best. I did not take enough Thym-Adren. Of course, I am upset but this is better than needing manganese or thyroid pills. I've got 3 days to fix this. I don't consider this a real effort so I may or may not try this again.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance= 3.0

9/28- Increased the Thym-Adren dosage and was very pleased with the result. Trak Shak 5 with Lee (the Caucasian Kenyan) with an impressive moving time of 31:54 (6:23 pace) and a course PR. Unfortunately, it cannot count as an actual PR because I had to stop several times for traffic. I hit the 3 mile split around 18:50 so if you put me out on a track, I believe I would have had a good shot at 19:12 today. Much faster than I planned but I really needed a confidence boost for Saturday. I'll be plenty fresh too. Just a junk run tomorrow morning and a complete rest for 48 hours and I should be good to go. Tacked on a Mile warm and cool to make up for yesterday's shortfall. Passed 1,550 miles on the year.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.0

9/29- AM run at the gym. Had to cut it short to make it to work on time. Finished a 2.5 mile light progression in 18:08 (7:15 pace) with splits of 7:35-7:17-3:16. This won't hurt me on Saturday. I'll have 48 hours to rest and the mileage has been very low. I took the mega dose of Thym-Adren early in the day and was pleased with the result. I needed to test how I felt on that dose because that's what I'll take race morning. That's why I made this one a semi-quality day instead of a junk run as planned. I expect to be ready to roll on Saturday but do not expect a PR. I predict a 1:33-1:34.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=2.5

9/30- I feel ready to go and could have raced today. Hotel strides is all I did. A cool front has passed through so the weather should be great tomorrow (50s and clear). Expectations are rising a bit. Maybe a 1:31-1:32 is realistic after all. Dare I say, PR? After the first 3 quarters, I am at 1,559 miles on the year. At this pace, I'll finish at 2,079 miles, which is a big PR.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=0.5

10/1- Montgomery half marathon in 1:31:32 PR. 3rd in age group
Grade:A/4 credits/distance=14.0

10/2- I tried some ADHS this morning and had an immediate negative reaction. With or without sugar, I cannot take anything that contains Lithium. My thyroid could still be sub-optimal but as long as I can take the Thym-Adren, I'll be fine. The workout was a naked 2 mile recovery jog at Veteran's Park on a beautiful day. Abnormally sore and this would have been a "C" or worse but it's pass/fail today. I should be in the clear tomorrow. No worries.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

Weekly summary:
I've PR'd at 4 distances this year but this is the first time that I've done significant damage to a PR. I've still got time to get some more. I'm proud of my restraint in allowing the mileage to stay below 30 in a race week. That's fine. I'm still well ahead of pace for 2,000. I've got some big weeks ahead and now is the time to get hot. Can I finally break out of the good week/bad week pattern? I've not had consequtive weeks over 3.0 since late June.
Distance= 29.0/ GPA= 29.3/8=3.66

Revised Revised Race plans

2011-09-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

Once I recover from the prolotherapy, I hope that I will be able to hit the training hard.
Here's where I stand as far as each distance:

400- no serious attempts until I devote more time to this distance. Because of the groin soreness, I have been uneasy about doing hard core speed work.

Mile- I got one adult PR this year and I want to take one more shot at 5:15 when fully fresh and with smarter pacing. This next time trial will be my last one of the year regardless of whether the result is a win, loss or draw.

5K- I want this one so bad and I've waited so long for it so I'm willing to take multiple shots at 19:12 even if I have to sacrifice some weekly mileage.

10K- One more shot this year and right now, I'm less than 50/50 on doing it. The race is the Senior Bowl 10K in Mobile on the first week of November. If I am really in the groove, I have no problem doing a lot of racing because I won't take a good stretch for granted. There's no guarantee that I'll be in shape to challenge sub-40 next year or ever again.

Half- I'm a go for Monty on 10/1 and have already signed up. Not expecting anything great.
Now, the change in plans. Initially, I verbally committed to Louisville 2 weeks later. That's out now. It's a flat course but I suspect that the organization will be very poor. The previous website is no longer up and I had to click on 3 links just to get some info on the location of the start and host hotel. The information was still dated 2010. There are a lot of good choices in Louisville such as the KY Derby and Big Hit Home Run race so why not race in Louisville in an event the makes reference to something that made the city famous?
The alternatives are Cincinnati on 10/22 or Columbus on 10/16. I would have preferred Cincy but Nick could not get off work the day before so we're doing Columbus. It' the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Half (I like the sound of that). Based on what I've seen on the Columbus website, it appears to be a first class event with a fast course.
November is also up in the air. I'm still leaning towards White River in Arkansas but I could change my mind in favor of Norfolk, VA. Norfolk is on Veteran's Day weekend and I may be able to do it without missing work.

Full- The mileage will begin to increase by mid-October. I should be ready to at least beat my soft PR by Mercedes 2012.

Training 9/19-9/25

2011-09-19T18:05:00.000-07:00

9/19- Easy run indoors to recover from yesterday. Mediocre performance. I hoped to run 7 today but I was done after 5. Time was 38:55 (7:47 pace). That's acceptable for an easy run but I was not pleased at all with how I felt. Each mile was slower than the previous one. 1st half was a solid 19:04 then slowed to 19:51. Groin soreness is so bad that the pain has spread to my abdomen and it hurts when I sneeze or cough. Again, it does seem that the pain diminishes or intensifies depending on the pills I take but I cannot put up with this anymore. I need a shot of prolo and probably will need another in about 4 months unless I can get in balance. If I don't do prolotherapy, I would probably end up with a degenerative condition. I'll call Dr. Johnson tomorrow and if he doesn't have any appointments this week, I'll have to go with Dr. Shuman. I am back to a low dose of Thym-Adren and that's what I need long-term.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0

9/20- Improvement. Progression run indoors on a rainy day. Overall time was 50:54 for 7 miles (7:16 pace). Felt great after the first 4 in 30:05 and anticipated no trouble going well under 7 in the final 3 but struggled a bit (7:00-7:04-6:45). It seems daunting to run 13.1 miles at the pace I was doing in the final 3. May not be able to take Thym-Adren, which would be a major defeat. I've stuck to the no soda pledge but I have had a few sweet teas and if I have to drink nothing but water, so be it. Solid performance overall. Good news, I got lucky with the prolotherapy appointment. Dr. Johnson is available tomorrow at 2 PM and I get to have a needle stuck in my groin. Yay! If I run tomorrow morning, I may only miss one day of training.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=7.5

9/21- Nightmare! I felt awful in the morning and needed thyroid caps. It is painfully obvious that I can't take Thym-Adren regularly at this stage. I've actually felt best recently on nothing so that's what I'll do for a least a week or so. I plan a thyroid test soon and hope it's normal. If not, I'm in a 2 front war that can't be won. If it is normal, I know it's a blood sugar issue and I have to be even more strict with my diet. I'll have to cut out beer and sweet tea in addition to soda. The only good news is that the prolo was not as painful as before.
The workout was only 2.5 miles in a time of 19:55 (7:58 pace) running nearly all out. The only reason this is not an F is that I managed to keep the pace even.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.5

9/22- Planned rest day to recover from the prolo. Felt good on no pills but I know it's highly unlikely that I can get away with that for very long. Terrible stomach cramps at night. Healing reaction?

9/23- AM-Pathetic excuse for a workout on a muddy Veteran's Park trail. Covered 2.5 miles at a pace over 9. I did not feel good when I woke up and 1/2 thyroid pill made things worse. That sucked for today but it may be a sign that the thyroid is normal. The groin was hurting as well but it's been less than 2 days since the shots. I will try again this afternoon and order a thyroid test. The test will be done before Monty but I won't know the results. Expectations are pretty low for next Saturday but it's not my goal race.
Grade:Failure/0 credits/distance=2.5

PM- Improvement. Easy 3 in 22:54 (7:38 pace). Felt fine at this pace and could have gone longer but I wanted to stay sharp for tomorrow's long run. Whether or not I could have pushed the pace is another question. 2nd day with little-no sugar at all.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.5

9/24- Sandwich run with the Gnomes. Unsure of overall pace because my Garmin did not work for the first 5 minutes. 1st 4 miles were just under 8 pace then I hit the gas with Brad and Eric and turned in 3.5 miles near 7:10 pace. After that, I cut the run short and finished the last 2 at easy pace (7:50s) but I was fading near the end. Still a decent performance overall. Felt a bit overstimulated near the end because I did not take any pills. That suggest that the thyroid could very well be normal which means that it is the blood sugar that caused such instability. I'm still doing the thyroid test.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0

PM- Crashed after the run and took a nap. Tried 2 Thym-Adren and it wasn't enough so I took another and felt better. Workout was a low key 3 miler at the Shak. Several stops but I did find a groove just under 7:30 pace for a while. Went to Auburn in the evening and this time I rooted for them to beat Florida Atlantic, which they did 30-14. Enjoyed the game but did not get back to the Ham until midnight.
Grade:Pass/0 credits/distance=3.0

9/25- Lakeshore 6 at a moderate effort with a pick up in the last quarter mile. I needed 3 Thym-Adren and still felt a bit overstimulated. Pretty strong run overall. Final time was 43:55 (7:19 pace) with a final quarter mile at 5:35 pace. I need Thym-Adren or something similar to slow down my extreme fast oxidation and I'm hoping that the little-no sugar diet will allow me to tolerate it.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
I have not had back to back weeks above 3.0 since late June. I really thought I had a chance to do it this week but I failed. Still, I see 2 positives out of it. I hit 40 miles on the week despite the prolotherapy, which barely had any impact on my training at all. I only need 33 MPW for the rest of the year to hit 2,000. My hope of getting in balance has been renewed. I'll have to stick on the Thym-Adren but with little-no sugar in my diet, I may actually be able to tolerate it long-term. I've still got time to get hot before the year is over.
Distance=40.0/GPA= 22.3/8= 2.79

Training 9/12-9/18

2011-09-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

9/12- Mountain Brook Mile in 5:19.3 (fastest time since '99). Splits were 76-82-83-78. I thought my legs were dead with 200 to go but found just enough strength to beat my adult PR. The margin was less than one second but it counts. There is room for improvement as well. That 76 first lap doesn't look too bad but the first 200 was 35. I followed that up with 41s in the next 5 200s then rallied for 2 39s in the last lap. If I had gone out smarter (38), maybe I could have held 40s through the middle and then came home in 76. That would have brought me home in 5:14, which beats my goal. My energy level was similar to Pittsburgh. I had very good stuff but not quite tip top form. Maybe the quickie progression took a little out of me and could have been a few ticks faster if fully fresh. There's no subjectivity in a Mile time trial. I missed my goal by 4 seconds (1 tick per lap) so that's a 96 on the day.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=3.0

Rant: There was a group of 3 older people walking dogs in the inside lanes before I started. I politely told them that they cannot have dogs on the track and to please move to the far outside lanes. They actually got offended and even asked me "What authority do you have?" and that I should get over any bad feelings about dogs. I don't care if you have a dog but you better make sure that it doesn't try to chase me or both of us could get hurt. Eventually they did move to the outside and there was no further confrontation. I think the problem was that since they were in their 50s or so, they didn't want to take an order from a soon to be 31 year old "kid."

9/13- MLR for the first time since Spring. Lakeshore 10 in 77:23 (7:44 pace). This is the workout that I enjoy the least because it just takes too long. There are a few puzzling developments. The groin is quite sore and I'll need another shot of prolotherapy (UGH). I've done well in sticking to my diet and it seems as if I'm having some healing reactions such as flushing toxins out. It feels weird at times but I am hopeful. There is no way that cutting out soda can hurt me in any way. It can only help me. I took one manganese this morning and had a mild negative reaction but I don't think it hurt my run in the evening. As for the workout, I was out too fast and allowed my pace to slow at the end but Miles 2-9 were pretty even, all in the 7:40s. Pretty solid but not stellar.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=10.0

9/14- Turned 31 years old today. Not a great day overall. Sore groin and coming down with a cold. I was sneezing uncontrollably at times. I wasn't expecting much in my run today but did surprisingly well. Trak Shak 5 in 32:58 (6:36 pace) with Lee at tempo effort. Long cool down. Warm conditions but not too humid. I took no pills today either. Perhaps the sore groin came as a result of taking excess Thym-Adren. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. If I'm less sore, I may not need prolo after all. I know I need Thym-Adren but if I can get by at a lower dosage, I suppose that's good. Please no more chromium or manganese at least not regularly. 7th day off soda.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.5

9/15- Planned rest day. I feel good enough to run today but I really have not had an easy day since 9/8. Smart call. I'll have to run in the morning tomorrow because I'm heading for South Carolina after work for the game. The groin soreness is still there but has diminished considerably. I'll probably run Monty without prolo and go from there.

9/16- AM- Indoor 5 mile at moderate effort in 35:55 (7:11 pace). I took a reduced dosage of Thym-Adren yesterday and it has become clear that it is the source of the abnormal soreness in my groin and hamstrings. This is NOT good news. I know that even without soda, I still need something to control my extreme fast oxidation and do not know where else to turn right now. I may have to take manganese temporarily and yes, prolo is still an option but it can wait. I probably will not do much differently until Monty and I feel good about running Cincy instead of Louisville because I may benefit from a 3 week gap. Decent performance in the workout. I would have run out of steam after about 8 miles at that pace but the Tym-Adren hasn't fully cleared and I still have a bit of a head cold. It was okay to run this workout fast because it's in between 2 rest days
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5

PM- hit the road after work and stopped at Nick's in Atlanta.

9/17- No running today. Clemson 38 Auburn 24. Good game. Enjoyed the day at Clemson and had a good BBQ dinner back in Atlanta. Overall emotions were mostly positive but I could not help but think that much of my college experience was stolen from me because of adrenal fatigue. I never had that fun, carefree lifestyle even when I didn't have exams. I needed manganese today. Not good.

9/18- Because the weather was forecasted to turn warm, I opted to stay in Atlanta and do my long run on the Silver Comet trail. Very good performance. I covered 14.4 miles in 1:47:03 (7:26 pace). First half was slightly uphill in 54:18, then back slightly down in 52:45. Plan was to run the first 13 at an even effort then put out tempo effort in the final 1.4. Fastest mile was 7:17, slowest was 7:40. Most of the 1st 7 were in the 7:30s and the next 6 were 7:20s. Mile 14 was 7:07 and the final .4 was at 6:43 pace. I was hoping to have a bit more left but still pretty strong overall. I hit the sub-7:30 pace on my longest run in 6 months. The groin is still sore and I can't shake it but the news on that front is mixed. The soreness intensifies when I take the wrong pills so I know that it is related to the chemical imbalances, not improper training. As long as I remain unbalanced, I will probably need prolotherapy 2-3 times every year. That sucks.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=15.0

Weekly summary:
Strong week overall. I am much more stable. Too much Thym-Adren or manganese does hurt but the reaction is not as extreme. I don't feel horrible if I miss a dose or take 1 too many. I hit the mileage target despite only 5 days, one of which was Mile time trial. I also was successful in my long run and tempo.
Distance=40.0/ GPA= 36.4/10= 3.64

Revised racing schedule

2011-09-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Despite setting PRs in the 5K and 10K, I am disappointed in my performances this summer. Overall, I feel that the progress that I have made since the end of 2009 is minimal. Only in the 10K have I achieved a significant level of progress. As my body chemistry goes, so does my running. I am cautiously hopeful that a complete stop of soda consumption will result in significant gains. I feel dumb that I never really made that connection before but then again, I had a lot of other factors at work (thyroid, tooth, injuries, etc).
Originally, I had planned a build up in mileage up to the 50s in preparation for a full marathon in Arkansas the week before Thanksgiving. After some consideration, I have determined that there is not sufficient time to really give it my best effort plus there are some logistical issues that could complicate things after the race. I have too many races planned and other things that I want to do which will prevent me from focus purely on building mileage. I already had to cut one planned long run short this past weekend.
Here's how it looks:
9/18- I will be in Clemson for a football game and may not be able to do the long run
10/1- Monty half
10/16- Louisville half
11/5- possible 10 K in Mobile
11/20- White River half
December-early January- no races
Jan- 3 M Austin half
Feb- Mercedes full
As you can see, there is no way that I can do enough long runs to come anywhere near my capability if I am to run the full at White River (ARK). Moreover, I still feel that I have unfinished business at the shorter stuff. I'm putting the 400 on the backburner until next Spring because I want to devote more specific attention to it at that time. A fast time is still possible now but as the weather turns cooler, times in the sprints will suffer.

Mile- I want at least 2 more shots at this one. I've improved my PR by a whopping 1.8 seconds since the summer of '09 and I'm just 5 away from my goal. I am currently capable if I have my A+ stuff.

5K- I got a victory with an adult PR last weekend in Pittsburgh but it was not what I ultimately wanted. To beat an all-time PR at a distance that I raced regularly in high school would mean more to me than any other barrier with the exception of a BQ. In the last 2 years, I've gone sub-20 in 4 out of 6 races and have added 3 more under the barrier in solo time trials but I know that I am capable of better. I know my body and I know that despite the good result in Pittsburgh, I did not have my best stuff. A fast 5K will also give me confidence in the longer distances. No more races this year. If I am to get it done, it will have to be in a time trial. I did a 19:31 last year on the edge of a relapse and have run a solo 10K that by some calculators, projects to a 19:13 or below.

10K- This is where I've had the most success. I've lowered my PR by a solid 46 seconds in the last 12 months and could have done even better with fresh legs and competition. No more time trials at this distance for now. We'll see how the training goes. If I feel that I have a better than 50/50 chance of breaking 40, I will go to Mobile. If not, I'll run long.

Half- I've established myself as a consistent sub-1:35 man at this distance with 4 straight races below this barrier. Monty will most likely not be anything special and it's more for fun to see old friends. Louisville should be better since it's flatter and cooler. However, competition may be thin. If nothing else, I want to at least remove the asterisk from my PR that came from an inaccurate course measurement in Idaho. Arkansas will probably be a sub-1:30 attempt but my best chance will come on a blazing fast course in Texas.

Full- This is my softest PR by far. Even with insufficient mileage, I think that on a good day, I could run in the neighborhood of 3:30 right now. The mileage buildup will be gradual and I may not be running in the 50s consistently until November but that will be plenty of time to be ready in February. I've run the Mercedes half twice and had 2 great experiences. Why not try something new for my home race next year? Moreover, all those halves will leave me wanting to spice things up a bit. A BQ is highly unlikely but I should get a significant PR, maybe around 3:20 with steady training.

After Mercedes, I'll take a short break to recover then hit the 400 training hard. Lots of short intervals and very high intensity with mileage back down to the 30s. I'll be 31 next week and if I can't run that 59.9 in another year or two, I don't see it happening.

Edit: My 2nd half of the Fall will likely be in Cincinnati (10/22) instead of Louisville. I want to do another race with Nick and since he is a runnning the 13.1 Atlanta, he wants another week off. Probably a good call there. Cincy is a 7-7.5 hour drive, which is manageable. The course is fast and scenic and will likely be better organized and more competitive and Louisville. The KY Derby and Big Hit Home Run races should be better choices if I am to race in Louisville.

Cutting out soda ... again

2011-09-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

I deleted the post on dentists because I'm not sure that it's even relevant. In any event, I'm going to try to stay off soda completely. NO cheating. It seems as if I need more manganese when I drink more of that crap. I quit soda in '09 because I had to. Too much sugar along with antibiotic use was causing nightmarish GI issues. When I quit, not only did it solve that but the chromium issue also went away. It could have been a combination of many factors. I still believe that an oral infection could have played a role and I'm still not sure about the zinc interaction either. What happened after I quit soda? After a terrible late summer and early Fall, I got hot in November/December and smashed my PRs in the 10K, HM and added an unofficial marathon PR on the first day of 2010. 2 weeks later, I went down with an Achilles injury and lost much of my motivation to stick to my diet. In early March of 2010, the chromium dependency returned and has continued off and on since then. I really don't think that quitting soda will solve all my problems but it certainly cannot hurt.

Training 9/5-9/11

2011-09-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

9/5- Manganese deficiency has flared up again. Started on an easy run and it started pouring rain immediately so I said "screw it" and quit. Heading south this afternoon and I'm taking the alternate route through OH, KY and middle TN. It's not as scenic but I should avoid much of the bad weather. I covered a meager mile and a half at a pace in the low 8s and I had to work a bit just to do that. Essentially a rest day. I may change this one to pass/fail grading.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=1.5

9/6- Spent the night just south of Louisville in the dry but soon after I hit the road in the morning, it started raining and never quit. I got back around 2 PM, rested a bit and hit the gym for an easy 8 in 62-flat (7:45 pace). I took a half of manganese and it helped but wasn't enough. In order to achieve a bit more stability, I'll have to take a small amount every day but I'm still not sure how much that is. I also don't know about the Stress Pak. I've been cheating badly on my diet especially when it comes to sugar consumption. I highly doubt that a change will solve everything but it can only help. As for the workout today, I would not have raced well but it was a pretty decent performance for an easy run. As the mileage increases, paces will slow. Easy runs will no longer be run at 7:30 pace but 7:45-8:00.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=8.5

9/7- Trak Shak 7 at tempo effort with Lee. Finished with a time of 50:45 (7:15 pace). Decent performance but I felt terrible most of the day. I took a record 3 manganese plus a chromium and could have used more. Just 3 days ago, I would have been HORRIBLE on this formula. What the _____? Dosage will rise and fall in a manner that is impossible to predict. Could it be related to the dental issue? I think the infection has been there several weeks before the pain began. That makes sense too. The low grade infection barely hurt at all and it was there for several months. Denty said that he'd call in antibiotics but they weren't there.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=7.0

9/8- After doing some research, I am now unsure if the chromium/manganese issue is related to the tooth. Back in '09, a root canal did not solve that issue and a tooth extraction did not immediately solve it either. Odds are, the relationship is indirect. The infection caused my adrenals to work harder which caused the extreme fast oxidation to override the chromium/manganese deficiency. I did quit drinking soda for 3 months which seemed to really help but eventually went back after in Achilles injury in early 2010.
Yesterday, I needed at least 3 manganese pills. Today, I took 1 and it made me sick. What the _____? Today was my first day off soda and that may explain why I could not tolerate it. The workout was a junk run. 2 miles at Veterans Park in 15:54 (7:57 pace) with an all out last mile in 7:46. I expect to be modestly better tomorrow but hope to show steady progress thereafter.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

9/9-AM- As expected, the improvement was modest but at this stage, I'll take it. 3 miles all out in a time of 22:56 (7:38 pace). Equivalent to a 5K in about 23:52 so that's 4.5 minutes off my PR set less than a week ago. Held the pace pretty well and had a little bit left at the end (7:37-7:47-7:32) but zero power in my entire body. Way too loose. 2nd day off soda and I'm starting to get a caffeine withdrawal headache. I can fix that with Exedrine if necessary. 1st day off manganese. I increased my distance by 50% over yesterday and my pace was nearly 20 seconds faster so I'll be lenient with the grade.

PM- Same 3 Mile run. Definitely improving. Time was down to 20:40 (6:53 pace) and that's equivalent of a 21:32 5K. Splits were 7:09-6:45-6:45. Man, I wish it was this easy to drop 2 minutes from my 5K time when I'm down in the 19s.
Grade:C/2 credit/distance=6.0

9/10- Naked run (no watch) with Gnomes. Garmin malfunction. I know the distance was just short of 10 miles and I know I threw down some 6:50s running on Lakeshore but I estimate that my time was either 73:xx or low 74. I don't feel that I'm all the way back and that's why I didn't run 15+ today. Too bad, the weather is really getting nice now. Most definitely, I am improving.
Grade:B+/2 credit/distance=10.0

9/11- Lakeshore 5 in 41:04 (8:13 pace). Poor performance overall but there's more to this than meets the eye. 1st half in a horrible 21:28 with absolutely nothing there. 2nd half was a respectable 19:36 with a fifth mile in a pretty solid 7:35. Felt a difference after I went to the bathrooom so that means some toxins were being flushed out during the run. Stress Pak will not work because for whatever reason I can no longer take any choline/inositol. It's either Thym-Adren or failure at this stage.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=5.0
PM- Bonus run. Looking to build on improvement in the 2nd half of the morning run and did more than that. 2.5 mile quickie progression style indoors in a time of 17:22 (6:57 pace) with splits of 7:20-6:58-3:04. I also got some more toxins out of my system and I won't be too detailed but I actually felt pretty good after the run was over. I could be back to form by tomorrow and would like to do a time trial early in the week.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=3.0
10 years ago today, I was a junior in college and had just gotten out of Intermediate Accounting class. I was taking a nap in my dorm when my roommate walked in and said "Dude, go online. I heard a plane crashed into the World Trade Center." I did not say anything noteworthy in reply because I thought it was an accident and didn't even know it was a commercial jet. That changed when I saw the news coverage from the cafeteria at lunch a few minutes later.

