Training 2/8-2/14

 2/8- Hoping to run 6 @ 8:30ish.  Ended up with 5 miles in 42:20 (8:28 pace).  This was a case of a run that looks better than it is.  After a strong start, I struggled again in Miles 3-4 before a decent rebound at the end.  1st half- 20:56, 2nd half- 21:24.  Still, not bad overall.  I'm sure that I beat my 10K split (54:37) from Saturday but don't think I could have held an 8:45 pace for 8 miles.  Added a half mile cool in which I was barely moving.  Took my COVID test this afternoon and it wasn't bad.  I hope I get the results back before I leave for Atlanta on Wednesday night.  This is a front loaded week but I still hope to hit at least 20 for the next 2 weeks.  Passed 100 miles on the year.

Distance= 5.5

2/9- Tried to run without ADHS and it was not pretty.  2 miles in 19:46 (9:53 pace) plus a cool at glacial pace.  I REALLY don't like being this dependent on one pill.  I've held off on the blood donation until I get back.  That may help slow down my adrenals.  No test result yet.

Distance=2.5

2/10- A lunchtime junk run was all I had time for today.  Ran it naked but it was ugly again.  I'm going to have to make up the shortfall in Hawaii and hope there are some decent places to run near my hotel.  Still hope to get at least 20 the next 2 weeks.  Tested negative so the trip is a GO.

Distance=2.0

2/11- Travel day.  Arrived in Hawaii

2/12- 2.5 miles on the 'mill at the hotel.  That's about all I can stand to do on that machine.  I will likely fall short of my weekly target but that's not the focus this week.  Held a steady 8:30 pace with a strong kick at the end.  Just about my norm despite a bit of jet lag.

Distance=2.5

2/13- Volcanoes National Park junk run.  Totaled 1.5 miles on relatively flat but uneven terrain.  Slow pace but it was hard to pick up speed on that trail.  My days are busy and I usually don't get back until after dark.

Distance=1.5

2/14- Kua Bay.  1 mile junk run but it was up a steep hill then back down.  Finished in 9:11 with the first half in 5:00 followed by a 4:11 back half.  Not as bad as it looks.  The climb was FIERCE then I had to brake going down rather than just let loose.

Distance=1.0

- 15 miles on the week.  YTD- 110

Finalized Hawaii Trip Plan

 2/8- Monday afternoon, I will need to go to Wal-Mart for a NAAT COVID test.  That must be done within 72 hours of my last flight, which leaves Los Angeles at 1:25 PM so I'll have to wait until 3:30 CST to be safe.  Turnaround time is 24-48 hours so if there is a SNAFU at the testing site, I should be okay to do it first thing on Tuesday morning.  I fully expect my test to be negative and this test is more accurate than the PCR.  Unfortunately, if it comes back positive, I'm probably SOL.  Not enough time to re-test.  

2/10- I know the drill.  Drive to Atlanta after work and stay in a cheap motel near the airport.  Done it many times before.  It is much cheaper than flying out of Birmingham even with the hotel stay.  

2/11- Flight out of Atlanta does not leave until 9:40 AM so I won't have to get up super early.  I'll have an hour and 40 minute layover in LAX so that will be plenty of time to get a sit down lunch though I may opt for In and Out Burgers.  I land in Kona at 5:20 PM local time.  Not much daylight left and I'm sure that I'll be tired.  Most likely, I'll just check into my hotel and shut down for the night.  

Boogie board:

Bring my own, rent or buy?  In Cancun, I brought my own and it was a good call because there are not many surf shops.  Different story in Hawaii so I'm leaning against that for this trip.  It will cost $30 each way to check it and one of DELTA's acronyms is Don't Expect Luggage To Arrive.  Miller's Surf Shop USED TO have good deals on weekly rentals but that's off due to COVID.  Choose your own offensive word about that policy.  I can buy one at Wal-Mart or Costco for under $40, which is still cheaper than bringing my own.  Unfortunately, I'll be sacrificing some quality but I'm not paying over $60.    Many others are in my situation and you would think that there would be a good selection of used boards at discounted prices.  That may not be the case but I'll look into it.  No reason to bring it back home when I already have two.  I could make a young kid very happy by giving mine away before I leave.     

Flight home:

I don't leave Hawaii until 9:40 PM on 2/16 so I'll have essentially 5 full days.  I'm taking a red eye into Seattle and don't expect to get much sleep.  I don't get back to Atlanta until 3:50 PM the next day. However, what is most important is the 5 days in between.

Here's a list of things that I want to see:

Akappa Falls (sp?)- That's on the Windward side closer to Hilo and I can probably do this one the same day as another hike, which is Pololu Valley.  That one could be EPIC at sunrise.  

New Black Sand Beach (Punalu).  I should see some sea turtles here and the water does look to be good for swimming as well.  This is near Volcanoes NP so these 2 will be seen on the same day.

