3/18- Quarter marathon at goal pace. Finished 6.55 miles in 47:03 (7:11 pace). That's a 3:08:12 for a full 26.2. Good job. Last workout was pretty decent but it just didn't feel "right." Today did. Added a long cool. I cut the Thym-Adren from 8 pills down to 6. Normally, that would be a concern but after the medical report, it was somewhat expected. I've been cheating on the sugar restrictions lately and that must stop now. That may have played a role in the reduced dosage.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.5
3/19- AM- Spain Park Mile and I had the track to myself. I tried cutting the Thym-Adren again down to 5 pills, which proved to be too aggressive. Nevertheless, I scored a new best time of the year with a 5:47.8 effort. Splits were 83-88-91-85 so not as even as last time but a 5 second positive split is still not bad. Bottom line is that I was too loose and simply did not "feel right." I'm much more concerned by how I feel than the numbers on the watch. Just like last week, I warmed up hastily and was not fresh. Still, an 8 second improvement is nothing to sneeze at and I'm now within 32 ticks of the goal. I hope to do better this evening with my interval workout.
PM- Fairly low key interval workout. I don't want to jump into 10x400 right away. I showed up for Johnny's late and did my own workout. 200-200-400-400-600 then back down. I was feeling worse in the afternoon today and was forced to take more pills. I am back up to 8 Thym-Adren. This time, I am not worried about the instability. As long as I am clean on the diet and take fructosin every day, I should be stable. The continued need for mega doses makes me feel a little uneasy. I'm far from being out of the woods. It remains to be seen what the magnesium will do to my numbers. Anyway, the workout was half good and half bad. I got off to a solid start: 34-33-74-76 then DIED. 600 was a pathetic 2:16 (goal was 2:00). The back side of the workout was also weak: 84-82-39-34.
Grade:C+/2 credit/distance=5.0
3/20- Clear, cool and windy out there. Decent workout. Trak Shak 7.5 loop in 56:09 (7:29 pace). Strong start. I was 36:40 at 5 miles then faded to 19:29 over the last 2.5 (7:47 avg). Legs were sore most of the way but then again, I have been working pretty hard lately. Feels like the Thym-Adren may have to be cut after all. Perhaps yesterday was a shock reaction to being off sugar.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=7.5
3/21- First official day of Spring and I hope it's winter's last gasp. Tempo day today. Not as strong as last week but still managed 5 miles in a solid 32:50 (6:34 pace). Faded in Mile 3 and 4 but had a decent kick at the end. Legs were sore but overall, it was pretty appropriate given the quality of workouts this week. Took 6 Thym-Adren and it felt "about right." If I took 8 again, I would have sucked. I may try to lower it again. Only 9 days until Rumpshaker and a fast time is looking iffy. I need a decent weekend to win this week.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=5.5
3/22- Planned rest day. I'm planning to run with the Gnomes tomorrow. Looking for 15ish at a slower pace. We'll see how that goes.
3/23- Postponed my long run due to predicted bad weather and that proved to be a good call. Indoor 5 instead in 37:22 (7:28 pace). Nothing special but it gets the job done. I am facing another shift in my body chemistry and will report later.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=5.5
3/24- TERRIBLE! Long run FAIL! Managed just 3 miles in a time of 23:41 (7:54 pace) with splits of 7:35-7:42-8:23. Took too much magnesium by accident and paid the price. Went home and popped some more pills in an attempt to even things out. I was better but still failed on a tempo attempt. Run #2 was another 3 miles in 19:40 (6:33 pace) and was cooked after Mile 2. I believe that I would have been over 7:00 pace if I had continued. Disgusted, I went home for another 3 at junk pace on Wisteria and did not time it. I get a "D" for determination to reach 40 on the week.
Grade:D/2 credits/distance=9.0
Weekly summary:
The end of an unimpressive 3 week win streak. I had expected to get hot after breaking the losing streak but it has not happened yet. I do have the option of taking extra magnesium but since it raises sodium, more Thym-Adren will be required and that means Vitamin C is necessary. The 1:1 ratio with less Thym-Adren and no C is the more conservative option and and based on what I saw this weekend, it's probably the right call. I am listed as questionable for Rumpshaker. A poor performance there after my triumph last year would really be a downer.
Distance= 40.0/ GPA= 23.2/9= 2.46
YTD: 466 miles. Record: 7-5. Cum GPA= 33.84/12= 2.82
Monday, March 18, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Medical report
In short, the news is surprisingly GOOD! A hair test does not always correlate with how you feel but it is predictive of future health. This may sound counter-intutive because the hair test reflects an average mineral reading over the previous 3-4 months. The reason is that symptoms often appear AFTER the imbalances are present. This one covered late Novermber- mid February. I cut off almost all my hair before Thanksgiving because I wanted a shorter timeframe on this one. My previous test had covered late July-mid November. I had been unable to take any Thym-Adren until September when I started on the Fructosin and did not start on the mega doses until mid-December when I started on the Vitamin C.
Here were the numbers on the previous report vs ideals in parenthesis:
Ca: 24 (40)
Mg: 2 (6)
Na: 123 (25)
K: 25 (10)
Zn: 15 (20)
Cu: 1.4 (2.5)
Al 0.67 -(toxic)
Key ratios:
Ca/Mg- blood sugar- 12.00 (6.67)
Ca/K -thyroid- 0.96 (4.00)
Na/Mg- adrenal- 61.50 (4.17)
Na/K- life/death- 4.88 (2.50)- high is preferable to low.
Zn/Cu- 10.67 (8.0) men should be a bit high.
Latest results:
Ca: 27 (40)
Mg: 2 (6)
Na: 30 (25)
K: 10 (10) perfect
Zn: 14 (20)
Cu: 1.4 (2.5)
Al: 0.80 (toxic)
Ratios:
Ca/Mg- 13.50 (6.67)
Ca/K- 2.70 (4.00)
Na/Mg- 15.00 (4.17)
Na/K- 3.00 (2.50)- very good
Zn/Cu- 10.00- ideal for men.
Analysis:
Adrenal:
The thing that sticks out is the rapid improvement in my sodium level, which is strongly associated with adrenal function. How do I account for that? First, remember that this is an AVERAGE of the previous 3 months. When I could not take any pills, I'm sure that it was over 150 in July, which means that at the exact time of the test (late November), it was more like 90 instead of 123 and already trending down. Then, I went to the mega doses. Still, it is a shock to me and I mean that in a good way that it came down that much. Tissue sodium often runs a bit high among athletes so it's near perfect just where it is now! The ratio of 15.00 versus an ideal of 4.17 is still BAD and will still produce symptoms but it's a massive improvement over 61.50. For an athlete, my target range is more like 6-8. Just get the magnesium up to 4 and I'm good.
Adrenal fatigue:
No concern here. I will not have to take a break from running. You want to see a Na/K ratio between 2.5-4.0, which indicates "good" function. I'm right where I should be. A drop in sodium not accompanied by a drop in potassium would be a concern but potassium is right where it should be.
Blood sugar:
This one is not good. A Ca/Mg ratio below 3 or above 12 is considered to be trending diabetic and I'm at 13.50. Magnesium really should be measured in smaller increments. Suppose my Mg level rose from 1.8 up to 2.2, that would mean that the ratio got better instead of worse. Why did the Paramin not work for me leading up to Silver Comet? It exascerbated the already high Ca/Mg ratio. Need more Mg and to stay disciplined with sugar consumption. In the past, I was wary of Mg. supplementation because it also raises sodium. Now, even if the sodium rises from 30 to 50 but I get the magnesium up to 4, I will still be better off.
Thyroid:
Again, a nice improvement here. I'm at 68% of ideal versus only 24% last time.
Toxic metals:
Aluminum rose a bit but I'm not worried as long as it remains below 1.0. All others are barely detectable.
New plan:
-stick with low dose vitamin C
-reduce Thym-Adren if I can
-add enough Magnesium such that I am taking a 1:1 ratio of Cal/Mag.
Final thought:
It is likely that the low Mg was a major contributing factor in my slump in February. If I am as successful raising it as I was in lowering the sodium, I expect to run very well in the near future.
Here were the numbers on the previous report vs ideals in parenthesis:
Ca: 24 (40)
Mg: 2 (6)
Na: 123 (25)
K: 25 (10)
Zn: 15 (20)
Cu: 1.4 (2.5)
Al 0.67 -(toxic)
Key ratios:
Ca/Mg- blood sugar- 12.00 (6.67)
Ca/K -thyroid- 0.96 (4.00)
Na/Mg- adrenal- 61.50 (4.17)
Na/K- life/death- 4.88 (2.50)- high is preferable to low.
Zn/Cu- 10.67 (8.0) men should be a bit high.
Latest results:
Ca: 27 (40)
Mg: 2 (6)
Na: 30 (25)
K: 10 (10) perfect
Zn: 14 (20)
Cu: 1.4 (2.5)
Al: 0.80 (toxic)
Ratios:
Ca/Mg- 13.50 (6.67)
Ca/K- 2.70 (4.00)
Na/Mg- 15.00 (4.17)
Na/K- 3.00 (2.50)- very good
Zn/Cu- 10.00- ideal for men.
Analysis:
Adrenal:
The thing that sticks out is the rapid improvement in my sodium level, which is strongly associated with adrenal function. How do I account for that? First, remember that this is an AVERAGE of the previous 3 months. When I could not take any pills, I'm sure that it was over 150 in July, which means that at the exact time of the test (late November), it was more like 90 instead of 123 and already trending down. Then, I went to the mega doses. Still, it is a shock to me and I mean that in a good way that it came down that much. Tissue sodium often runs a bit high among athletes so it's near perfect just where it is now! The ratio of 15.00 versus an ideal of 4.17 is still BAD and will still produce symptoms but it's a massive improvement over 61.50. For an athlete, my target range is more like 6-8. Just get the magnesium up to 4 and I'm good.