Weekly summary:
Another bad week overall. This is the 3rd week out of the last 4 below 3.0 but this time, I actually have an idea of what can be done about it. No manganese for 3 days. If I can make it through next week without it, I'll feel a lot better about my situation.
Distance=43.0/ GPA= 26/10= 2.60

Gatorade Steelers 5K RR

2011-09-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

Training:
Steady mileage between 40-45 with high quality but extremely erratic. My body chemistry is just about as unstable as ever. I know that I am capable of beating my all time PR of 19:13 but I'd need my top form to do it, which seemed unlikely. Just a few days earlier, I hit the wall in a 3 mile junk run at 9:00 pace.
Pre-race:
Why did I choose this event in Pittsburgh, PA? I do have family in the area. I may be crazy but I would never drive 12 hours just for a 5K even if it presented the perfect opportunity for a PR (flat course, good competition, cooler weather). The drive really was not too bad. I left work just a little early and made it halfway on Thursday night and stopped at a fleabag motel in Bristol and I don't even know if it was in Virginia or Tennessee. From there, it was a nice scenic ride through SW Virginia and West Virginia (yes, they are 2 different states). I arrived in Pittsburgh by mid-afternoon on Friday and got in a short tempo. I woke up feeling awful the next morning and needed mega doses of Thym-Adren (8 pills) just to feel decent. The race would be a game time decision based purely on the way I felt. Unfortunately, the weather did not look too good either. It felt more like Alabama than Pennsylvania. The high temp the previous day was over 90 and the forecast at race time was temps in the upper 70s with 80% humidity. At least it was overcast. I did not feel too bad on race morning and got by with only 5 pills. The race was a go but expectations were running pretty low. I predicted a time well over 20 minutes.
Race:
Interesting course to say the least. It began down by the river walk and briefly on a dirt trail with tree coverings before turning back on the main road back towards Heinz Field for a finish inside the stadium. My only gripe was that the river walk was narrow in spots, which made for a lot of congestion in the first half. This time, I was pretty smart about pacing early. I was in the 5:50s for most of the first mile but my pace started to slip after we went into the wooded area and we also went under an overpass for several seconds. My first mile according to the watch was 6:10 but I'm sure that it was actually faster than that. Normally in a 5K, I can hold the pace well through the first 2K, then I start to fade. This time, however, the fade was not as bad as previous races. The course was basically level with just a few mild inclines. We came down one around 1.5 miles as I came through the halfway point around 9:40 (watch time). Looking like another race in the 19:40-20:00 range. Coming up a small hill, I passed the 2 mile marker with a clock time of 12:25. I figured that the chip was under 12:20 but the Mile marker appeared to be short (1.95). My watch clicked the 2 Mile mark at 12:32 for a 6:22 split. Okay, just survive this 3rd mile around 6:30, finish strong and you've got a best of the year. As the time ticked away, I became pessimistic as my pace slowly faded to the low 6:30s. Sub-20 was in the bag and I still had a chance to beat the 19:45 that I ran 2 weeks earlier but more than anything else, I just wanted it to be over. I started my kick with about a quarter mile to go and we made the turn for the stadium. I passed one runner immediately and set my sights on 2 more. I didn't even see my split at 3 Miles but it was probably just over 19. As I went down the short ramp to the football field, I could see the finish line coming up sooner than expected. I kicked in the turbo when I saw that I had a shot to break 19:27 after all. I breezed by 2 runners sprinting at sub-5 pace down the sidelines. Clock time: 19:27, Chip time: 19:21 (fastest time since '98). My Garmin measured this course at 3.06 and others ranged from 3.06-3.08 but I'm counting it. It's a USATF certified course and perhaps the congestion, trees and the overpass messed with the signal early. The 5K PR drought is over! 8 seconds shy of my all time PR and I know that in 60 degree weather with low humidity, it's mine.
Overall place: 77/2746, Age group: 6/162
http://results.active.com/pages/oneResult.jsp?pID=112981026&rsID=115967&pubID=3

If this one had been 10 seconds faster, would it change my attitude on this disease? The answer is no. Even if I can get a great race every once in a while, it still sucks to be chemically unstable. How will I feel tomorrow? How many pills will I have to take? What pills will I have to take? Again, your guess is as good as mine. For the time being, I will bask in the glory and head back to Birmingham tomorrow.
Grade is an A minus.

Odds of becoming a professional athlete

2011-09-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

This post has little to do with running but I hope y'all will find it interesting. If you want to make it in a sport, I'd have to say track and field is the toughest to make a living. If you are not among the ten best in the world at your event, you'll never make a living let alone be able to retire comfortably after your career is over. If you don't run in a glamour event, you have to be even better. Odds are that a casual fan can name at least 3 of the ten best sprinters in the world. Devoted fans can name some of best middle and long distance runners as well. Can anyone name some of the best hammer throwers in the world? I didn't think so. That said, if you are the 10th best quarterback in the NFL, you're a multi-millionaire. Even if you're the tenth best middle linebacker in the game and can play for at least 5 years, you will be quite well off and barring some really stupid financial decisions, you will never have to work a real job.
Several years ago, I went to a low minor league baseball game and made the comment that every single one of these players were the star of their high school team yet upwards of 80% of them will never make it to the majors. Even if a player does beat the odds and plays at least one MLB game, what are the odds that he plays at least the 3 years needed to be eligible for arbitration and the chance at a million dollar contract?
I looked up the odds of making it to MLB and wiki quoted the figure at 1 in 16,000. That sounds about right to me and I assume that it includes those who simply had a cup of coffee in a September call up. If you are a career minor leaguer who is among the first in line to get called up when key players go down with injuries, you can make good money. What I am referring to is a "4-A player," a very good AAA player who is not quite good enough to stick in the majors. Those guys can earn 6 figures for several years but that's not enough to support a family and put kids through college and many of them end up selling insurance and telling old stories to anyone who will listen. You need to last at least 5 years to truly retire comfortably and the odds of that are very long. Let's break it down.
I once read that the average player lasts about 4-5 years so figure that if you get called up, you have about a 50/50 chance of sticking around long-term and that 50/50 figure seems awful high to me when you consider some of the scrubs that put on the uniform of bottom tier teams such as Pittsburgh or Kansas City.
If you can make it as high as AAA, you've got about a 50/50 chance (maybe a little better) of getting at least one call up. The odds get progressively longer with each lower level. In any given draft, a team signs maybe 25 players. In a good year, maybe 4 or 5 will eventually reach the big leagues and figure only 2 of them will stick. A major D-1 school may see 2 or 3 players drafted each year. On average, less than 1 will make it. As I've already said, every player in the low minors was the star of his high school team. I'll even go further than that, he was among the 2 or 3 best players in his conference that beat the odds and got drafted. That means that if you are good enough to play Varsity baseball in high school, your chances of getting drafted out of high school are about 1%, maybe even less. To take it another step further, every Varsity baseball player was an All-Star in little league and most of those Little League All-Stars will never play in high school. 1 in 16,000 sounds about right to me. I had a pitcher on my Little League team who sometimes retired the side in an inning by throwing 9 consecutive strikes. He did not even get drafted. I don't know of anyone that I knew of growing up that made it to MLB.
Other sports may be a bit less or more difficult depending on the size of rosters. Basketball teams only carry 12 players so that's the toughest major sport to make. Football seems to be the least difficult because an NFL team may carry 53 players to MLB's 25 and fewer kids play football than baseball. I did grow up with 2 people that signed with NFL team. Both were head and shoulders above their peers and could compete with boys 3 years older. One played special teams for about 3 years and the other never made it above the practice squad. Anyone ever heard of Eddie Drummond or Tyler Reed? Unless you're a die-hard Detroit Lions fan, I'm betting no.
Stay in school.

Training 8/29-9/4

2011-08-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

8/29- HORRIBLE! Lakeshore 3 in 26:54 (8:58 pace). Splits were 8:30-8:58-9:26 and with every additional mile, it would have been worse and worse. The choline/inositol has cleared my system, leaving me with a manganese excess. I still don't know how much of that stuff I need.
Probably a mistake to even try today. I was so bad at work today that I was getting short of breath walking around the office. At the end of the week, 3 junk miles is better than 0.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=3.0

8/30- MUCH better. 6 miles in 44:38 (7:27 pace). Did not have top form but I have no complaints about this workout. Slowed just a tad in Mile 4 and 5 but I really wasn't struggling too much. Today's formula was 6 Thym-Adren, 2 Stress Pak and 1/2 manganese. How will I feel tomorrow on this formula? Your guess is as good as mine.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.0

8/31- Split the difference between Monday's debacle and Tuesday's success. Woke up somewhat anxious then 1/2 manganese made things much worse. The Thym-Adren and Stress Pak helped but it wasn't enough. It sucked for today but it's good news in the long run. The more manganese that I need, the less likely it is that the Thym-Adren and Stress Pak will work to control the fast oxidation. I know I can't stop taking it altogether but if I can limit it to 1-2 pills per week, that's a good sign. I had hoped to run a tempo at the Shak but easy was all that I had in me. 5 miles in 39:25 (7:53 pace). Running almost all out, I started off fairly well at 7:31 then slipped to 7:39-7:54-8:11-8:10. That 5th mile was just good enough to avoid a D grade.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=5.0

9/1- AM run. Cut out the manganese and felt a definite improvement but I was hoping for better. Way too loose and short of breath from the beginning. This was another "tempo effort" slow run. Time was down to 37:35 (7:31 pace). Again, I faded in the 2nd half but it was not as dramatic as yesterday. (18:31/19:04). I know that mega doses of choline/inositol will not work but maybe 1 or 2 of those will help. 3 days until a possible 5K and unless I improve dramatically tomorrow or Saturday, I'm out.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0

9/2-Short tempo under a time crunch. Finished at 2.5 miles in 15:48 (6:19 pace). This was clearly the best I've felt all week. Maybe just a little loose but overall not too bad at all. Dipped under 6 pace the last half mile but I did stop a couple of times because of mental lapses. Temp was 90 degrees and I ran this earlier in the day than usual too. Still unsure on the 5K. We'll see how it goes tomorrow. Formula is Thym-Adren and Stress Pak. No manganese and choline/inositol is not an option either even at small doses.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=2.5

9/3- Average performance in warm conditions. In a day before a possible race, I did 3.25 miles in a time of 24-flat (7:24 pace). I didn't even look at the watch until the end of the first mile, which was 7:33. Then, I sped up early in the 2nd mile before wisely slowing down. I passed 3 miles just over 22:40 then sprinted home at 5:15 pace in the final quarter mile. The weather will be warm and humid tomorrow and I'm obviously still off form. I felt horrible when I woke up and need a mega dose of Thym-Adren (8 pills) just to feel decent. Finished with a quarter mile cool down. I did this workout at 10 AM with no food in the morning. Not bad. Race will be a game time decision.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=3.5

9/4- Gatorade Steelers 5K in 19:21 (fastest time since '98)
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
Ran all 7 days. Not sure if some of these even count. Week ended on a high note but overall, it was not too good. I'd like to get some time trials in over the next 2 months but the focus will shift to marathon mode now.
Distance=30.0/GPA= 2.83

Training 8/22-8/28

2011-08-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

8/22- 1 mile all out in a blazing 7:54 then had to quit because I hit the wall. I cannot take this instabilty. There's got to be another solution besides the thyroid caps. My medical report did reveal a deficiency in manganese so I'm going to give that a try.
Edit: My tissue manganese level was 0.016 and anything below 0.030 is considered "very low" and manganese is required for proper thyroid function. A reason to hope?
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0

PM- 5 miles in 36:24 (7:17 pace). Moderate effort. This is a "marathon pace" run according to McMillan. I took 2 manganese before the run and felt better immediately. Let's see how I do tomorrow with no thyroid caps. Once again, being unstable has one advantage. Although your form can deteriorate without warning, the comebacks are quick.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5
Thought on this: The magic of the thyroid caps is gone which is no surprise. I knew that this was only a temporary fix. However, I expected that fast oxidation symptoms to take over. Instead, it was the fatigue that got worse. The manganese was only 40% of ideal on the medical report and trending down. If not for the hair test, I may not have known the solution for a very long time. Manganese is a stimulant so it will push me further into fast oxidation so I'm still in a 2 front war. However, there is a chance that in time, I can reduce it so that it will be more than offset by the treatments needed to control fast oxidation.

8/23- Victory. Made it through the day without thyroid caps. I took 3 manganese pills which caused me to feel awful. Warming up, I knew I could not even finish a mile. That's good. That's what should have happened based on my medical report. I took the daily dose of Thym-Adren and ended up with a pretty good run. 7 miles in 51:45 (7:24 pace). Felt somewhat too loose but still pretty solid overall.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=7.5

8/24- Cut manganese down to one and hope to stay there if not down to 1/2 along with Thym-Adren and Stress Pak. Trak Shak 5 in 32:58 (6:36 pace) plus a mile cool with Lee. Weather was 95 and dry just how I like it. LOL. Seriously, that's a lot more comfortable than 88 and sticky. Final mile was an impressive 6:12. Now, where was that on Saturday? Oh I forgot, I was on the edge of a relapse. This was a strong tempo and would have been better if it was 20 degrees cooler but in all honesty, it wasn't quite this good. Traffic was very heavy so the stops were longer than normal.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.0

8/25- AM run and a test to see how I'd do without any pills. It wasn't too bad. A little tight but overall okay. 5 miles in 38:53 (7:47 pace). I will rest for 48 hours then I'll run with the fast group on Saturday and it may be the last time I do so for a while. I won't do 18 milers @ 7:20 pace in training for a marathon.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5

8/26- Planned rest day. Too loose and over anxious when I woke up. I don't need to run to know that my manganese must be cut from 10-5 mg. Thym-Adren as well as choline inositol should also be increased. I've got another week to sort this out before my next 5K race.

8/27- No manganese this morning and it was probably the right call. As it approaches noon, however, the deficiency is started to catch up to me. Strong run this morning and it feels like we're getting our first taste of Fall. It's still over 90 in the afternoon but it's cooler in the morning and the humidity has gone down. I was stuck in the middle on the group run. Too fast to run with the 2nd group but not quite good enough to stick with the sub-3 guys. Finished with 12.5 miles with an average pace of 7:24. First 10 were done at a comfortable 7:33 average then I turned it on with a 6:59-6:49-3:15 for a 6:49 average in the last 2.5, which is faster than my half race pace.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.5

8/28- Easy 6 in 45:39 (7:37 pace). This is okay for an easy day but if this had been a race day, I would have sucked real bad. A mega dose of choline/inositol is not the answer. I've got to rely on Thym-Adren and possibly some Stress Pak. I actually felt both too tight and overstimulated at the same time. I was able to run fairly well today because some of it has cleared my system. I'm still dealing with some low grade depression, which will be there until this fully clears my system.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Pretty decent week overall. I still don't feel any closer to the solution and yes I am sad and angry about all this. I hope that Thym Adren is strong enough to offset the stimulation of manganese and really don't want any more adjustments.
Distance=44.0/ GPA= 27.8/9=3.09

11 Are UABle 5K RR

2011-08-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

This one will go down as a forgettable event. Neither very good nor bad so I will not even post this among my RRs on the side of the blog so this will be a limited edition post. LOL.

As my regular readers know, I am taking thyroid glandular supplements to combat the fatigue, low grade depression and apathetic blahs and I need an exact amount to feel well. At 500 mg, I felt perfect as of 2 days ago. At 475, I was too tight and at 525, I was too loose all the while the magic dosage is trending down ever so slowly. At the rate I'm going, I will be off this stuff around New Years and dare I say it, I could have a victory on 1 of the 2 fronts. Since capsules come in 150 mg each, it is very difficult to get it right every day. Today, I just missed the sweet spot. I was fine just walking around but when I warmed up, it seemed just a hair off. On a great day, I can do maybe 300-400 meters worth of strides at near 6:00 pace and it feels effortless. Today, I could not get much below 6:30 without some discomfort. Still, I resolved to give it a shot since I missed Retro. I didn't feel so good warming up before Statue2Statue and it turned out to be my best race of the year so far.
Course:
This one starts on Homewood HS then turns onto Lakeshore trail then you turn off onto a road that leads back to the school. There's a short downhill early but the first 3K is pretty much level. The 4th kilometer is gently rolling with more ups than downs. The rollers can really take a toll at that stage in the race. Then, around 2.5 miles, you have to go up another small hill before a gentle decline to the finish. Difficulty 3 out of 10. Weather was close to 80 with over 80% humidity. Not good but I managed a 19:42 last year under similar conditions.
Race:
Like most 5K racers, I have a tendency to go out too fast and if you're 5 seconds fast through the first quarter mile, you could be doomed by the end of Mile 2. Today, I was pretty smart in aiming for near 6:00 pace and did not get caught up with trying to run with the leaders. I was pretty calm just under 6 pace most of the first mile then we made a 180 degree turn around 0.93, which cost about 2 ticks so I came through the Mile marker in 6:02. Fine with that but can I maintain it? The answer was no. Early pace for the 2nd mile was around 6:10 but I was fading and knew that I would wilt in the heat and hills ahead. I took several looks at the Garmin and found to my dismay that my pace was gradually slowing. Still, nobody was passing me. In fact, I would catch 3 runners between Mile 1 and 2.5. When we got to the rollers, I was in pain and the 2nd mile passed in 12:24 for a 6:22 split. I struggled hard to keep the pace for I knew that if I could simply repeat the 6:22 and finish strong, I could at least beat my comeback PR of 19:27. Unfortunately, the heat and rollers took too much out of me. I was at 15:40 for 4 kilometers so I had covered the previous half mile in 3:16 and it seemed unlikely that I could manage a 3:47 final K. Just like last year, the final hill left me shot. Even with the slight decline, my pace did not change and I came through Mile 3 in 18:57. I'd need a 45 second finish just to tie last year's time. I didn't make it and came through the line discouraged in 19:45.
Final thought:
An average performance. Anyting under 20 is satisfactory but with every PR attempt that falls short, the frustrations mount. The fact that I took a baby step backward from last year does not feel good either. In good weather, this was good for about 19:20 or so. Conditions should be better in 2 weeks. Grade is a solid B.

Medical report (fairly good news)

2011-08-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

First, I want to say thanks for all the page views in recent days. I really appreciate your interest in me. In short, the battle for freedom rages on. Just as I predicted last weekend, my numbers are indeed better but well short of what I had hoped for. It is indeed enough to keep my hope and my faith alive at least for now. However, if I am still unstable when next Fall rolls around, I will once again be at the breaking point on the verge of giving up.
Let's first revisit the possible outcomes post:
Outcome #1- full scale relapse toward adrenal exhaustion
Outcome #2- status quo, continued extreme fast oxidation with little change in my numbers.
Outcome #3- toxic metals (seemed highly unlikely)
Outcome #4- sudden reversal to balanced or even slow oxidation.
I predicted a combination of #2 and 4 and that's pretty much what I got.
First, let me assure my readers that Outcome #1 is a DEFINITE NO! I will not have to quit running nor will I have to be content to be a casual jogger.
As for the toxic metals, it's possible that a high level of aluminum is hurting me a bit. It's not off the charts high but enough to cause some concern. I'll have to ask the doc about that one. From what I've read, it's a fairly simple fix.
Another positive development is my blood sugar ratio. I had been above the diabetic trend threshold for several months now but I am back within the "good" range, 75% of ideal.
Now, to address the fast oxidation problem:
The oxidation rate is determined by 2 key ratios. On my last test, my thyroid mineral ratio (distinguished from thyroid hormones) was 23% of ideal. I've bumped it up to 27%. It's like a morbidly obese person losing 1 pound. Better than a gain but I'm none too happy with this one.
Lastly, my most significant improvement came in the adrenal mineral ratio. This one has been at least 6.5 times faster than ideal since I quit the Lithium 12 months ago. It shot up to 10x faster on my last report but has dropped back down to 4x faster, or approximately what it was while on Lithium.
I still have a 2 front war to fight. This test confirms that the thyroid pills that I currently take are not the long-term solution. If I stay on this course, it will only make the fast oxidation worse but treating the fast oxidation will make the thyroid hormones worse. No win situation.
Final thought:
I need some time to digest this one. I intend to seek another opinion on the 2 front war and get an honest prognosis from a fresh perspective. I'm not sure how accurate it would be at this stage but I'd like to know where my thyroid hormones are right now.
I am getting better and my Christian friends will tell me to remain patient. For now, that's all that I can do but I CANNOT remain patient forever. So much of my life has been stolen from me already and as more time passes, the more my patience wears thin. I'd look pretty silly 5 years from now at 36 years old telling people that they can beat this when I haven't done it myself after a decade of treatment.
Outward signs of improvement:
First, my 10K PR of 40:28 came with no competition and I was not even fresh. Also, my normal training pace is faster. As much as I am criticized for it, I see that as a good sign. When you can train at 7:30 pace and it feels no harder than 7:40 did only a few weeks earlier, that can only mean improvement. Of course, I cannot sustain 7:30 on 55-60 MPW. Higher mileage will require a slowdown in pace and YES I DO INTEND TO SLOW DOWN IN MARATHON MODE. I've said before that I have the talent to go well under 3 hours in a marathon but also as I've said many times, that is NOT the goal of all of this. I'll never be happy long-term as long as I am unbalanced and unstable. All I want out of all this is to be free from significant chemical imbalances or at least instability. It just so happens that faster times naturally come with it. If the blood sugar had remained diabetic and the adrenal mineral ratio was still more than 6x faster, I would indeed be a broken man with little hope. As it is, my hopes are still alive for now but if I am still 4x faster than ideal next year and still in a 2 front war, I will be right back to the breaking point. Thanks again for caring about me and supporting me in this awful war.

Favorite/Least favorite Full/Half marathons

2011-08-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Having run 13 different such races in 10 different states, I'd say I'm qualified to post about this subject. All RRs are posted on the side with the exception of Seaside and Memphis, which were done in 2007 before I started this blog. I have no plans to race in all 50 states but would like to hit at least 25 and have joined the site http://www.half2run.com/ for that purpose. This subject will be re-visited in the future. Let me start out with the superlatives:

Best fans: No doubt. Fargo, North Dakota all the way. Spectators braved temps in the 30s (fairly warm for them) and were out at almost every turn screaming encouragement.

Best medal: Banco Popular Chicago. Long black ribbon and nice looking gold medal with the city skyline.

Best cause- Bar none, Memphis St. Jude. No comments needed.

Best expo- Split decision here. You could spend a whole day in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome browsing through all those vendors but in Huntsville, I scored a deal on $10 running shorts and though small, it had just about all I wanted.

Best organization: Toss up here as well. Mercedes has been flawless every year but it's hard to top Huntsville with the expo and host hotel literally out the door from the start/finish line.

Best prestige: Eugene, Oregon. My first marathon running in the footsteps of legends such as Prefontaine and the course has since been changed to a finish on the track at Heyward Field. Wow. I wished I had waited to run this one but I couldn't think of a better place for my debut.

Best scenery: Lots of good ones in this category. I liked the lakeside views in CDA, Chicago and Baton Rouge as well as the city streets of Atlanta. The winner is Memphis because of its variety. It's a mix of residential, riverside, parks and city views.

Best schwag: Mercedes by far. Cool finishers shirt and it's been either a hat or cotton t-shirt for signing up and of course, who can forget that iconic medal with the Mercedes emblem?

Best overall:

1. Mercedes Birmingham- Yes, I'm probably biased because it's my home race but again, organization is flawless, schwag is terrific and I've also enjoyed the beer and barbeque indoors afterwards. The course is not particularly scenic but has its highlights and is flat enough to be a PR course.

2. Memphis St. Jude- Probably the most fun I've ever had in a race and my time of 1:48 was a massive PR at the time. Scenery is great and the organization is very good not to mention that you can't beat the cause. I hope to run this again soon.

3. Baton Rouge Beach- This selection could be controversial because I've heard that the full marathon is poorly supported but I had a terrific experience in the half. Great scenic course that included the LSU campus, lakeside areas and upscale residential areas. The fact that I PR'd and placed in my age group likely colors my view of this race.