Mauna Kea- This one is big but also tricky.  It's the tallest mountain in Hawaii at 13,000 feet elevation.  I've been higher at Pikes Peak, Colorado without significant issues.  There will DEFINITELY be snow at the peak and lots of people go skiing and sledding at the top.  My boogie board can double as a sled.  I've seen lots of YouTube videos of people doing it.  Man, it would be wild to do this in the morning then body surf in the afternoon in 80 degree weather!  Truly, a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

 Big problem is that 4 WD is required and your insurance is voided if there is an issue on that road.  You are only permitted to drive up to the Visitor's Center at 9,000 feet.  I'd imagine that my State Farm would also be voided.  I'm renting a Jeep so I'm good on the 4WD but still don't feel good about chancing it.  I'll ask about the conditions and safety issues.  Two other options include hiking up to the snow line, which is probably not too far.  However, finding a good spot may not be as easy as at the summit.  Second, I can hitch a ride from a local who has done this before.  Yes, it is a common practice there.  The full hike up to the summit is 6 miles each way.  Too long and too difficult at that altitude.  A clear day is a must with no snow on the road!    

In addition to New Black Sand Beach, I'd like to sample Magic Sands, Kua Bay and Hapuna.  All 3 are reportedly spectacular.  Of course, there are plenty of other spots worth seeing that I won't be able to get to.  I may not spend as much time in Oahu but want a full week in Kauai and Maui.  5 days is a good amount of time for the Big Island.

No pictures on this post.  Wait for the trip report.   

Training 2/1-2/7

 2/1- Vestavia 5K and my time is down to 25:13 (8:04 pace) plus a cool. Best time of the year.  Splits were 7:49-8:11-8:22-51.  Thought I had a shot at sub-25 (Mendoza line) through the first half but faded considerably after the first 6 laps.  This was an improvement of 65 seconds in the last 3 days.  I attribute it to correcting the dosage of the TRS/Lactoferrin combo.  I feel good about that.  I'll be noticeably weaker if I mess up the dose but it won't be a disaster unless I completely miss one or the other.  Soon, I want to see how I do if I load on both instead of low doses.   

Distance=3.5

2/2- AM.  Interval tests.  1 lap at standard effort without TRS or Lactoferrin.  Clocked a 2:38 (7:54 pace).  Not a significant drop off from yesterday in terms of how I felt but I don't think I could have matched the performance.  Probably around 26-flat give or take a few ticks.  With mega TRS and only 1 Lactoferrin pill, I slipped to 2:41 (8:03 pace).  Not a significant drop off and I think my effort was dialed back a hair as well.  Without any Lactoferrin at all, it would have been awful.  Moment of truth came when I loaded on Lactoferrin.  Clocked a 46.9 (4:41 pace) on a half lap running all out then cooled down.  At the same distance last Sunday, I could only muster a 50.1.  That's a 20 second improvement per mile.  I felt a difference as well.  I'm still sticking with the lower dose of both to save money.  I'll get the results that I want but it will take longer.  If I had clocked a sub-45 on the high dose, I'd reconsider.  I might load for one day if I have a race or time trial upcoming.   

PM- 4 miles on Lakeshore in 32:24 (8:06 pace).  Strong.  Definitely felt the benefits of increased TRS and Lactoferrin.  Passed 3 miles at almost exactly the same time as yesterday then had another good mile in me and was not spent at all.  I actually dialed back the effort a bit compared to yesterday.

Distance=5.0

2/3- Not as strong on the lower dose but this was still not bad.  2.5 on Lakeshore plus a cool.  Finished in 20:24 (8:10 pace) with splits of 10:07-10:17.  Probably would have been more like 8:20ish if I went 4 miles but I did scale back the effort a bit.  With the exception of my half lap sprint, all my runs have been the same pace give or take a few seconds.  That needs to change.  I expect my long run will be slow but that is by design.

Distance=3.0

2/4- 5 miles in 43:42 (8:44 pace).  Aimed for 8:30ish and came in a bit slow.  Not worried about it.  This was still over a minute better than last week.  Probably nothing more serious than accumulated fatigue from increased mileage.  I was on pace through the first half then Mile 3 and 4 were close to 9 minutes.  Rebounded in Mile 5 and could have gone longer.  Soon, it will remain daylight long enough to run on roads with traffic.  I'd like to add a bit of variety instead of staying on Lakeshore all the time.

Distance=5.0

2/5- Planned rest day.  On target in terms of mileage.

2/6- 8 miles in 70:02 (8:45 pace).  Well done.  Actually, it was a little better than I was expecting.  Passed 4 miles at 8:41 pace then hung on for an 8:49 on the back half.  Slacked a bit in Mile 5 and passed 10K in 54:37 for an improvement of 4:03 in the last 2 weeks.  Finished strong and actually increased the average pace in the last 1.8 miles.  Could have broken 70 if I really sprinted at the end.  I needed about a 9:45 pace for the next 5.1 to break 2 hours for a half mary.  I think I can do it and still have almost 2 months until race day, which as of now is still on.

Distance=8.0

2/7- NAKED.  3 mile Trak Shak loop.  Good to get out on the roads again.  Naked means no watch in case you didn't know.  Easy recovery effort but legs still had decent pop and I could have delivered a non-terrible performance today.  Still, it's a smart call to take it easy today because I'm going to front load next week.  I don't anticipate doing much running in Hawaii.

Distance=3.0

Best week of the year by far.  I feel good about my progress.

