Training 1/8-1/14

 1/8- Montreat Mile in 9:07 plus a half mile cool.  The rate of improvement is slower, but the streak remains intact.  This was 31 seconds faster than I did 3 days ago and I expect to be under 9 next time.  I am still a distressing 87 seconds away from my reset PR.  Splits were 2:58-3:04-3:05. Really struggled in the back half but did finish pretty strong in the last half lap.  Legs are loose and limber but the cardio tires easily, which is characteristic of an adrenal spike.  One minor milestone that I realized that I accomplished shortly after:  This is sub-2 pace for a half marathon.  Another 12.1 miles at this pace seems insurmountable, however.  That's it for today.  Wind and rain are in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning.

Distance= 1.5

1/9- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 20:32 (10:16 pace).  Not bad.  Despite the slow pace, I can take away several positives from this one.  First, this was an evening session after no pills for several hours.  I couldn't hack it at all last week.  This wasn't pretty but I was able to do it.  Although my 2 mile split during the 5K was comparable to this, I was NOT completely spent when I finished tonight.  I certainly would have improved my 5K time by a significant margin.  Splits were 9:58-10:34 but the back half was into a stiff headwind, so the fade wasn't that bad.  This is a new distance for 2024 so it does not affect the streak.  I will need to improve the next time I run this route.

Distance=2.0

1/10- The streak continues.  Montreat Mile in 8:34 with splits of 2:44-2:56-2:54.  Cut off another 33 seconds in just 2 days.  This is unsustainable.  I know that I will level off soon, but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.  I could have broken 8:30 if I didn't go out so fast.  1st half lap was 1:18 but I was pretty even after that.  I am now within 54 of my reset PR.  I'll do more track time trials from now on.  

Distance=1.0

1/11- North Lakeshore 5K in 30:48 (9:54 pace).  MASSIVE improvement over last weekend (34:30).  Very well paced (15:19-15:29) with the back half being slightly uphill.  This is not a certified route, but my GPS read 3.11, so figure it's accurate give or take about 30 yards.  My bare ass minimum standard for race shape is a sub-60 10K and I am almost halfway there.  Can't say I'm pleased with where I am but I've shown the greatest improvement I've ever seen over the last 10 days.

PM- Easy 1.4 miles with no watch (naked).  4 laps at Montreat plus 100 meters.  Not much more than a junk run to pad the mileage.  Could not pass up a 60 degree evening.  Felt okay.  No real soreness from the morning 5k.  The Punta Cana trip is a GO!  Mileage will be hard to come by for the next 6 days and I may not even have access to the Internet.  May not post until next week.

Distance=4.5

1/12- Rain held off long enough for 2 miles at South Lakeshore.  The streak remains very much alive.  Finished in 18:34 (9:17 pace) with even splits (9:15-9:19).  If I didn't slack on the last hill, this would have been a FULL MINUTE faster per mile than just 3 days ago.  Granted, it helped that it was a morning session after I just took the pills.   Smooth and relaxed effort despite a bit of soreness in the hip and groin area.  No real concern about that.  I only needed another mile in about 10:15 to break 30 for 5K and I think I had a shot.  Off to Atlanta this evening to catch a morning flight tomorrow.

Distance-2.0

1/13- Planned rest day.  Arrived in the Dominican Republic.

1/14- 1 mile stop and go.  No time.  Just farting around to get the distance in but one observation is clear.  I'm still very much dependent on the Thym-Adren.  I was about 45 seconds faster per mile with the same effort after taking just 2 pills (current dose is 6).  That's good and bad.  I HATE being so dependent on the pills but it also reveals room for improvement.  I expect to level off when I am less dependent on the pills.

Distance= 1.0

=12 miles on the week.  YTD= 22.

Training 1/1-1/7

 1/1- Recovering from the flu.  Tried a new supplement called Glycine to assist with the Candida detox.  As usual, it's an insatiable need and things will get worse before they get better.  Did 1 mile at Montreat in 13:45, or exactly 3 hour pace for a half marathon.  OUCH!

Distance= 1.0

1/2- Same workout as yesterday.  Hardly a cause for celebration but I knew that I was better from the first steps.  Improved to 11:35 with even splits.  1st half- 5:45, 2nd half- 5:50.  I'll take it.  As of now, I can only tolerate one Thym-Adren.  Soon, I will see if I can handle 2.  Did 1 more lap in the evening in 3:48.  That pace (11:24) is only slightly faster than the morning session.  Hopefully, I see further gains overnight.