Worst overall:
1. Country Music Nashville- Just an all around bad day for me. It has a good medal and the post-race concert was a nice touch. However, it was very pricey from the race entry, hotel and shuttle. It didn't help either that I melted down in humid conditions and had to walk/jog the last 2 miles. The sports drink Cytomax was the culprit. What's wrong with Gatorade? Up to this point, I had been very lucky with my health on race day but luck ran out on this day. If you need Tennessee, run Memphis and skip this one.

2. Run for Life in Madison, MS- Good schwag and fans but several upsetting details. I placed in my age group but there were no awards. Also, the course had been advertised as flat but the first 6 miles were rolling and there was a monster hill in Mile 12 and another in Mile 13. The course may have been long as well and it didn't help that I injured my knee here. Tupelo and MS Blues in Jackson are likely better options in the state of Miss'Sippy.

3. Coeur d'Alene- Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I went here to race. It's a beautiful area and the course was scenic and fairly flat. However, I cannot excuse the fact that by the RD's own admission, the half course was long by .2 miles yet times were not adjusted. If I was going for a NYC qualifier and missed it by less than a minute, I'd be extremely angry. Decent medal but expo was minimal and shirt was lame. If you're looking for a nice area with outdoor activities and are not concerned about your time, by all means run this one.

Middle of the pack:
I did not mention these two in superlatives or worst overall so here goes.
Seaside- Worth doing but not as scenic or as flat as expected but it hold special significance because it was my debut half. Probably better options in Florida.
Scenic City- Chattanooga- Does not rate on the same level as Memphis but it's also worth doing. Well organized but does not have all the bells and whistles of a large race. Medal was a bit weak but in a small race, I'll cut some slack. Good scenery in a course that was moderately difficult but does not preclude a PR.

Training 8/15-8/21 (possible race)

2011-08-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

8/15- AM- BAFA day run was nothing worth celebrating. Cut the dosage down from 3.5 to 3 and this time, I felt too tight. That's right, 1/2 of a pill takes me from one side of the spectrum to the other even if I only take it once. What a life! LOUD SCREAMS OF FRUSTRATION! At least the thyroid pills still work. Maybe 3.25 will make me feel good.
Workout doesn't look too bad on paper (5 miles in 35:57- 7:11 pace) but I felt flat out terrible and was fading at the end. I had slowed to 7:30 pace before a mild pick up at the end. No power or spring in legs. Felt burdened with weights. If I only took 2 pills, it would have been MUCH worse. I am hoping that I am trending down and may eventually arrive at a point in which I no longer need these pills. Until I get a good medical report, I will not believe it. I should know in about a week.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0

PM- I took about 1/4 of a pill and it felt like almost all my pain was washed away within minutes. This is simply too unstable. Tomorrow, I will try 2 pills along with 1 pill from another brand which is a bit stronger. I should have struggled after a relatively hard morning run but I did not. 5 miles at tempo effort in a time of 32:55 (6:35 pace). Last 800 was 3:04. I repeat, this was tempo effort, not all out and I was still within 12 ticks per mile of a PR on my 2nd run of the day. The advantage of being unstable is that you can come back real fast.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=5.5

8/16- The doc called today and the results are on the way. I just told them to mail it in because I preferred not to find out over the phone. With the exception of the initial diagnostic test, I have never been this worked up about the results and with good reason. I've never had such a dramatic shift in symptoms before. I'll know by Thursday or Friday at the latest. I am somewhat optimistic but at the same time, I am also prepared for the worst. It seems like the magic bullet is thyroid glandular substance at 500 mg (neither more nor less) and that amount may be trending down ever so slowly. Pills come in 150 or 200 mg so I can take 2x150 plus 1x200 and I should feel well.
Today, I returned to Johnny's workout for the first time in 4 weeks. 4x800 (2:50-2:48-2:48-2:47) followed by a Mile in a pretty solid 5:44. Overall pace for 3 miles worth of intervals was 5:39. Yes, I could feel yesterday's double but the legs responded well and the soreness was not debilitating. There's a local 5K on Saturday and I think I will give it a shot. That means nothing hard for the next 3 days and I'll take a rest day Thursday or Friday.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0

8/17- Easy 5 at the Shak with a time of 37:37 (7:32 pace). No ill-effects at all from the last 2 days. I didn't really test myself today but I could tell even before I started that my body was a bit too loose. It seems that indeed my dosage is trending down ever so slowly. I will try 450 mg. again soon. Medical report may arrive tomorrow.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5

8/18- AM. 2 mile junk run mostly just to test my formula. I clearly had it right as far as the pills go and hope to keep it that way at least until Saturday. I was sore from this week's workouts and struggled in the first half mile but once I got warmed up I was fine and it was almost time to quit. Not that this means anything but my time was 15:12 (7:36 pace) which was skewed by a mild pick up in the last 200. Not too tight. Not too loose. Just about right. I hope 48 hours is enough rest to be fully fresh.
Grade:Pass/0 credits/distance=2.0

8/19- Planned rest day. I expect to be fully fresh for the race and feel like my formula is working. Unfortuntely, the weather is not going to cooperate. Upper 70s with close to 90% humidity at race time. I dreamed that I visited a local high school and observed several students smoking openly in the hall. No medical report yesterday. I fully expect that it will be in the mail when I return from work.

8/20- Are UABle 5K in 19:45 plus a long cool down.
Grade:B/4 credits/distance=7.0

8/21- Tinkered with the Thym-Adren and it caused terrible leg pains. Stupid. I was thinking that maybe I could tolerate it because my oxidation rate was still quite fast. Not so. When the fast oxidation overrides the hypothyroid, it will be UGLY!
AM- 2.5 miles in 20:00 and hit the wall in Mile 2. Horrible!
PM- Somewhat better. 4.5 miles in 34:51 for an overall distance of 7 miles @7:50 while running almost all out. Terrible performance.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance-7.0

Weekly summary:
Average race and average week overall. Emotionally drained. It could be like this for the rest of the year and that means probably no full marathon this Fall. It's so difficult to hit the sweet spot and if I'm a little off, I can still finish a half but not a full. Thyroid hormone test will be done soon.
Distance=37.0/ GPA= 32.3/11=2.94

Training 8/8-8/14

2011-08-08T06:25:00.000-07:00

8/8-AM- I planned on a morning run but didn't feel up to it. That's okay. I can still run in the evening. I skimmed over some of my archive in the Verse and Message section and it's almost like it was written by a different person. Yes, I miss that person too. I'm really trying to shake this negative thinking and I don't give up until I'm defeated and that's not until 2-3 weeks from now when I receive the results. Preparing for the worst may ease some of the heartbreak however. Another revolting development has happened this past weekend. I must go back to cutting pills in half. With 3 thyroid pills, I'm still sluggish but if I take 4, I'm anxious and over stimulated.

PM- Despite the thyroid pills, my weight is still good: 156 lbs. before dinner. 6 miles at tempo effort. Got stronger as the run progressed and finished in 43:47 (7:18 pace). This was not tempo pace but I did do a bit better than expected. My body was clearly out of whack (too loose) like riding a bike out of gear. What's on tap for tomorrow? I'll go to bed still feeling a bit anxious but will wake up on the other side of the spectrum (fatigue, sore, depressed) but if I take exactly 3.5 pills in the morning, I'll feel good for the rest of day and my run will be go well too. I can almost guarantee that 3.5 thyroid pills will not work next month.
Anyone would be unhappy if they had to live like this.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.5

8/9- 10K time trial in 40:28 (PR). 6:29 pace. 1st half: 20:02, 2nd half: 20:26.
Splits were 6:22-6:24-6:27-6:32-6:39-6:30-92. Actually this was not a total shocker. I saw this one coming yesterday but I didn't expect it to be this good. 3.5 pills work like magic ... for now.
Believe it or not, I still didn't quite have tip top form. I still felt just a tad too loose. Just 5 seconds per mile shy of the goal and with competition and a race setting, I'd say it's as good as mine right now. That old 5K PR is looking softer and softer. If this run was 30 seconds faster, would it make me happy? Hell no! I'd trade some of my speed for more stability in a heartbeat. It doesn't mean too much if I can do this once a month and feel like crap a few days later. McMillan projects this to a 1:30:03 half and a 3:10 full but I found another calculator that puts me at 1:29 for the half.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=6.5

8/10- Trak Shak 5 plus a mile cool. Finished with a time of 34:06 (6:49 pace). Overcast condtions with temps in the upper 80s but very humid. I planned to run the first 4 around 7:10 then burn the last mile. In the end, I ran the first 3 in 6:50 then slipped to 7:05 and only had a 6:31 left at the end. Still a solid performance and hit goal half race pace. This pace is within the range for a tempo as prescribed by McMillan. I get a rest either tomorrow or Friday.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0

8/11-After a quality day following a race level effort, I expected to struggle a bit today. Easy 7 in 51:30 (7:22 pace) plus a half mile pick up in 2:56, which was NOT an all out sprint for an overall time of 54:26 (7:16 avg) + cool down. Believe it or not, that first 7 really did feel easy. Last 4 paces have been 7:18-6:29-6:49-7:16. I am officially RED HOT! When I started my pick up, I heard someone say "Oh my gosh!" Yes, I still need the thyroid pills but I didn't feel too terrible this morning. That's a good sign. I get a rest day tomorrow no matter how well I feel.
Grade:A+/1 credit/distance=8.0

8/12- Planned rest day. I took some Thym Adren and ADHS last night in a very small amount and got the expected negative reaction. I'm not sure what to make of it but it seems like the thyroid pills could work at least for another few weeks.
Update: I've got the itch to run this evening but I know it's best that I don't. The group run could be hard tomorrow. That 7:22 pace felt so easy that I really think I can hold it for 20 miles. If so, I'll come through the marker in about 2:27. After that point, an 8:20 pace for the last 10K would bring me to a marathon finish of 3:19. The decision on that will not be made until I receive the medical report. If the results are bad, I'll likely stick to halves until further notice.

8/13- Run with the fast group. Covered 11 of the 14 miles in 82:28 (7:30 pace). Route was not too hilly but I was hurting because 2 water stops were missing. I only got one shot of Gatorade on a 75 degree day with 90% humidity. That's why I cut it short. Still a very solid effort. Last 8 miles were below 7:20 pace. 1 mile cool at the end.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0

8/14- Cooled off. Easy 5 in 37:05 (7:25 pace). That's still a very fast time for an easy run even if it's only 5 miles but my body was clearly too loose. I was fading at the end and would not have lasted much longer. Added a mile cool down, which required some effort. If this had been a race day, I would have struggled. Forced to take a nap around noon. One of two things is going on. Either the magic of the thyroid pills is gone or I simply need to cut the dosage from 3.5 to 3 pills. I sure hope it's the latter option. I'll know when I wake up tomorrow. If I'm on the other side of the spectrum, that's good. If I feel like I do now, that's bad. The medical report should come within 10 days.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Excellent week overall. I'm now within 5 sec/mile at every distance shorter than the half mary. Even if I'm unstable, I can get hot for a several days or even weeks and given the perfect situation, all my goals are currently do-able with the possible exception of the marathon. That said, one single sub 19/40/1:30 doesn't really mean that much to me because I know it won't make me happy. Only balanced and stable body chemistry can do that. I predict that the results will reveal just enough improvement to keep my hope and faith alive.
Distance=45.0/ GPA= 35.3/10= 3.53

Possible outcomes

2011-08-06T16:15:00.000-07:00

I talked to a co-worker, who is a fairly devout Christian, yesterday about my situation. His response was something to the effect of this: "I wouldn't worry about it too much. You've had these imbalances for so long and they'll probably always be there. Just manage it the best you can." I wanted to scream but I'm near the point in which I must accept that he's right. He's right about one thing. I'm not going to worry too much about the results. The hair sample has been sent and I can't do anything about it. All I can do is wait 2-3 weeks and see what it says.
I see about 4 possible results and I am mentally prepared for each of them.
1. The worst case scenario is that I am heading back to full blown adrenal exhaustion. What is going on now with the thyroid caps is eerily similar to what happened in 2005 just before the first energy crash. Back then, I was extremely unstable but was depended on adrenal caps, not thyroid caps. The hair test will be very clear on this. Na/K above 2.50- good. Below 2.50- bad. This ratio has not been below 2.49 since 2007. If this is the case, I have no choice other than to stop running and take 2 months of inactivity. Failing to do so will result in another severe energy crash. After that, I can come back safely only as a casual jogger. Better than nothing but still a major let down. Much of my social life revolves around running and my dopamine level may crash if I don't get vigorous exercise. Also, it would really suck for this to happen when I am so close to my goals. Granted, this scenario does not seem too likely.

2. The most likely case is the status-quo. Continued extreme fast oxidation with sluggish thyroid hormones. It's a 2 front war in which both imbalances are treated at different times and neither get in balance because treating one problem makes the other worse. I may take 4-6weeks off by choice, not because of injury down the road and see how I feel. I'd prefer not to do that until next Spring or Summer. I am vulnerable to adrenal exhaustion with too much stimulation of either my thyroid or adrenals for too long.

3. The fatigue is due to a toxic metal. Possible but it seems unlikely. It's a fairly simple fix. Chlorella and vitamin C can detox just about anything and I can resume my fight against extreme fast oxidation and probably quit the thyroid caps. That would be a good scenario.

4. Finally, the best case is that my body chemistry has suddenly reversed itself and I'm either a slow oxidizer or at least a lot more balanced than before, which has allowed the hypothyroid symtoms to appear. In the recent past, I may have been hypo but wasn't showing symptoms because the fast oxidation over-rode it. Under normal circumstances, I'd say that's impossible or at least highly unlikely but since I recently took care of a chronic low-grade infection, anything can happen with my chemistry. That would be great.

Current emotional state:
There's nothing I can do except wait. Until the results come in, I will keep hope alive. If scenario #1 or 2 comes out, it will be a crushing blow. I have invested so much time telling others that adrenal fatigue can be beaten, not just managed for life. I have claimed that not only can you train hard after adrenal fatigue, you can come back stronger IF you take the right supplements tailored to your chemistry. I've been told many times that I could get a book deal out of this and make a difference in the lives of thousands of people. That's all out the window if this is a chronic condition that must be managed. I cannot in good conscience promote a treatment plan that was not fully effective for me. I will not abandon my faith in Jesus but my enthusiasm may never be the same again. As I've said many times, you cannot be happy long-term with significant chemical imbalances. I have written many times before and believed with all my heart that it is not God's will for anyone to live out life with chemical imbalances and there is a solution for any problem in that area. I also believed that the Holy Spirit was working with me and speaking through me to give me the right words and I have inspired a lot of people. If it turns out that it is under the false pretense that I have been healed and at times I had every reason to believe it, it's difficult to even express how that feels.

Another 2 front war

2011-08-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are hurting emotionally, you have my sympathy but if you were to ask most of them if they would prefer to switch with me and have to live with chemical instability, the answer would be a RESOUNDING NO! At least most people, despite the hurt, they can rise above their negative situation and even choose to be happy in time. I can't do that. It's simply not possible with chemical imbalances. So what's it like to live with chemical instabilty? If you read this blog on a regular basis, you already have a general idea but I'll briefly rehash it. In short, you have days in which you are anxious, short of breath and tire easily. Other days will be marred by fatigue, low grade depression and a general apathetic blah feeling. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that I can't run worth crap in either of those states. I won't deny that it hurts to fall short of my athletic potential as a result of this but there are more important things that are affected, most notably my relationships with family and friends. Again, don't even get me started about dating. I also find it difficult to focus at work and have struggled at times with my job. The worst of it is that quite often I go from one extreme to the other literally overnight. That's right. I could go to bed feeling fatigued and wake up anxious and vice versa.
Currently, I suspect deficiencies in thyroid hormones along with continued extreme fast oxidation. Two days earlier, I would not have been able to finish even 1 mile much below 8 minutes. Now, I am back under 35 minutes for 5 miles thanks to thyroid glandular supplements. Those of you who did not understand how valuable running is as a barometer to my condition, now you know. By law, I cannot get the thyroid hormones tested without a doctor's order. I could buy such an order online but I can't wait that long to get it. I'm already headed in the right direction and within a couple of days, the blood test may not even show a problem. How did I get to this state? I've been fighting extreme fast oxidation for the better part of the last 3 years. This is not an uncommon occurence for someone who has beaten adrenal fatigue. I have taken some powerful stuff, including Lithium and other anti-thyroid glandulars to get my biochemistry right. Without it, the symptoms of extreme fast oxidation were intolerable. The end result was that it was not effective in solving the fast oxidation and caused my thyroid hormones to go hypo.
Now, all I can do is wait for the hair test. It is possible that my biochemical imbalances could not get better because of the infected root canal. Now that it's no longer an issue, it is POSSIBLE that taking hard core stuff was finally effective in getting my numbers down, leaving me with only the hypothyroid to worry about, which is easily treatable.
If my numbers have remained stubbornly high, here's what my life looks like:
-I'll take the thyroid glandulars when I have the fatigue and they'll be effective for a while until the extreme fast oxidation over-rides the hypothyroid.
-I'll take the recommended supplements for fast oxidation for a while and they'll be effective for a while until the hypothyroid over-rides the fast oxidation.
-I may have up to 6 weeks of stability and relative freedom from symptoms but the crash will be inevitable and I just have to hope that it doesn't happen the day before a goal marathon or half.
As for my faith, I write a monthly devotional and send it to about 50 friends. I will end those messages if this does not work out and go back to being a lukewarm Christian. After 5 years of this with little hope of improvement and faced with the prospect of a life long condition that precludes long-term happiness, I have finally reached the breaking point. I thought about taking down my site altogether but have decided against that. I AM better off than I was 5 years ago and even if this hair test protocol wasn't fully effective for me, it's still better than antidepressants and counseling from a clueless quack psychologist.
Sorry to let down anyone that I have inspired. I do sincerely hope that I will look back on these 3 relapses in the past month and realize that it made me stronger.

Training 8/1-8/7

2011-08-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

8/1- Any improvement at all? Yes. There is some. 5 miles in 36:27 (7:18 pace) running pretty much all out. That's 20 seconds per mile better than yesterday afternoon and this one had no walk break after 2 miles. I was still a disheartening 4:30 from the unofficial PR or more than a full kilometer behind in terms of distance. No power in my legs or spring in my strides. Just a lot of fatigue and blahs. Below average performance. Splits were 7:10-7:13-7:20-7:29-7:15. I can do a thyroid hormone test as early as tomorrow.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=5.0
PM- Same 5 mile run as 12 hours earlier. My time is down to 34:57 (6:59 pace) with very even splits. 6:57-7:00-7:03-7:05-6:52. Still fatigued and blah and it felt like my top 2 gears were not available. 3 minutes down on my PR but definitely an improvement after taking another raw thyroid glandular pill. I can't do a thyroid test because I need a doctor's order. DAMMIT!
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=5.5

8/2- Woke up feeling horrible after not taking any thyroid pills for about 16 hours. Anyone want to guess what will happen if I take some at work? I'm going to take a wild guess and say that I'll be a lot better in the afternoon. Unless the hair test shows that my numbers came down significantly, I can guarantee a relapse within about a month. Only covered 1 Mile of a scheduled 3 in the morning and my time was so bad that I cut off the watch.
PM- A reason for optimism? Maybe. 3 pills later, I am another 90+ seconds faster. I covered the same 5 mile distance in a pretty solid 33:19 (6:40 pace). Splits were 6:34-6:38-6:42-6:46-6:39. That's still more than a minute slow and I still felt a trace of abnormality but overall, not bad at all. Good call on skipping the thyroid test. It would have shown problems on Saturday or Sunday but probably not today. I will stick with the thyroid glandulars until I relapse again.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.5

8/3- Trak Shak 5 in 97 degree temps with a heat index of 105. I decided to leave the watch at home and run naked. Good call there. It appears that Stress Pak won't work because it contains choline/inositol. The only thing that does work right now is the thyroid glandular. This was an easy run based purely on feel and it was comparable to yesterday.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.0

8/4- Hot. Breezed through an easy 6 with a time of 44:26 (7:24 pace) then without even stopping, I kicked in the turbo and clocked a 7th mile in an impressive 6:17 for an overall time of 50:43 (7:15 average). Steady on 3 thyroid glandulars until further notice. I will send in the hair test kit tomorrow.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.5

8/5- Cold. I tried only 2 thyroid pills in the morning and it wasn't enough. No, it was not natural fatigue either. Now, I know that if I am to run with the group tomorrow, I must take 3 first thing in the morning. What's going to happen with this in the near future? Who knows? I could have unbearable fatigue unless I take 6-8 of these pills before too long but doing that will only accelerate the impending relapse. The workout was a 2.5 mile junk run at recovery effort. My pace, which I really didn't care about, turned out to be 8:06. That's not far off what I planned to do but based on feel, I get a low grade. Hair test will be sent during my lunch break.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=2.5

8/6- Just as I feared, I must increase my dosage. I tried 3 in the morning and it wasn't enough. Ran with the group and I was struggling to hold a 7:45 pace early. I got dropped by the lead group after 4 miles, ran with the 2nd group for 3 then cut it short after 10 miles of a scheduled 12. I hit the wall after about 8.5 miles, walked up Hollywood Blvd and just trotted home at about 10:00 pace. Overall moving pace was around 8:10.
Got home and popped another pill, waited about an hour and hit the indoor track for some more miles. Despite hurting, I managed to hold a sub-8 pace all the way and finished 7.5 miles in 58:30 (7:48 pace). I actually felt like the 4th pill actually took me too far in the other direction and a 5th would have spelled disaster. I'm not sure how I feel about this one overall. My pace was a hair over 8 on average but my total distance was the most I've covered in 1 day since Huntsville and caps off my first 50 mile week since Spring.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=18.0

8/7- Earned a rest day.

Weekly summary:
I am too emotionally drained to comment much further. On the surface, this week doesn't look too bad though. GPA is near average and it was my 4th 50 mile week of the year.
Distance=50.0/GPA= 27.6/10=2.76

Training 7/25-7/31

2011-07-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

7/25- SHOCKER! 10K time trial in 40:44 (unofficial PR) by 11 seconds. 1st half: 20:11, 2nd half 20:33. Splits: 6:25-6:25-6:34-6:36-6:37-6:33-1:34. Started off at a 40:00 pace and felt pretty comfy for 2 miles but could not quite hold it just yet. I think I left a few seconds out there too. No monster kick because I knew that the PR was a sure thing with 400 to go. I have switched to Thym-Adren and Stress-Pak, both of which are regulatory supplements. I'm going with it until it stops working. I'm just enjoying this high and trying not to get my hopes up too high.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=7.0

7/26- AM run less than 12 hours later. Not enough sleep and too much celebrating last night. I managed 5 miles in 39:08 (7:50 pace). That's slower than my recent easy pace but I'm fine with that. According to McMillan, that's more like the pace I should be running on my easy days. Slight fade in the 2nd half (19:27/19:41) but I'm still okay with this workout.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5
Edit: Very tired in the afternoon and will need a good rest tonight. Here are a couple of fun facts about yesterday's run. It projects to a 1:30:xx half and a 3:11 full. 2 seconds faster would have projected a BQ under the old standards. At the time of my current 5K PR (19:27), my 10K time was only a 42:43, which I bettered by a full minute before the end of the year. Still, if I can improve the 10K so much, why has my 5K been stuck for so long? Bad luck. Simple as that. I know I can beat that time and I do believe that my goal is doable right now.

7/27- Trak Shak 5 plus cool down. Time was pretty decent given the conditions. Finished at 34:46 (6:57 pace). I was not pleased with how I died in the 2nd half. It was a combination of the pills and the heat and the former was the greater factor. Splits were 6:34-6:43-6:58-7:16-7:15.
Actually felt great through about 1.9 miles then my legs tightened up and I could feel the balloon deflate. I felt unwell for much of the day as well. I will try cutting the Stress Pak and boosting the Thym-Adren. I'll send in the medical report in 2-3 weeks. How to grade this? I'll be somewhat generous because I did hit sub-7 pace overall but the last 2 miles were in the C range
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.5

7/28- 6x200 with a half mile warm and 2 mile cool. Slowest was 31.5, fastest was 29.2. 3 of the remaining 4 were 30 and I did mange one more 29. Probably my best such workout of the year but I don't think I've got 59.9 speed right now. It would be more like 62. As planned, I reduced the Stress Pak and increased the Thym-Adren. Maybe a tad overstimulated but still pleased with the results. No spikes. Ran in the Kinvaras and found it a little difficult to get on the toes.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=4.0

7/29- Planned rest day. Discomfort in the metatarsal area. Kinvaras are great for tempos and long intervals but don't provide enough support for a hard core speed workout that requires a lot of toe running. Upped the dosage a bit by accident and went too far.