Distance= 27.5/ YTD= 95

A Real Privilege Quiz

 This is in response to a post from someone that I know who said that if people can't acknowledge white privilege, he does not want them to speak to him anymore.  This person was a star athlete who got a free ride to college and surely had a better experience growing up in my hometown than I did.  He was unfollowed.  Here are some real predictors of success in life.  Still, with all of this being said, you can always make choices to better your situation and improve yours odds of being successful.

Intelligence:

A- Genius or near genius.  Can be accepted to the most selective universities. Any job that you want can be yours if you are willing to work for it.  Little to no limitations.

B- Above Average- School may not always come easy but a Bachelor's Degree from a good and well respected school is an attainable goal.  Some occupations will be beyond your abilities but you can gain marketable job skills that will set you up for a comfortable life.  

C-Average- Marginally college material but can still earn a decent living especially if you have good mechanical skills.

D-Below Average- High school will be struggle.  Not college material.  Significant limitations.  That said, some of the nicest people I've met work as cashiers or servers in restaurants.  Do a good job and you can become a manager.    

F- Much Below Average- With a normal distribution, an IQ of 70 is as common as 130.  Sadly, if your intelligence is in this range, you will likely work a menial labor job.  No matter how hard you try, a subject such as Algebra will be too difficult.  Sad but true.

Family Background:

A- Loving mother and father who make a good salary and can pay for much of your education.

B and C- The middle ground can be murky.  Parents may be divorced but both parents are involved and a loving step-parent is around?  How about 2 parents who stay together but money is a bit tight?  I'd say that's a "B" on both.  

Divorced parents with friction and tight money but both parents are involved and are loving.  A single parent household that brings in a decent salary.  That's a C.

D- 1 parent is completely absent and you grow up poor but are loved.  In this case, you will not have access to the best teachers and tutors.  Significant disadvantage but not an insurmountable obstacle if you are advantaged in other areas.  

F- 1 or both parents are abusive and/or you live in severe poverty in a high crime neighborhood.  I will concede that if you grow up in this environment, your odds of being successful are long but it can be done.

Social skills:

This one can be a bit tricky to assess but I'll give it a try.

A- Top 1-2% in athletic ability.  Good enough to get scholarship money for college.  This will offset much of the disadvantage of growing up in a lower socioeconomic stratum.  This is usually accompanied by good looks and the ability to date pretty much anyone that you want.  It will also enable you to form network connections in the job market especially if you have a naturally outgoing personality.  That may offset some of the disadvantages of having only average grades in school.  

F- Serious personality disorder or extremely unattractive.  An example could be a person with morbid obesity to the point in which they are unemployable or severe mental illness to the point of needing to be institutionalized.  

The vast majority of people are somewhere in between these 2 extremes and there is some overlap with the next category.  

Health:

A- Almost never sick and physically fit.

B- Not athletic but in generally good health

C- Chronic condition that is manageable with treatment.  Quality of life is impacted only a small amount.

D- Condition that is difficult to treat but able to work and live independently.  Social life and work performance may be affected.

F- Completely disabled.  No life.

My Report Card:

Intelligence- B+

Family- A

Social- C

Health- D

Intelligence:

Growing up, I knew several people who were "gifted" (IQ >130) but were mediocre students who did not even attend college.  Tragically, at least 2 got messed up on drugs and did not live to see 30 years of age. Success will not simply be handed to you even if your circumstances are favorable.  You have to do the work.  I was a very good student but it did not always come easy and had several courses that I found to be quite difficult.  I could have passed high school by taking easy courses without too much effort but college preparatory classes required significant study. 

Now, let's say that your intelligence is average or slightly below (IQ 85-95).  You are not doomed to be a failure.  Getting a high school diploma is a considerable advantage over those who do not.  If you can learn a trade such as carpentry or welding, you will earn decent money and will not be saddled by mountains of student debt.  Let's say that you land a job at Wal-Mart.  If you show up every day and do a good job, you will probably be an assistant manager within a few years.  

Family:

This is the only one that you really can't control for yourself.  However, you can certainly improve your children's lives by making good choices.  A Ben Shapiro video left a profound impression on me.  He stated that if you simply graduate high school, work a steady job and wait until marriage to have children, you may hit some rough patches but your chances of "permanent poverty" are very slim.  Yes, there are plenty of single mothers who do a great job but the odds are not in your favor without a father or strong male role-model.  Statistics don't lie and they cut across racial lines too.

Social:

Only a small percentage will be good enough athletes for college teams.  Still, if you can play multiple Varsity sports in high school, you'll learn life lessons, gain confidence and have an easier time making friends.  That confidence will likely carry over into adulthood.  My general athletic ability was average at best but I was good enough for one sport, which was running.  Though I was sometimes frustrated by my performances, it was still a great experience overall.  I have a nephew in a similar position.  He's not good enough to make the school team in basketball, football or baseball but could be decent in cross-country.  Sadly, he has no interest in joining the team.  No interest in sports?  You can still find kindred spirits in clubs with people who have similar interests.  I've had to scale back my running in recent years but I've re-discovered skiing, which will fill some of the void.  It is very important to find a productive activity outside of work or school both as a teen and as an adult.  