Adrenal fatigue:
No concern here. I will not have to take a break from running. You want to see a Na/K ratio between 2.5-4.0, which indicates "good" function. I'm right where I should be. A drop in sodium not accompanied by a drop in potassium would be a concern but potassium is right where it should be.
Blood sugar:
This one is not good. A Ca/Mg ratio below 3 or above 12 is considered to be trending diabetic and I'm at 13.50. Magnesium really should be measured in smaller increments. Suppose my Mg level rose from 1.8 up to 2.2, that would mean that the ratio got better instead of worse. Why did the Paramin not work for me leading up to Silver Comet? It exascerbated the already high Ca/Mg ratio. Need more Mg and to stay disciplined with sugar consumption. In the past, I was wary of Mg. supplementation because it also raises sodium. Now, even if the sodium rises from 30 to 50 but I get the magnesium up to 4, I will still be better off.
Thyroid:
Again, a nice improvement here. I'm at 68% of ideal versus only 24% last time.
Toxic metals:
Aluminum rose a bit but I'm not worried as long as it remains below 1.0. All others are barely detectable.
New plan:
-stick with low dose vitamin C
-reduce Thym-Adren if I can
-add enough Magnesium such that I am taking a 1:1 ratio of Cal/Mag.
Final thought:
It is likely that the low Mg was a major contributing factor in my slump in February. If I am as successful raising it as I was in lowering the sodium, I expect to run very well in the near future.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Training 3/11-3/17
3/11- Depressing rainy day. I took off work this morning because I had to go see the "denty". Fortunately, it was just a cavity. Stayed inside for a standard issue 6 miler in 44:35 (7:26 pace). Solid performance for an easy day but I'm sure that a quality session would not have been pretty. Slight fade but that was partially by design (22:10/22:25). This was not a tempo effort but I am still stiffer than I should be. No medical report today but I expect to get it tomorrow.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.0
3/12- AM- Vestavia Mile in 5:55.05 (best time of the year). Being 40 seconds shy of the goal is no cause for celebration but nevertheless, I am on the board with my first sub-6 Mile of 2013. I broke the barrier for the first time way back in 1994 (age 13) and have since recorded at least 1 sub-6 every year except 2006 when I was Stage 3 adrenal fatigue. This was not the goal workout for the day and was actually not as bad as it appears on the surface. First, I was untapered. Second, it was 36 degrees and I barely even warmed up due to time constraints. Very even splits as well (87-90-91-87).
PM- 8x200 at Heardmont. Too loose. I did not time the first 7 but I'm sure that it was not pretty. No power at all. Then somehow, I found my top gear on #8 and passed up Dewayne who was running a tempo. Finished #8 in 29.5 self-timed. Fairly clean diet today. Only questionable choice was OJ. No medical report in the mail. It must not have been mailed until Monday. I will call them if it does not arrive tomorrow.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=4.0
3/13- Popped some magnesium at lunch and felt a difference almost immediately and it showed in the workout. Breezed through the Trak Shak 7 in 50:15 (7:11 pace) and actually eased off at the end. Felt much more like the Crazy J of old.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0
3/14- Great tempo. 5 miles in 31:41 (6:20 pace). I believe that I would have had a shot at sub-40 for 10K but I had to leave early. Believe it or not, I was not quite 100% today. I still need to tweak the magnesium. After the workout, I went bowling with Chilton and saw stars a few times because I was light-headed. That usually suggests a calcium deficit. Splits were 6:11-6:24-6:28-6:27-6:11. Yes, I did go all out at the end but in the mid-section, I was not giving race effort. I will likely rest tomorrow then try a 15ish long run on Saturday. Looking good for a win this week.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=5.0
3/15- I feel good enough to run well today but I'm taking the planned rest. I may not get another chance at a good long run before my 5K in 2 weeks.
3/16- 7.5 at Oak Mountain in 55:40 (7:25 pace) plus a cool. Faded badly after Mile 4.5 but that was partially due to the heat. It was pushing 75 with high noon sun when I finished and I didn't drink. Slept in on purpose because I planned on going long tomorrow instead. I think I took a bit too much magnesium too. The ratio should be 1:1. I need at least a "B minus" tomorrow for a win on the week.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0
3/17- Struggled most of the run and again slept for 10+ hours but I get the win only because I was able to endure it for 13 tough miles in a moving time of 1:38:53 (7:36 pace). 7-4 looks much better than 6-5. Route was Trak Shak 9 starting at Brookwood O'Henry's then added 4 extra on Lakeshore. 12 of 13 were sub-8 and the only exception was an uphill mile. Average workout.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=13.0
Weekly summary:
Showed flashes of excellence on Wednesday and Thursday but was shaky outside of that. My body is still adjusting to the added magnesium and I may need to reduce the Thym-Adren, which is not a surprise given the results of the medical report. I've got 2 weeks to set this straight before Rumpshaker and then I've got St. Louis the following week for fun.
Distance=43.0/ GPA= 27.4/9= 3.04
YTD: 426 miles/ Record: 7-4. Cum. GPA= 31.38/11= 2.85
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=6.0
3/12- AM- Vestavia Mile in 5:55.05 (best time of the year). Being 40 seconds shy of the goal is no cause for celebration but nevertheless, I am on the board with my first sub-6 Mile of 2013. I broke the barrier for the first time way back in 1994 (age 13) and have since recorded at least 1 sub-6 every year except 2006 when I was Stage 3 adrenal fatigue. This was not the goal workout for the day and was actually not as bad as it appears on the surface. First, I was untapered. Second, it was 36 degrees and I barely even warmed up due to time constraints. Very even splits as well (87-90-91-87).
PM- 8x200 at Heardmont. Too loose. I did not time the first 7 but I'm sure that it was not pretty. No power at all. Then somehow, I found my top gear on #8 and passed up Dewayne who was running a tempo. Finished #8 in 29.5 self-timed. Fairly clean diet today. Only questionable choice was OJ. No medical report in the mail. It must not have been mailed until Monday. I will call them if it does not arrive tomorrow.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=4.0
3/13- Popped some magnesium at lunch and felt a difference almost immediately and it showed in the workout. Breezed through the Trak Shak 7 in 50:15 (7:11 pace) and actually eased off at the end. Felt much more like the Crazy J of old.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=7.0
3/14- Great tempo. 5 miles in 31:41 (6:20 pace). I believe that I would have had a shot at sub-40 for 10K but I had to leave early. Believe it or not, I was not quite 100% today. I still need to tweak the magnesium. After the workout, I went bowling with Chilton and saw stars a few times because I was light-headed. That usually suggests a calcium deficit. Splits were 6:11-6:24-6:28-6:27-6:11. Yes, I did go all out at the end but in the mid-section, I was not giving race effort. I will likely rest tomorrow then try a 15ish long run on Saturday. Looking good for a win this week.
Grade:A/2 credits/distance=5.0
3/15- I feel good enough to run well today but I'm taking the planned rest. I may not get another chance at a good long run before my 5K in 2 weeks.
3/16- 7.5 at Oak Mountain in 55:40 (7:25 pace) plus a cool. Faded badly after Mile 4.5 but that was partially due to the heat. It was pushing 75 with high noon sun when I finished and I didn't drink. Slept in on purpose because I planned on going long tomorrow instead. I think I took a bit too much magnesium too. The ratio should be 1:1. I need at least a "B minus" tomorrow for a win on the week.
Grade:B+/1 credit/distance=8.0
3/17- Struggled most of the run and again slept for 10+ hours but I get the win only because I was able to endure it for 13 tough miles in a moving time of 1:38:53 (7:36 pace). 7-4 looks much better than 6-5. Route was Trak Shak 9 starting at Brookwood O'Henry's then added 4 extra on Lakeshore. 12 of 13 were sub-8 and the only exception was an uphill mile. Average workout.
Grade:B-/2 credits/distance=13.0
Weekly summary:
Showed flashes of excellence on Wednesday and Thursday but was shaky outside of that. My body is still adjusting to the added magnesium and I may need to reduce the Thym-Adren, which is not a surprise given the results of the medical report. I've got 2 weeks to set this straight before Rumpshaker and then I've got St. Louis the following week for fun.
Distance=43.0/ GPA= 27.4/9= 3.04
YTD: 426 miles/ Record: 7-4. Cum. GPA= 31.38/11= 2.85
Saturday, March 9, 2013
2013 Silver Comet RR
Nothing really earth shattering on this one so it will not go on the sidebar but it does merit a full post.
Training:
Recovered from a disastrous month in February to post a decent first week of March. I was near PR form only 6 weeks earlier and should not have lost much fitness. I still believed that I was capable of a sub-40 but I'd need to be 100% for that to happen. Warming up, I pretty much knew that it was not going to happen but I would give it a shot anyway. I really was not too sluggish but I had a trace of abnormal stiffness in the IT band. I did not feel like I had a ton of power and had to put forth effort to hit race pace in warm up. It felt like I was just one of those "tiny slivers" from being in tip-top form and that's about how I performed. In a 40 minute race, a 1% drop represents a 24 second loss. I felt like I was about 3% off form so I predicted a time in the low 41s. My CR set in 2011 was 40:55, which was possible but unlikely.
Trip:
Nothing to report here. It was a smooth ride on I-20, which is a road that I could drive in my sleep. I got to Nick's by 7:30 after leaving work a couple of hours early.
Course:
Rolling for the first 3K with a hill at the beginning and a fairly tough one just after Mile 1. The final 7K was on a paved trail with a flat-almost imperceptible decline. It's certainly a PR course and I really wish I was completely healthy because on my best day, I could go well under 40.