7/30- Hot group run. Got through 12.5 miles in 1:39:51 (7:59 pace) and yes, I had to push at the end to make it under 8. I took a lot of water stops towards the end. Body feels too tight and if this new stuff doesn't work, I am out of options. Metatarsals held up okay though.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=12.5

7/31- Yet another relapse overnight. Very tight. sore and depressed. Went with raw thyroid caps which helped a bit but did not provide the immediate relief that I wanted. I tried to run a tempo today but could not. Came through 2 miles in 14:14 with very little energy left and a slowing pace so I walked a lap then jogged 3 more miles in 23:54 with a pretty even pace then a half mile cool to hit the mileage quota. Overall time was 38:08 (7:38 pace). That's a good pace for an easy run but not a tempo. Since today was a bit of both, I will be lenient and only count it as an easy run but based on feel, this was not good by any stretch.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=5.5

Weekly summary:
This latest relapse could break my will permanently. I have no idea what's going on. All I can do is order another hair test ahead of schedule and I want to get my thyroid hormones tested too (blood work). If the results are not what I hope this time around, I will pretty much lose hope that this is going to work for me. Give it more time? It's been 5 years. I can handle being a bit unbalanced and would not even mind being a little slower but I CANNOT take being chemically unstable but part of me is preparing to accept that as my fate.
Distance=40.0/GPA= 35.3/11=3.21 (skewed by 1 great run)
Note: If I took the same pills on 7/31 that I took on 7/25, I could not even finish 1 Mile.

Rant: Bad parenting example

2011-07-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

I do not have any kids so I'm probably not qualified to blog about this but here it comes. I've commented before that I believe that the maturity level of today's youth leaves much to be desired especially in comparison with a generation or two ago and I do feel that lax parental discipline has played a role. Disrespectful actions that are commonplace today would have been considered shocking in my grandparents' time. However, this rant is about the other extreme case. I observed an 11 year old boy thoughtlessly step on a muddy path. Maybe he thought it had dried. Maybe he wasn't thinking at all. Either way, it's not a big deal, right? Wrong. The poor kid's father completely flipped out on him. He said stuff such as: "Why did you do that?" "I want to know what was going on in your 11 year old mind and what neurons were misfiring that caused you to do such a stupid thing." It wasn't just the words either. The father's attitude was so vicious, bullying and condescending that I really felt bad for the kid. When the kid quietly said that he didn't know it was muddy, the angry father turned to his wife and said: "He didn't know it was muddy! Ha! Then, he repeated incredulously: "I didn't know it was muddy!" Then he went on for another minute or two about what a stupid thing that was to say. Just to kick him when he was down, he made the kid, who was near crying, take off his shoes and look what he had done because he didn't know it was muddy. They weren't even dress shoes either. They were just basic black New Balance tennis shoes. After some deliberation, I decided that it was none of my business and just went to my car. I really wish I had simply patted him on the shoulder and whispered "it's okay" before doing so. That could have made him feel a bit better. What was especially sickening is that this happened as the family had just walked out of church. How about simply making him wash the shoes, clean the car if necessary and tell him to pay more attention to his surroundings? The Bible says that tongue has the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21) and there was no good reason to humiliate that kid with such hurtful words. If things don't change soon in that household, I predict that the kid will have a lot of behavioral problems as a teenager. When he turns 14-15, he'll just rebel and become disrespectful both at home and at school.
I broke my share of things around my parents' house which is a lot more serious that getting my shoes dirty. It was either because I was playing too rough or just spaced out. Yes, sometimes my parents were frustrated when it happened but as long as it was an accident, I never was punished or yelled at too much, at least not like what was described above.
Now, another issue that I'd like to discuss is verbal abuse. If anyone I know is in a physically abusive relationship, I would advise them to get out immediately and I don't want to hear any bullcrap about how "he didn't mean it" or "I love him." When it comes to defenseless children who grow up in that environment, my heart really breaks for them. I can only hope that either their parents clean up their act or they find a new home in which they are loved and cared for. What if you are in a relationship in which there is persistent verbal abuse and continued unkind comments with no remorse or signs of change? I believe that it is indeed grounds for leaving. Whoever says that words will never hurt is sorely misguided. As for children trapped in that situation, the only thing we can do is pray that the verbal abuse stops before any more damage is done as well as reconciliation and forgiveness from both parties.

Training 7/18-7/24- possible race

2011-07-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

7/18- Planned rest day. Guarding against overtraining. Hoping to kick some serious butt at Johnny's workout tomorrow. A bit of a break from the heat the last couple of days but that won't last long. We've got about 5 more weeks of intense heat before it begins to go down.

7/19- Bad day all around. Johnny's workout started out fine (75-75-2:39) then hit the wall on the 1200 (4:24) and struggled in the 800 (2:57) and he would not even let me run the final quarter. Too much choline/inositol. I took another blow when I heard that a friend seems to be giving up on the hair test protocol and going back to anti-depressants.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=5.0

7/20- Trak Shak 7 in 55:21 (7:55 pace). The good news is that I hit the target pace. The bad news is that it was supposed to be effortless and it was far from it. I cut my dosage but it wasn't enough. I'm downgraded to doubtful on Retro. I will try to stick to 8 pills (2 grams/day) and my chemistry remains extremely unstable. 7=anxiety, easily tired. 9=lethargic, depressed.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=7.0

7/21- Par for the course, I cut the dosage too far and struggled with anxiety for most of the day. Literally overnight, I went from one extreme to the other. The workout was supposed to be a 3-4 mile junk run but I really needed a small test. I warmed up with a Mile in 7:16 but it didn't feel right. In fact, it required quite a bit of effort so I popped another pill and waited about 20 minutes for it to take effect. I warmed up with another Mile at about the same speed but it felt much easier. Then, I walked a lap and decided to test myself with a short progression style tempo. Finished 2.5 miles in 16:47 (6:43 pace). Splits were 7:03-6:43-3:01. I probably could have kept this up for another 2.5 but even that would leave me a full 90 seconds slower than last week's great effort. Clearly getting back on track and thanks to running, I knew that the lowered dosage was not enough. Forecast for Saturday is about normal for this time of year. High of 91 with a 40% chance of rain and 100% chance of high humidity. I remain listed as doubtful for this one but my status for next month's 5K has been upgraded to probable.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance= 5.0

7/22- This was a planned rest day but I elected to try a junk run. I took the same dosage as yesterday but today it was too much. This is baffling. Warm up Mile in 7:19 then popped a pill and began feeling much worse. Maybe I should be happy that I seem to be trending down with the pills but I am not. Since this was a planned rest day, I will be very lenient and not grade this debacle. Tomorrow, I will not be so easy on myself. Status for tomorrow is now very doubtful and that's too bad because the weather is supposed to be decent (upper 80s in the evening with low rain chance).
Grade:Non-pass/0 credit/distance=2.0

7/23- Nothing should surprise me anymore but this recent turn of events does. I took ZERO pills for a full 24 hours and got progressively better as the day passed. I still chose not to race but if the event had been only 3 hours later, I would have done it and probably finished with a good time. It did rain at where I live but I'm not sure about the race site. It's possible that it was overcast with temps in the low 80s, which could be PR conditions. ARGH! Workout was 6 miles in 45:23 (7:34 pace). Not effortless but still quite comfortable. Very even splits as well and my shin splints have diminished considerably. If I wake up feeling good tomorrow, it will be the 3rd time in the last 12 months that I have "freed" from the dependence on pills (4th time overall). This time I am not excited about it. I have gotten my hopes up too many times only to come crashing down worse than before. God is able to heal me but until I see a good medical report, I will not believe that He has. Sorry if this disappoints my readers but it's how I feel. I cannot take another heartbreaking letdown and if you've experienced this, you'd understand. Still a bad day overall but a good workout. Possible time trial tomorrow.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

7/24- Forget what I posted about being freed from the pills. I woke up feeling a bit anxious so I know that I remain unbalanced. I admit that I am somewhat relieved that I will not be let down again like I was last Fall. Another bad day. 1 pill was not enough, 2 pills were too many. Maybe I just can't tolerate choline/inositol alone but if taken with B-vitamins as in Stress-Pak, I'll be okay. Maybe I can tolerate Thym-Adren and maybe not. In any event, I'll do another medical report in 2-3 weeks. I will keep hope alive until then. If my numbers are not near normal or at least quickly heading in the right direction, I don't see it ever happening. Workout was a weak tempo. 5 miles in 36:50 (7:22 pace) and I could barely hold 7 minute pace running all out. That is nearly a minute per mile slower than my best.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
Once again, I have nothing more to say that I did not already post. This GPA should be even lower. Friday would have been an "F" if it had not been a planned rest day.
Distance=30.0/ GPA= 17.1/7= 2.44

Thanks to my readers

2011-07-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

I started this running blog in November of 2008 mostly for me as a way to track my progress and chronicle my recovery from adrenal fatigue. I've kept logs off and on in the past but they were usually not very detailed and I did not share them with anyone except for my coach. My only regret is that I did not start it sooner. I'm sure that a lot of beginners would have liked to have read about my progress from a walk/jog program similar to a Couch 2 5K in late October 2006 to my first half marathon only 5 months later. Similarly, I'm sure many would have liked to have known more about my training for my first marathon and how and when I made the decision to run it.
I'm just shy of 5,000 page views since Blogger began tracking it in June 2010. There are a few elite runners that I know that get tens of thousands of views per year and upwards of 10 comments on every post. Because I am not an elite athlete, I don't expect that this blog will ever generate that number of fans and I'm okay with that. Earning the praise of others is not my highest aim in this life. That said, there's still a lot that I can be proud of with this blog.
True, at times I have let my negative emotions come out in some of my posts, which is something that I do not do on my main website, which contains a section of Scripture and commentary. I know that I have frightened some people with a few of my more negative posts but this blog is intended to be a more accurate picture of living day to day with chemical imbalances and instability. When these symptoms flare up, anyone would be in a foul mood no matter how great their attitude but to my credit, I have yet to throw in the towel. Before starting this blog, many people did not truly understand how important a role running plays as a barometer of my condition. Now, they do.
Maybe some of you are anonymous readers who have had adrenal fatigue or some other chronic illness and wonder if it will ever be possible to get back to competitive or serious running again. My answer to that question is an unequivical YES and despite that slumps that I have endured, anyone who reads regularly should know that it is true.
Maybe some of you are good runners with PRs in the mid-high 1:30s for a half marathon and 20-21 minutes for 5K with aspirations of taking your running to the next level. I've been there and believe that in most cases, you can get to my level of performance or faster. With my training log, you know now exactly what I did to improve my times. My lifetime goals are listed on the side and after my latest breakthrough, I believe that I could beat those times right now given the perfect conditions (fast course, close competiton, good weather, A+ stuff).
Whatever your reason for reading this blog, I want to say thank you. I also want to recognize a few of my friends who have been especially supportive. Thanks to the 2 Prestons (PrestonAL and DaWeekend Warrior). Thanks to ScreaminZab and the Puerto Rican Kenyan for listing this blog on your roll. Thanks to my buddies on RWOL from the 1:30 half thread. Extra special thanks to LA Runner for strong and consistent support.
Here are some fun facts from the stat page:
-Approximately 70% of the page views came from the U.S. but the 2nd highest number surprisingly came from the Netherlands. Other countries with over 100 views are Canada, Germany and Russia with Australia the U.K and several eastern European countries close behind.
-My most popular post has been my endorsement of prolotherapy and I was very pleased to see that as my stated goal was "one small attempt to get the word out about it" and I've done that.
-My second most popular post was my Eugene marathon report (my first marathon). This RR was written several months after the actual race and thus much less detailed than some of my others.
-My Mercedes half report is 3rd, which is not a surprise and likely came from local runners who had heard about my blog from others.
-My training posts for the period (9/20-26/10 and 5/2-5/8/11) have also generated a lot of views. At the end of September 2010, I declared my long shot BQ attempt to be over and was injured 2 weeks later. In early May of this year, I was struggling with a chromium issue that turned out to be related to my infected root canal.
This blog will continue until further notice.

Training 7/11-7/17

2011-07-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

7/11- It seems like how I feel lately has been determined by how many pills I took the previous day rather than today. I'm not sure what to make of that either. I picked up some more choline/inositol which caused abnormal muscle pain a few months ago but back then I took a mega dose of it. Small-moderate amounts of ADHS and choline/inositol is my last hope. I went with 7 ADHS yesterday and the results were not good. I will try to cut it to 5 today.
AM- 3 miles with a time of 22:50 (7:37 pace) running all out. Yes, that's right. It took every ounce of energy to run my normal easy pace for half the distance I normally run on a easy day.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=3.0
PM- 5 miles indoors is 34:24 (6:53 pace). As expected, my evening run was a lot better because I haven't taken as much ADHS. That said, if I don't take any tonight, I will feel lousy tomorrow. Coming out of my slump? Maybe. Still over 2:00 from a PR.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0

7/12- Once again, I felt awful when I woke up then got worse after taking 2 ADHS. Then, as the day progressed, I felt better and better. Soon, I may be able to quit that stuff and hope the choline/inositol will do the job. Got new racing shoes at the Shak (Saucony Kinvara) then tried them on an easy 6. I took off at 7:30 pace and never slowed down. Time was 45:08 (7:31 pace). Slowed just a tad in Mile 4 and 5 but ran a relaxed 1:40 last quarter mile. Still a bit stiff. Update: I dropped my dosage from 5 to 3 yesterday and the third one produced a negative reaction. I'd like to quit ADHS now and just rely on the choline/inositol. We'll see what happens but I may need 1-2. It seems that my raw 200 and 400 speed has declined a bit in the last year. I don't think my age is the problem but the thyroid hormone imbalance could be. More natural speed can only help me in longer distances.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance-6.0

7/13- I only took 1 ADHS last night before bed and woke up feeling fine. Indoor 5 miler in a remarkable time of 31:57 (6:23 pace). Unfortuantely, it cannot count as a PR even unofficially since I had to pit stop after 5K because of absolutely nasty GI issues. I probably was getting toxins out of my system so I'm not worried at all. Splits were 6:18-6:26-6:36-6:26-6:11.
Perhaps the slow 3rd mile came as a result of the GI distress but my last mile was certainly aided by the 5 minute rest. This project to a time of 40:16 for 10K and a sub-1:30 half.
Going for a sub-40 10K in the Fall and I'm 80% of the way there and I know I can duplicate this legally. Took 1 ADHS before bed and tightened up. I'm through with that stuff until further notice.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=6.0

7/14- Planned rest day. Shins and calves are a bit sore. Tomorrow will be my first full day off the ADHS and I'll try to get up for a morning run. Picked up some Brooks Ghost shoes from the Shak on my lunch break.

7/15- First full day off the ADHS and my body clearly felt different in the workout. I got up at 6 AM to run so I'll have a few hours extra rest for a potentially fast group run tomorrow. I still have a bit a shin split issues. Today was my first run in the Brooks Ghost shoes and I was generally pleased. I like the Saucony Kinvara better but my PF could flare up if I run in those every day. Oh yeah, the workout was 6 miles at an easy effort but moderate pace. My time was 44:46 (7:28 pace) with 5 out of 6 miles at 7:30 or under. I actually tried to slow down but could not. I am red hot now but wary of injury potential. Cut back next week and a race on Saturday evening if the weather cooperates.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=6.0

7/16- Group run. 11 miles on a route that was a bit less hilly than usual. Also, it was overcast and not as hot as before. That made for a fast pace. I got dropped by the lead group (sub-3 marathoners) but hung with the 2nd group and could have pulled away at the end. Finished with a 7:24 average pace with pretty even splits and added a cool down. Shin was no worse than before but it hasn't gone away. I think the cause was abnormally tight calf muscles, which is related to the pills. Pretty strong performance overall. Just like with the ADHS, I'll feel ill-effects if I go 12 hours without choline/inositol. I don't think I took quite enough for optimal results today but I'm still pleased. I've got another week to tweak it.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0

7/17- Red hot again. Breezed through an easy 7 in 51:21 (7:20 pace). Felt no harder than upper 7:30s-low 7:40s. Faster paces at the same effort is a very good sign and bodes well for Fall marathon training. Even at 55 MPW, 7:45-8:00 should be a cinch.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
What can I say? 2 sub-7 tempos including 1 sub-6:30 and the new easy is 7:30 pace. I don't think I've ever been this hot this long. The only downer is that I've been needing more choline/inositol but that could be only temporary. Saturday's Retro 5K will be a game time decision based largely on the weather. I'm doing a cut back week as planned. I'd hate to see a shot at an epic PR ruined by an epic injury.
Distance=45.0/ GPA=35.4/10= 3.54

Training 7/4-7/10

2011-07-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

7/4- Peavine Falls 8.2 mile run plus warm up. Time was 64:who cares. Pace was just under 8. If this had been a half marathon, I don't think I could have finished. Terrible performance.
P.M.- 6 laps at Vestavia in a time of 9:55 (6:37 pace). 1st half: 5:06, 2nd half:4:49. Sub-90 last lap. Showing signs of coming out of it. Looks to be a thyroid issue. If I have to sharply reduce the ADHS, my medical report BETTER be a lot better or else I am in big trouble. 1 mile cool.
Grade:D+/3 credits/distance=11.0

7/5- 6x200 in 32 (4:16 pace). 200 meter jog for recovery. Very even splits. Slowest was #4 at 33, fastest was #6 at 31. Cut dosage from 8 to 6 and felt definite improvement. Still a tad stiff and sluggish. No condition for 59.9 today. Probably would have been hard pressed to break 65 but since I am improving, I get a lenient grade. 1 mile warm in 7:15. 2.5 mile cool in 19:47 (7:55 pace). Good mileage so far this week. No news yet on the medical front.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0

7/6- Surprisingly good Trak Shak 5 in 34:17 (6:52 pace) plus a cool down. Temp was in the upper 80s and sticky-icky. Except for upper 30s and rain, this is my least favorite weather in which to run. Slight fade in the last 2 miles but still pleased overall. Otherwise, this day was BAD. I woke up feeling awful and it has become clear that my treatment must go in another direction. ADHS is not the path to balance because it contains too much Lithium, which messed up my thyroid. The medical report is so bad that I can't believe it's accurate. I think the infected root canal skewed the results and the doc agrees that it is a plausible explanation. I am angry about having to make another adjustment and I may not be in PR shape again for a while. Retro is in 17 days and if I know I can't PR, I'll skip it.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0

7/7- Planned rest day. In the recent past, after 2 straight hard workouts, my legs were fine but my body felt like it took a caning. Today, I am moderately sore in the legs but the rest of me feels okay, not good but okay. I'm not sure what to make of that. So how did I run pretty well yesterday after feeling awful in the morning? I tried some chromium and felt nothing, which is good news. That battle has been won thanks to the tooth extraction. Enter yet another temporary fix. Thyroid glandular concentrate and it's raw, man. It will be taken until it stops working and is aimed at symptom relief. Otherwise, my symptoms of fatigue would be unbearable. My medical report shows the opposite pattern as my current symptoms. I think I'll just put no stock in it at all. How will I be feeling when it's time to train for the all important Fall racing season? What pills will I be taking at that time? What will the medical report say? The answer to all of these questions is that I have no idea.

7/8- The Lithium wore off by early evening yesterday and I woke up from a nap actually feeling somewhat disoriented. Not a surprise but I'll need to go back on ADHS at a lowered dosage. I have ordered Stress Pak too, which was ineffective in the past. I hope that I can get by with moderate doses of each rather than mega doses of one pill. Today, I opted for a morning run for a change and was pleased with the result. After 2 ADHS (normal dose is 4 in the morning), I put in 5 miles at moderate effort with a time of 37:50 (7:34 pace) then turned it up a notch with a final mile in 6:50. I was hoping to have more left at the end but I won't complain. Overall time was 44:40 for 6 miles (7:27 pace). That's way too fast but I needed a bit of a test today. Tomorrow, I will run with the slow group.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.0

7/9- Decent start by was slipping by Mile 5. Last 7 with the slow group and I was struggling to stay with them. Finished the run with an average pace around 8:15. The slump has now lasted a full week. Got the Stress Pak and it seems ineffective again. I must take as much ADHS as I can handle. ARRGH!
PM- Very easy recovery jog at Veteran's Park with the group and had a couple beers afterwards. Quite sore
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=14.0

7/10- Too much ADHS yesterday. Still can't find the right formula. Unscheduled rest day but there will be no penalty because I'm already over 40 on the week. I will try to stabilize the ADHS at 6 pills and I'm not sure that the Stress Pak is helping at all. I will try another medical report in 6-8 weeks and may seek a 2nd opinion and/or a thyroid hormone test. Sometimes I feel like giving up. Legs are sore especially in the shin area but the rest of me doesn't feel too beat up but I am sluggish and lethargic.

Weekly summary:
The streak of 6 straight weeks at or above 3.0 has ended at 6. Nothing more to say that I have not said before.
Distance=42.0/GPA= 23.8/10=2.38

Peavine Falls RR

2011-07-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Training:
It had been a very good last 6 weeks with no real medical problems. That changed on Friday. I thought that I was simply over-reaching with the training but I was much worse the next morning. My next run was not too bad so I decided to give it a try but I may not race it all out because of the heat. 75 degrees at the start and over 80 at the finish. I woke up feeling decent and predicted a pretty good race. I felt about average warming up but you never really know until the gun goes off.

Course:
This is one of the most unique events. The first mile is rolling with about as much downhill as uphill (about 80 ft each) then for the next 2 miles or so, it's almost straight and sharply uphill with very few breaks. There's a pretty good downhill around Mile 3 then we go back sharply up to the top of the mountain. All told, the elevation gain is just over 400 feet. On a good day, especially if you go out conservative, you can really fly back down. Then, instead of finishing the same out of back course, you turn onto a dirt trail with rolling terrain and many turns before finishing downhill again. The length of the course is 8.2 miles and my goal was under 60 minutes or roughly a 7:21 average pace.

Race:
I got off to a pretty good start but it wasn't long before I could tell that something wasn't right. My legs had little spring and I was struggling for breath early. The first mile ended downhill and I reminded myself to take it easy here because I knew what was coming. My split was 7:18, a little fast but not far off what I need to do to finish under 60. Turning the corner uphill, I kept the pace somewhat respectable. I gained some ground on the pack that had passed me on the previous downhill. Despite a 300 ft. elevation gain, I recorded an 8:20 split. A few people took walk breaks but I found it to be run-able. By Mile 3, I was cooked and took it easy on the downhill and by the time I was to take the climb to the top of the mountain, I wanted to quit. I did run all the way to the top but took an extended drink stop. There would be no famous downhill speed here. It was a grim battle for survival. Every time the course turned slightly uphill, I had to walk. I did manage to hit the upper 6s on the steep downhill but I passed no one. Other runners were flying by me like I was standing still. We came to the trail and I punted. With my body out of whack, I would not be taking any chances in the heat. I mostly slow jogged the trail and took a couple more walk breaks. Mercifully, the finish line came and I made no effort to kick. My final time was 64:xx. Just under 8:00 pace overall. I don't know my official time nor do I care.

Final thoughts:
Something is obviously wrong. It is either calcium or a thyroid issue from taking too much ADHS, which contains Lithium. I'll get a medical report by the end of the week or next and we'll see what's going on. Revenge on this course next year. I may or may not run Retro in 3 weeks.