Health:

 Sadly, there are genetic factors that leave you more vulnerable to chronic disease.  Still, for most people, you can improve yourself by following basic guidelines:  Don't smoke.  Don't drink to excess.  Eat well and get some exercise.  You don't have to train like a marathoner.  Even a regular brisk walk for 15-30 minutes is a lot better than sitting on the couch.  I've pulled out all the stops to get myself up from a D to a C in this area.  If I can do that, it will be life changing.  While I won't be bringing home a supermodel, I'm sure that I will get some quality matches who show interest if I put my picture on dating sites.  Finding a compatible partner may not be so easy however.  I've had some not so good experiences recently so I'm beginning to doubt whether or not I will seek marriage.  I won't say that I'll be okay with it if it never happens but given the choice, I'd much rather be healthy.   

Now on to the controversy:

A friend of mine took heat for saying that being black in America has NOT been a handicap.  My opinion is that it depends on your age.  Born in 1950 and raised by parents who grew up under Jim Crow?  Yes, it is a significant disadvantage.  Born in 1980 or thereafter?  Not nearly as much.  I say that if you come from a good family, are intelligent and attractive, you have just about the same chance of being successful in every area of life as everyone else.  

I will not deny that police profiling does exist nor do I deny the reality of racism.  I can't imagine how hurtful it is to be told to your face that you are disliked or worse simply because of the color of your skin.  Words cannot express how much I hate that.  Still, such attitudes are not nearly as pervasive today and I've seen real progress in the last 20 years.  If I were to rank the biggest problems in the black community, police brutality is not in the top 5.  There are many aspects of life that create a far greater disadvantage than your race.  While some will face greater obstacles than others, I strongly believe that no matter your skin color, you CAN make it in America with good life decisions especially if you don't have an F in any of the 4 categories.    

Training 1/25-1/31

 1/25- AM.  Test intervals to assess adrenal spike.  Opener was a less awful 3:08 (9:24 pace) and I was doing better on the back half.  On 3 pills, I was down to 2:41 (8:03 pace) but on 6 pills, I managed only a 2:33 (7:39 pace).  The gaps are closing, which is good but I want to see a higher ceiling.  I wasn't going all out and was sore from yesterday but expected better than this.  If I am to up the dosage, I may see small gains but as time goes on, I will see less and less incremental benefit.  Leaning towards staying on 3 ADHS.  

PM- More of the same.  I'm not collapsing but not improving either.  Worried that there could be another missing piece.  My gut tells me it is probiotics (no pun intended).  I'll ride with this formula until the end of the week then try the Probiotics again if I am not better.  Worried that the pattern could repeat itself in which I could be forced on and off the pills at unpredictable intervals.  Let's hope that doesn't happen.  Workout was Lakeshore 2.5 in 23:50 (9:32 pace).  Took it easier after yesterday and did manage a slight negative split but this is not good.  I should be doing this at sub-9 pace given my recent volume.  Shooting for 25 miles this week and I'm right on target.

Distance=3.5

1/26- Same workout as yesterday evening.  Improved to 20:15 for 2.5 miles (8:06 pace) plus a cool.  That is MUCH better.  MUCH!  The only thing that I changed was upping my Lactoferrin from 1 pill to 3 pills. That's good news.  I should see improvement with increased Lactoferrin and will not have to go back to Probiotics.  

Distance=3.0

1/27- Today answers another key question.  Lacotferrin provides benefits only AFTER a forbidden drink, not before.  I took 3 of those in the morning but was still struggling after a forbidden drink shortly thereafter.  Workout was 2 miles at Montreat in 17:08 (8:34 pace) but my splits were 9:01-8:07 with the big improvement coming only after I took another Lactoferrin.  Added a half mile cool.  Prediction:  If I strictly limit the forbidden drinks, I will be much less dependent on the Lactoferrin and may even get away with occasional missed doses.  If I don't limit consumption, I won't collapse but will need mega doses to even come close to respectability.  It's an easy decision.  Let's hope I don't react badly.  Before the Lactoferrin, I TRIED TO DO THIS!!  I became intolerant to BOTH sugars and Probiotics.  Still have a chance to hit 25 on the week.

Distance=2.5

1/28- Lakeshore 5 in 44:56 (8:59 pace).  I made the goal.  Not exactly pretty but this is progress.  Pace was hovering just 1-2 seconds over 9 most of the way but finished pretty strong.  No caffeine.  Not a miracle yet but I should see steady progress now.  Even if I slipped to 10 minute pace for the next 1.2, I still finish a 10K under 57, which is 1:40 better than last weekend in Atlanta.  Got a shot at 25 now.

Distance=5.0

1/29- Vestavia 5K in 26:18 (8:25 pace).  Best time of the year by 36 seconds so I can't be too upset but I was hoping for a little better.  I was doing sub-8 pace through the first 600 then hovered just over 8:30 from there until the final sprint.  Splits were 8:17-8:33-8:33-55.  I'll take it but I'm still clearly being held back by imbalances.  I may try Thym-Adren to speed up the process.  Blood donation will be next week.  Just need 8 more miles.

Distance=3.1

1/30- FAILED.  Culprit was clearly the Liver Beef because of its Iron content.  Blood donation next week.  I'm betting that my best hope of significant improvement in the near-term is to load on Lactoferrin.  1 mile on Lakeshore in 10-flat.  I knew early that I didn't have it but thought I could tough it out and finish.  Nope.  Energy completely ran out after 0.75 miles.  I will try again tomorrow.