Distance=1.5

1/3- Montreat Mile in 10:59.  I met the minimum standard with a 36 second improvement but I really struggled in the homestretch and it didn't feel normal.  Splits were 3:26-3:41-3:52.  It took a push in the last 40 yards to get under 11.  I feared that the culprit was either NAC or Glycine but found to my relief that I NEEDED extra Thym-Adren.  The adrenals have spiked as expected.  Just 2 days ago, more than 1 of those pills would have triggered a bad reaction.  NOW, I NEED MORE!  Nothing changes on New Years Day.  Is this a blip or a long lasting spike?  Probably the latter.  EVENTUALLY, it will calm down and something else will probably flare up.  

Distance=1.0

1/4- Repeated the workout.  It was clear that the adrenal spike is NOT a blip.  Hopefully, it goes down gradually.  Started out comparable to yesterday but held it together in lap 2 then actually finished pretty strong.  Time was 10:13 (3:24-3:30-3:19).  3rd straight day that I have improved.  Keep it up.  Shooting for a sub-10 tomorrow.

Distance=1.5

1/5- The streak continues.  Improved to 9:38.  Splits were 3:07-3:16-3:15.  Didn't have a real strong finish but the pace was almost dead even after the first half lap.  Realized later that this is sub-30 pace for a 5K.  A very small milestone but a necessary step.  I may be back out this evening weather permitting.

PM- Could not hack it in the evening session.  Pace was well over 10 so I called it early.  I knew it was going to happen like this.  I did not take any Thym-Adren since the morning whereas yesterday, I took it in divided doses.  After 2 pills when I got home, I was better.  No panic.

Distance=1.5

1/6- 5K is in the books.  12.5 laps at Mountain Brook track in 34:30.  The only goal was to finish but I did expect to be better than this.  I passed the Mile in 9:56 and the halfway point in 15:52 but faded to 18:38 on the back half.  Considered bailing after 2 miles but I stuck it out and the last 4 laps were over 3:00.  Being unbalanced hurts worse over longer distances.  I may need to temporarily increase the dose.  On the bright side, it should be pretty easy to improve upon this next time out.  

Distance=3.5

1/7  Planned rest day.  I deserve it.

=10 miles on the week.  I hope that come Spring, I will look back on this week and see how far I have come.

Goals for 2024

 The goal is very modest.  I just want to do better than I did the previous year.  Let's revisit a specific date: November 13, 2022.  After 15 years, I completed my goal of finishing a half marathon in every US state at the Val Nolasco half marathon in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Crossing the finish line that day was anti-climactic as I felt very little joy or happiness in that moment.  I didn't feel much sense of achievement at the time either.  It was 90 percent sadness.

   After doing more walking than jogging for the previous 3 miles, I summoned all my strength to trudge across the finish line with a very slow jog.  I was totally spent when I crossed the line.  I had no more spurts of jogging left in me and even the quarter mile walk back to my hotel was quite a voyage.  I don't even remember my time, but it was somewhere between 2:46-2:49, easily my worst ever. Especially now, I do NOT want this to be my last race.  That is not the way that I want to go out!  I'd much prefer to go out with a local 5K in which a final sprint shores up a sub-30 minute finish and I pass a couple of people in the last tenth of a mile.  That's hardly a triumph, but it's better than what I described above.    

After the disaster in Hawaii, I took 6 weeks of complete inactivity as a last ditch effort to reset my system.  It didn't work.  The sensitivity and extreme need for pills still remained.  Nevertheless, from New Years 2023 up through President's Day, I showed some pretty steady improvement.  I never got much below 28 minutes for 5K but I started out closer to 35 minutes.  Things took a turn for the worse when I made a serious effort to tackle the Candida.  I started with Apple Cider Vinegar and Probiotics then later tried anti-fungals, most notably Curcumin, NAC and then Zinc.  I kept hoping that I could get healthy enough to try a local 5K at some point later in the year but it never happened.

Again, let's just do better than last year.  That's not asking for much!  

2023 Travel Stats

 Set a new personal record for number of states seen in one year.  I see more states in a given year than most people see in a lifetime.  Under the lenient standard, I hit 28 states plus 2 Canadian provinces and one other country.  That's 31 points, or 5 more than my previous record.  That said, under the strict standard, the numbers are not quite as impressive.  Here is the breakdown.