Training 6/27-7/3

2011-06-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

6/27- A.M.- Slept in a bit and I was not about to fight that heat. Easy 3 on the 'mill with a time of 23:24 (7:48 pace). That's about all that I can stand to do on a machine.
P.M- Red flag on the beach and that meant rough surf and tons of fun with the boogie board. Man, I almost forgot how much fun that thing is. Amazingly, after fighting the rough surf all day in the sun and eating dinner, which included a mixed drink, I was able to run fairly well. At 7:30 in the evening, I ran 3 miles in what was still quite uncomfortable conditions with a time of 21:18 (7:06 pace) on the U.S. 98 sidewalk. It was almost tempo effort but not tempo pace. All thinks considered however, I'll cut myself some slack.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

6/28- Stole an extra hour in the surf before check out then took a side trip to the Flora-Bama lounge for lunch. Flora-Bama is your typical beach lunch fare with a wide variety of drinks. The food is nothing special but what makes it cool is that the establishment is not only on the beach but literally on the Florida/Alabama line. It is also a popular place for live bands in the evening. Drove back to the 'Ham and got in by evening and without even stopping back home, I got out of the car for an easy 7 in 53:28 (7:38 pace). Low 7:30s felt nearly effortless but I still backed off a tad. This run was great but once again, I might pay for it down the road.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0

6/29- Trak Shak 8 at a moderate pace. It was actually 8.04 with a time of 58:46 (7:19 pace) in 90 degree weather. That's the equivalent of a sub-7 in optimal conditions. This was just shy of tempo effort. I did get to run with a buddy today and that was cool. Solid but not stellar performance. I'm racking up the mileage this week. I must back off if I am to be fresh for Peavine. Even pace except for the tough 7th mile and I had something left at the end.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=8.0

6/30- Easy 7 indoors and the cruise control was working well. Time was 53:56 (7:42 pace). Slightly fatigued but I was not struggling in the least. Took about a 15 minute rest then ran some hard 200s at Vestavia. Times were 34-34-32-30 (32 avg-roughly 4;20 pace). I was hoping for a little faster but realistically I was too tired and did not warm up for the sprints. I have run 1,049 miles in the first half of the year and my GPA stands at 2.97 but that's rising fast.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=8.0

7/1- Planned rest day. My body is reeling from the effort this week but it's not exhausted. I want to do more short intervals this coming month. Long and EASY tomorrow and yes, I plan to run with the back of the pack in the group run. I'm in for Peavine on the 4th.

7/2- BAD morning. I slept in and missed the group run but I would not have been able to do it anyway. Planned on 10 miles at 8:15-8:30 and had to settle for Lakeshore 5 in a turtle time of 43:21 (8:42 pace). I'm pretty sure that the problem was the calcium supplement that contains glutamic acid. I tried to pick up the pace several times and each time I was able to do so for a couple of minutes then got stuck back in the rut. This should clear my system by the evening.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=5.0

PM- Indoor 6 in 47:16 (7:53 pace). Much better but still quite sore.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

7/3- Planned rest day. Should be okay for Peavine.

Weekly summary:
Saturday's debacle really put a damper on what would have been a very good week overall. The medical report should arrive by the end of next week and I am afraid that I am not out of the woods yet.
Distance=40.0/ GPA= 3.00

Summer/Fall racing schedule

2011-06-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is officially here, it's time to finalize my Fall racing plans:
6/25- Race to the Courthouse 5K (local)- Doubtful
7/4- Peavine Falls Run (8.2) (local)- Probable
7/23- Twilight Retro 5K-(local) Questionable
8/20- Are U Able 5K (local)-Questionable
9/4- Gatorade Steelers 5K (PA)- In
10/1- Montgomery half (AL)- In
10/16- Louisville half(KY)- In
11/5- Vulcan/Senior Bowl 10K(AL)- Questionable
11/19- White River Marathon(AR)- Probable
12/20- Jacksonville Bank half(FL)- Doubtful
That's a heavy schedule but there's no way that I'll end up doing all of these. One of my goals is to run over 2,000 miles in a calendar year and the more I race, the fewer miles I will train. 2009 was my best running year of my comeback and I only raced twice in the final 3 months of the year. Of course, I want 2011 to be better on all accounts.
5Ks- PRs can bet set alone on a track but I'd like to make it official. Perfect conditions such as favorable weather, close competition, flat course, A+ stuff are hard to come by.

Courthouse- may not be hot but certainly humid. Flat enough course but not usually competitive. Will probably skip it but could change my mind if I feel exceptionally strong when I wake up.

Twilight Retro- Evening race. Got lucky with the weather 2 years ago (below 80 and dry). I set a big PR. Most years however, it's either 95 and dry or 80 and steamy. Pick your poison. That said, it's always competitive and flat enough to be a PR course.

Are U Able- Also flat enough to be a PR course but weather and lack of competition could be issues. More inclined to do it if I skip Retro or perform poorly there.

Gatorade- flat, competitive, probably not hot, finish in Heinz Field.

Monty half- more for fun to see old friends. Fairly hilly and could be a bit warm.

Louisville- PR or sub-1:30 attempt. Flat and cool. First Kentucky race.

Vulcan/Senior Bowl- I'm willing to travel to Mobile if I feel I have a legitimate chance at a sub-40. If not, I can race locally or do a 20 mile training run.

White River- First Arkansas race. Good opportunity to improve soft marathon PR. I've raced the distance 3 times and have never been healthy at the start line. Calculators say I can run 3:15-3:20 but I'll take anything under 3:30.

Jacksonville- strictly a back up in case of a missed race due to injury/illness.

If all goes as planned, I will run 5 halves and 1 full in 2011. I've never done more than 3 halves or 1 full. The focus on distance will continue in early 2012. Austin, TX will be perhaps my best hope at sub-1:30 because it's mostly downhill. Then, after Mercedes in February, I will shift to heavy speed. With every passing year after 30, my sprinting will decline slowly and 59.9 will be extremely difficult. As for marathons, I may not do any in 2012-13 because I'll need a 3:05 to BQ and realistically, I don't see that happening no matter how well I train. When I'm in my late 30s, I will shift back to long distance.

Training 6/20-6/26

2011-06-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

6/20- Still a bit of residual soreness in my legs. No real concern. I don't think it's anything more serious than natural fatigue. I was like a pitcher with a sore arm that battled through 6 innings and kept the game competitive despite not having his best stuff. Workout was 7x600 with a goal of 2:00 followed by 3x200 with a goal of 35. That's a average pace of 5:15/mile for 3 miles worth of intervals. I was struggling from the get go and it was on the verge of getting ugly towards the end. I managed to fight through the tiredness and hope that it was pay dividends in the strength area (short distance endurance) that is crucial for the Mile and 5K. The 200s had the objective of keeping my speed sharp for a possible 59.9 attempt in late summer. 600s came in at:
2:01-2:01-2:00-2:02-2:04-2:06-2:07. Then, I showed some life in the 200s (33-34-30). It was good to see that 30 but back in '99, it could have been a 28. Finished with an average pace of 5:19/mile but there's no way I could have done that in a time trial today. R was about 2:15-2:30, which is what I planned.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0

6/21- Elective rest day. There will be no penalty for this one because this is a scheduled cut back week. If I complete tomorrow's run as planned, I will pass 1,000 miles on the year. My previous high was 1,993 in 2009. I've got to top 2,000 this year and hope to have time for a week off.

6/22-I slept 10 hours last night and could have stayed in bed even longer. Usual Trak Shak run was rained out so I went indoors for an easy 7.5. Despite the off day yesterday, I still felt a bit stiff today. After a bit of a rough start, I found the zone and set the cruise control between 7:40 and 7:45. For the next 7 miles, I just relaxed and let my engine take over. Finished with a time of 57:52 (7:43 pace) and added a half mile cool down. I have no doubt that I could hold that pace through 20 miles. From that point, even a 9:00 pace for the last 10K brings me home in 3:29.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0

6/23- Cruised another easy 6 in 46:14 (7:42 pace). Found it difficult to slow down but this wasn't the smartest workout. My status for Courthouse has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable. The temp should be 75-78 at the start with a humidity between 85-90%. If it's overcast, I'll consider it if I feel strong when I wake up. If it's sunny, I'm skipping it no matter how well I feel. Felt the same as yesterday, which is good. Passed 1,000 miles on the year a full week ahead of schedule.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

6/24- Planned rest day. I am hoping to be fresh enough tomorrow to at least attempt a 5K PR. The decision will be made after checking the weather when I wake up. Update: Latest forecast is 76 at the start, near 80 at the finish with sunny skies and high humidity. This course has zero shade so I will most likely skip it and do a quality long run.

6/25- Probably a good call on skipping the race. It's not terribly hot but it's sunny and humid and the course has zero shade. Enjoyed my group run today. Covered just over 11.5 (watch started late) with an average pace of 7:22 and a lot left at the end. I may have raced well but I'm not sure that I was sharp enough to PR at 5K. I'll save it for Peavine on the 4th. Here's the summary:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/94678216
Short cool down at the end to make it an even 12 and I'm heading to FLA in a few minutes.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=12.0

6/26- I expected it to be brutally humid down on the Gulf coast but it was worse than expected. I started my run at 6:50 AM and it proved to be too late. Come to think of it, I don't think any time of day is good to run here. The low temp is usually 80 degrees with 100 percent humidity. At 7 AM, it was already pushing 85 with close to 90% humidity. I felt pretty well overall but the humidity eventually did me in after starting too fast. My moving time was a solid 37:52 (7:35 pace) for 5 miles but the final .75 was walk/run intervals. To my credit, I did manage to stay under 8 pace in Miles 3-4 after starting below 7:30.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

Weekly summary:
Did about what I planned in a cut back week. My body needed it. Next week could be low as well but I want a strong performance at Peavine on the 4th. Nothing less than a B-. I like that.
Distance=36.0/GPA= 23.5/7=3.36

Training 6/13-6/19

2011-06-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

6/13- Easy 8 in 60:54 (7:37 pace). 1st mile was 7:22 but after that I was pretty even. 1st half: 30:15, 2nd half 30:39. Very strong performance. I could have gone 13 at this pace and it still would have felt comfy. This is 3:20 full mary pace. Cool down was a tribute to Ochocinco again. This does exceed the speed limit for an easy day and I hope it doesn't bite me later in the week.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.5

6/14- Johnny's workout as planned. I expected it to be short and fast but it was surprisingly long. At least I knew what was coming all along. (800-400) x 4. Very consistent splits and never felt terribly uncomfortable. 800s were all 2:43-2:44. 400s were 74-74-74-70. The goal was a 2:45 average in the 800s and a 75 in the 400s and I beat that comfortably. Total time was 15:47 for 3 miles worth of intervals (5:16 pace). Recoveries were generous however so it wasn't as good as it looks on paper. Temp was in the low-mid 90s.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=5.0

6/15- Tempo. Trak Shak 5 in 94 degree weather. Time of 34:03 (6:49 pace) does not include extended drink stops. I'm crazy to push in this weather but I am not stupid. Quite pleased with this workout and I've earned a day off tomorrow. 1 mile cool. Still on track for over 40.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.0

6/16- Planned rest day. If I had gone continuous yesterday, my time projects to a PR in optimal temps. I was pushing hard but it was not a "race level" effort but then again, I had 3 fairly lengthy drink stops. I don't feel half bad today but it's a good call to rest. It may very well catch up with me tomorrow. Hoping to restrain myself during the easy miles then run a few sprints at the end.

6/17- Not a surprise. The delayed onset muscle soreness hit me hard today. Struggled through an easy 5 at Vestavia. This was probably my most unpleasant run in the last 2 weeks. Weather conditions were cool but humid. Time was 39:37 (7:55 pace) and my splits were fairly even. I was hoping to get some 200s in after this but with no power in my legs, I had to bag it. Last night, I dreamed that I was hanging out at an arcade with teenagers and I supplied them with alcohol right out in the open. I would not be surprised to have another dream tonight.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.5

6/18- Group run in near 100% humidity. Survived a 13.5 mile trek through the hilly streets of Mountain Brook but my body feels like it took a caning. Uneven pace mostly because I followed whoever was leading the group at the time. Some 18:30 5K guys picked up the pace at the end but I got dropped. I don't feel bad about that because I dropped everyone slower than I. Average pace was 7:54. Fastest mile was 7:09, slowest was 8:31. Earlier this summer, I vowed not to go over 10 on a hot or humid day. I broke it today and paid the price. Those last 3 mile were tough. The good news is that my weekly mileage will be high again.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=13.5

6/19- Slept in a bit and opted for an easy 6 indoors plus a cool down. It was fairly comfortable but not effortless. Time was 46:42 (7:47 avg). Even pace with a mild fade in Mile 5 (23:18/23:24). No complaints about this one but I'm clearly beat up and need a cut back. I dreamed that I was back in high school and had 2 long term papers due the same day, could not get either one done and flipped out on a teacher for piling on the work.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.5

Weekly summary:
I reached 45 miles again with very little cut back on quality. Great start to the week but tailed off later and am showing signs of breaking down. I will cut back next week and may enter a local 5K before heading down to the coast if it's not brutally hot and humid. Speaking of which, the first half of June was abnormally hot but at least it was dry. Now, the humidity has kicked in and it's going to be rough. It will only get worse for the next 6 weeks and it may not even begin to subside until mid August. Even after a cooling rain, the decrease in air temperature is nearly offset by high humidity. Still, no need for chromium for an entire month. I DECLARE MYSELF CHEMICALLY STABLE!
Distance=45.0/GPA= 29.8/9= 3.31

Training 6/6-6/12

2011-06-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

6/6- AM- Basic easy 5 indoors in 38:57 (7:47 pace). Struggled a bit early but got the kinks worked out by Mile 2 then had to force myself to slow down. Miles 3-5 were all 7:45-7:50. Not too glamorous but I did what I planned and hope to be fresh enough for a hard evening workout.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.5
PM- 10x400 at Vestavia with a 2 minute passive R. Even after 6:00, it was still over 90 degrees but at least it wasn't humid. It felt more like Arizona today than Alabama but I'd rather run when it's 95 and dry than 85 and steamy. Very good performance. Times were (80-77-75-77-76) followed by 76-77-77-78-72. Average was 76.5. I'll strive for in the 75s next time and if I can do that, I'll bet I can run a 5:15 mile even if it's solo.
Grade:A-/2 credit/distance=4.5

6/7- Easy 7.5 indoors in 58:12 (7:46 pace). Even pace, felt stronger as the workout progressed. Hoping to feel a payoff by going consistently longer than 6 in my easy runs. Strong performance. Weight is pretty steady at 155 but I need to increase my calories.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0

6/8- Tempo at the Trak Shak. 90 degree weather and I did 6.5 miles in 45:20 (6:58 pace) on a hilly route. According to runworks, that's as good as a 6:40 pace in optimal temps. Very strong workout. A few college runners (D1 level) passed me in Mile 2 and I pretty much kept with them until the water break after which we went in different directions. This was faster than planned so if I'm not recovered by Friday and my Mile is sub-par, I won't be upset.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.0

6/9- Planned rest day. Not too sore but very tired and worn out. I had a nightmare last night and won't even reveal it. Maybe tonight will be a funny dream. Gearing up for a Mile PR attempt tomorrow.

6/10- Another mildly disappointing time trial. Vestavia Mile in 5:28.4 (best time of the year). It was done after a cooling rain with overcast conditions and temps below 80 so I'm unlikely to get better weather for this anytime soon. 6 seconds better than my previous best of '11 but 8 down on last year's best and a daunting 13 from the goal. I'm afraid that Wednesday's tempo just took too much out of me but even if I'm fresh, I need more work. Next time I do a time trial, I need an easy day and an off day before any PR attempt. Then again, if I do that too often, my mileage will be too low. I just want to hit the goal and be done with it. Splits were 78-84-83-83. (2:42/2:46). What stands out about that is that I had ZERO finishing kick, which is very unusual for me. Even on tired legs, I should have coaxed at least an 80 last lap. It seems like once I knew I wasn't gonna make it, I lost all heart. Though a mild disappointment, this was really not too bad if you put it in perspective. My average before the crash was 5:30 and to break that barrier provides some solace. This is my first sub-5:30 after turning 30 years old.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=3.0

6/11- Dreamed that I had to travel up a dangerous mountain road that was snow covered to get to a downhill race at high elevation and the weather forecast called for a 100% chance of "golden rain." Don't even ask where that one came from. Workout was a group run starting at 5:30 AM. I went with Brad (sub-3 marathoner) on a 9 mile loop and finished with a time of 67:41 (7:32 pace) then stopped to refuel and ran the Trak Shak 3 loop in 23:43 (7:54 pace) for an overall time of 91:24 for 12 miles, which is a still quick 7:37 average pace. Good job.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=12.0
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/91671058

6/12- Easy 6 in 46:21 (7:44 pace). Even pace, felt strong. No complaints. I could have gone farther and/or faster but considering the quality of my workouts this week, it was a smart call to hold back a bit. I'd like to do some 200s tonight. We'll see how I feel but again, it's probably smart to hold back.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Very strong week overall. Good mileage and I did not sacrifice quality. Too bad that my weakest performance came in the time trial. If I can make it 4 more days without chromium, it will be a full month and I will declare myself chemically stable though still unbalanced.
Distance=46.0/ GPA= 42.5/12= 3.54

Training 5/30-6/4

2011-05-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

5/30- Basic run of the mill easy 6 indoors. I didn't care at all about the pace but it ended up at 47:36 (7:56 average) with very even splits. That was a bit much for the day after a race and it should have been just a junk run. No harm done.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

5/31- Johnny's workout. It was short today because of the heat (92 with a 95 heat index). That was fine. I wasn't up for a real hard workout 2 days after a half. 4x400 in 74, 800 in 2:39. 2 more slow 800s in 3:30 and a 2 mile cool. No complaints about this one. It will be hotter over the next 2 days. The RD has confirmed that the CDA course was long. It goes in the books as a PR with an asterisk.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0

6/1- National Running Day. Easy 5 at the Shak in 95 degree temps with a 100 heat index. Time was 38:23 (7:41 pace) with relatively even splits. Hurting but did what I planned. After my next half mary, I'm taking one day off regardless of how well I feel. Edit: According to run works, this is equivalent to a sub-37 or 7:20 pace in 70 degree weather. No wonder it felt hard. Indoors tomorrow. No relief from the heat for at least another week.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5

6/2- Much more comfortable indoor 6.5 miler in a time of 49:41 (7:39 pace). Started too fast then backed off to a more sensible pace towards the end. Felt good but not effortless. Went to a baseball game after the run with a couple of guys from the track club and got eaten by bugs. Not a very pleasant experience.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.5

6/3- 7 miles indoors in 55:36 (7:57 pace). Struggled. Not enough food in my system but got through the workout. Drove to Nashville in the afternoon.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=7.0

6/4- Planned rest day to recover from what I sure hope is my last prolotherapy session. Dr. Johnson targeted the sensitive abductor area. The best news is that I have not needed any chromium in nearly a month. It is possible that it was the infected root canal, not the ADHS, that caused the dependency by robbing my body of key nutrients. I need 10 miles tomorrow. It will be either easy long or a double with evening speed work depending on how I feel. Next week will be just as hot. There must be some relief ahead. It can't be like this all summer.

6/5- Lakeshore 10 just as planned at 6:30 AM. By the time I finished, it was already 80 degrees with 80% humidity. I wisely took 3 extended drink stops but finished with a pretty solid moving time of 77:50 (7:47 avg). Even pace. 1st 9 miles were all 7:42-7:54 with a mild pick up at the end. Final quarter mile was sub-7 pace. Solid effort.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=10.0

Weekly summary:
Hit the mileage target as planned. I'm averaging just over 40 per week on the year, which would put me over 2,000 for the first time in a calendar year. Doing 40 this week was a challenge due to heat, prolotherapy, travel and recovery from a hard race effort. Only downer was that I only had one high quality session and even that was abbreviated. Must do more speed now.
Distance=40.0/GPA= 24.8/8=3.10

CDA half RR

2011-05-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Training:
Decent cycle overall. My mileage was pretty consistent around 40, which was a little less than I hoped for but enough to get the job done in a half marathon. As usual, the quality was high but I was very much short on long runs. That could come back to bite me in the last 5K. I had not gone over 10 miles in more than a month and had not exceeded the race distance in more than 2 months. I did not plan on that happening but every time I had planned to go 15-16, an annoying medical issue flared up on the weekend. It's probable that a chronically infected root canal was hurting my training. The problem tooth was extracted 2 weeks ago and I was hopeful for improvement or at least more stability in my body chemistry. This was my first real shot at 1:30 and though I did not expect to break it, I believed that I could put a significant dent in my current PR (1:32:49) 3 months earlier in Chattanooga. The elevation was 2,200 feet, which should have a minimal negative effect on performance. I did not feel a difference but it was probably worth maybe 2-3 secs per mile or roughly :30 total.
Trip:
I flew Delta, which has not been so good to me in the past but this time, my trip went without a hitch. After a layover in Minneapolis, I landed on time just after noon in Spokane, Washington. I drove around town for a bit and found that the Centennial trail runs through downtown and would be a great place for an easy run the next day. Feeling tired, I checked into my hotel then walked to a Chili's just across the road where I polished off a full rack of ribs. The next morning, I got in an easy 5 in on the Centennial trail then hit the road heading east on I-90. It was a beautiful 3 hour drive to Missoula, Montana with mountains in the distance with peaks still snow covered. I have now been to every state in the continental U.S. with Alaska and Hawaii still to go. I chose this race because it presented the best opportunity to see both Idaho and Montana for the first time and the weather conditions were likely to be favorable even in late May. Coeur d'Alene is located in the northern panhandle of Idaho, just 100 miles south of the Canadian border. I drove around town for a bit, stopped at a mall and had dinner at a decent independent restaurant. The next morning, I got an early start and headed back to Idaho. I took in the beautiful lakeside scenery and walked around town for a bit. Dinner would really be a treat. I polished off a 24 oz. porterhouse and it was one of the best I have ever had. As planned, I was in bed early and would be ready to roll the next morning.
Race day:
I felt very strong warming up and was starting to feel confident that this could be my day. The weather was sunny with temps in the 40s-50s and the course map indicated that it was a mostly flat course. That was true. Another claim is suspect. The gun went off and my early pace was around 6:20. That's way too fast but it felt so effortless. Still, I tried my best to slow down but came through the Mile marker in 6:38, 15 seconds fast. The plan was to run in the upper 6:50s for the first half or just a tad slower than 1:30 pace. That way, if it's in me, I can go for it in the 2nd half but if not, I won't be out so fast that I'll be doomed in the later stages. By Mile 2, I was getting into a groove and would rip off 6 consecutive miles in the 6:50s. Mile 2-3 were mostly downhill but 4-5 would require more effort. I maintained the pace well and still felt quite comfortable through the first half. Despite, the faster pace, I felt better than I did in Chattanooga.
1st half spilts:
6:38-(6:38) slow down fool
6:56-(13:34) better
6:56-(20:30) very good
6:56-(27:26) new definition of an even pace
6:54-(34:20) feel great, that was a hilly mile.
6:59-(41:19) stay under 7 for as long as you can.
The mile markers were a bit short. Each mile seemed to be measured .98 or .99 and at the 6th Mile mark, my Garmin read 5.91. Normally, the reverse happens and the Garmin measures the course a bit long. Only once has the Garmin been off at the short end, which was at Mercedes this year. The splits listed are watch splits so a thought entered my mind. I may be going even faster than my splits indicate, possibly up to 30 seconds faster.
I hit 6.55 (Garmin) just a hair slower than 1:30 pace. I believe that my time was 45:06. A PR should be in the bag and if the Garmin measures the course at around 13.0, I may still have a shot at 1:29:59. By the 8th Mile, I was working quite hard and my pace was slowing. We hit a decent downhill in the next mile and it did not significantly increase my pace. I began losing contact with my pack and several runners would pass me before it was over. With 4 miles to go, a PR was still as good as mine unless the pace slipped to near 7:30. Sub-1:30 had slipped away and so had 1:30:xx but I still appeared to be in good shape to break 1:32, which was the more realistic goal coming in. It was here that my lack of long runs really came back to haunt me. Mile 10 was into a headwind and would be the slowest mile of the race. I was still under 70 for 10 Miles, which is an unofficial PR. 5K to go now and I'm in full blown survival mode. Time to grit my teeth and show some heart here. Mile 11 would be a bit faster but the remaining 2 miles would be mostly up a gentle incline. Running all out, I struggled to keep the pace under 7:20. As for the mile markers, they were now consistently measured at 1.00 if not 1.01, putting the official measurement closer to the Garmin time. Still, I hit Mile 12 with an 11.96 reading and expected the course to be no more than 13.10.
More splits:
6:51-(48:10) shaping up to be the race of my life
7:07-(55:17) slipping a little, slight incline
7:02-(62:19) downhill, hoped for a faster split. Survival
7:23-(69:42) uh oh. show some heart now.
7:09 (76:51) Barring disaster, you've got a PR.
7:17 (84:08) Hang on, uphill.
Now, this is where the nightmare begins. After some quick math, I figured that I needed right around 7:00 to break 1:32 and my pace could slip to 7:48 for the last mile and I'd still PR. I was running on fumes now and the incline was a bit less gentle on the 13th Mile. With the finish line so close, or so I thought, an act of will kept my pace steady but I could not increase it until I came off the trail just before the Garmin turned 13 (I did not see the 13th Mile marker). Okay, I figured, only 40 seconds to go. Sub-1:32 may have slipped away but you'll certainly PR. I thought I had a short straightaway and maybe 1 turn to go but the finish line just wasn't there. We got a short downhill and my watch read 13.15 and it had already turned 1:32. Uh oh! I've really got to hustle just to get a baby PR. I turned on the speed as fast as I could and my pace hit 5:00 at my fastest but the finish line still wasn't there. I rounded another corner and finally saw a clock 50 yards away. With a PR gone and feeling some mild GI discomfort, I packed it in and finally finished demoralized at 1:33:21 (#3 all time). Garmin pace was 7:00 or 7:01 which is good enough for a PR but the distance registered at 13.31.
Last 2 splits were:
7:17 (1:31:25)
1:55 (1:33:21) 6:11 pace for .31.
Final thoughts:
I have mixed feelings right now because I'm not entirely sure of the exact value of my time. Even if the course was measured accurately, I came within 32 seconds of my PR or roughly 2.5 ticks/mile, which is nothing to be ashamed. What is certain though is that for my next attempt in the Fall, I need more long runs and need to be steady in the 50-55 MPW range. I tried running over 60 last Fall and ended up hurt and badly unbalanced so I will not do that again. 50-55 should be safe especially if I'm sensible with the paces.
Course length:
Was this a PR performance? The course had relatively few turns and was not in an urban area. Also the fact that the entire discrepancy occurred in the final Mile leads me to believe that the course was indeed long. I'd be more inclined to trust the course measurement if the Garmin consistently measured the Miles to be 1.01 or 1.02 and I'd head into the last mile knowing that the Garmin read it long all the way. That's what usually occurs. The official distance is 13.11 and my watch usually reads between 13.15-13.20. I've never had anything over 13.26 before.
13.11 projects to a 1:31:57. 13.21 projects to a 1:32:39. Even 13.23 projects to a PR.
I heard that in Little Rock, a similar situation occurred and one of the participants e-mailed the RD, who admitted that the marathon course was accurate but the half was long. I sent a polite e-mail to the RD and hope to get a similar response. Even if I have to include an asterisk, if I did cover the 13.11 distance faster than I previously had, this performance should be recognized as such. In the Fall, I want a new PR that puts this question to rest.
Aftermath:
I could not stay long because I had a plane to catch. I wanted a full day off back in Birmingham to recover from jet lag and decompress. My return trip also went without a hitch. This was a very good trip overall and was worth doing regardless of how the race turned out.