Distance=1.0

1/31- UGLY!  Determined to finish at least 3.9 miles to hit 22 on the week (10 percent increase).  I was barely moving at the end but I made it.  Average pace was over 11 minutes per mile and got slower and slower. However, I've learned something BIG!  My need for Lactoferrin depends on my TRS dosage.  This does make sense.  Candida binds with toxic metals.  TRS breaks the bond.  Sugars and Iron feed the candida but Lactoferrin starves it.  The two MUST be taken together.  It is better to take neither than one or the other.  The more TRS sprays that I take, the more Lactoferrin I need.   Limit sugars and keep the TRS dose low and I should see improvement.  One last question:  If I take a low dose of TRS, will I be hurt by too much Lactoferrin?  I already know that if I take too much TRS, I WILL be hurt by not enough.  That will be answered next week.

PM- BIG!  I couldn't wait.  I wanted an answer now and got the one that I wanted.  3xhalf lap at Montreat.  This morning, I took Lactoferrin and NO TRS.  Sucked in the workout and the interval.  My opener was 90 (9:00 pace).  After 3 sprays and just 1 Lactoferrin, I was all the way down to 50 (5:00 pace).  That's not a night and day difference.  It's a midnight versus noon difference.  The moment of truth came after 4 more Lactoferrin.  After a full rest, I managed a 51 (5:06 pace).  Not a significant loss.  Good news all around,  if my TRS dose is low, I will be less dependent on Lactoferrin but will not be hurt if I take too much.  Too much TRS with too little Lactoferrin is another matter.  

Distance=4.4

Weekly summary:

Not a total loss and learned key information at the end.  I have a faint glimmer of hope.

Distance= 22.5.  YTD=67.5 

Training 1/18-1/24

 1/18-1 mile junk run on the grounds of the Parthenon in Nashville.  Finished in 8:03 with a significant negative split then added a half mile cool.  It's a start.  

Distance=1.5

1/19- Lakeshore 2.5 bottom leg.  Finished in 23:30 (9:24 pace).  That's about what I expected.  Took 3 ADHS in the morning but none in the afternoon.  Probably could have done better if I had taken more in the afternoon but I prefer the slower path and more stability.  Even pace but not a whole lot left at the end.  1st half- 11:48, 2nd half- 11:42.

Distance=2.5

1/20- Lakeshore 4 in 36:41 (9:10 pace).  This matches my longest run of the year.  Slow and steady progress is exactly what I am looking for.  Unless you look closely, you can't even tell that the hour hand on a clock is moving.  Come back 6 hours later and it's completely on the opposite position.  If I can avoid a relapse and train steadily for 6 months, I'll be in an entirely different place physically, mentally, emotionally.  So many things will be reversed.

Distance=4.0

1/21-AM- 1 mile on Montreat in 9:45 WITHOUT pills.  Much less horrible than the end of last week.  The adrenal spike to going down but I've still got a ways to go.

PM- Lakeshore 3 in 26:13 (8:44 pace).  Satisfactory.  Today, I went out faster but struggled a bit down the stretch.  1st half- 12:58, 2nd half- 13:15.  This is equivalent to about a 27:18 for 5K, which is within the margin of error of my best of the year (26:54).  I'm sure that I would be comfortably beaten yesterday over an extra mile so I'm continuing to take baby steps every day.  Could have gone longer but want to keep this week's total around 20.

Distance=4.0

1/22- Slow and Naked 1.5 mile jog at Montreat.  Legs are more tired than expected but then again, I'm no longer used to steady running.  If I can manage 6.5 on Sunday, I'll hit 20 on the week, which is what I was shooting for.

Distance=1.5

1/23- Planned rest day.

1/24- 10K on the Silver Comet Trail.  It wasn't pretty but I am on the board at this distance.  Finished in 58:40 (9:26 pace) with a slight negative split.  29:30-29:10 but the trail is slightly sloped so that's to be expected.  I was on pace for about a 2:04-flat for a half.  I had more in me than this but another 7 miles?  I don't think so.   Added a warm to make the distance target.

It wasn't pretty but I hit the mileage target and have managed to avoid a collapse.  However, if I don't see significant improvement soon, I may have to up my dose.

Distance= 20.0.  YTD- 45

Training 1/11-1/17

 I am going to have to write another week off as a loss.  In the words of Brothers Osbourne, It Ain't My Fault.  I said previously that I am unsure if I still need to Lactoferrin.  After 7 days off it, it has become apparent that I do.  Not a big surprise.  It's just like the others.  5-7 days off, no problems noticed.  Any more than that is.  I ran out of pills on 1/5 and I HAD ORDERED IT AFTER GETTING BACK FROM CANCUN!  According to the tracking, the package arrived in Birmingham on 1/5 and is STILL listed as "in transit" to its destination.  Again, it ain't my fault that I ran out.  Who knows when I will receive it?  Another company took a full month to deliver NADH!  I ordered a backup bottle from Amazon, which SUPPOSEDLY will arrive by Friday.  

Any workouts?