Drove or walked across the border and that was it (4):

Nevada

Illinois

South Carolina

Indiana

Drive Through Only but did stop for gas and/or food (6)

Louisiana

Mississippi

Iowa

Montana

West Virginia

Virginia

Strict Standards (18) plus 3 bonus-

Alabama- Lived

Florida- Gulf and Atlantic Coast

North Carolina- Skiing at Cataloochee

California (2)- Palm Springs and Crescent City

Idaho- Boise, Stanley and Ponderosa Pine

Ohio- Cincy Reds game

Tennessee- Walking tours of Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville

Arkansas- Mammoth Falls State Park

Missouri- Kansas City and St. Louis

Kansas- Topeka, Eisenhower Library

Nebraska- Omaha

Texas- Houston and Galveston.  Astros game

Oregon- US-101.  Pacific Coast

Washington- Long Beach, Cape Disappointment

Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh  Pirates game

North Dakota- Bismarck, TR National Park

Georgia- Black Mountain, Toccoa Falls

Kentucky- Louisville.

Bonus:

Costa Rica- Jaco Beach

Manitoba- Lake, Winnipeg

Saskatchewan- Regina, CFL football game.

Looking ahead:

I have booked my Dominican Republic trip for next month.

Top priorities are Alaska and Newfoundland.

If I can do that, I will complete Round 2 of Visit All 50 States and Round 1 of Visit All 10 Canadian Provinces.

False Hope

 WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED??

I get a little better for a few days then just as hopes begin to rise, I'm hit with something like this.  

The drama with the pills is NOT OVER!

I hoped to run 3 miles easy on Lakeshore this morning.  I didn't really care about the pace.  I just wanted to feel comfortable and finish strong.  A storm came through last night, which apparently was worse in Homewood.  I had to stop several times to go around downed tree branches but that shouldn't affect me.  

 I could tell something was a little bit off from the get go.  After a slow start, I seemed to find a decent rhythm after the first quarter mile and my pace was around 9:15-9:20.  I told myself to just maintain that pace and I'll take it.   Just before the 3/4 mile mark, I suddenly began feeling MUCH worse and also was holding in a diarrhea dump.  I had no choice but to stop and complete the walk of shame back to the start.  I did do a couple of spurts of running to get the total distance up to 1 mile but my pace slowed considerably and my moving time was 9:39.  Slightly WORSE than 2 days ago.  

You can expect some variation in performances on a daily basis.  If this one had been 8:39 instead?  No big deal.  An 8:20 vs 8:39 is within the margin of error and not enough to be considered significant especially with the tree branches.  A 9:39 with nothing left at the end?  NO!  That clearly indicates that something is wrong.  The next step was to go home and find the culprit.  I figured that it was either the Zinc or the Thym-Adren but hoped that it was the latter.  A bad reaction to an adrenal supplement is understandable.  A bad reaction to a mineral?  That's likely an autoimmune issue.  Just one pill confirmed that indeed it was the Thym-Adren.

I was very pleased yesterday when I saw a BIG improvement seemingly in spite of not taking any pills.  I know now that I did better BECAUSE I did not take the pills.   Obviously, the candida detox has had an effect of my adrenals.  I'm likely still a fast oxidizer and thus, I will need the Thym-Adren over the long haul at least at low doses.  That said, I cannot be like this.  If I remain on this path, I will likely continue to get worse.  I have 3 options for the near future.  

1-Lower the dose to just one pill and take it the night before.  

That's probably the least likely to be effective as I'm growing more and more intolerant.

2. Quit the pills temporarily.

Could be an option but it may not be strong enough.

3. Temporarily take an adrenal stimulant.

I had to do that when detoxing heavy metals in the past and it worked well for a while.  Eventually, I became over-stimulated and was forced back on the Thym-Adren.  That's likely the outcome this time as well.  

In the past, I've had a VERY HIGH tendency to cheat when something like this happens.  I MUST stay strong this time.  Committed to 21 days no matter what.

As far as the running is concerned, I don't have to be ultra-competitive to be happy.  I DO expect to be well enough and BE CONSISTENT ENOUGH to enjoy the social aspect.  Should not be too much to ask, but right now, that's impossible.  

UPDATE:

I tried the adrenal stimulants and got MUCH better for a short time.  A fourth option has come up, which is NAC.  It too produced a strong positive, albeit short-lived reaction.  I'm going with a combination of #3 and #4.