Race:
I had planned to go out more conservative this time but once again, it didn't happen. I was moving well up the first hill but was already getting stiff in the legs and was beginning to breath heavily. After a half mile, we went downhill steadily and my pace increased. I looked down to see a 1st mile split that was too fast. I intentionally backed off going uphill then attempted to pick up the pace on the trail. As expected, there was not much there. Still, I managed a brief increase early in Mile 3 to hit 5K around 20 flat. Looks like I have a chance to CR. Mile 4 was definitely a struggle but my split was not as bad as I feared. 4 runners passed me on the trail but my pace remained steady near 6:40 for Mile 5. Time to push hard now with a Mile to go. The effort increased but the pace did not. I was just struggling to stay at the same speed. Another runner began to gain on me in the homestretch but I managed to keep him behind me by 3 seconds at the finish. He looked to be near my age too and I thought that perhaps I had out-kicked him for 3rd in my AG. In any event, it appeared to be mine to lose at the 6 Mile mark but the race ended on a bit of an incline and I had very little kick left. I still thought I had it up until about 50 yards to go. In the end, I ran out of time by 3 seconds but I did manage to break 41. The official time was 40:58 and it was only good enough for 4th place in my age group. I needed a 40:19 to place. Nick PR'd by more than a minute with a 47:39. Way to go! Next up is Rumpshaker (local 5K) in 3 weeks. I'm hoping to hit the intervals hard and do 1 good long run over the weekend.
Splits:
6:12 downhill last .5
6:35 (12:47) uphill
6:29 (19:16) trail
6:42 (25:58) trail
6:42 (32:40) trail
6:45 (39:25) trail
1:33 (6:20ish pace for .24) slight rise
Final thought:
A respectable performance especially considering the hell that my body has been through but I'm sick of the "all things considered" excuse. I want results and the healing that I thought I had last year. A non-improvement over 2 years is unsatisfactory. I really don't feel that I am any better off than I was 2 years ago. A sub-41 is still within 9 ticks per mile of the goal and it's a lenient "A-".
Training:
Recovered from a disastrous month in February to post a decent first week of March. I was near PR form only 6 weeks earlier and should not have lost much fitness. I still believed that I was capable of a sub-40 but I'd need to be 100% for that to happen. Warming up, I pretty much knew that it was not going to happen but I would give it a shot anyway. I really was not too sluggish but I had a trace of abnormal stiffness in the IT band. I did not feel like I had a ton of power and had to put forth effort to hit race pace in warm up. It felt like I was just one of those "tiny slivers" from being in tip-top form and that's about how I performed. In a 40 minute race, a 1% drop represents a 24 second loss. I felt like I was about 3% off form so I predicted a time in the low 41s. My CR set in 2011 was 40:55, which was possible but unlikely.
Trip:
Nothing to report here. It was a smooth ride on I-20, which is a road that I could drive in my sleep. I got to Nick's by 7:30 after leaving work a couple of hours early.
Course:
Rolling for the first 3K with a hill at the beginning and a fairly tough one just after Mile 1. The final 7K was on a paved trail with a flat-almost imperceptible decline. It's certainly a PR course and I really wish I was completely healthy because on my best day, I could go well under 40.
Race:
I had planned to go out more conservative this time but once again, it didn't happen. I was moving well up the first hill but was already getting stiff in the legs and was beginning to breath heavily. After a half mile, we went downhill steadily and my pace increased. I looked down to see a 1st mile split that was too fast. I intentionally backed off going uphill then attempted to pick up the pace on the trail. As expected, there was not much there. Still, I managed a brief increase early in Mile 3 to hit 5K around 20 flat. Looks like I have a chance to CR. Mile 4 was definitely a struggle but my split was not as bad as I feared. 4 runners passed me on the trail but my pace remained steady near 6:40 for Mile 5. Time to push hard now with a Mile to go. The effort increased but the pace did not. I was just struggling to stay at the same speed. Another runner began to gain on me in the homestretch but I managed to keep him behind me by 3 seconds at the finish. He looked to be near my age too and I thought that perhaps I had out-kicked him for 3rd in my AG. In any event, it appeared to be mine to lose at the 6 Mile mark but the race ended on a bit of an incline and I had very little kick left. I still thought I had it up until about 50 yards to go. In the end, I ran out of time by 3 seconds but I did manage to break 41. The official time was 40:58 and it was only good enough for 4th place in my age group. I needed a 40:19 to place. Nick PR'd by more than a minute with a 47:39. Way to go! Next up is Rumpshaker (local 5K) in 3 weeks. I'm hoping to hit the intervals hard and do 1 good long run over the weekend.
Splits:
6:12 downhill last .5
6:35 (12:47) uphill
6:29 (19:16) trail
6:42 (25:58) trail
6:42 (32:40) trail
6:45 (39:25) trail
1:33 (6:20ish pace for .24) slight rise
Final thought:
A respectable performance especially considering the hell that my body has been through but I'm sick of the "all things considered" excuse. I want results and the healing that I thought I had last year. A non-improvement over 2 years is unsatisfactory. I really don't feel that I am any better off than I was 2 years ago. A sub-41 is still within 9 ticks per mile of the goal and it's a lenient "A-".
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Reflections
As my readers know, my anger about this whole situation reached a new level during the 4 week losing streak. The crux of the matter is this: When it comes to dealing with people, dishonesty is not something that I will tolerate. Call me old fashioned but I still believe that your word is your bond. If you make a promise to me or lead me to believe that you will act a certain way, I have been known to react harshly if you do not follow through especially if it becomes clear that you never intended to keep the promise. This latest relapse to me was one of several times that I felt misled into believing that I had been healed.
After the Rumpshaker 5K last year, I had set PRs in 7 out of 8 races from Sept. 2011 to March 2012 and was only taking Paramin (Cal/Mag) for preventative maintenance. In retrospect, I probably should have known that something was amiss because I was not actually freed from the Thym-Adren, I was forced off. Even a single dose produced a negative reaction and I had similar experiences with other pills that I had taken in the past. If I had sent in a medical report at that time, I'm sure that it would have been BAD but I would have had no idea what to do about it. In reality, I did not want to know the truth because the idea that I had been healed supernaturally was just too good.
I actually "recovered" from adrenal fatigue at the end of 2008 when after 2.5 years of treatment, a medical report showed that I was producing enough adrenaline. My doctor said that it is common for such patients to have their adrenals go into hyperdrive afterwards. I suppose that makes sense. I had been adrenaline deficient for at least the last 10 years, probably all my life. My body had been compensating for that issue for so long and now I had to "teach" my adrenals to slow down instead. Still, I never thought that it would take this long to get in balance and I may not be any closer now than I was back then.
Is there anything that I could have done differently? Yes, cheating on my sugar restrictions held me back and I knew better too. However, since the Fall of 2011, I've been much better in that area. In fact, I went through a month period back in July of 2012 in which I drank nothing but water and only had Gatorade during long runs but my fructose intolerance got worse, not better. The low point came in September when I could not even drink the Gatorade and my standard 7:30 pace became a walk/jog at the end of a 10 mile run.
I fixed that problem thanks to Fructosin (xylose isomerase enzyme supplement) but still developed more problems with the Thym-Adren. 2 months later, I could only tolerate very little of it despite the fact that I was still WAY overactive. Now what was the problem? It turned out to be a Vitamin C deficiency. Simple fix right? Wrong! Too much C depletes copper, which is commonly low in fast oxidizers. The low point came when I could not even drink a small bottle of orange juice without a reaction. Both are required for connective tissue healing and synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. It doesn't take much knowledge of chemistry to know what happens when those are low. That explains the depression. Symptoms can vary depending on which chemical is lowest but women tend to have crying spells when depressed while men get the angry outbursts. I never flipped out on anyone but the anger was all internal and directed at God.
I went to see Kevin and Jenny (Bible study leaders) last night to talk about it and two points stuck out. 1.) I feel wronged by God and regardless of whether it is real or perceived, it feels the same and forgiveness is the only way out.
2.) I need to get to a point in which I will be okay with God even if I am never healed.
Point #1 is absolutely right and I believe that I can do that and it will not be too difficult.
Point #2 is not so easy. If not for this illness, my whole life almost certainly would have turned out differently but if I am healed, there is still a chance that it will work out for the best. That said, I feel that the window of opportunity is closing.
Now about my fears about never being healed and the broken dreams. As for the running, I was already denied the opportunity to compete in college. That hurt but I reasoned that it probably would not matter in 10 years. When I struggled in graduate school then crashed afterwards, my job opportunites were limited. I don't hate my job and I'm in okay shape financially but it is well below what I had envisioned when I was a top student in undergrad. Yes, the imbalances are holding me back at work and I will not advance much in my career while 23 year olds fresh out of undergrad are as far as I am.
I do have a family that loves me and though I may not be Mr. Popularity, I do have several friends that would do anything for me. I want to get married and have a family but I may never even have a girlfriend because there is too much potential for hurt on both sides. It would take a very special person to put up with me when I am down and can understand why it happens.
The big dream is the book deal. If you go to Cure Zone or other health forums, it will break your heart to read about what some people go through. With my knowledge, I can help thousands of people but cannot expect them to listen if this is as good as it will get for me. Lots of books on alternative medicine have been written but they are usually by doctors not patients who have gone through it and can truly understand what it's like to live with chemical imbalances and instability. I'm not aware of any health book that integrates Scripture and interprets it in the depth that I have. I believe that I have the talent to run a sub-5 Mile or a sub-3 marathon if I was healthy and trained specifically for the distance. It's no secret in the running community that I am inconsistent and have disappeared from group runs for weeks but unless they read my blog regularly, they have no idea of the nature and severity of my condition. I have no doubt that I will take my running to a new level if healthy and it will certainly generate more interest. I vow that God, not I, will get the glory. Why is it not happening?