1 mile worth of junk on both Monday and Tuesday, which is not helping me at all.  I've only got about 10 weeks until Salisbury, Maryland so time is running out to gain fitness.  I was really hoping this week would be the start of steady and serious training but that has to wait yet again.  Will the race actually go off in Salisbury?  I have my doubts.  If not, that makes 2 years in a row.  What started as 2-4 weeks to flatten the curve will drag on for at least an entire year.  

1/16- Pills arrived today and got immediate improvement that was followed by an adrenal spike.  Workout was 3xl laps at Montreat.  Took 1 ADHS pill after lap 1 and lap 2.  Splits were 3:56-3:12-2:36.  The gap is an even 4 minutes between the opener and the closer (11:48 vs 7:48) and I'm betting that I had more improvement in me if I had taken more pills

1/17- Planned rest day.  If I can barely hold a sub-8 for 1/3 of a mile, it doesn't portend well for an actual workout.

-Only 3 miles on the week.  YTD-25

Hawaii Trip Plan

 I'm going to Hawaii without a race.  I had planned to mark my 50th state visited with my 50th race state but given the scope of the situation with COVID and a possible vaccine requirement to travel by air, it may not happen.  My other race states are Maryland, Minnesota and Maine.  I've been to all 3 of these multiple times.  If worse comes to worst, I could drive to all 3.  Maryland would take a day and a half.  I can get to southern Minnesota in 16 hours or a manageable 2 day drive.  Maine would be a tough 2.5-3 days so let's hope that I don't have to do that.  Obviously, I cannot drive to Hawaii but perhaps the requirement, if enacted, is lifted in a few years.  

When?

I thought about MLK Day weekend.  I'm already getting cabin fever and I've only been back to working from home for 3 days.  Nope, it's too soon after Cancun.  I will wait until President's Day weekend and hope that no new restrictions are imposed between now and then.  Figure 2/11 would be my travel day getting there.  Then, I'd spend 4 full days in Hawaii and leave on 2/16.  I'll probably have to take a red eye and another day to recover from jet lag so that's a week out and 4 days off work.  Logistically, it will be tough.  It looks like the best option is to fly out of Atlanta and take a relatively short layover in Seattle with both flights being just over 5 hours.  A better option would be to break up the trip back with an overnight layover in San Francisco.  Unfortunately, there is a 10 day quarantine requirement there.  Ridiculous that I could get in trouble for taking a walk down to the bay to see the Golden Gate Bridge but yes, I could get caught.  They will know that I am a tourist.   

Which Island?

The 4 major islands are Kuai, Maui, Oahu and Hawaii (Big Island).  They have their pros and cons and  I intend to visit them all.  After quite a bit of deliberation, I feel that the Big Island is the best fit for a relatively short trip.  Of course, the biggest attraction for me will be Magic Sands Beach, which is supposedly very good for body boarding and I'll be spending most of my time there.  I expect at the very least, it will rival the beauty of Cancun.  It may be even better.  Though probably not the best for swimming, I still want to see a black sand beach and yes, there is one on this island.  Believe it or not, there is snow in the winter on top of this island's highest mountain.  Hopefully, there will be enough to go snow tubing.  Man, that would be wild in Hawaii!  There is also a Volcanic National Park and some hiking trails with waterfalls on the other side of the island.  That will be plenty to do in 4 days.

Weather:

I'll be spending most of my time on the Leeward or Dry side of the island.  I can expect sunny skies with a low chance of rain.  Both air and water temps should be in the low 80s.  By contrast, the city of Hilo, just about 2 hours away receives considerable rainfall all year round.  This will not be the farthest south that I have been.  That honor goes to Puerto Rico by just over 1 degree in latitude.  

COVID?

Hawaii is open for tourism with no quarantine requirement.  I will have to pass a COVID test within 3 days of my arrival.  I don't want to be a statistic and add to the count of false positives but that's a risk that I am willing to take.  What if I don't get another chance at this?  If in the unlikely event that I get sick, I'll have to spend 10-14 days in Hawaii.  Could be worse.  I'd rather be there than Mexico. Again, it's a risk that I am willing to take.  DO IT!

Health Updates and COVID Predictions

 Well, Lactoferrin appears to have solved my sugar intolerance.  I still have trouble with too many Probiotics but that's okay.  Lactoferrin does the job of starving the candida and is much better tolerated.  Sulfur is okay now up to a point.  A Taurine or even a Glutathione pill is okay but several of them? Not so much.  I'm okay with that as well.  I've pitched the bottle of Probiotics and the Colostrum.  

Unfortunately, as is often the case, whenever I solve a MAJOR problem, my adrenals spike.  I've had to take mega doses of ADHS (adrenal modulator) in the last 10-14 days.  Without the ADHS, I am about as bad as you can possibly imagine.  I could not hold a 12 minute pace for a lap around Montreat and got relief only after the mega doses.  Thankfully, this does appear to be a temporary reaction.  I've been getting better without pills in recent days.  In fact, today, I nearly hit 8:00 minute pace for a lap around the track as my opener.  Figure that still translates to 8:30-8:45ish at Montreat.  Pretty soon, the ADHS will become like the other pills.  I won't notice an occasional missed dose but I'm in big trouble if I go 5+ days without it.  