Improving: Day 10 Clean

 Today is Day 10.  Assuming that I make it through the weekend, I'll be more than halfway to my goal of 21 days of drinking water only.  

Concerns:

I still do have a bit of residual crud.  It's mostly just a stuffy nose with very little phlegm.  Over the long haul, that is of no concern.  It may hang on for another week or so but it will be gone.  The abdominal pain is almost completely gone.   The big concern is that I still do have the candida rash on my armpits and above my ass.  It still itches from time to time.  How long will that last?  It's really more of a nuisance than anything else.  I figure that if need be, I can use a cream to control the itch if it gets really bad.  

I am concerned about this because it's a sign that the candida is not completely dead yet.  What if it mutates and learns to survive or grow without the regular supply of sugar?  Seems unlikely but I don't know what I can do if that does happen.

My energy is improving (more on that later) but I did need a nap on Friday evening.  I was in bed from 6:30-8:00 and was out cold for about an hour.  Not surprisingly, I could not get to sleep when it was time for bed.  Of course I must listen to my body and give it the rest that it needs but this sort of thing cannot happen with any regularity.  I've noticed that I've been sleeping deeper and had a couple of vivid dream the last 2 nights.  One involved urinating on a chair because I honestly thought it was a toilet.  

Improvement:

The biggest positive is that my energy is starting to come around.  I feel noticeably better EVERY DAY and yes, it translates to the track.  On Tuesday, I struggled through a 4:00 lap at Montreat (12:00 pace) and had stabbing pains in the belly with every foot strike.  By Thursday, I was down to 3:30 (10:30 pace).  On Friday, I went to the track to try a full Mile at Vestavia.  I simply hoped for a sub-10 but finished in 9:35.  1st half: 4:53, 2nd half: 4:42 and each lap was slightly faster than the previous one.  

Today (Saturday), my time was all the way down to 8:20 and I managed a 1:59 last go round.  Normally, I'd never celebrate something like that but considering where I was just a few days ago, it's pretty impressive.  I'm now within 40 seconds of my reset PR.  Still too soon to get my hopes up.  If I can avoid a relapse and get my time down to around 7:15, I may begin to believe.  

Perhaps the best news of all is that I am seeing VERY LITTLE impact from the pills.  I took 2 Probiotic pills, which were completely INTOLERABLE on a previous attempt. This time, NOTHING.  It didn't seem to matter one iota whether I took them or not.  Same with the Curcumin.  I'll still take both occasionally for preventative maintenance.  I've also gone 48 hours without Zinc or Thym-Adren with no problem.  In fact, the big improvement from Friday-Saturday came after having NOT taken any pills.  I know that I still need them and won't be surprised to see an adrenal spike in the near-future but being freed from extreme dependence could be YUGE!  

Candida Flu

 Since the last update, I tried Zinc and the results were not surprising.  An initial negative response followed by an insatiable need with a couple of adrenal spikes that eventually stabilized.  Still, I faced the harsh reality that the Candida is simply not going away unless I COMPLETELY ELIMINATE SUGAR, ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE.  All of the supplements that were so necessary (Probiotics, ACV, Curcumin) in the past don't seem to help much nowadays. 

 Not surprisingly, I was BAD over Thanksgiving but got back on track the next week.  I found that in the past, dealing with all the drama with the insatiable needs for pills and the moving targets PLUS the sugar withdrawals was just too hard.  With relatively stable chemistry, I gave it another shot and vowed to go at least 21 days no matter what happened.   As of today, I've completed 7 days clean with NO cheat days.  Today was the first day that I had any real temptation but so far so good.   

In the past, I've usually gotten caffeine withdrawal that peaks within 24-48 hours of stopping.  I get the energy crash, headache and sleepiness.  That's usually followed by an adrenal spike and I may get a little better after 4-5 days but I've always fallen off the wagon because of the drama with the pills.  There were some days that I kinda had to use or I could not even function at work.   In the past, quitting sugar actually made the sensitivity WORSE.  On one attempt, I developed a complete intolerance to the very same Probiotics that I needed just a few days earlier and also developed new food sensitivities.  I've since read that this was likely Cytokine related.  

This time around, I had symptoms that I've never experienced before.  The withdrawal came sooner than I expected.  I put down my last forbidden beverage (Margarita) around 10PM last Wednesday but I was already beginning to feel it by the end of the workday on Thursday.  I figured that I'd have to endure a couple of rough days on Friday and Saturday, then I'd start feeling better by Sunday.  