Jenny took me on a mental journey in which I envisioned myself with Jesus throwing away (literally in a fire) all the negative thoughts about my future being unhealthy. I could feel some of the weight lifting off me. Deep down, I know that point #2 must be accepted but it is a very tough ask. I believe that I will win the next 5 or 6 in a row and show at least some progress on the medical report but what happens around the early part of May is another issue. If I lose another 3-4 in a row, I may be angry again.
After the Rumpshaker 5K last year, I had set PRs in 7 out of 8 races from Sept. 2011 to March 2012 and was only taking Paramin (Cal/Mag) for preventative maintenance. In retrospect, I probably should have known that something was amiss because I was not actually freed from the Thym-Adren, I was forced off. Even a single dose produced a negative reaction and I had similar experiences with other pills that I had taken in the past. If I had sent in a medical report at that time, I'm sure that it would have been BAD but I would have had no idea what to do about it. In reality, I did not want to know the truth because the idea that I had been healed supernaturally was just too good.
I actually "recovered" from adrenal fatigue at the end of 2008 when after 2.5 years of treatment, a medical report showed that I was producing enough adrenaline. My doctor said that it is common for such patients to have their adrenals go into hyperdrive afterwards. I suppose that makes sense. I had been adrenaline deficient for at least the last 10 years, probably all my life. My body had been compensating for that issue for so long and now I had to "teach" my adrenals to slow down instead. Still, I never thought that it would take this long to get in balance and I may not be any closer now than I was back then.
Is there anything that I could have done differently? Yes, cheating on my sugar restrictions held me back and I knew better too. However, since the Fall of 2011, I've been much better in that area. In fact, I went through a month period back in July of 2012 in which I drank nothing but water and only had Gatorade during long runs but my fructose intolerance got worse, not better. The low point came in September when I could not even drink the Gatorade and my standard 7:30 pace became a walk/jog at the end of a 10 mile run.
I fixed that problem thanks to Fructosin (xylose isomerase enzyme supplement) but still developed more problems with the Thym-Adren. 2 months later, I could only tolerate very little of it despite the fact that I was still WAY overactive. Now what was the problem? It turned out to be a Vitamin C deficiency. Simple fix right? Wrong! Too much C depletes copper, which is commonly low in fast oxidizers. The low point came when I could not even drink a small bottle of orange juice without a reaction. Both are required for connective tissue healing and synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. It doesn't take much knowledge of chemistry to know what happens when those are low. That explains the depression. Symptoms can vary depending on which chemical is lowest but women tend to have crying spells when depressed while men get the angry outbursts. I never flipped out on anyone but the anger was all internal and directed at God.
I went to see Kevin and Jenny (Bible study leaders) last night to talk about it and two points stuck out. 1.) I feel wronged by God and regardless of whether it is real or perceived, it feels the same and forgiveness is the only way out.
2.) I need to get to a point in which I will be okay with God even if I am never healed.
Point #1 is absolutely right and I believe that I can do that and it will not be too difficult.
Point #2 is not so easy. If not for this illness, my whole life almost certainly would have turned out differently but if I am healed, there is still a chance that it will work out for the best. That said, I feel that the window of opportunity is closing.
Now about my fears about never being healed and the broken dreams. As for the running, I was already denied the opportunity to compete in college. That hurt but I reasoned that it probably would not matter in 10 years. When I struggled in graduate school then crashed afterwards, my job opportunites were limited. I don't hate my job and I'm in okay shape financially but it is well below what I had envisioned when I was a top student in undergrad. Yes, the imbalances are holding me back at work and I will not advance much in my career while 23 year olds fresh out of undergrad are as far as I am.
I do have a family that loves me and though I may not be Mr. Popularity, I do have several friends that would do anything for me. I want to get married and have a family but I may never even have a girlfriend because there is too much potential for hurt on both sides. It would take a very special person to put up with me when I am down and can understand why it happens.
The big dream is the book deal. If you go to Cure Zone or other health forums, it will break your heart to read about what some people go through. With my knowledge, I can help thousands of people but cannot expect them to listen if this is as good as it will get for me. Lots of books on alternative medicine have been written but they are usually by doctors not patients who have gone through it and can truly understand what it's like to live with chemical imbalances and instability. I'm not aware of any health book that integrates Scripture and interprets it in the depth that I have. I believe that I have the talent to run a sub-5 Mile or a sub-3 marathon if I was healthy and trained specifically for the distance. It's no secret in the running community that I am inconsistent and have disappeared from group runs for weeks but unless they read my blog regularly, they have no idea of the nature and severity of my condition. I have no doubt that I will take my running to a new level if healthy and it will certainly generate more interest. I vow that God, not I, will get the glory. Why is it not happening?
Jenny took me on a mental journey in which I envisioned myself with Jesus throwing away (literally in a fire) all the negative thoughts about my future being unhealthy. I could feel some of the weight lifting off me. Deep down, I know that point #2 must be accepted but it is a very tough ask. I believe that I will win the next 5 or 6 in a row and show at least some progress on the medical report but what happens around the early part of May is another issue. If I lose another 3-4 in a row, I may be angry again.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Training 3/4-3/10
3/4- Lakeshore run. Standard issue workout. Finished 6.5 miles in 48:08 (7:24 pace). Good job today. Solid but not stellar. Mild fade towards the end (23:48/24:20) but that's still 7:30 for the 2nd half. If this was a numerical grade, it would be 89.5 so I'll be lenient. Half mile cool.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0
3/5- Moderate 3 mile progression indoors in 20:04 (6:41 pace). Never hurting. I believe I could have run 30 ticks faster per mile which would be near a PR. First full day on just 500 mg. of C went well. I have a hard tempo tomorrow and that will determine whether or not I will race this weekend. It will be the Silver Comet 10K and I really wish I was in tip top shape for this one. Met with my Bible study leaders one on one and will report more later on that subject.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=3.0
3/6- Decent tempo overall but it was unconventional. I learned today that I cannot skip even one dose of Vitamin C so I'm just as dependent on it as I am on the Thym-Adren. I can get away with missing a few doses here and there with the Paramin and Fructosin but if I make a habit of it, I am in trouble. I felt great early in the workout but faded badly in Mile 3. First 3 miles were 6:15-6:18-6:33 for a 19:06 split and passed 5K in 19:55 but it just did not feel right and I was slipping to the 6:40 range so I called it and took a 10 minute rest and popped another Thym-Adren. I managed to come back with an 11:53 for the final 3K (3:57-4:00-3:56). Overall time was 31:48 (6:22 pace) but that does not count because of the rest. Added a cool on the 'mill. I am going to give it a shot on Saturday with no expectations of a good race. I have not seen Nick since Denver almost 6 months ago. Easy tomorrow morning with a 48 hour rest. I will go back to Ester C and increase the Paramin in the meantime.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0
3/7- AM. 2 miles at standard effort. Time is pretty much meaningless at this short of a distance but it was 14:15 (7:07 pace) with a 7:00 for Mile 2 with no more effort. I wanted to get in 4 but got a bit of a late start. I may run 2 more this evening but it will be junk pace, probably on the 'mill or Wisteria.
PM- 2 miles on Wisteria at junk effort. I only did this so I could hit 35 this week without a double digit run.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.0
3/8- Planned rest day. I hope to leave early for Atlanta.
Update: I got a call from the doctor's office and the medical report is on the way. I expect to receive it on Monday. I did not want to know the results over the phone with a race tomorrow. No radical changes before race day. I'm sticking with the ascorbic acid form of Vitamin C until Sunday but will continue the increased Paramin.
3/9- Increased Paramin is not going to work. Jury is still out on Ester-C. I was just a sliver away from being 100% at race time. Finished the Silver Comet 10K in 40:58 (6:35 pace). Under 41 is an "A-" but this was a fast course so this is a very lenient grade. Guarantees a win this week.
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=7.0
3/10- Trak Shak 8. I was strugg-a-ling all the way but did manage to hold a sub-8 pace through Mile 5 then ran out of energy and treated the last 3 like a cool down. My watch died at Mile 7 and my time was in the low 57s so figure about 8:20ish for the overall pace. I've now seen enough to declare the Ester-C to be a failure. Good call to wait until after the race to find out. I've been lenient all week so I've got to be tougher on this one even though it was the day after a race.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=8.0
Weekly summary:
Not overly impressive but good enough for win #6 on the year and the cumulative mark is creeping closer to 3.0 despite the big hole from the 4 week losing streak. Hope to hit the speed hard now that the weather is warmer. Current formula is 1 Paramin, 8 Thym-Adren, 2 Fructosin, 500 mg of C (ascorbic acid). The latest medical report will be posted next week.
Distance=35.0/ GPA= 33.4/10= 3.34
YTD: 383 miles/ Record: 6-4. GPA=28.34/10= 2.83
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=7.0
3/5- Moderate 3 mile progression indoors in 20:04 (6:41 pace). Never hurting. I believe I could have run 30 ticks faster per mile which would be near a PR. First full day on just 500 mg. of C went well. I have a hard tempo tomorrow and that will determine whether or not I will race this weekend. It will be the Silver Comet 10K and I really wish I was in tip top shape for this one. Met with my Bible study leaders one on one and will report more later on that subject.
Grade:A/1 credit/distance=3.0
3/6- Decent tempo overall but it was unconventional. I learned today that I cannot skip even one dose of Vitamin C so I'm just as dependent on it as I am on the Thym-Adren. I can get away with missing a few doses here and there with the Paramin and Fructosin but if I make a habit of it, I am in trouble. I felt great early in the workout but faded badly in Mile 3. First 3 miles were 6:15-6:18-6:33 for a 19:06 split and passed 5K in 19:55 but it just did not feel right and I was slipping to the 6:40 range so I called it and took a 10 minute rest and popped another Thym-Adren. I managed to come back with an 11:53 for the final 3K (3:57-4:00-3:56). Overall time was 31:48 (6:22 pace) but that does not count because of the rest. Added a cool on the 'mill. I am going to give it a shot on Saturday with no expectations of a good race. I have not seen Nick since Denver almost 6 months ago. Easy tomorrow morning with a 48 hour rest. I will go back to Ester C and increase the Paramin in the meantime.