Possible Iron Overload:

I've ruled out going back to Thym-Adren (adrenal suppressant) to calm the adrenal spike.  I could go too far with it and if it is related to Iron, it won't solve the root cause.  I'm sticking with the modulator even if it takes longer.  One supplement that is likely to help is Curcumin.  YES, I will donate blood 3 times per year.  I only did it once in 2020 and I'm not sure I did it at all in 2019.  I was afraid of the toxic dumps from the TRS.  

Reactions to Sugar and Alcohol:

I can handle a non-caffeinated Sprite with no problem.  Same with a Coke or even a small Red Bull.  In fact, this morning I was actually marginally better after consuming the latter.  A large Rockstar (160 mg caffeine) or Bang (300 mg)?  Yes, that does present a problem.  However, after the experimental binge, I found that I got relief after extra ADHS.  That's strong evidence that the adrenal spike, not the candida was responsible for the negative reaction to excessive caffeine.

Alcohol is a different story.  I still have to be very careful with that stuff.  A single 12 oz beer say once per week should not hurt me but any more than that could be a problem.  In Cancun, I was drinking 2-4 drinks every day.  That's hardly a binge especially when it's spread out over lunch and dinner but towards the end, I noticed that I felt markedly WORSE immediately after consumption of alcohol.  However, I was better after several hours and there was no hangover the next morning .  In this case, ADHS did not help in the least but extra Lactoferrin did provide a bit of relief.  Lo and behold, I read that alcohol does indeed worsen Iron Overload so I'm nearly certain that has reared its ugly head again.  At least now, I know what to do about it.  Curcumin will probably help lower the Iron.  Blood donation will take care of the Ferritin.  

I'm feeling a trace of optimism after the 7:18 Mile this morning.  The adrenal spike hasn't faded completely and I've run very little in the past 2 months.  I've been burned by false hopes way too many times but I feel like there is a chance that my current formula plus the Iron treatments may finally lead me to stability.  

COVID:

In what should be a surprise to nobody, adverse reactions to the vaccine have been recorded.  Damage does not always show up immediately so it may be months or longer before we know how dangerous it really is.  Warnings have been issued NOT to get pregnant or impregnate anyone for at least 28 days because of the risk of birth defects.  You can bet that people will skip the second dose if they had a reaction to the first one.   Also, there have been reports of people catching the virus just days after getting vaccinated.  Nobody claimed it was 100 percent effective and supposedly even if it is effective, you remain susceptible in between your first and second dose.  I'm taking my chances with a virus that has a 99.9 percent survival rate for people my age.  Like I said, I won't do anything stupid to put myself or others at risk and believe that all those beach trips were the best thing for me to protect myself.  

Fauci has already said that a vaccine will likely be required to attend school or work in a hospital as well as to travel.  I called it.  If that's the case, I'll probably have to get the shot eventually but don't want to give in so easily and remain VERY fearful given my history of inexplicable reactions.  I suspect that I have autoimmune issues but the solution for that is to take a immunosuppressant.  Not a very attractive option during a pandemic and it does not address the root cause, which is toxic metals.  I'm shooting for Hawaii in February while I still can.

What about the new mutated strains of the virus?  Will the vaccine protect against that?  I predict that it will become like the flu shot.  Ineffective against certain strains.  If that's the case, the virus is not going away and neither is the mask requirement and social distancing (barf!).  The average person will catch it probably once every 5-7 years just like the flu.  If correct, the attempt to push the mandatory vaccine will fail and the virus will be most often treated with drugs on an outpatient basis.  Big Pharma will never admit that HCQ and Invermectin work so they'll market a new and more expensive drug for COVID.  Fortunately, it will be effective and it will be a new normal with masks and temperature checks upon entering any establishment.  Some countries will be more restrictive for tourism than others.  Mexico and the Caribbean will be mostly open to American tourists.  Canada, Europe and East Asia?  Probably not so much.      

I don't know anyone who has died of or with COVID but yes, I do know some people that caught the virus.  I suspect that I had it myself last winter.  I did get pink eye, which is an early symptom but that cleared up with eye drops.  I don't remember any serious cough or congestion and the fatigue wasn't much worse than my usual.  I was worried about my 70 year old uncle who is significantly overweight but his case was no worse than a common cold.  On the other hand, a 55 year old marathon runner described it as the most uncomfortable illness that he can remember though he did ultimately recover.  A 25 year-old co-worker caught it as well and for him, it was similar to a standard flu.  It's hard to predict the effects of the virus but long-term problems are very rare for people without major underlying conditions.  I still favor opening the economy with extra precautions.

Training 1/1-1/10

 1/1- Nothing changes on New Year's Day.  Hoped to run 3 miles at Vestavia.  Had to settle for 1 with a time of 9:54.  Splits were 4:42-5:12.  Once again, a formula that showed promise yesterday did not work today.  Detailed health post is coming.

Distance=1.0

1/2- MUCH better today.  Opened with a 2:03 track lap without pills then was actually slightly better after a small Red Bull (1:57).  Rested for a few minutes, popped the pills and tried a Mile.  Finished in a much less horrible time of 7:18 then added a 2 lap cool.  Splits were 1:44-1:50-1:55-1:49.  I've been fading on the back half of my runs lately but that's probably just because I am out of shape.  I just want to get consistent volume at this point.  Not really worried about pace though I'd like to see a 6:xx at this distance soon then a 5:xx if it's not too much to ask.