Training 5/23-5/29 (race week taper)

2011-05-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

5/23- A little bit of everything in today's workout. Another half-assed attempt at the 5K. This time, I hit the 2K mark in 7:45, realized that I wasn't going to make it and quit. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I walked a lap and ran 3x400 intervals in respectable fashion (75-74-68). I completed the workout with a 2.5 mile cool down in 19:48 (7:55 pace). A disappointment overall as the 5K drought continues. In fairness, I wasn't totally fresh and it was 85 degrees but the heat will only get worse for the next 2 months. I've got to look back and see my workouts leading up to the 19:27. Something felt a little off today and I'll try to bump up my ADHS. I'd rather do that than have to take the chromium. Tomorrow, I plan to return to Johnny's workout even though nobody there can hang with me. The lack of a training partner in interval sessions is clearly hurting my short distance efforts.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=5.0

5/24- I took a look at my training from the summer of '09 and it showed that my paces for long tempos were quite slow compared to what I am doing now. However, I ran some phenomenal short intervals with Dave (who no longer trains w/Johnny) that I'm not sure that I could duplicate today. I returned to the track today for Johnny's workout, which was interesting. It started out with 200-300-400-600-800. My times were right on target at 35-54-74-1:56-2:38. I thought the 800 was the top of the pyramid and I ran it hard but got surprised with another one. I showed no heart in struggling through a 2:50 but bounced back with 3 solid 400s in 76-75-69. Overall pace was just under 5:10/mile. As for the Mile and 5K, the raw speed is there and the endurance is there but one critical component needs improvement. Strength or sustained speed must improve if I am to PR at those distances. This workout was geared toward that objective.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.5
* On the medical front, I took half a chromium last night and got the expected negative reaction, which is actually a good thing. As expected, there was no dramatic effect after taking care of the oral infection but it's still possible that the infection was a factor in the chromium dependency. If I can stick with the ADHS and avoid having to take chromium or anything else that is a stimulant, it just might be the path to balanced body chemistry.

5/25- I did some research and found no evidence that an infected root canal has anything to do with any issues with chromium. I did find a case in which a young woman developed symptoms of schizophrenia (yes that's right) after getting a bad root canal but after getting the tooth out, she was fine within a short time. I do think that it's plausible that my infected root canal had something to do with the extreme sensitivity to chromium.

Workout was the Trak Shak 5 at moderate effort with a time of 36:42 (7:21 pace). Slowed a bit in the second half but that's okay. All 5 were 7:30 or under. I was faster than I planned anyway. Temp was close to 90 but not too humid with a bit of a breeze so I didn't find it too unpleasant. I leave for Spokane tomorrow and it will be like another world. Temps will only be in the 50s with cloudy skies and a chance of rain each day. If it's gonna be that chilly, PLEASE no rain during the race. Temps in the 30s-40s with rain is the most uncomfortable weather for running.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.5

5/26- Travel day. Planned rest. Arrived in a different world in Spokane, Washington with temps in the low 50s. Drive through town for a bit then had ribs at Chili's and went to bed early.

5/27- Easy run on Centennial Trail in Spokane. Pleased with how I felt. The trail had lots of offshoots and was difficult to follow but I did see some impressive whitewater scenery by the river. First 2 miles in 14:12 which sounds way too fast but I did stop numerous times to make sure that I did not get lost. Walked for a few minutes then ran 2.5 miles @ 7:30 pace with a pickup at the end. The opposite direction was much easier to follow. It's only 9 AM and I'm headed to Montana.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0

5/28- Lakeside junk run in CDA. 1.25 miles @ 6:58 pace with a pickup at the end. Cloudy, chilly and windy out there. Tomorrow looks pretty good however. Upper 40s at the start with a low chance of rain but wind could be a nuisance. Short pants for sure. May go with a long top. All systems are go for tomorrow.
Grade:Pass/0 credit/distance=1.5

5/29- Coeur d'Alene half marathon in 1:33:21 but the course was measured at 13.31 and I'm 90% sure that it was indeed long. Self-adjusted time is 1:31:57, which is a PR with an asterisk.
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=14.5

Weekly summary:
Pretty good race even if the course wasn't long though it seems highly doubtful that it was accurate. Time to re-focus on speed and hope the heat and humidity are less intense this summer. Not much of a taper but I really didn't need or deserve one considering the low mileage leading up to the race. I may not hit 40 next week but intend to for most of the summer.
Distance=37.0/ GPA=30.1/9=3.34

Training 5/16-5/22

2011-05-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

5/16- The tooth came out and the recovery process has begun. In addition to those 3 questions posed earlier, there is one positive thought. This low grade infection may have been present for months or even longer. When it's cleaned out, will it accelerate the healing from adrenal dysfunction? Planned rest day. Hoping to get an easy one in tomorrow.

5/17- Planned workout was an easy 5. I felt different immediately after I woke up. I got off to a good start (1:35 first quarter feeling good) so I decided to go for it. I finished with a remarkable time of 32:21 (unofficial PR, 6:28 pace) despite feeling a bit weakened by antibiotics. I'm at a loss for words right now. Splits were 6:26-6:27-6:34-6:34-6:20. I think I would have had a shot at the 10K PR if I would have kept going. This projects to a 40:33 10K and a 1:30:14 half.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=6.0

5/18- Trak Shak 8 in 55:43 (6:58 pace). Strong performance overall. I did fade a bit toward the end. This will probably be the last Wednesday below 80 degrees until September. 1st half was 27:09. 2nd half was 28:34. Not so pleased with that. Lungs were hurting worse than my legs. Perhaps the antibiotics have left me weak. Only 2 days to go on that stuff. This was my 3rd best time on this course.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=8.5

5/19- Naked run at Vestavia. I estimate that my pace was a little over 8 for 6 miles. Struggled. Felt worse after taking another antibiotic pill. Only one more day on that stuff. On an easy day, I did pretty much what I planned but I rate my performance as only fair.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=6.0

5/20- Indoor 5 miler fully clothed in 38:55 (7:47 pace). Finished up the last of the antibiotics this morning and hit the nadir shortly thereafter. Since noon, I have been feeling improvement. Still quite weak and would have had nothing in a hard workout but I did what I planned today and it felt slightly better than yesterday.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=5.0

5/21- Group run which dropped all but one. Moderate effort. Finished at 8.7 miles @ 7:34 pace. This was the best that I have felt since Wednesday. I hope to be in the clear by tomorrow evening. It looks like I won't need any more SBF now that the antibiotics have cleared my system. Long cool down to reach a round number on the day. New Garmin 110 and I'm pleased with it. The old one was falling apart.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0

5/22- The taper has begun. Moderate Lakeshore 5 in 36:21 (7:17 pace). Temp was 75 which is not so bad but that sun was BRIGHT. Early forecast for race day is a chance of rain and 46 degrees. Garmin 110 won't let me view laps after the run. WTH? I can view them using Garmin Connect Online. When this one wears out, I'll look to another GPS. Maintained sub-7:30 pace in relative comfort then turned it on for a 6:52 5th mile. Feel strong.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=5.0
I would normally run in the afternoon and feel good enough to do so but since I'm tapering, I'm taking the rest of the day off.

Weekly summary:
I may really be in the clear. The tooth is out and the antibiotics have cleared my system. The adrenals are still overactive but at least for now, that's treatable with the ADHS. Finished over 40 miles and got back over 3.0
Distance=40.5/ GPA= 29.7/9= 3.30

Training 5/9-5/15

2011-05-09T17:53:00.001-07:00

5/9- Summer like weather conditions. Tomorrow will be the first of many 90 degree days. Last week was a golden opportunity to nail that 5K PR but it slipped away. Good news and bad news about today's workout. The bad is that I am still not quite in the clear. The good is that my progress has been sure and steady since Friday's debacle. That makes me more comfortable that a roller coaster ride. Today's workout was a downward ladder.
2K- 7:43, 1600- 6:19, 1200- 4:39, 800- 3:00, 400- 89, 400- 72. Overall pace was 6:05/mi.
If I had run the time trial today, I think I would have fallen just a hair short of the sub-20. In the past, I was pleased with anything under 20. Considering how well I was doing 2 weeks ago, I want that barrier to be 19:30 instead and even if I can't break 19, I just want to make a dent in that nearly 2 year old PR.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.5

5/10- Easy 7 indoors in 53:46 (7:41 pace). Even pace. Nothing over 7:45, nothing under 7:36. I felt tired at times during the work day but I was pleased with the workout. On an easy day, the pace is not as important. The workout must feel almost effortless to get an A. This did not feel hard but I was working a bit.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=7.0

5/11- Trak Shak 8 in 58:37 (7:20 pace). Moderate effort and with the temp at 87 degrees that's a very respectable performance. According to runworks, that's equivalent to a 56:26 in 65 degree weather. Alone for 7 out of 8 miles then a Trak Shak guy caught up to me and pushed me to a 6:56 in Mile 8. Solid performance.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0

5/12- Planned rest day.

5/13- 5K time trial in 19:46 (best time of the year). 7 ticks better than last time. Still not especially pleased with that time and did not have my best stuff as evidenced by the abnormal calf stiffness after the run. The 5K PR is my oldest and the drought has been most frustrating. This time I was out a little slower in the first half mile (3:04) but held the pace for longer than last time. Faded considerably after the 2K mark and had very little finishing kick.
Mile splits: 6:09-6:22-6:32-43. 5 out of the 7 seconds of improvement came in the 2nd half.
Kilometer splits: 3:50-3:51-4:00-4:06-4:01. 1st half 9:40, 2nd half 10:06.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=4.5

5/14- Run #1- Trak Shak 3 in a pathetic 26:24 (8:48 pace). Splits were 8:13-8:34-9:37. I think the oral infection has messed up my body chemistry. I did nothing different with the pills.
Run #2- Vestavia 3 in 23:23 (7:48 pace). Much better but still slowed considerably and was dead after the 3rd Mile. I could not have gone any further. I popped some old antibiotics and that's probably what made the difference. Splits were 7:36-7:50-7:57.
Run #3- Vestavia 4 after another antibiotic. Time is down to 29:59 (7:30 pace). Still out of breath but definitely improving. Last mile was 7:17.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=10.0

5/15- AM. Horrible performance. Lakeshore 5 in 41:50 (8:22 pace). 1st half 19:56, 2nd half 21:54. It has been confirmed that a chronically infected root canal can cause adrenal fatigue. The tooth comes out tomorrow.
PM- Not much better. Indoor run. Good start but hit the wall early in Mile 2. Stopped for water after hitting the marker in 14:55 then made a half assed effort to run again but there was nothing there. Quit after another half mile at glacial pace. It's 3 PM and I'm checking out for the day. Never thought I'd be looking forward to a tooth extraction.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=7.5

Weekly summary:
Only real good news is that I got back over 40 miles on the week. Third straight week below 3.0 and there are a lot of unanswered questions. One thing that's certain is that I can't get better until the tooth comes out. How long has it been messing with my body chemistry? How long until I recover? Will there be any long-term impact on my treatment plan? I'm going to Idaho no matter what but whether or not I'll be able to run is another question.
Distance=42.5/ GPA= 22/9=2.44

Vicious cycle

2011-05-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am suffering symptoms of overactive thyroid and adrenals as well as low levels of the essential mineral chromium, which was measured at 34% of ideal according to my last medical report. Chromium is vital for energy production, blood sugar balance and muscle contraction so it's obvious that a deficiency will hurt my running. Supplementing with chromium further stimulates the already overactive thyroid and adrenals, putting me in a Catch-22. The pill that I need to get my thyroid/adrenals in balance contains zinc, which inhibits chromium absorption. I have tried to reduce this pill but always end up overstimulated. There have been times when I have not needed to take chromium because the over-activity of the thyroid/adrenals overrides the chromium deficiency. When the chromium dependency appears, at first I can get by on small doses but if I overshoot the balance point, it could take days to recover. Then, a few weeks later, as the deficiency worsens, I will need more and more chromium to function at optimal levels. Thus, a dosage that worked 2 weeks earlier will not be enough. Eventually, the deficiency becomes so severe that it overrides that thyroid/adrenal issues, forcing me to stop taking the pill that I need for that. Leaving that area untreated will cause the thyroid/adrenals to shift into over drive and the imbalance in that area becomes so severe that it will override the chromium deficiency, forcing me to stop taking chromium. That's exactly what happened in February-March and realistically, I cannot expect any different in May-June. The only thing that can break this cycle is an act of God and believe it or not, I have had some feelings of reassurance this weekend despite the bad workouts.

Implications of chromium dependency

2011-05-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, in the nearly 5 years since the diagnosis of adrenal fatigue, I have tried just about everything to get my body in balance. Last Fall, I finally found something that worked long-term and the results have been evident (3 PRs this year as well as a massive course PR on the Trak Shak 8).
My Na/Mg (adrenal) ratio fell from 43 in November of last year to 28 this March (ideal is 5, high indicates hyper).
My Ca/K (thyroid) rose from 0.67 to 1.50 (ideal is 4, low indicates hyper).
It seems like I am progressing nicely but when I have to take chromium , the progress will be stymied and my already fragile body chemistry will become even more unstable. I know because I've been in this situation multiple times before. I have no choice. My symptoms have become unbearable without it and will continue to get worse until action is taken.
The problem is that the magic pill contains one ingredient that I cannot take in large doses. It is zinc that inhibits chromium absorption and taking chromium stimulates the already way overactive adrenals, putting me in a Catch 22. What really angers me is that it was re-formulated several years ago and the old formula would not have caused these problems. I've tried just about every other product and all have caused problems in other areas.
What does this mean for my running?
The good news is that I will still be capable of strong performances. The following runs were done with a chromium dependency: Scenic City half (1:32:49), Silver Comet 10K (40:55) and the Trak Shak 8.05 (54:50). I still believe that my lifetime goals are not out of reach. The bad news is that I will be extremely inconsistent and will have to adjust my dosage quite frequently. Since, I can't reach balance, I will never reach my full potential. I will have to back out of some races in which I trained hard and had planned a trip around.
What does it mean for the more important things in life?
You cannot choose to be happy when you have a chemical imbalance and the only people that can truly understand are those that have been there themselves. Relationships with others will be affected and my job performance may suffer as well. Don't even get me started about the challenges that it will present in a dating relationship.
Prognosis:
It will take an act of God for me to get into balance. He has acted before so I can't lose hope but as of now, it does not look good.
Heartbreaking news:
I recently read a story online about some loathsome old woman who actually sells a suicide kit online, which is a lethal combination of gases to be inhaled. One of her victims was a 29 year old man who had been struggling with fatigue and depression for years without a definitive diagnosis. I'd bet money that he had adrenal fatigue and if he only knew my story, he may have gotten the treatment that he needed. I've been told many times that I should publish my knowledge in a book but I cannot in good conscience promote something that was not fully effective for me. I promise all my readers and anyone else who cares about me that I WILL NEVER LOSE HOPE no matter how hard it gets.

Training 5/2-5/8

2011-05-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

NOTE: The stats page has revealed a lot of views of this post. I am happy to report that CHROMIUM IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM FOR ME! THIS BATTLE WAS WON AFTER GETTING A CHRONIC LOW-GRADE INFECTED ROOT CANAL REMOVED! Too much sugar in my diet likely played a role as well.

5/2- Following the weekend, it is clear that the lowered dosage of ADHS will not work. That leaves me with a choice of copper or chromium. It could be a pick your poison scenario. Copper can screw up thyroid function and chromium can screw up adrenal function. I'm going to give copper another try and must be very judicious. It could be a situation in which one pill is too many but a half will work. That's still preferable to what happened with the chromium. Today's workout gives me hope. 6 miles in 41:45 followed immediately by an 800 in 3:00. Overall pace was 6:53. Miles 3-6 were all between 6:49-6:54 and felt quite comfortable. This is a sub-1:31 half mary pace and I had enough left to burn the last half mile at an even 6 pace indoors. Without the tight turns and traffic, I would have been even faster.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.0

5/3- Planned rest day. After 3 runs in the last 2 days all at tempo effort, this was a good call. Cold and rainy outside so it worked out well. Tomorrow is expected to be sunny with temps in the 60s so if I feel good, I'm going for it in the 5K. I do have to see the denty but all I need is a filling and it should not hurt me.

5/4- BAAAUHD! Denty says I may have a low grade infection in my gums and may need another tooth extraction. I tried a 5K time trial and ran a terrific first kilometer (3:43) feeling good and came through the first mile ahead of pace at 6:01 then faded badly. My calves had tightened up abnormally so just after the halfway point, I decided to DNF it. If I had continued, it would have been well over 20. I went home and popped a half a copper pill which made things worse. Trak Shak 3 in 26:48 (8:57 pace). That 3rd mile felt like the 23rd of a marathon. I must wait for the copper to clear my system. I know that 1 pill (2 mg) is too much. Maybe 1/2 or 1 mg will do the trick. If not, I have no choice but to accept chromium dependence. Looking forward to it clearing my system tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=5.0

5/5- Lakeshore 5K in 22:56 plus warm and cool. First mile was 6:52 then the last 2 were in the 7:30s. No copper today and no improvement. Actually, I think I was worse than yesterday because at least yesterday, I ran well for the first mile. No resemblance to the guy who breezed through the miles at 1:30 half pace on Monday. I have no choice but to go back to the chromium. More on that later.
Grade:D-/1 credit/distance=5.0

5/6- Felt good for a couple of hours at work but the workout was a disaster. In a big mistake, I simply took one extra pill. I knew warming up that I was unbalanced and I simply guessed the wrong way. Par for the course, it is not surprising that on my first day of an adjustment, I am unsure of how to gauge my body's reaction. 1 mile in 7:49 plus a warm and cool.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=2.0

5/7- Finally a baby step in the right direction. Lakeshore 5 in 38:49 (7:46 pace). 1st half was 19:31, 2nd half was 19:18, which included a 7:32 last mile. No chromium this morning and it took an all out effort to run a normal easy pace. I can feel it clearing my system but I've still got a ways to go. Starting to worry about losing fitness from low mileage.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=5.0

5/8- AM- Another disappointment. I expected to be in the clear this morning but I am not. Not ready for a time trial. Hit the first mile in 6:15 and again the pace slowed markedly in lap 4 and struggled with shortness of breath so I quit on the time trial and turned the workout into a downward ladder. After the first Mile, I took 4 minutes rest and could not regain my speed.
1200- 4:56, 3 min rest, 800 in 3:17, 2 min. rest, 400 in 88. Overall pace was 6:23/mi, which is barely a sub-20 pace. I estimate that I was good for a 5K in the mid 21s and a Mile around 5:55. Not very good and only somewhat better than yesterday. I am puzzled by the slow recovery from this relapse.

P.M- Indoor 6 mile in 43:45 (7:18 pace). MUCH better this time. Fairly even splits. Every mile was 7:11-7:25. 1st half was 21:49, 2nd half was 21:56. I may be in the clear by tomorrow afternoon. Clearly, I have taken a significant step forward.
Grade:C/3 credits/distance=9.0

Weekly summary:
I am not happy at all. This was my worst week since January. Why the slow recovery from excess chromium? If I don't need it every day, that would be great. Then again, it could progress from once or twice a week to 3 per day very quickly.
Distance=33.0/GPA= 17/9= 1.89

Training 4/25-5/1

2011-04-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

4/25- Oak Mountain run on a relentlessly rolling course. The first 4 miles were at a respectable 7:20 pace then crashed and burned. The problem was my sports drink. I experimented again with the Brian Sell Gatorade/Red Bull combo that worked great in '09. I felt okay after the first drink stop but after the second (4 miles in), I was much poorer. Mile 5 was just over 8 then I hung it up after the next .5 was close to 9 pace. I drank again to confirm the problem and was relegated to walk/jog over the final 2.5. Still very sensitive to taurine but that's okay. As long as I don't take any, I'll be fine. Half a decent run today. I get a B for the first half and an F for the 2nd half.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=8.0

4/26- Did not feel well when I woke up today but it was a great feeling as the taurine washed its way out of my system in the afternoon. Health screening at work today:
Weight: 154.6, BP: 118/80, cholesterol: 141. Very good numbers.
Workout today was indoors because of a fierce wind. 3 miles with the first 2 at short tempo effort and the last mile at 5K race pace. Finished with time of 19:26 (6:29 pace), which translates to just under 20:15 for a full 5K. Splits were 6:34-6:37-6:15. Pretty solid. The first 2 were on par with my 10K pace and the last mile was near 5K pace. You really can't go much faster than 6:15 on the indoor track. Only downer was the areas that were treated with prolotherapy still seem weak but the post-injection pain is gone. The taurine may not have fully cleared my system and I hope I can improve further. I probably was good for sub-20 today but not much faster.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=4.0

4/27- Planned rest day and it was a good day for a rest. It was what I hope is the last severe storm of the Spring. Hoover was largely spared but areas north and east of town were not so lucky. As far as I know, Friday's 5K is still on.