It got so bad that I actually had to leave work early on Friday.  I crashed in bed at 2:30 PM and stayed there until the next morning.  By Saturday, I had a massive sinus headache and was sneezing uncontrollably at times.  On top of that, I had several diarrhea attacks.  Sunday evening was the worst.  My temperature shot up to 101.4 degrees with TERRIBLE abdominal pains.  I kept hoping to get that shit out my system, but I couldn't defecate or fall asleep.  Finally, I took some Tylenol that temporarily reduced my fever, and I did wake up several times to urinate, which did seem to make it a little better.  

Needless to say, no work on Monday.  Fever was down to 99.8 degrees and I was able to sleep normally.  Still, awfully weak and with no appetite, I managed to get through half a day of work on Tuesday to avoid having to get a doctor's note.  I am slightly better today (Wednesday).

Wasn't this just a standard case of the flu virus?  Was it really Candida related?     

I am nearly CERTAIN that it is TOTALLY Candida related and it was not influenza at all.  Based on my research, everything that happened in my body is what is SUPPOSED to happen when Candida is going away.  It will go out kicking and screaming!  The severe abdominal pain is actually a sign that the liver is working overtime to flush out those toxins!  I have one big question:  Why didn't any of this happen when I tried to quit sugar before?  I've lasted this long several times before.   I had yet to try any anti-candida supplements besides the Probiotics and this was before I addressed the Cytokines.  I don't think recovery was even possible until I did that.  Maybe all the drama with the pills was necessary as well.

Prognosis:

Too soon to get my hopes up but I see a glimmer of light.  Odds are that it's not going to be a switch where one day I wake up feeling well.  It will be a gradual process.    I will have to strictly limit forbidden drinks after the 21 days are up.  NO energy drinks EVER AGAIN.  I might have an odd Coke or alcoholic beverage but those must be RARE.  I'll have to be careful over Christmas and I'll have to be careful in Punta Cana as well.  

Any running:

All I've done is 1 lap at Montreat the last 3 days.

Mon AM- 4:28

Mon PM- 4:10

Tue- 4:00

Wed- 3:47.  

Wednesday's pace was 11:21 so that no cause for celebration but it's a lot better than the 13:24 pace that I managed just 2 days earlier.  

UPDATE - Today (Thursday) I managed a 3:30 (10:30 pace).  Clearly improving.  Keep it up.

Punta Cana Trip Plan

 This is the sixth time that I have gone to a tropical climate during the dead of winter.  Someday, I'll make it to Colorado for a ski trip.   Here's my history:

2019- Miami and the Florida Keys

2020- San Juan, Puerto Rico (pre-Covid)

Christmas 20- Cancun, Mexico

2021- Big Island, Hawaii

2023- Jaco. Costa Rica

MLK weekend is my best bet. I scored a smokin' deal on a round trip flight out of Atlanta for under $300.  It lands on Saturday the 13th and returns on Wednesday the 17th.  I actually tried to extend it another day but none of the flights would have allowed me to drive back to Birmingham the same day and I don't want to be out all week.  Plus, the fares would have been much higher.  

Including the US, the Dominican Republic will be my 9th country visited.  I had some fun pranking co-workers by talking about checking out the beaches on the west side of the island.  I said that it might be a little bit dangerous.  They wondered why until I told them that those beautiful beaches are in Haiti.  LOL.  

I prefer NOT to stay at an all-inclusive resort but in Punta Cana, you really don't have much of a choice.  Over 90 percent of the hotels are all-inclusive and the ones that are not are located a fair distance from the beach itself.  It may not even be possible to walk to the public beaches and I really don't feel comfortable renting a car.  To me, that means a much less authentic experience.  The same resort also has a property in Jamaica, so I could go there instead and probably have a very similar experience.  You can't truly say that you "loved the country" if you didn't experience it outside of the resort.  

I don't really care about high class accommodations or fine dining.  I'm there for the beach and specifically the surf.  I ended up choosing the cheapest all-inclusive resort that I could find, Riu Republica in Arena Gorda.  I would have preferred Macao Beach but the prices were outrageous.  Dreams Macao was over $700/night while Riu Republica was under $300.  Therefore, I save over $1,200 over a 4 night stay.  