Distance=2.0

1/3- 12.5 laps at Vestavia plus a 1.5 lap cool so I am on the board at the 5K distance for 2021.  Time was unimpressive at 26:54 (8:37 pace) but there were signs of hope.  I went out too conservative today but finished strong.  Splits were 8:51-8:48-8:25 then ran the last 200 in 50 seconds.  I was almost as fast over the last 400 today as I was in my opening lap of the Mile yesterday.  Early on, I thought I'd have for fight for a sub-28 but ended up breaking 27 and there is still room for improvement with better pacing.  As far as the adrenal spike, I was still awful without the pills so when the Curcumin arrives, I should see further improvement.  I expect the usual pattern with the strong negative initial reaction followed by the insatiable need, which will eventually fade.

Distance=3.5

1/4- Easy 4 on Lakeshore.  Finished in 35:39 (8:55 pace).  Solid performance.  Pacing for easy runs is hard to gauge at this stage so I just went by feel.  My current race pace at this distance as of yesterday is probably around 8:30 with proper pacing and easy runs should be 60+ seconds slower.  That said, race paces are improving every day at this point in training.  Maybe a touch fast but it's fine.  

Distance=4.0

1/5-AM- Vestavia Mile in 7:05.  I'm satisfied.  I was hoping to get under 7 today and came up short but I'm not going to complain about cutting off 13 seconds in 3 days.  11 of the 13 came in the back half so that's good news.  Splits were more typical this time.  1:43-1:49-1:51-1:42.  Back half was just 1 tick slower than the first half and the last go round was my fastest 400 of the year.  I'll beat that time easily in a flat out 400. I think I can get under 90.  There may be some bumps ahead with the expected arrival of the Curcumin pills but in the long-run, it will be a benefit.  May be back out for a short and easy run this evening.

PM- Lunch run on Lakeshore.  Easy 2.5 in 21;53 (8:45 pace).  Quite comfortable all the way and picked it up a bit on the back half.  I can bet that my next 5K time trial will be a LOT better.  I bet that I'll be well into the 25s.   Could have gone longer but I want to be conservative with the mileage early.  I want to keep it between 20-25 in this, the first week.

Distance=3.5 

1/6- I predicted bumps ahead with the arrival of the Curcumin and got a swift negative response to it.  However, this is often followed by an insatiable NEED for the next few days.  I predict that my need for ADHS and Lactoferrin will diminish and it will be a net benefit once I adjust.  Lactoferrin is late but should arrive no later than tomorrow.   Did 1 mile worth of junk running at Montreat.  Did not even time it but I figure that it was between 10 and 12 minutes.  Bad weather will arrive tomorrow and I had hoped to make that my planned rest day of the week.

Distance=1.0

1/7- AM-Good news.  Curcumin is effective.  Opened with a 1:44 half lap at Montreat then dropped to a 1:22 after popping 1 pill.  A 2nd pill dropped me down to a 1:08.  That's a drop from 10:24 pace all the way down to a 6:48 and was done WITHOUT either the ADHS or the Lactoferrin.  Unfortunately, that is likely it for today unless there is a break in the weather this evening.  Wish I could run inside but I don't think that is safe during a pandemic. I predict that I will experience another downturn this afternoon that will be relieved only after taking more Curcumin.  Maybe this won't last as long because I have taken Curcumin before.

PM- Able to squeeze in 1 mile at lunch. It was 3 laps at Montreat.  Predictions were accurate.  Within just a few hours, I was noticeable poorer and got relief only after taking more Curcumin.  Finished with an overall time of 8:02.  Splits were 3:05-2:40-2:17.  I popped 1 pill after each lap and we see the results.  It's going to be like this to a lesser extent at least through the weekend.

Distance=1.5

1/8- 1 mile junk run at Montreat.  Did not time it but to my relief, it did not feel as horrible as yesterday without the pills.  Figure around 9 minutes give or take and I was not pushing hard.  More good news came later this evening as alcohol was well tolerated.

Distance=1.0

1/9- Snow flurries today.  2 pills this morning were not nearly enough.  Hoped to run 2.5 on Lakeshore but settled for 1.5 in 14:08 (9:26 pace).  I was at 6:56 at the turnaround then slipped to a 7:12 but actually thought the fade would be worse on the back half.  Heart was not into it either.  Lactoferrin is stuck in transit but I don't think that is hurting me.  It will take a few more days to adjust to the Curcumin.  I will also donate blood down the road.

Distance=1.5

1/10- News is mixed.  Workout was a lot better today.  3x1 mile on Lakeshore with roughly 3 minutes rest.  Overall time was 24:35 (8:12 avg).

0 pills- 9;06

1 pill- 8:04

2 pills-7:25

Good news all around.  Not nearly as bad on no pills so on Day 5, as expected, I've nearly adjusted.  Still a pretty big gap after 1 pill but less of a gap between 1 and 2.  Didn't run on 3 but did not feel a significant change.  A few hours later however, the adrenal spike hit HARD.  The only thing that will help that is massive ADHS.  I'm prepared for another rough week ahead.

Distance=3.0

-22 miles in 10 days, which is a 7 day average of 15.4.  Not nearly enough.