Grade:B+/2 credits/distance=6.0
3/7- AM. 2 miles at standard effort. Time is pretty much meaningless at this short of a distance but it was 14:15 (7:07 pace) with a 7:00 for Mile 2 with no more effort. I wanted to get in 4 but got a bit of a late start. I may run 2 more this evening but it will be junk pace, probably on the 'mill or Wisteria.
PM- 2 miles on Wisteria at junk effort. I only did this so I could hit 35 this week without a double digit run.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=4.0
3/8- Planned rest day. I hope to leave early for Atlanta.
Update: I got a call from the doctor's office and the medical report is on the way. I expect to receive it on Monday. I did not want to know the results over the phone with a race tomorrow. No radical changes before race day. I'm sticking with the ascorbic acid form of Vitamin C until Sunday but will continue the increased Paramin.
3/9- Increased Paramin is not going to work. Jury is still out on Ester-C. I was just a sliver away from being 100% at race time. Finished the Silver Comet 10K in 40:58 (6:35 pace). Under 41 is an "A-" but this was a fast course so this is a very lenient grade. Guarantees a win this week.
Grade:A-/4 credits/distance=7.0
3/10- Trak Shak 8. I was strugg-a-ling all the way but did manage to hold a sub-8 pace through Mile 5 then ran out of energy and treated the last 3 like a cool down. My watch died at Mile 7 and my time was in the low 57s so figure about 8:20ish for the overall pace. I've now seen enough to declare the Ester-C to be a failure. Good call to wait until after the race to find out. I've been lenient all week so I've got to be tougher on this one even though it was the day after a race.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=8.0
Weekly summary:
Not overly impressive but good enough for win #6 on the year and the cumulative mark is creeping closer to 3.0 despite the big hole from the 4 week losing streak. Hope to hit the speed hard now that the weather is warmer. Current formula is 1 Paramin, 8 Thym-Adren, 2 Fructosin, 500 mg of C (ascorbic acid). The latest medical report will be posted next week.
Distance=35.0/ GPA= 33.4/10= 3.34
YTD: 383 miles/ Record: 6-4. GPA=28.34/10= 2.83
Monday, February 25, 2013
Baseball Hall of Fame Part 3
Time for Spring Training and I'm looking forward to it. This will be the third and final post on this subject. I've done quite a bit of research on past, present and future candidates and find it quite interesting. There's even a forum to debate on the subject.
First, I want to address the previous posts in which I declared that I was "on the fence" about a few candidates. I've come to a decision and here it is:
Jeff Bagwell- YES. Short of 500 HRs but looks very strong on OPS. Innocent until proven guilty on the steroid charges but suspicion remains. I cannot vote for McGriff and against Bagwell.
Mike Piazza- NO. Admitted using Andro, which I believe to be a cover for harder drugs as was the case with McGwire. Fell of sharply after testing began.
Alex Rodriguez- NO. Been implicated in another scandal after admitting to doping for 3 years. I don't care if he breaks Bonds' record, my mind is made up.
Here's a typical profile of a player who falls just short (significant support but below the 75% threshold) Also known as the Hall of Very Good:
-comes up to the bigs at 23 and is good immediately.
-7 year peak from 26-32 in which he is superstar caliber.
-drops off a bit from 33-37 but remains an above average player.
-falls off at 38 and at best is ordinary and is sometimes released because he can barely hit .200. He may hang on for another year or 2 as a platoon player but it's sad to see that from a star player. Retire before that happens.
How do you get over top? I've addressed that a bit before but I want to expand on it.
1. Longevity. In rare cases, a player does not fall off at 38 and can remain productive until age 41. By productive, I mean that a player can still hit .270ish with 15-20 HRs. He plays 3 years longer and is able to compile another 400 hits and 50 home runs, putting him over the magic milestones. They should be given credit for that. That's why Dave Winfield made it and Dave Parker did not. Same with pitchers. If you can still help your team as a #3-4 starter at 40+, stick around. I believe Tommy John belongs and possibly Jim Kaat. Jamie Moyer? NO. If you stick around for 3 extra years as a fringe 5th starter or a platoon player hitting .250 with little power, that does not impress me. Those guys need 3,000 hits or other milestones. Chipper Jones will likely get in despite falling short but he was still good even in his last year.
2. Longer peak year period. Let's say that you can have a 10 year peak (25-34) in which you are among the best in the game. Hit 360 homers in 10 years, then you only need to average 20 for the other 7 to get to 500. By contrast, if you can only sustain excellence for 6-7 years, you need 25 HRs per year to make 500, which is tough to do at 37 or 38.
3. Extreme dominance in a short career. Hit 50 homers per year for a 6 year period and do it clean. You're probably in even if you are only average for another 6-8 years. Those cases are rare and when they do drop off 33-36, they're still better than the peak of a borderline HOFer and go down as among the best to ever play.
Now, I'd like to evaluate a few others that I neglected before.
1. Jeff Kent- close YES. His power number are under par for 1B or OF but for a 2nd baseman, he's one of the best offensively and compares favorably to Ryne Sandberg. I predict that he gets in but not on the first ballot.
2. Alan Trammell- Tough NO. Trammell was a class act and I like that he only played for one team. Some people compare him to Barry Larkin, who got in on the 3rd ballot. Trammell is usually around 30%. I also would have voted for Larkin and against Trammell. Larkin has a slight edge in HR and BA and nearly a 50 point edge in OPS. Larkin is clearly superior. Trammell needed 2,500 hits and/or 200 homers. If only he had stayed healthy near the end, he's in. There's a fine line between HOF careers and close but no cigar. I agree that the bar must be kept high. Students who score 88% are short of an "A" by only 1 question per 50 point test but there must be a cut off that separates good from great.
3.Vladamir Guerrero- YES. Shorter but excellent career. Short of 500 HRs and only 2,590 hits but his .318 BA and .553 slugging is very impressive. Slightly better than Bagwell. I predict that he too will get in but not on the first ballot.
4. Icharo- YES. Late start to career so he may not get to 3,000 hits. He's 38 and needs 3 more decent years to hit 3,000. With a .322 BA, great defense and speed, he's in and will likely make it on the first ballot.
5. Omar Vizquel- Tough NO. Compiler who has played until 45 and has been a platoon player for the past 5 years. He's a career .272 hitter with no power. Ozzie Smith got in based on defense and Vizquel was very strong in that area as well but Smith was arguably the best fielder ever at any position. Vizquel is not in that class. He needed 3,000 hits and came up just short.
Underrated players:
I think all of these player fell a little bit short but deserved a longer look than they got.
1. Harold Baines- Stayed on the ballot for 4 years but never got to 10%. He finished with 2,866 hits and 389 home runs. Here's how close he was: He was robbed of about 100 hits and 20 home runs by 2 player strikes during his career. With 3,000 hits and 400 homers, you've got to put him in. I'd put him in with 2,950+ hits but as it is, he's just short. A knock on him is that he was primarily a DH. He didn't help his team with good fielding but did not hurt it by poor fielding. It is only a mild impediment in my book.
2. Al Oliver- 2,743 hits and a .303 BA yet he was one and done at less than 5%. Also hurt by the strike in '81, which prevented him from 2,800. All he needed was 2 more years as a .270 hitter and he still finishes at .300 with 3,000 hits. Again, you've got to put him then but as it is, he's just short.
3. Lou Whitaker- Comparable to HOFers Joe Morgan yet he too was one and done. Morgan made it on the first ballot with a slash line of .271/.392/.427 with 2517 hits and 268 HRs. Whitaker's line was .276/.363/.426 with 2,369 hits and 244 HRs. Morgan did have a superior career but certainly not so much that it's 1st ballot vs one and done. I'm not sure Whitaker deserves induction but I hope he gets a good look from the Veteran's Committee.
4. Julio Franco- Another one and done player with impressive and unique credentials. .298 BA, 2,586 hits and he could still hit .270 at the age of 47. With a .300 BA and 3,000 hits, you've got to put him in even as a compiler without a ton of power. He lost 1 year playing in Japan and 2 more playing in Korea and should get at least some credit for that. If he had spent those years in MLB instead, I believe he may have hit .300 and would certainly have made 3,000 hits. He's over 4,000 if you include all of his time in professional baseball. I may even go as far as a YES on this one.
First, I want to address the previous posts in which I declared that I was "on the fence" about a few candidates. I've come to a decision and here it is:
Jeff Bagwell- YES. Short of 500 HRs but looks very strong on OPS. Innocent until proven guilty on the steroid charges but suspicion remains. I cannot vote for McGriff and against Bagwell.
Mike Piazza- NO. Admitted using Andro, which I believe to be a cover for harder drugs as was the case with McGwire. Fell of sharply after testing began.
Alex Rodriguez- NO. Been implicated in another scandal after admitting to doping for 3 years. I don't care if he breaks Bonds' record, my mind is made up.
Here's a typical profile of a player who falls just short (significant support but below the 75% threshold) Also known as the Hall of Very Good:
-comes up to the bigs at 23 and is good immediately.
-7 year peak from 26-32 in which he is superstar caliber.
-drops off a bit from 33-37 but remains an above average player.
-falls off at 38 and at best is ordinary and is sometimes released because he can barely hit .200. He may hang on for another year or 2 as a platoon player but it's sad to see that from a star player. Retire before that happens.