4/28- 1 mile junk run on the 'mill. Did not feel very well. A lot of tightness in the calves with no real explanation. Race time decision tomorrow. After the tornado, my heart is really not into it. Power is still out in some areas so I'm not even sure that the race will go off as scheduled.
Grade: Non-Pass/0 credit/distance=1.0

4/29- BAD NEWS. The calf soreness was due to the chromium deficiency. If I take chromium regularly, the same thing will happen as before. My adrenals will be overstimulated and I'll have to go back on the ADHS then the cycle repeats itself. I have 2 other options: 1) reduce the ADHS and hope it'll be enough to keep the adrenals in relative balance or 2) re-introduce a small amount of copper to neutralize the zinc and I'll have to be very careful with that because copper can screw up thyroid function. Not sure what to do.
The UAB 5K was canceled because of Wednesday's tornado and I would have bailed anyway so I hit Vestavia track for a solo time trial. After loading on chromium for a temporary fix, I was able to run fairly well. Early hopes for a PR slipped away but sub-20 remained a realistic goal.
1st 400 was right on target at 91 and I was still on 19 pace through the first kilometer (3:48). As is often the case, I was faltering by the end of the first mile (6:10) but managed 1 more strong lap to reach the 2K mark at 7:41 and the first half passed in 9:41. By this point, my calf was sore and I was essentially in survival mode but battling hard to hold that sub-20. Fading fast, I hit 2 miles at 12:35. I would need 4 laps in 1:40 each and a decent kick. I could not go much faster than that but with 1 lap to go, it was clear that I had it. Final time was 19:53.
Splits by Mile: 6:10-6:25-6:35-43.
Splits by kilometer: 3:48-3:53-4:04-4:08-4:00.
6 lap cool at glacial pace with calf muscles still abnormally sore.
Grade:B/3 credits/distance=5.0

4/30- Good call on the time trial last night. There was a 5K this morning but I expected to feel lousy when I woke up and I did. Copper seems unlikely to be the answer so that leaves me with the only one option other than chromium dependency, which is lower dose ADHS. The workout was the Trak Shak 8 with the group. Ran fairly well through 6 miles (46:10) then hit the wall. Final 2 miles were 8:26 and 8:44 for an overall time of 63:20 (7:55 pace). Too bad about the 5K too. There was a guy who finished at 19:15 and would have been perfect competition for me on a good day. All around bad week for everyone in Birmingham.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=8.0

5/1- A.M. Took only 1 ADHS in the last 24 hours which was not enough and I felt it immediately upon rising. Hit the road early after taking 2 pills, which helped but were not enough. Lakeshore 6.5 with a cool down in 46:45 (7:12 pace). Faded pretty badly in the last 2 miles and it would have gotten ugly if I had run the 10 that I planned. I know that 8 pills are too many and 4 are probably not enough. Will 6 work? That's 15 mg. of zinc, which may be too much. UGH!

P.M. Indoor 5 mile in 34:51 (6:58 pace). Pretty solid for my 2nd workout of the day. Felt a lot better after taking pill #3 and 4. Hope that I can stabilize at 6. I'd rather perform a little under par for a while than be dependent on chromium again.
Grade:B-/3 credits/distance=12.o

Weekly summary:
Bad week all around. I repeat that I MUST stay off the chromium. I need one more long run over 13 miles before the race but at this point, the transition to summer speed and time trials is in full swing. I want another shot at the 5K very soon and the weather should be pretty cool later in the week. Will the body cooperate and will 6 pills work out? GPA is lowest since January and would have been worse if not for pass/fail grading on Thursday.
Distance=38.0/GPA= 26.8/10=2.68

Training 4/18-4/24

2011-04-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

4/18- Can't wait for soccer season to be over so I can run at Vestavia. I had to go to Hoover again and didn't even get started on my workout until almost 6 and didn't get home until after 8. Workout was a short pyramid: 200-400-600-800-600-400-200. R was 1 min after the 200, 2 min after the 400, 2:30 after 600 and 3:00 after 800 which is pretty generous. I don't think my legs were quite ready for it after the thrashing 2 days ago but I still did okay. Unlike tall pyramids, I allowed for myself to slow down a bit in the longer reps but my pace faded a bit more than I had hoped but came back pretty strong at the end. Stats were as follows:
2 mile warm in 15:30. 200-33, 400-75, 600-1:58, 800-2:46, 600-2:04, 400-76, 200-33.
Overall pace was 5:13, which was 3 seconds down on my goal but still not bad.
1 mile cool untimed. I have to force it a bit early this week because I'll be out for sure on Wednesday and possibly Thursday as well due to the prolotherapy.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=5.0
Edit: As for the 1:30 goal for 13.1, if I'm not there right now, I am VERY close. 4 more weeks of good training and hopefully better body chemistry by then and I like my chances.

4/19- Long tempo. Lakeshore 10 in 70:57 (7:06 pace). Just a hair slower than my half mary PR pace and done on tired legs with damaged connective tissues. Gotta be pleased with this one. Only downer was that my pace slipped a bit in the 2nd half. (35:02/35:55) (7:00 vs 7:11). I had planned a progression run but when I took off at sub-7 pace, I had to see how long I could hold it. This is very hard training over the last 4 days but I meant it to be because I expect to out the next 1-2 days.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=10.0

4/20- Prolotherapy in Nashville, lunch at Wild Horse Saloon, traffic jam. Home at 7:30. Running is out of the question today and I may be out tomorrow as well.

4/21- 2 mile junk run indoors in 17:13 (8:37 pace). Absolutely no cause for alarm.
Grade:Pass/0 credits/distance=2.0

4/22- Easy 6 indoors in 46:06 (7:41 pace). Still some soreness but I won't complain. 3 times longer distance at a pace nearly 1 minute faster. I'll take it.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

4/23- Overslept and missed the group run. By the time I finished, the temp was about 75 and humid but not as bad as it was 2 weeks ago. Moderate Lakeshore 11.5 at a pretty steady 7:32 pace. 10 out of 11 miles were under 7:40 and finished the last .5 at sub-7 pace. I did take 3 extended drink stops but I had to. Pain at the site of the injection is still there and starting today, I am a little concerned but again, it was an improvement over yesterday.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=12.0

4/24- Trak Shak 7 tempo in 48:49 (6:58 pace). Strong performance. 85 degree temp at the start. Only 1 water stop but it was a long one. It takes time to adjust to warm weather and it's difficult to go much longer than 10 if it's too hot. Injection site pain has clearly diminished but is still not 100% gone. Race day is in 5 days and the early weather forecast looks good.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
Low mileage but very pleased with the high quality. Aside from the junk run and the cool down, every mile was below 7:45. When I get nothing below a "B-," I'm pleased with the consistency. I sure hope that temps in the 90s will not occur until early June.
Distance= 42.0/GPA= 29.2/9= 3.24

Statue2Statue 15K RR

2011-04-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Preparation:
It's rare that I go into a race and really don't care how I do but I usually end up pleased with the results when I treat a race as a training run. I actually had a mixed drink with dinner and ran a 2.5 mile warm up prior to the race so I could log a distance comparable to a weekend long run. I did not feel particularly well warming up and had some soreness in the hip/groin area so it seemed as if it might be a mistake to run today. I had only signed up the day before and it was pretty much a race day decision. If this had been a goal race at a shorter distance, I may have bailed in favor of an easier long run.
Course:
It's a point to point race starting at Vulcan Park and finishing in Liberty Park so we parked at the finish area and took a bus to the start line. There would be no return transportation back to Vulcan Park. I awoke on time and had a smooth uneventful morning. Another severe storm came through the previous night and the forecast called for temps in the low 50s with strong winds. I took a tank top and a long sleeve shirt but felt comfortable enough to run in the tank top because the wind did not seem to be as strong as predicted. The course had been described to me as a "nice 10K" through the beautiful Mountain Brook neighborhood followed by one humongous hill that is so steep that even very good runners resort to walking. After that, there is some downhill followed by a second killer hill. Most of the final 1.5 miles are sharply downhill but there are a few uphill portions, most notably a quarter mile stretch late in Mile 9. My plan was to go out relatively hard (near 6:50 pace), walk the big hills then bring it home strong.
Race:
I took off among the leaders for the first 100 meters downhill then we made the turn on to level ground. I wisely dialed it back and hit the 1/2 mile mark around 3:15. Maybe it was a slight incline but it was early enough that it did not hurt at all. We hit a small downhill just before the 1st mile marker which was passed comfortably in 6:46. It turned out that this "nice 10K" had at least 3 or 4 steep uphills before the killers ahead but fortunately, they were relatively short, maybe a tenth of a mile each. There were plenty of flats and downhills as well. I gained quite a bit of ground in Mile 2 and passed several runners who had gone out too fast. I thought to myself, this course doesn't seem so bad. Just then, we hit our first steep uphill just after 1.5 miles. Downhill would follow, which allowed me to hit a solid 6:44 2nd mile. At this point, I was running mostly with the 2 female leaders and we would pass each other several times over the next 3 miles. I was very pleased with how even my splits were and how comfortable I felt at the halfway point.
6:46-feel good
6:44 (13:30)- solid pace, gaining ground
6:34(20:04)- maybe a little fast, back off some, 5K in 20:50.
6:47 (26:51)- passed female leader on steep hill.
6:46 (33:37)- strong.
We hit another steep hill just after turning on Stone River at around 5.1 miles. After a nice recovery downhill, it would be slightly uphill for the next 3/4 of a mile or so but it was manageable. I figured that I was on pace for a sub-42 10K, less than a minute from my PR. At about 5.9 miles, the first killer hill began. My plan was run it as long as I could but if my Garmin pace went above 10:00, I'd be better off walking. I would make it a little over a tenth of a mile before my resolve weakened. Mile 6 was 7:06 for a total time of 40:43. The 2 female leaders passed me again as they attempted to run the hill. Their resolve did not last much longer than mine. I would be walking for most of the next 3/8 of a mile with a few short spurts of jogging but the hill was so steep that my competition was not gaining very much ground on me. Maybe I could have managed to jog up that monster but walking would be part of my strategy. As we neared the summit, I received a word of encouragement to pick it back up since we were almost to the top. I started running again, passed the female leader and would not see her again. The walk break must have refreshed me because once we hit level ground after a short downhill, I was back to sub-7 pace and feeling strong. Mile 7 was 8:26 (49:09), which really wasn't too bad considering that I walked about 25-30% of it. I thought I could make up some ground at the end and still manage to finish below 7:00 pace. We made a turn to hit some more downhill and I enjoyed it while it lasted because I had heard of another killer ahead. It had a short and fairly steep first part then it turned into a gradual incline. To make matters worse, there were 2 curves in the road which revealed more incline ahead. I managed to keep my pace pretty strong in this section. I was in the 7:20s each time I looked at the Garmin. Next, we made a turn to find another monster hill that was every bit as steep as the previous monster but mercifully, it was not as long. My strategy was the same. I ran as long as I could in relative comfort before walking for maybe 15-30 seconds. When we got close to the summit, it was time to get moving again. By this time, there was about 1.5 miles to go and about 75% of it would be sharply downhill. Time to really let it loose here. I gained ground quickly on a competitor who appeared to me near my age but whenever the terrain flattened or went slightly uphill, he pulled away again. My split for Mile 8 was a respectable 7:25 (56:34) and I still had a shot at the sub-7 pace finish. It would be an exciting race to the finish, I actually passed him once on a steep downhill but as we passed Mountain Brook High School, it was a moderate uphill into a headwind and I was left at least 20 yards behind. When we crested the final uphill, it would be about half a mile to the finish and sharply downhill for about 650 with level ground to the finish line. Mile 9 passed in an impressive 6:07, which put me back under 7:00 pace overall (62:41) and it was time to fly to the finish. I made up much of the ground that I had lost on the previous uphill but the finish line would come just a bit too soon. Another 100 meters and he would have been mine.
Final time for 15K (9.33 miles) was 64:22 (6:54 pace). My last 1/3 of a mile was 1:41 (5:10 pace). Downhill or not, that's some serious speed after 9 miles and I actually felt that I left a few seconds on the course as well.
Aftermath:
The windy conditions came shortly after the race and I was sure glad that I had that long sleeve shirt. I was in good spirits as I chatted with other runners. The only downer was that competition in the 30-34 age group was fierce. I finished 13th overall but only 5th in my age group. My time would have been good enough in the 25-29 division. I posed the following question: If I can run 6:54 pace on this course, can I run that pace or better for an additional 3.8 miles? The consensus was yes. Those of you that have run this course before, I'd like your honest opinion, was this performance equivalent to a sub-1:30 half (13.1 @ 6:52) on a flat course?
Grade:A-
Edit: Official time was 64:15 (6:53 pace)

Training 4/11-4/17

2011-04-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

4/11- Unplanned rest day. Still not feeling well

4/12- Lakeshore 8.5 naked (no watch) and it was not a pretty sight. The groin continues to get worse. I believe that it is the pills. I've been going steadily downhill for almost a week. Is it the copper or the magnesium or both? We shall see how I perform tomorrow. Any improvement will be a plus. It was not just the groin. I was sore all over so that is a sign that it's the pills. I was getting passed by slow runners on the trail. Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=8.5

4/13- After cutting both the copper and magnesium, I saw significant improvement today. I hope that it's the copper that's the problem and my research leads me to believe that it is indeed. Magnesium should help but will it be enough to stave off the chromium dependency? Workout was Trak Shak 8 with a moving time of 57:10 (7:09 pace for an even 8). Pretty even pace. 7 out of 8 miles were 7:15 or below. 1st half 28:28, 2nd half 28:42. That's still 20 seconds/mile down on my course PR and I had to make 2 pit stops. Nothing to write home about but it was a nice improvement. Also, the groin/hip was about 60% better today.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=8.0

4/14- Veteran's Park 4 for the first time in a while. It's a slow gravel trail so I don't put too much stock in my time. First and last quarter mile were fast but the rest of the run was around 7:40 pace. Overall time was 29:54 (7:29 pace). Felt about the same as yesterday on all counts. Both the energy level and groin soreness were comparable to yesterday. Not a bad showing overall but I was hoping for a little better.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.5

4/15- Planned rest day. I am listed as "probable" for Statue2Statue. This one is nothing more than a fun run. I'm not 100% and really don't care how I do. Update: The copper may have messed with my thyroid so I took 1/2 a thyroid supplement and it pretty much knocked me out last night. I expect to be ready tomorrow.

4/16- Statue2Statue 15K in 64:15 officially. 6:53 pace for 9.33 miles.
2.5 mile warm and 2 mile cool.
Grade:A/3 credits/distance=14.0

4/17- Just your basic run of the mill easy 6 on Lakeshore in a time of 47:50 (7:58 pace). No, I would not have cared if it had been over 8:00. Ran it at 2 PM in pleasant 70 degree conditions and this may be the last time I'll be able to do that until Fall. Splits were very even (7:54-8:02) and the 2 miles that were over 8 were slightly uphill. No complaints for day after a tough race.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0

Weekly summary:
Good and uplifting performance at Statue2Statue and managed to hit a decent mileage total on just 5 days of training. I'm going with the magnesium and ADHS and sticking with it. Made the honor roll with a "D" grade. LOL.
Distance=41.0/GPA=25.3/8= 3.16

Training 4/4-4/10

2011-04-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

4/4- Easy 8 indoors in 61:43 (7:43 pace) just before a severe t'storm. Felt good. Strong performance. Good news and bad news is that the groin pain has diminished but I think it was due to the copper supplements. The bad news is that I am counting on the copper to neutralize the zinc, which causes the chromium dependency. I sure hope that I can tolerate it at a lower dosage. Without the copper, there's still a chance that magnesium will work. If I can make it 6 weeks without the chromium, I'll feel a lot better about my situation.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0

4/5- Strong downward ladder at Sanford track. Groin/hip issue is manageable but still not quite right. I may yet opt for more prolotherapy. Good news is that I feel less dependendent on the ADHS and that means that maybe I can cut my dosage safely if the chromium issue does flare up. 3 months is a long time to wait for the next medical report.
2000: 7:36 (that's an even 19 pace for 5K, 6:05/mi)
1600: 5:58 (hard effort, banked a few ticks early)
1200: 4:28 (Ditto the 1600)
800: 2:55 (coming easier now)
400: 86.1 (sandbagged it to save energy for dessert)
400: 68.14 (less than 4 off my best of the year) Overall 5:53 pace. Better workout than the 3x1600 2 weeks ago. Finished with a cooldown on Lakeshore that was not a struggle.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=6.0

4/6- Easy 9 from the Shak in 69:20 (7:43 pace). Just about what I planned to do. A bit sore but I had a reason to be. Tight at the beginning but loosened up nicely. Even pace (7:37-7:51). 1st half was 34:34, 2nd half was 34:46. Hoping to do short intervals tomorrow and am on track for back to back 50 mile weeks.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=9.0

4/7- 2 mile warm, 8x200 in 32 and a 1.5 mile cool at Hoover. Not a bad showing especially on tired legs but I was hoping to do a little better. The first 200 was 34 then the next 6 were all in the low 32s and an all out effort in #8 resulted in a 30.07. I really hoped to run a couple under 30 but could not. In my defense, I had tired legs, no spikes, no competition and all were self timed with no rolling start. The realistic goal was a 32 average, which I made. I still think I'm good for a 63 400 right now but no faster. More of these workouts will allow me to get faster.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=4.5

4/8- Planned rest day

4/9- Long run in warm and humid conditions. I won't be able to go more than 10 for much longer as the heat index climbs further. It was about 68 at the start of the run and over 75 at the end with high humidity. I ran with a group and stopped many times for water and Gatorade. The moving time was 1:59 flat for 15 miles (7:56 pace). Pace was very uneven. A few middle miles were below 7:30 but by the end, I was struggling at about an 8:15-8:20 clip. Groin was very sore and I have made another prolotherapy appointment for 4/20. I'm most upset about that. Will I have to do this twice a year for the rest of my life? That's still a small price to pay to avoid a debilitating condition. Very tired and worn out. Dreamed that I had to steer an actual car with a video game controller and wrecked twice.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=15.0

4/10- Struggling. 5 miles at a steady 8 flat pace then limped in untimed and barely finished the workout. Groin remains very sore. Probably no worse than yesterday but based on the trend, it appears to be getting worse.
Grade:C-/1 credit/distance=7.5

Weekly summary:
Some high quality workouts early in the week but it ended on a sour note and I will need a sharp cut back week next week with planned lower mileage the next 2 weeks. As for my training intensity, yes it's been hard not the killer schedule of last Fall but my body still broke down on me. I may have to skip Statue 2 Statue but that was only for fun anyway. Prolo is in 10 days and I likely have a rough 2 weeks ahead.
Distance=50.0/ GPA= 27.5/9= 3.06

Training 3/28-4/3

2011-03-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

3/28- Easy 7 indoors in 53:13 (7:36 pace). Pretty solid performance. That's still a little faster than my normal easy pace but I intended to push it a bit. 7:30 was too much of a struggle so I backed off. Weight is down 2 and now stands at 155. I do NOT want to lose any more. 155-160 is my target range. I am still unsure of how much power I'll have in a hard workout. I hope to do Johnny's workout tomorrow if the weather cooperates. March is normally the wettest month here but this is wetter than usual.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0

3/29- Did something I've never done in training before which was an interval workout on a road rather than a track. Soccer game at Vestavia so I headed to South Lakeshore, which is actually a fairly common training ground for intervals. It's a straight stretch of road with minimal traffic but it does have a slight slope to it. My workout was 6x800 with a 2:30 rest. I averaged 2:54 (5:48 pace) with a range of 2:50-2:56. I was surprised by how even my times were given the slope. In fact, I was actually slightly faster on the incline than the decline probably because I had a slight headwind going down and a tailwind going up. Not a bad workout but I "used to could" do this workout at 2:45 so that's 18 seconds slow per mile. 3 mile cool down in which I felt some foot pain that seemed to stem from the nerve. That could be the magnesium inhibiting calcium so I'm cutting that from 2 to 1. Not a big deal yet. Jury's still out on the new formula.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=6.0

3/30- Trak Shak 8 mile hilly loop. This time, the Garmin measured it at 8.10 with a time of 55:28 (6:51 pace). Slightly slower than last week's magic but I've proven that it was no fluke. That's 1 second under 1:30 half mary pace. The power is back on and I am more confident in my plan. The foot was okay. I'm sticking with the magnesium but at a lower dosage. Please God, no more chromium dependency! As long as I can tolerate the ADHS, I predict that I will be balanced. Weather was only in the low-mid 50s with wind and drizzle. IT'S RAW, MAN! With a wet shirt and cold wind, it was freezing out there. Fortunately, I had a jacket.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=8.5

3/31- Planned rest day. I've done a fast MLR, a short GMP (goal marathon pace), an interval and a long tempo since the disappointing 5K. My body is tired and worn out but the muscles are not especially sore. For the first quarter and its ups and downs, I scored 2 PRs, ran an even 500 miles and had a cumulative GPA of 2.91, which was skewed by a bad first 2 weeks.

4/1- Mild disappointment today. Oak Mountain 400 in 64.6. Best time of the year by a healthy margin but that's a full 3 seconds down on last year's best and in the 400, that's a lot. I need 1.2 seconds per 100 to reach my goal. That's daunting. That said, I did not have my best stuff out there. There was no spring in my step and I faced a BRUTAL headwind in the homestretch. In still air, I could have run in the 63s but even that is a long way from a sub-60. Have I lost sprint speed in the last 2 years? I would not think that being 30 instead of 28 would make any difference. It is clear that I need more sprint training. Perhaps, I was not fully fresh even after one day off. Finished the day with a 5 mile jog at the Shak with Chilton at 8:30 pace. Sore muscles have kicked in today.
Grade:C/2 credits/distance=6.5

4/2- Groin was sore today. That's not good. I have 2 more bizzare dreams to report. The first involved urinating in front of a gas station that had an open bathroom. The second involved getting busted for DUI and becoming friends with the arresting officer. I wasn't expecting much in my workout today but did surprisingly well. Trak Shak 8 mile loop twice with a time of 2:07:10 (7:57 pace). 1st loop was just under 64 and the second was just over 63 with a last quarter mile near 5K pace. This was my longest run of the year. Pretty solid performance. Probably good for 7:45-7:50 on Lakeshore. 54 miles in the last 7 days, which is pushing my upper limit. Easy tomorrow.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=16.0

4/3- Still a bit of groin soreness but no worse after yesterday. I really don't want to have to go back for more prolotherapy. Uneventful easy 6 in 46:42 (7:47 pace). Did what I set out to do today and nothing more. Tacked on a cool down mile at junk pace. Weight is still 155.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.0

Weekly summary:
Pretty good week overall. I do think that I forced a bit too much quality and if I do want to train for a 59.9, I need to be fresher for the short intervals. Next week probably will not be as intense or as long in terms of distance. The groin/hip area had better improve soon.
Distance=51.0/GPA= 30.7/10= 3.07

Rumpshaker 5K RR

2011-03-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

Training:
It was a great training cycle until Thursday when I faced yet another shift in body chemistry. This is the 3rd such occurence in as many weeks and something must be done to prevent this from happening on a regular basis. I overcame it 2 weeks earlier in Atlanta but this time, it proved to be too much. My medical report is a bit better than it was in January but I am not nearly as balanced as I had hoped. It was just a matter of time before the symptoms would re-appear. On Friday morning, I felt flat out awful but got better as the day progressed. On race morning, I did not feel too bad so I decided to give it a shot. I was conceding nothing. This was still a PR attempt.
Course:
This one is possibly the fastest in the area. It has only one hill to speak of , which is a bridge climb. By the half mile mark in the race, it's over and time to head back down. The remainder of the course was not pancake flat but had just a few minor inclines and declines. There was a chance of rain in the forecast but it held off until the afternoon. Conditions were overcast with temps near 60 and moderate wind. That's not far from perfect conditions for a fast time.
Race:
I have a very high tendency to go out too fast in 5Ks and did it again today. This time however, I had little choice. I lined up in the 3rd row but still got stuck behind some slow folks and had to do a quick sprint to find some open space or else I could have been way too slow. I saw how fast I was for the first 200 so I backed off a tad then we hit the bridge climb. I was out around 86-87 so that's a little fast but not a reason for concern. After reaching the top, I saw a 3:01 for the first .50 then picked up a couple of ticks on the way down for a 4:30 split at 0.75. Here, I allowed myself to relax a bit and that was probably a good call because most of my energy would be spent before too long. 6:07 at the mile marker. I need to maintain this pace for a PR. We turned a corner around 1.3 where we ran into a headwind and up a slight incline. It was at this point that I knew this would not be my day. For most of the 2nd mile, I was targeting a runner ahead of me but kept losing ground. I checked my watch again at 1.55 mile and was disheartened with a 9:38 split. No way I can run a negative split so no PR today. I would have to struggle just to get a sub-20 and that would become the new goal. The 2nd mile marker came and I estimated that all I needed to do was hold this pace but I could not even manage that. 2 runners passed me here then another 2 came by just before the homestretch. The 3rd mile seemed to have more declines than inclines but it did not seem to help my pace. My 3rd mile would be slower than my average pace for 10K 2 weeks ago but I still had a chance to secure that sub-20. I tried to sprint and found that there was not much there. As the finish clock came into view, I knew that it was going to be close. I made one final drive. Can I get there in time? No, I just missed it.
Stats:
20:01 (6:25 pace) 18th overall, 17th among men. 3rd in age group.
Splits were 6:07-6:28-6:40-46 (last .14)
Final thoughts:
This was not horrible and under the circumstances, it's acceptable but I can't be pleased with finishing over 20 even if I just missed the barrier. It is certainly a downer considering how great the workouts were earlier in the week. To put it in perspective, I ran the first half of Silver Comet in 20:15 then hung on for a 20:40. Today, my 3rd mile was about 20:50 pace for a whole 5K. My strategy was sound and I did the best I could but just did not have my "A" stuff today.
Next month offers a chance for redemption.
Grade:B minus.

Training 3/21-3/27

2011-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

3/21- First long interval workout of the year was a success. 3x1600 in 5:58 (5:59-5:58-5:57) then walked a lap to recover fully. 400 for dessert in 69.6, which missed my best of the year but I was satisfied with the sub-70. My goal for the workout was a 6:00 average and a 70 last 400. I barely made the goal but I get a plus for running each interval on time. ZERO pills today and the excess may not have cleared my system so I may feel better tomorrow. This is my last hard workout before race day. In my current condition, I predict that I will fall short of the 19:13 but barely make the 19:27.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.0

3/22- Had to go to the dentist today because of a mild toothache. Fortunately, it was just a cavity, not a root canal. The workout came at 4 PM with temps pushing 80 degrees. There was a headwind in the first half and a tailwind on the back half. The workout was a moderate 6 miler on Lakeshore with a fast finish. 1st 5 miles in 37:02 then closed with a 6:37. It was slightly uphill and just 3 ticks shy of my 10K race pace so that's pretty impressive. Overall time was 43:39 (7:17 pace). Tomorrow's workout will be similar then it'll be rest and junk until Saturday.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.0

3/23- Trak Shak 5 at moderate effort for the first 4 then a fast finish. Splits were 7:06-7:12-7:20-7:10-5:46 for an overall time of 34:34 (6:55 avg). Felt unusually strong and yes, this was a very good workout but not THAT good. I had to take a 5 minute break around 3.75 miles in a Mexican restaurant because of an "extreme emergency." I'll spare my readers the details but you can guess what it was. Because of this, I was fresher than normal entering Mile 5. Still, I think I could have pulled out a sub-6 or at least goal 5K pace of 6:10. I'm going for the all time PR on Saturday. I want to go out no faster than 90 in the first .25, be at 6:10 for the first Mile then try for a negative split. Today's grade unfortunately gets a minus because of the you know what.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=5.0

3/24- Planned rest day. Not tired out at all after yesterday's run.
Update: The medical report has been sent and the results are not as good as I had hoped for. If I keep off the pills, a relapse is just around the corner and my body is feeling too loose this afternoon. Screams of frustration!
Felt worse and worse as the day progressed. I must go back to ADHS and down the road, I'll need chromium again. I can't try anything new until after race day. I do know that chromium won't work now. I'll just have to load on ADHS until the gun goes off and hope to hit it on the nose again. I decided that I needed a test so I popped 2 ADHS and hit the track at Mountain Brook for a 400, where I clocked a 67.92 (best time of the year). That's not good. Even on slightly tired legs, I should have managed at least a 64. This may never end.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=1.0

3/25- Rest day. Not feeling well at all and there's a chance of rain at race time. I may just bag it.

3/26- Went ahead and did the Rumpshaker 5K in 20:01 plus warm and cool
Grade:B-/4 credits/distance=5.0

P.M- Eager to see how I felt after taking some magnesium and copper. Of course, I was not fresh enough to put out race effort but a sub-7 pace felt good early. Ended up with a quick 6:25 first mile then rested and ran an easy 6 laps around 7:45 pace then closed with a 33.8 final 200 with no rest. It looks like I've regressed to early February form and the climb back will be slow. I can be patient with slow progress but it must be steady with no massive shifts.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=3.0

3/27- Trak Shak 10 at moderate effort with a time of 75:07 (7:31 pace) with a solid 6:43 last mile. Not a bad showing out there today but it still feels like the power source has been switched off. It may be a while before I show the form I did early this week.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=10.0

Weekly summary:
Up and down week. Very high quality and a pretty solid distance for a race week. Of course, the medical report is a huge disappointment and it may be a few weeks until I recover from this setback. Let's hope that the progress will be steady with no major adjustments just like January. It was close but just like the race, I fell short on the GPA. The streak of 8 straight weeks over 3.0 has ended here.
Distance=35.0/GPA= 35.8/12=2.98

Training 3/14-3/20

2011-03-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

3/14- I wanted to run intervals today but had to postpone that effort until tomorrow because of a storm. Moderate 7 miler indoors in 51:50 (7:24 pace/3:14 marathon). Very strong. Started out at 7:10 for the first 2 miles then backed off to a more sensible 7:30 pace for the last 5. Took no ADHS and 600 mg. of chromium. It seems as if I can't get enough chromium right now so I'm sticking with it until further notice. I hope that sometime soon I won't need it anymore and I also hope against hope that the ADHS dependency will not return. A bit of soreness in the calf and knee is the only reason this is not a solid A.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.5

3/15- Johnny's workout. 7x400 all in the upper 70s then he threw in an 800 for dessert. I was hoping for a 2:30, which I missed by 1 tick. Recovered then put out moderate effort in an 80 second quarter to make it an even 10 laps plus warm up/cool down. Hard but measured effort all the way. I want another quality day tomorrow at the Shak for the first daylight savings time run. Overall pace for this workout was just under 5:15. Felt strong and relaxed.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=5.0

3/16- Trak Shak 8.05 in 54:54 (6:49 pace) on a very hilly route. 7 out of 8 miles were below 7.
This is 1:29 half marathon pace. In competition on a flat course with another good 2 months of training, I like my chances. The only irritation was that traffic was very heavy today and I had a bit of a sore knee when I finished. I can rest tomorrow. This is a new course PR by more than 2 minutes. UNBELIEVABLE! This course has been measured before at 8.17, which would be a pace of 6:42.
Grade:A+/2 credits/distance=8.5

3/17- Planned rest day that is well deserved. I am a little concerned about my knee. The rest of me is almost as sore so that's good. I get another easy week ahead of my 5K next Saturday then it's a welcome break from racing. Medical report may arrive by the end of next week. I need lots of chromium and nothing else.

3/18- Mountain Brook speed session. 2 mile warm up in 14:44 which was too fast. 4x200 all out with full recoveries. (32.8-31.6-30.5-29.5). Average of 31.1, which was short of my goal of 29.9 by roughly 10 seconds per mile. It was comforting that each 200 got progressively faster but I am not yet in shape to run 59.9. It would probably be 63 or 64. In fairness, this is my first such workout of the year and I really did not feel my best. I found out today that indeed I can get too much chromium. I took one after the workout and felt much worse. In order to have a shot, I need enough raw sprint speed to run under 28 for 200 and the strength to do 8 of these with an average of 30.0, which would be a 4 minute mile. I'll strive for 5 under 31 in 2 weeks. Finished with a 6 lap cool down.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=4.0

3/19- Interesting adventure. Nobody from the group showed up at the Shak so I went down to Oak Mountain for the start of the 50K then proceeded to run Peavine Falls Road. I did want to do this run sometime before the race on the 4th of July. It's nearly all uphill for 3.75 miles then back down with a short trail thrown in there. The first mile isn't so bad but there's a brutal stretch between about 1.0 and 2.75. I managed the climb at just over 8:00 pace then turned on the speed for a 6:30 mile but could not find the right trail to the finish. The overall workout was 8.75 with an average pace of 7:45. My pace slowed on the trails because some were hilly and rocky plus I wasn't feeling my best. I popped a chromium to see if it would make things better or worse. The answer was worse. I slogged through 3 cool down miles at 9:35 pace. My goal is to run this course (8.2 miles) under 60 minutes on race day. That would be about a 7:21 pace.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=11.75

3/20- Easy Trak Shak run without a shirt (70 and sunny). I forgot to charge my Garmin so I ran naked for the first 7 then turned on the watch for the last mile (7:56 at an easy effort) so I figure that my overall pace was near 8, which is okay. FYI, running naked is runner's lingo for no watch in case you didn't realize that. The big news is that I took ZERO pills for nearly 24 hours and survived the workout with an average performance. If I am no longer dependent on them, it would be a MIRACLE. I've been hurt so many times in this area so I will not get my hopes up too high. The medical report should arrive by the end of next week.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=8.25

Weekly summary:
I did what I planned to do this week. This is pretty much what my training will look like in the Spring and Summer. Mileage will be cut just a tad by the intensity goes up for 5Ks. My all time PR is 19:13 and that's the one that I want the most. I would not mind falling short of the trifecta because I never raced longer than 5Ks in high school. This next 5K will give me a good shot. It's a fast course with a competitive field and the weather will not be too warm. Many people believe that it is impossible to come back from adrenal fatigue. I'm already better at longer distances but have yet to beat my high school times though I am comparable from the 5K all the way down to the 400. Beating just one of those times would be a major victory and the 5K is my best shot.
Distance=45.0/ GPA= 29.3/9= 3.26

Silver Comet 10K RR

2011-03-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Pre-race:
I had been coming off an excellent training week and had been fresh off a new half marathon PR. Now was the time to attack the shorter distances. In the 3 days before this race, I faced a massive shift in my body chemistry. I will not get my hopes up too high but there is a chance that I could be free from all pills very soon. That would be a miracle. Without a doubt, I will see improvement in my running as a result.
I have nothing major to report in terms of pre-race adventures. I left work early and headed east on I-20 to Atlanta. I arrived at my buddy Nick's place just after dinner and was soon ready for bed. Unfortunately, Nick could not run because he was getting over a case of bronchitis. I cheered him to a big half PR last year and hoped that he could return the favor. I woke up very early without an alarm and simply went about my normal routine. I felt strong warming up but seemed to get just a bit of tightness just before the start. Probably, it's just last minute paranoia so I would take no action.
Course and strategy:
Very fast course. The first 1.6 miles or so were mild-moderately rolling on the road. There was really only one tough hill and it was early enough in the race that it did not cause too much pain. The last 3/4 of the race was run on the Silver Comet trail, which was almost perfectly straight with no significant hills. In fact, the next 2 miles were all flat-very gently downhill. The final 2 miles had a mix of slight inclines and declines with a slight uphill finish. This has got to be one of the fastest 10Ks in the country and the perfect place for a PR. The plan was to go out near 6:30 pace and try to hold on. If I could hold that pace, I would come through the first half in about 20:10. My pipe dream was a sub-40 but I knew that was probably unrealistic. If I came through the first half with a shot, I would go for it. Most likely, I would be hanging on. Under 41 would be great but I'd settle for a baby PR of 41:14 or under. Based on last year's results, that time might be good enough to place in my age group.
Race:
I executed the plan to near perfection. In a good 10K, the pace feels like a hard short tempo for the first third of the race. Sometime in mile 3, I will start feeling the effort and it will be pretty much all out to the line. It was a good clean start and I was able to rein in my energy fairly well. The first quarter mile passed by at about 6:15 pace. That's a little quick but I maintained an even effort and just waited for the pace to slow a bit. The first mile was gently up and down and I passed through the first marker just a hair ahead of schedule. Next, we headed up a pretty significant climb for about a third of mile. It was here that I made up a lot of ground and by the time we hit a downhill that led us onto the trail, I was in 19th place and holding the pace very well. I passed a man who appeared to be my age and set my sights on another runner who appeared to be 10-15 seconds ahead. As expected, the effort began to take a toll in Mile 3. I would be passed by one runner here then another just at the halfway point, which I passed in approximately 20:15. I made a brief attempt to pick up the pace here but I just did not have a sub-40 in me today. Soon, it would become a painful affair with an earnest hope for a sub-41 but a small PR all but assured. The 2 runners, both of whom appeared to be over 35, would gradually pull away over the last half of the race. My pace slowed just a tad over the next 2 Miles but there would be no brutal fade. My breathing was pretty well controlled but I had some tightness in my calves with lots of lactic acid buildup. Actually, since the last 2 miles contained a few small inclines, I'd say that I held the pace pretty well. After passing Mile 6, I tried to get on my toes and sprint but there just was not much there. The sub-41 goal was within my reach and I wanted it badly so I charged up the slight incline to finish banner. Nick was right there at the line exhorting me to "get under 41." I made a last drive for the line to ensure that I made it just before the clock turned. My watch showed that I had it comfortably but I wanted to leave nothing to chance. Yes!
Official result:
Gun time: 40:58, Chip time: 40:55 (6:34 pace). 20th place. 3rd out of 30 in age group.
Final thought:
This is a PR by 19 seconds and I am now within 9 seconds/mile of my lifetime goal of a sub-40.
I will NOT be going to New Orleans in April for another crack at it. If training goes well, my next attempt will be at the Senior Bowl in Mobile in November. Next race is a local 5K with a flat course and good competition. Sub-20 should be a cinch but I'm looking to get close to 19. I will probably need more speed work to get there but I should have a shot at my comeback PR of 19:27, which was set in July of 2009. Time to update that one.
Splits:
6:29 (6:29) just a hair fast
6:32 (13:01) perfect
6:35 (19:36) starting to hurt
6:35 (26:11) slight downhill all the way
6:42 (32:53) hang on. don't let it slip away
6:45 (39:38) not much left
1:17 (40:55) 6:01 pace for last .22. Yes!
Grade on the day is a solid A.

More thoughts on road trips

2011-03-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

On Memorial Day weekend this year, I'll be racing a half marathon in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho which is located in the northern panhandle near the Canadian border. I'll be flying into Spokane, Washington, which is about 40 minutes west. From CDA, it's only 2 hours to Missoula, Montana and I heard that it is a beautiful drive. After the weekend, I will have visited every state in the continental U.S. Everyone says that's a really cool idea and a few people have asked for tips about how to go about doing it without burning too much fuel. The most important thing is to take small detours from your destination city. Here are some examples:

-Using Boston as your hub, you can quickly sweep through the 6 New England states

-Tour the Gulf coast starting in New Orleans and make a 3 hour drive to Pensacola passing through Alabama and Mississippi

-Take a trip to Chicago and head up and down each side of Lake Michigan crossing into Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.

-Tour Memphis and cross the Mississippi river into Arkansas and Missouri with Kentucky just minutes away

-See a few shows in Las Vegas then check off California, Arizona and Utah

-Fly into Denver and take in the Rocky Mountain scenery with easy access to Wyoming and Nebraska.

Even if you only take one such trip per year, you could be halfway there within 6 years even if you've never previously left your home state.

Other must see destinations include the following:
Texas, NYC,DC, the Pacific coast highway, the South Atlantic coast (Charleston, Savannah), Blue Ridge Parkway and Smokies, Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
This would take you up to near 40 states.
Now, which is the toughest state to see?
The most common answer to that question is North Dakota and you could make a case for it. The neareast large city is Minneapolis, 4 hours away and how I got there. Yes, I chose the Fargo marathon in 2009 because I saw little chance of going to ND outside of running. However, it's just 2 hours from Mount Rushmore so that would be an easy side trip.
Most people check off Idaho and Montana by visiting Yellowstone but there are no major airports nearby. If not for the CDA race, I doubt that I would have been to either state.

Other potentially tough options are Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
Ohio was easy for me because I used to live in a state that shared a border. Cincy, Cleveland and Columbus are all major cities but are not major tourist attractions. There are some good marathons both in Ohio and nearby states.
Kansas and Oklahoma were not too difficult because both are within easy reach of the Ozark Mountains in NW Arkansas.
Only Iowa and New Mexico required me to go very far out of my way.

You could say that I've cheated on few states because I was either too young to remember or was only there for a few minutes. As long as you were awake and aware of your surroundings, you can count a state even if you only saw the highway.
Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island fall into that category. I am most likely to return to AZ, MI, and MA.

Training 3/7-3/13

2011-03-07T18:08:00.000-08:00

3/7- Oak Mountain Mile in 5:34.7 (81-85-86-82). No ill-effects at all from yesterday's long run. I was clearly feeling the effects of too much chromium. Just as I feared, I am facing a situation in which the ideal dosage is somewhere between 2 and 3 pills. There has to be a better solution than this. This cannot be as good as it's going to get. I am very interested in my next medical report. My body felt too loose and I was out of breath far too quickly. It felt like riding a bike out of gear. 6 lap cool down at recovery jog pace. There is no subjectivity in grading a Mile time trial. 5:15 is a perfect score and I lose 1 point per second so that's an 81 on the day. Best time of the year and I have split the difference between my previous best and the goal. 19 down, 19 to go.
Grade:B-/3 credits/distance=3.0

3/8- Planned rest day. Good call to run the Mile yesterday. It's supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm feeling quite discouraged. The 5:34 Mile is not that bad but it's the way I felt that mattered. I took 750 mg. of chromium yesterday and my ideal is somewhere between 500 and 750. Is it 600, 650 or 700? I may have to open up capsules and estimate. This sucks and I can't live like this. I'm due to send in my sample to the lab but must wait 2 weeks for the results. I'm sore especially in the foot and shins so it may do some good to take a few slack days this week. Weather looks okay for Saturday.
Edit: 600 mg. is clearly not enough. I did not even have to run to test it. 700 mg tomorrow.

3/9-Moderate effort in the Trak Shak 5. Time was 36:54 (7:23 pace). Mediocre performance. I'm fine with that time but I did not feel well at all. Body was very tight today because I was low on chromium. I took 600 yesterday and 700 today and it wasn't enough. 750 was too much on Monday. Again, I cannot live like this. I am trending up and am still not sure what to do until race day.
Grade:C+/1 credit/distance=5.0

3/10- Light workout indoors. 1 Mile at moderate effort-7:03. I took 700 mg. of chromium again and felt the same as yesterday (too tight). Then I took about 100 more and felt better. Another Mile at moderate effort this time in 6:35, which is right about the pace I hope to sustain for 10K. I finished the workout with an easy mile in 7:52 as a cool down. One month ago, 700 mg. of chromium would have knocked me out and kept me in bed for the rest of the day. Now, it's not enough! I will load up tomorrow and Saturday morning and hope to hit it on the nose again for the race. THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME THAT I LOAD ON CHROMIUM! If I keep this up, maybe I'll stabilize, maybe I'll need more and more. Best hope is to reduce ADHS or add more magnesium. Hair sample was sent to the lab today.
Edit: Weight is stable at 157 lbs. and that's right where I want to be.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0

3/11- Planned rest day. No more ADHS, loaded on chromium.

3/12- Silver Comet 10K in 40:55 PR
Grade:A/4 credits/distance=7.0

3/13- Easy 9 on Lakeshore/Trak Shak in 69:57 (7:47 pace). I was out way too fast then backed off to 8:00 pace over the last half. Talked to Johnny for a bit while he was biking. Pretty smooth and relaxed. Good job.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=9.0

Weekly summary:
There has been a massive shift in my body chemistry and I need some more time to sort it all out. Right now, I'm basking in the glory of a shiny new PR. Despite the struggles early in the week, I made my 7th straight 3.0+ and that may be a record.
Distance=27.0/GPA=32.1/10=3.21

Going for the Trifecta

2011-03-02T07:41:00.000-08:00

Now that I have de-emphasized marathon training, my focus will be hitting my lifetime goals in the 5K,10K and half marathon. I figure that I have about 5 years of potential improvement to do so. I posed the following question on RWOL last year:
Which of these is most difficult to achieve?
19:00 5K
40:00 10K
1:30:00 Half
The consensus was that the 1:30 was easiest followed by the 40:00 while the 19:00 was generally considered the most difficult. The answer to that question depends on your strengths and weaknesses. The sub-19 may very well be the easiest task for me because I have not lost much raw sprint speed since high school. I'll bet that I could beat a lot of sub-3 marathoners in a quarter mile sprint.
This month will provide an opportunity to assess how close I am in both the 5K and 10K since both races are competitive and run on flat courses. As for the half, my online buddies in the Sub-1:30 goal group suggested that I am currently capable of it right now given the perfect circumstances. I like the encouragement and believe that I "might could" eke out a sub-1:31 but just don't think I am quite ready to break the big barrier yet. Maybe by the end of May, I'll have a shot in Idaho.
Let me define what I mean by perfect circumstances:
First, the weather must cooperate. Ideally, I'd like to see between 45-65 degrees with no wind, rain or humidity. In a 5K, I'd rather it be 65 than 45 and in a half, cooler conditions are preferable.
Second, the course must be fast. There may be some small rollers but they must be short, followed by a downhill and relatively early in the race. Of course, flatter = faster but outside of a track, truly pancake flat courses are hard to come by, especially locally.
Third, I must have close competition. In a small race, there is a high probability of ending up in "no mans land" in which no other competitor is within reach, either ahead or behind for much of the race. Pushing the pace is more difficult when running alone.
I've considered my current PRs at all 3 distances and there was no case in which all 3 conditions were met.
5K- 19:27- 75-80 degree weather and course included a gradual rise from Mile 2.5 to 3.0
10K- 41:14- solo time trial.
Half: 1:32:49- significant hills in the last 5 miles.
I almost forgot to mention that in addition to all 3 conditions being met, I will need to have my "A" stuff to do it.
I welcome any comments and points of agreement/disagreement.

Training 2/28-3/6

2011-02-28T17:37:00.000-08:00

2/28- Solid start to the week. Tornado watch outside so I opted for a crowded indoor run. 7.5 miles in 58:23 (7:47 pace). Even pace after a fast 1st mile. Took lots of chromium and it was effective in knocking out the abnormal soreness. No complaints.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.5

3/1- Johnny's workout. 400-800-1200-1200-800-400 with generous rest periods. Quite a bit of soreness in my legs but got through the workout unharmed. Times were 84-2:52-4:27-4:26-2:54-71. That's an overall pace of 5:45. Good job. Normally, I strive to run every interval just under 6-pace then burn the last one around 70. Today, I would not have been able do the 1200s on time without the extra rest. I need more and more chromium so I may try to reduce the ADHS from 8 to 7. We'll see how that works out. I'll see if I have a tempo in me tomorrow then I get a rest on Thursday. I think I'll wait on the Mile until next week. I predict my sprint times would be around 64/5:30 now.
Grade:B/2 credits/distance=5.0

3/2- The chromium deficiency has been more bothersome than the ADHS dependency of late. Of course, if I can somehow reduce the ADHS, I won't need as much chromium. Man, it would be great to be able to quit them both or at least not feel awful if I miss one day. I had to pop a chromium before the workout today but timed it perfectly. Trak Shak 5 in 32:48 (6:34 pace). 4th time under 33 and 2nd best time on that course. Mile 4 sucked as usual but I bounced back at the end. Most impressive of all was that this run did not leave me exhausted. I finished the day with a 2.5 mile cool down at 8:20 pace, which is almost in the acceptable range for an easy run. This is a 10K pace of 40:51 and I wasn't even fresh. I did have to stop several times for traffic but believe that I had a 33 flat in me if I went continuous.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=7.5

3/3- Perfect weather outside and it's going to be nasty for the next 2 days so I chose to postpone my rest day. Lakeshore 7 with Adam and Jason in 52:49 (7:33 pace). That's well over the speed limit but I was not about to wimp out on the group. Felt strong the whole way and ran very even splits. Cool down at the end. Took 7 ADHS and 3 chromium today. I will try to cut the ADHS down to 6 tomorrow and hopefully will only need 2 chromium.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=8.0

3/4- Rest day that was well deserved. This time I stuck to my word. I'm trying to get through the day on 6 ADHS pills and feel slightly uncomfortable. As expected, fewer ADHS means I need less chromium. I have only needed 2 of those pills instead of 3. We'll see how I feel tomorrow morning. If I feel bad when I wake up or suck in my workout, 6 still won't cut it. I had an extremely bizarre dream last night but in this case, you do not want to know the details.

3/5- Felt progressively worse as the evening progressed last night so I have to declare that 6/2 will not work. I'll send in my lab test next week and we'll see what it says. I remain chemically unstable. ARRGH! Weather was bad so I chose to postpone my long run until tomorrow. Easy indoor 7 in 55:19 (7:54 pace). Very unsettling that the adjustment did not work and I still did not feel the best after the pills kicked in but did manage an average performance.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=7.5

3/6- Winter has made one last gasp (I hope). Temp was around 40 today with a sub-freezing wind chill and this was in the afternoon. Very good run despite the change in temperature. Trak Shak 3 + Trak Shak/Lakeshore route. Total distance was 14 miles in a time of 1:46:25 (7:36 pace) with a last mile in 6:52. That's 3:19 marathon pace. Again, I broke the speed limit but I have a rest day scheduled along with a slack week ahead so I should be fine. 1/2 mile cool down to hit the mileage target.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=14.5

Weekly summary:
Excellent week overall. I don't think I've ever had 3 solid A's in one week. It's still unsettling that I remain chemically unstable. What I'm doing now is a winning formula for now but I'm not real confident that it's the long-term answer. The lab test will be mailed next week. Upcoming is a Mile time trial and a 10K PR attempt in a very low mileage week.
Distance=50.0/ GPA=32.4/9= 3.60