How do you get over top? I've addressed that a bit before but I want to expand on it.
1. Longevity. In rare cases, a player does not fall off at 38 and can remain productive until age 41. By productive, I mean that a player can still hit .270ish with 15-20 HRs. He plays 3 years longer and is able to compile another 400 hits and 50 home runs, putting him over the magic milestones. They should be given credit for that. That's why Dave Winfield made it and Dave Parker did not. Same with pitchers. If you can still help your team as a #3-4 starter at 40+, stick around. I believe Tommy John belongs and possibly Jim Kaat. Jamie Moyer? NO. If you stick around for 3 extra years as a fringe 5th starter or a platoon player hitting .250 with little power, that does not impress me. Those guys need 3,000 hits or other milestones. Chipper Jones will likely get in despite falling short but he was still good even in his last year.
2. Longer peak year period. Let's say that you can have a 10 year peak (25-34) in which you are among the best in the game. Hit 360 homers in 10 years, then you only need to average 20 for the other 7 to get to 500. By contrast, if you can only sustain excellence for 6-7 years, you need 25 HRs per year to make 500, which is tough to do at 37 or 38.
3. Extreme dominance in a short career. Hit 50 homers per year for a 6 year period and do it clean. You're probably in even if you are only average for another 6-8 years. Those cases are rare and when they do drop off 33-36, they're still better than the peak of a borderline HOFer and go down as among the best to ever play.
Now, I'd like to evaluate a few others that I neglected before.
1. Jeff Kent- close YES. His power number are under par for 1B or OF but for a 2nd baseman, he's one of the best offensively and compares favorably to Ryne Sandberg. I predict that he gets in but not on the first ballot.
2. Alan Trammell- Tough NO. Trammell was a class act and I like that he only played for one team. Some people compare him to Barry Larkin, who got in on the 3rd ballot. Trammell is usually around 30%. I also would have voted for Larkin and against Trammell. Larkin has a slight edge in HR and BA and nearly a 50 point edge in OPS. Larkin is clearly superior. Trammell needed 2,500 hits and/or 200 homers. If only he had stayed healthy near the end, he's in. There's a fine line between HOF careers and close but no cigar. I agree that the bar must be kept high. Students who score 88% are short of an "A" by only 1 question per 50 point test but there must be a cut off that separates good from great.
3.Vladamir Guerrero- YES. Shorter but excellent career. Short of 500 HRs and only 2,590 hits but his .318 BA and .553 slugging is very impressive. Slightly better than Bagwell. I predict that he too will get in but not on the first ballot.
4. Icharo- YES. Late start to career so he may not get to 3,000 hits. He's 38 and needs 3 more decent years to hit 3,000. With a .322 BA, great defense and speed, he's in and will likely make it on the first ballot.
5. Omar Vizquel- Tough NO. Compiler who has played until 45 and has been a platoon player for the past 5 years. He's a career .272 hitter with no power. Ozzie Smith got in based on defense and Vizquel was very strong in that area as well but Smith was arguably the best fielder ever at any position. Vizquel is not in that class. He needed 3,000 hits and came up just short.
Underrated players:
I think all of these player fell a little bit short but deserved a longer look than they got.
1. Harold Baines- Stayed on the ballot for 4 years but never got to 10%. He finished with 2,866 hits and 389 home runs. Here's how close he was: He was robbed of about 100 hits and 20 home runs by 2 player strikes during his career. With 3,000 hits and 400 homers, you've got to put him in. I'd put him in with 2,950+ hits but as it is, he's just short. A knock on him is that he was primarily a DH. He didn't help his team with good fielding but did not hurt it by poor fielding. It is only a mild impediment in my book.
2. Al Oliver- 2,743 hits and a .303 BA yet he was one and done at less than 5%. Also hurt by the strike in '81, which prevented him from 2,800. All he needed was 2 more years as a .270 hitter and he still finishes at .300 with 3,000 hits. Again, you've got to put him then but as it is, he's just short.
3. Lou Whitaker- Comparable to HOFers Joe Morgan yet he too was one and done. Morgan made it on the first ballot with a slash line of .271/.392/.427 with 2517 hits and 268 HRs. Whitaker's line was .276/.363/.426 with 2,369 hits and 244 HRs. Morgan did have a superior career but certainly not so much that it's 1st ballot vs one and done. I'm not sure Whitaker deserves induction but I hope he gets a good look from the Veteran's Committee.
4. Julio Franco- Another one and done player with impressive and unique credentials. .298 BA, 2,586 hits and he could still hit .270 at the age of 47. With a .300 BA and 3,000 hits, you've got to put him in even as a compiler without a ton of power. He lost 1 year playing in Japan and 2 more playing in Korea and should get at least some credit for that. If he had spent those years in MLB instead, I believe he may have hit .300 and would certainly have made 3,000 hits. He's over 4,000 if you include all of his time in professional baseball. I may even go as far as a YES on this one.
Training 2/25-3/3
2/25- Overall, this was the best I've felt this month but that is faint praise. Fast finish 5 miler with an overall time of 34:58 (6:59 pace) with a 6:20 in Mile 5. There are 2 more discouraging developments. First, the ankle needs prolo and I hope Dr. Johnson is free this week. Second, 5 pills were not quite enough. I wanted to do 6-7 miles but the foot was starting to bother me. I'm afraid to do speed work. I felt good early but around Mile 3-4, I was still running a decent pace but was feeling too loose and anxious.
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=6.0
2/26- Easy 7.5 in 55:14 (7:22 pace). Actually enjoyed the workout for the first time in a long time. Foot pain has diminished a bit but it's still there. I did get an appointment with Dr. Johnson tomorrow. I am back up the full dose of Thym-Adren, which was a disaster less than 1 week ago. WHAT THE _________!!!?? I attribute it to tight restrictions on sugar and taking the Fructosin consistently. I feel good about this formula for now but am not confident about 2 months from now. I could get the medical report in as little as 2 weeks from now and predict a modest improvement.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0
2/27- NIGHTMARE! I just can't plug all the leaks. I think I've got the Thym-Adren squared away but now the Vitamin C and copper has flared up again. All I had time for was a short run. I tried to run in at tempo pace and died after a 6:30 1st mile. Hung on for another one at 7:50 then quit. Drove up to Nashville for prolo and it was not bad.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.0
2/28- Last day of the month from hell. I am too sore from the prolo to run today so I'm taking my planned rest day. Perhaps the fructose malabsorption is interfering with the Vitamin C absorption. I need to take the Fructosin consistently in spite of the high cost ($45/month). As for the copper, 2 mg is the daily value and only 1 mg. can make a difference between a good day and a bad one. Again, WHAT THE ___________!!!?? Sure, I'm angry but anybody else would be as well. I still have a chance to break the losing streak with a strong weekend. Outside of the sore ankle, I feel pretty decent today and may be able to do a gentle run tomorrow.
3/1- First signs of Spring have come as the trees are beginning to get a few buds but we're in a cold snap with temps barely into the 40s with a chance of snow tomorrow. I stayed indoors for an easy 6 in a decent time of 45:24 (7:34 pace). Slight fade in the 2nd half (22:33/22:51). Ankle was too tender for a quality session but I felt otherwise okay during the run. Not good but okay! I probably would have struggled in a tempo but grading is more lenient on easy days. I need a strong weekend to break the losing streak but barring a sudden sickness, I will be over 2.0 for the first time in 3 weeks.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
3/2- Temps in the 30s with wind and yes, snow flurries. Good day to stay in and run an easy 6. It was a good one. Came through 5 in exactly 36:40 with a pace of 7:20 (+/- 2 sec) each mile then turned it up in Mile 6 with a 6:37 to finish in 43:17 (7:13 avg pace). Ankle is still just a little tender but I don't think it hurt me. I have cut the Vitamin C down to 1,000 mg and may go down to 500 because I was still just a tad loose today. At this pace, it didn't hurt me but I'm still not sure how I would do in a tempo. Added a half mile cool. Should hit 40 again. I only need a "B" tomorrow to get a win this week.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.5
3/3- Trak Shak 8 and 3 so it was a hilly route. I wasn't quite in tip top form but pretty strong overall. I think that I will go down to 500 mg. of Vitamin C but that means that I must avoid copper in my protein bars. Yes, even 15% DV can make a difference. Finished with a time of 78:44 for the 11 miles (7:10 pace) with my last mile in 6:45 and last 800 in 3:09. Added a half mile cool. I have broken the losing streak.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=11.5
Weekly summary:
Lenient grading for much of the week but it's a win nonetheless. Win #5 on the year. The official formula is 500 mg. of C, 8 Thym-Adren pills, 2 Fructosin and 1-2 Paramin. I could very well go on a hot streak for the next 6-8 weeks but what are the chances that this will work 3 months from now? Slim-none. I expect to get the medical report in 10-14 days.
Distance= 40.0/ GPA= 24.8/8= 3.10
YTD: 348 miles/ Record: 5-4. Cum. GPA= 25.00/9= 2.78
Grade:B/2 credit/distance=6.0
2/26- Easy 7.5 in 55:14 (7:22 pace). Actually enjoyed the workout for the first time in a long time. Foot pain has diminished a bit but it's still there. I did get an appointment with Dr. Johnson tomorrow. I am back up the full dose of Thym-Adren, which was a disaster less than 1 week ago. WHAT THE _________!!!?? I attribute it to tight restrictions on sugar and taking the Fructosin consistently. I feel good about this formula for now but am not confident about 2 months from now. I could get the medical report in as little as 2 weeks from now and predict a modest improvement.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=8.0
2/27- NIGHTMARE! I just can't plug all the leaks. I think I've got the Thym-Adren squared away but now the Vitamin C and copper has flared up again. All I had time for was a short run. I tried to run in at tempo pace and died after a 6:30 1st mile. Hung on for another one at 7:50 then quit. Drove up to Nashville for prolo and it was not bad.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=2.0
2/28- Last day of the month from hell. I am too sore from the prolo to run today so I'm taking my planned rest day. Perhaps the fructose malabsorption is interfering with the Vitamin C absorption. I need to take the Fructosin consistently in spite of the high cost ($45/month). As for the copper, 2 mg is the daily value and only 1 mg. can make a difference between a good day and a bad one. Again, WHAT THE ___________!!!?? Sure, I'm angry but anybody else would be as well. I still have a chance to break the losing streak with a strong weekend. Outside of the sore ankle, I feel pretty decent today and may be able to do a gentle run tomorrow.
3/1- First signs of Spring have come as the trees are beginning to get a few buds but we're in a cold snap with temps barely into the 40s with a chance of snow tomorrow. I stayed indoors for an easy 6 in a decent time of 45:24 (7:34 pace). Slight fade in the 2nd half (22:33/22:51). Ankle was too tender for a quality session but I felt otherwise okay during the run. Not good but okay! I probably would have struggled in a tempo but grading is more lenient on easy days. I need a strong weekend to break the losing streak but barring a sudden sickness, I will be over 2.0 for the first time in 3 weeks.
Grade:B/1 credit/distance=6.0
3/2- Temps in the 30s with wind and yes, snow flurries. Good day to stay in and run an easy 6. It was a good one. Came through 5 in exactly 36:40 with a pace of 7:20 (+/- 2 sec) each mile then turned it up in Mile 6 with a 6:37 to finish in 43:17 (7:13 avg pace). Ankle is still just a little tender but I don't think it hurt me. I have cut the Vitamin C down to 1,000 mg and may go down to 500 because I was still just a tad loose today. At this pace, it didn't hurt me but I'm still not sure how I would do in a tempo. Added a half mile cool. Should hit 40 again. I only need a "B" tomorrow to get a win this week.
Grade:A-/1 credit/distance=6.5
3/3- Trak Shak 8 and 3 so it was a hilly route. I wasn't quite in tip top form but pretty strong overall. I think that I will go down to 500 mg. of Vitamin C but that means that I must avoid copper in my protein bars. Yes, even 15% DV can make a difference. Finished with a time of 78:44 for the 11 miles (7:10 pace) with my last mile in 6:45 and last 800 in 3:09. Added a half mile cool. I have broken the losing streak.
Grade:A-/2 credits/distance=11.5
Weekly summary:
Lenient grading for much of the week but it's a win nonetheless. Win #5 on the year. The official formula is 500 mg. of C, 8 Thym-Adren pills, 2 Fructosin and 1-2 Paramin. I could very well go on a hot streak for the next 6-8 weeks but what are the chances that this will work 3 months from now? Slim-none. I expect to get the medical report in 10-14 days.
Distance= 40.0/ GPA= 24.8/8= 3.10
YTD: 348 miles/ Record: 5-4. Cum. GPA= 25.00/9= 2.78
Monday, February 18, 2013
Training 2/18-2/24
2/18- HORRIBLE! 5.5 mile recovery run with Kelly. I did enjoy the company even though I felt like total crap. I did not time it but the pace was said to be near 9 minutes and my legs could barely even handle that. By contrast, I can usually handle an 8 minute pace the day after a half. Formula today was 4 Thym-Adren and 2 Thymus which will not work. It will have to be one or the other. I'm going with the Thymus because it does not contain copper, just the glandular substance. On the day after a race, I will never give myself less than a "C" that's what I get today. I'm sending in my hair sample tomorrow.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.5
2/19- AM- I sure hope that last night was the low point. I had a terrible night complete with a panic attack, injury fear (pain just below ankle) and a nightmare involving a bizzare professor and extended unemployment while living near New Orleans (not a fan of that city either). Since I switched to all Thymus (7th adjustment of 2013), I'm taking no copper and thus have no need for Vitamin C. Woke up early with no alarm and went out and ran 1 mile before work in a pathetic time of 6:26.0. Effort was 90-95%. The only good news is that the ankle pain does not appear to be an injury. I will run again this evening. No grade this morning.
PM- Dare I say that help is on the way? Easy 5 in 37:41 (7:32 pace). Not good by any stretch but certainly an improvement over 12 hours ago. Legs and ankle were sore but the body was fairly comfortable. 1st half: 18:38, 2nd half: 19:03 so it was a mild fade but too severe. It is a victory that the Thymus appears to be effective. I am off both copper and Vitamin C as of tomorrow. Back in '09, I had a problem with zinc and chromium inhibiting each other. I quit both of them and it worked. Need to get the sugar consumption back down too and need a good night sleep tonight without a bizarre dream.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.5
2/20- Forget what I said about maybe getting better. I slept 10 hours last night, which seemed to help. I felt awful when I woke up but that's not unusual after a night off without the pills. I took 1 Thymus and got a little better then took 2 more pills and got MUCH WORSE! I am ready to declare the Thymus plan to be a failure. That leaves me with no other option except the Thym-Adren and Vitamin C. So here comes my 8th adjustment in as many weeks: Switch to Ester-C, which is supposedly better for fast oxidizers than ascorbic acid. Take as much as I need and not worry about a potential copper deficiency until it comes up. Again, I can take pre-emptive action to prevent a flare up on a race day. I will probably take my planned rest day or junk workout this evening rather than try to do a real workout and probably get an "F" on the day. Either way, I'm probably looking at my 4th consecutive loss unless I can get a miracle turnaround by the weekend.
Note to my readers: Some of you may be disappointed in my attitude as of late but my response is that this blog is designed to show a day to day picture of life with chemical instability and sometimes it ain't pretty. I refuse to sugarcoat it. IT SUCKS!
Another thought on the race: I was still good enough for 24th in my age group out of nearly 200 but that doesn't make me feel any better. My pace was nearly a minute per mile slower than my capability. It would be like Usain Bolt struggling to break 11 seconds in the 100 meters. He'd still be very fast in comparison with the average person but if you were to see him lose to a high school kid, you'd know something was wrong.
PM- 1 mile Trak Shak loop in a blistering 8:30.7. I could not go much faster. At least this gives me a base to track improvement from here. I threw the Thymus in the trash and blew $57 on it. I expect to be better tomorrow. I picked up some Ester-C at the store. The ankle is still sore but it's no worse when running. May need a shot of prolo for this. Oh joy! This counts as my rest day so it won't hurt the GPA but it goes on my record as an "F"
Grade:F/0 credits/distance=1.0
2/21- AM. 2 miles hard in a time of 14:50 (7:25 pace) with a significant negative split (7:34/7:16). That's still BAAAUHD! I should be well under 12 minutes at a hard effort. 1st day on Ester-C with the Thym-Adren. I will run again in the evening.
PM- Once again, I was baaaauhd! 4 miles indoors in a lame 30:52 (7:43 pace). 1st half was 14:44, 2nd half was 16:08. The wall hit me at Mile 3 and it felt pretty much like Mile 23. Better than yesterday but that is faint praise. I'm going to lose my 4th in a row and I'm not out of the woods yet with the ankle soreness.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=6.0
2/22- Last chance to do a "tempo" and it was a very weak effort. Nearly all out effort yielded a time of 35:58 for 5 miles (7:12 pace). That's a good marathon pace but for a tempo, I should be 6:30 or better so this was very poor. However, it was a significant improvement over yesterday. I would have been well over 39 yesterday. Today, I broke 36. I attribute this improvement to reducing the Thym-Adren from 8 pills to 6. Why am I trending down again? Is it because I am getting closer to balance or do I have a another deficiency? I'll find out in about 3 weeks. I think I have ruled out neuro deficiencies and I do think that I am getting enough C. Above 7:00 pace on a tempo is normally unacceptable but I'm lenient with the grade because of the improvement. Added a mile cool.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=6.0
2/23- Slept in and ran solo. Many Gnomes were racing this weekend anyway. I was unsure of how I would perform. Lakeshore 10 at moderate effort in a time of 77:21 (7:44 pace). I stayed with 6 Thym-Adren pills and took extra Vitamin C and was still sluggish. May try for 5 tomorrow. I'm okay with going as low as 3 but no lower. I tried a drink that contained tyrosine and had a negative reaction so I'm 90% sure that I'm okay neurologically. Overall, this was a fair performance.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=10.0
2/24- Felt horrible in the morning because the tyrosine was still in my system. I was willing to endure another rough day to rule out neurological problems. Felt a bit better by the afternoon. 3 miles on Wisteria in a time of 23:48 (7:56 pace). Very poor.
Run #2- 2 miles in 14:24 (7:12 pace) so that takes me up to 5 on the day in an overall time of 38:12 (7:38 avg). That's still quite lame but run #2 was noticeably better.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
I managed to beat last week's GPA and managed decent mileage but was once again under 2. This is one of my worst slumps on record. To meet my training goal for the year, I need to go 34-8 the rest of the way. The next race on the calendar is the Silver Comet 10K in 2 weeks. That is looking doubtful. If the medical report is not much better, I will have no idea why I am trending down.
Distance=40.0/ GPA= 15.7/8= 1.96
YTD: 308 miles. Record: 4-4, Cum. GPA = 21.90/8= 2.74
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.5
2/19- AM- I sure hope that last night was the low point. I had a terrible night complete with a panic attack, injury fear (pain just below ankle) and a nightmare involving a bizzare professor and extended unemployment while living near New Orleans (not a fan of that city either). Since I switched to all Thymus (7th adjustment of 2013), I'm taking no copper and thus have no need for Vitamin C. Woke up early with no alarm and went out and ran 1 mile before work in a pathetic time of 6:26.0. Effort was 90-95%. The only good news is that the ankle pain does not appear to be an injury. I will run again this evening. No grade this morning.
PM- Dare I say that help is on the way? Easy 5 in 37:41 (7:32 pace). Not good by any stretch but certainly an improvement over 12 hours ago. Legs and ankle were sore but the body was fairly comfortable. 1st half: 18:38, 2nd half: 19:03 so it was a mild fade but too severe. It is a victory that the Thymus appears to be effective. I am off both copper and Vitamin C as of tomorrow. Back in '09, I had a problem with zinc and chromium inhibiting each other. I quit both of them and it worked. Need to get the sugar consumption back down too and need a good night sleep tonight without a bizarre dream.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=6.5
2/20- Forget what I said about maybe getting better. I slept 10 hours last night, which seemed to help. I felt awful when I woke up but that's not unusual after a night off without the pills. I took 1 Thymus and got a little better then took 2 more pills and got MUCH WORSE! I am ready to declare the Thymus plan to be a failure. That leaves me with no other option except the Thym-Adren and Vitamin C. So here comes my 8th adjustment in as many weeks: Switch to Ester-C, which is supposedly better for fast oxidizers than ascorbic acid. Take as much as I need and not worry about a potential copper deficiency until it comes up. Again, I can take pre-emptive action to prevent a flare up on a race day. I will probably take my planned rest day or junk workout this evening rather than try to do a real workout and probably get an "F" on the day. Either way, I'm probably looking at my 4th consecutive loss unless I can get a miracle turnaround by the weekend.
Note to my readers: Some of you may be disappointed in my attitude as of late but my response is that this blog is designed to show a day to day picture of life with chemical instability and sometimes it ain't pretty. I refuse to sugarcoat it. IT SUCKS!
Another thought on the race: I was still good enough for 24th in my age group out of nearly 200 but that doesn't make me feel any better. My pace was nearly a minute per mile slower than my capability. It would be like Usain Bolt struggling to break 11 seconds in the 100 meters. He'd still be very fast in comparison with the average person but if you were to see him lose to a high school kid, you'd know something was wrong.
PM- 1 mile Trak Shak loop in a blistering 8:30.7. I could not go much faster. At least this gives me a base to track improvement from here. I threw the Thymus in the trash and blew $57 on it. I expect to be better tomorrow. I picked up some Ester-C at the store. The ankle is still sore but it's no worse when running. May need a shot of prolo for this. Oh joy! This counts as my rest day so it won't hurt the GPA but it goes on my record as an "F"
Grade:F/0 credits/distance=1.0
2/21- AM. 2 miles hard in a time of 14:50 (7:25 pace) with a significant negative split (7:34/7:16). That's still BAAAUHD! I should be well under 12 minutes at a hard effort. 1st day on Ester-C with the Thym-Adren. I will run again in the evening.
PM- Once again, I was baaaauhd! 4 miles indoors in a lame 30:52 (7:43 pace). 1st half was 14:44, 2nd half was 16:08. The wall hit me at Mile 3 and it felt pretty much like Mile 23. Better than yesterday but that is faint praise. I'm going to lose my 4th in a row and I'm not out of the woods yet with the ankle soreness.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=6.0
2/22- Last chance to do a "tempo" and it was a very weak effort. Nearly all out effort yielded a time of 35:58 for 5 miles (7:12 pace). That's a good marathon pace but for a tempo, I should be 6:30 or better so this was very poor. However, it was a significant improvement over yesterday. I would have been well over 39 yesterday. Today, I broke 36. I attribute this improvement to reducing the Thym-Adren from 8 pills to 6. Why am I trending down again? Is it because I am getting closer to balance or do I have a another deficiency? I'll find out in about 3 weeks. I think I have ruled out neuro deficiencies and I do think that I am getting enough C. Above 7:00 pace on a tempo is normally unacceptable but I'm lenient with the grade because of the improvement. Added a mile cool.
Grade:C-/2 credits/distance=6.0
2/23- Slept in and ran solo. Many Gnomes were racing this weekend anyway. I was unsure of how I would perform. Lakeshore 10 at moderate effort in a time of 77:21 (7:44 pace). I stayed with 6 Thym-Adren pills and took extra Vitamin C and was still sluggish. May try for 5 tomorrow. I'm okay with going as low as 3 but no lower. I tried a drink that contained tyrosine and had a negative reaction so I'm 90% sure that I'm okay neurologically. Overall, this was a fair performance.
Grade:C+/2 credits/distance=10.0
2/24- Felt horrible in the morning because the tyrosine was still in my system. I was willing to endure another rough day to rule out neurological problems. Felt a bit better by the afternoon. 3 miles on Wisteria in a time of 23:48 (7:56 pace). Very poor.
Run #2- 2 miles in 14:24 (7:12 pace) so that takes me up to 5 on the day in an overall time of 38:12 (7:38 avg). That's still quite lame but run #2 was noticeably better.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=5.0
Weekly summary:
I managed to beat last week's GPA and managed decent mileage but was once again under 2. This is one of my worst slumps on record. To meet my training goal for the year, I need to go 34-8 the rest of the way. The next race on the calendar is the Silver Comet 10K in 2 weeks. That is looking doubtful. If the medical report is not much better, I will have no idea why I am trending down.
Distance=40.0/ GPA= 15.7/8= 1.96
YTD: 308 miles. Record: 4-4, Cum. GPA = 21.90/8= 2.74
Monday, February 11, 2013
Copper and Vitamin C issues
EDIT (8/16/13):
I am pleased to report that this issue has been well controlled for the past several months. If I take my fully DV of copper in supplement form, I need 500 mg of Vitamin C to balance it out. If I take less copper, I need less C and vice versa.
EDIT (4/2/14):
The copper had consistently read low on my hair test (usually about 1.5 vs. ideal of 2.5) but it is obvious now that I had a hidden toxicity all along. The Hulda Clark liver detox freed the copper from my liver and now it has spilled into my tissues. Vitamin C is still a good option. Other minerals that have been helpful to others include magnesium, molybdenum and selenium.
EDIT (10/28/14)
I've learned quite a bit since my last edit. In addition to the hair test, I recommend a serum copper and ceruloplasmin test. Copper bound to ceruloplasmin is a good thing. Too much unbound copper is toxic. In order to determine your unbound copper, multiply ceruloplasmin by 3 and subtract it from total copper. Ceruloplasmin should be 25-35. Unbound copper should be between 5-15. I endorse sulfur containing amino acids to reduce unbound copper. To raise ceruloplasmin, consider Whole Food C (not ascorbic acid) and/or Liver Beef.
Another post by my alter-ego: Dr. J. Here it is.
In December of 2012, I began trending off the Thym-Adren in spite of the fact that my medical report indicated off the scale imbalances, revealing the need for mega doses. The only problem was that I could not tolerate the one pill that has been proven to effective in getting me towards balance. There had to be some reason why I could not take it without stiffening up something awful. I surmised that I had a hidden copper toxicity or bio-unavailability. Vitamin C is a powerful copper antagonist so I began taking some of it to combat the problem. Presto! I could tolerate as much Thym-Adren as I needed and despite a few hiccups, I had a good month in January (4-0/3.37).
Then all of a sudden, the Vitamin C stopped working and my body reacted to it as if it was toxic. That's right. It was working beautifully through the end of week 4. I was fine on 1/28, a little flat the next day and downright BAD on 1/30. Simply reducing the dose was not enough. I had to avoid it in any form. In week 6, I drank a bottle of orange juice with my breakfast and tightened up so badly that when I tried to touch my toes, I could barely get past my knees.
I now believe that my original diagnosis of a copper toxicity was not quite correct. More likely, it was a Vitamin C deficiency brought on in part by excess copper. The tell tale sign is usually bleeding gums, which was present in my case at times but it was not too severe. The Vitamin C supplementation proved to be effective in resolving that deficiency. However, as I stated before, Vitamin C is a powerful copper antagonist. Thus, too much of it will deplete copper to dangerously low levels if taken long-term. Odds are that I am a bit low in both copper and C. That may explain why Vitamin C was good for me then became toxic all of a sudden. The copper over-rode the C issue. Treating one will make the other worse. Ouch!
The nightmare:
I've already taken a few days worth of copper to get that value back up and should be able to stay off it long-term. There is a fear that the Vitamin C deficiency could come back even if I avoid copper as much as possible. If that happens, taking C is a quick fix but in any form (including fruits and juices), it can trigger the copper deficiency again.
The plan of attack:
-Avoid any forms of copper (including some protein bars) and Vitamin C that is not present in my supplements. I'm already getting nearly my daily value of copper from the day's dose of Thym-Adren, which also contains Vitamin C.
-Stay away from caffeine and beer which deplete Vitamin C.
-Stay away from fruit drinks high in C, which deplete copper.
-That means pretty much just drink water and Gatorade, which has worked well in the past.
-I could switch to another pill but I have my doubts about its effectiveness.
As a last resort, I am open to a break from running. I've always maintained that these imbalances would be there regardless of whether I ran or not and that I'd never be able to manage it so well if not for running but if all else fails, I will take a break.
The good news is that as the body gets closer to balance in a fast oxidizer, tissue copper levels will usually rise without supplementation, which leaves me less vulnerable to problems if I need extra Vitamin C.
Emotional state:
I was pretty angry when I was struggling with my job in 2008 but that was an external circumstance. If you ask me, this is worse. The cycle keeps repeating itself: 6-8 good weeks then I lose 3 or 4 in a row. If/when I get this straight, another issue will probably pop up. Why should I believe any differently? I am having serious doubts about whether or not I can beat this once and for all. I've accepted having to take pills and I'm okay with that. Being unstable is not something that I will tolerate and if this is how my life will go, the anger and bitterness that I feel will only get worse. When it comes to chemical imbalances, happiness is not a choice!
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