I think it will actually work out for the best.  Bavaro Beach has brilliant white sand and crystal clear electric blue water but usually minimal surf.  Macao has consistently good surf, but the water is not as clear and the sand is more golden than white.  I figure that since Arena Gorda is located in between, it should offer the best of both worlds.  Beautiful beach with rideable waves.  Food will be mediocre but as long as it's edible, I'm good.  My only real concern is that it attracts a young crowd that likes to party.  I won't get stupid drunk but sure, I'm up for some fun in the evening.  

1/13- My fight lands at 2:00 and I figure that by the time I get through Customs and take a taxi to the resort, it will be almost sunset when I check in so I don't expect to squeeze in a quick dip.  This will leave me with only 3 full days on the beach plus a morning session on 1/17.  I may change my mind, but I am currently leaning AGAINST an excursion to Santo Domingo.  It's a 4 hour bus ride each way, which leaves me with only 4 hours to tour.  Plus, I'm not sure that I'd be interested in all of the activities on the organized tour.  I certainly will NOT strike off on my own in a strange city. 

Instead of that, I will likely spend an afternoon in the shopping district of downtown Punta Cana, and hope to mingle a bit with the Dominicans.  Word on the street is that it is safe enough, especially in the daytime.  As for the weather, I can expect temps in the mid-80s and sunny skies with a water temperature around 80-82.  Can't beat that in January.  Unfortunately, rainfall is a possibility.  Though it's unlikely to be a total washout, I can expect about a 30 percent chance of rain on any given day.  I really don't want to take an excursion on a beautiful day then have 2 rainy days on the beach.     

Rant/Rave: Singleness

 The holiday season is always tough for me because I've long been the only adult at the party without a significant other and I am past the age in which I am being judged for being single.  My parents are the only ones who are aware of the full extent of my medical issues.  Even my sister didn't know how bad it was until very recently and I'm not even sure she believes it.  Most of my aunts and cousins have no idea that I am sick and neither do my coworkers. 

 I feel compelled to post on this subject after a few prominent conservative commentators were critical of women who are single and childless by choice.  I agree with over 90 percent of their commentaries but in this case, I found it somewhat offensive.  The woman in the video was only 29 years old.  That's hardly ancient and she could certainly change her mind in 5 years and still be young and healthy enough to have a child.  For the record, yes I am a strong believer in the nuclear family as the building block for a successful society but not everyone is cut out for marriage and parenthood.  If for whatever reason, they don't feel led to go down that path, they must not be shamed or pressured into it.

I can think of at least 4 good reasons to remain single and/or childless.  All of these are true for me at least to a certain extent:

#1 You feel that you would be a burden because of chronic medical issues.  Also, you may be suffering from neuro imbalances such as autism or ADHD.  Insulting terms such as "incel" should NEVER be used to describe autistic adults.  That REALLY bothers me!  

For a man over 40 with chronic medical issues, I'm not half bad looking.  While I certainly won't bring home a supermodel, I am confident that I would not have any trouble getting a date if I put myself out there.  Sure, I wish things were different but I am a realist.  When you have to take an exact cocktail of pills every day while shooting at a moving target and frequently crash out in bed after work or on the weekends, you're not going to be very appealing.  In my experience, men tend to be more accepting than women of a chronic illness.  Until I get this under control, I will not pursue a relationship though I must admit that the thought of dying young without anybody caring about me is a real prospect and it frightens me.  I don't think my standards are too high.  An average looking woman with good character and compatibility?  Sure, I'd be open to it if healthy.  

#2- Fear of divorce and/or a string of bad relationships.

It's not much of a secret that divorce laws are stacked against men and 70 percent are initiated by women.  I won't go into great detail but my limited experiences with women have not been very good.  I've heard stories from others as well as personal observations that have convinced me that unless it is truly a match made in heaven, marriage is not all that it is cracked up to be.  Suppose that I have a relapse on the medical front and/or a stressful day at work then come home to a wife who is overly critical and argumentative.  Then on top of that, I have a kid who is misbehaving and/or got in trouble at school.  That would royally SUCK!  

A common issue in the running community is objection to group runs with members of the opposite sex.  I can see having a problem with a regular one on one workout partner but certainly not a weekly social run in a large group.  Often, you can forget about opposite sex friendships even when it is clear that there is no chance of romantic interest.  A young man was in town on business and asked a much older female friend to lunch.  The age difference was 20 years but no, the husband objected.  

 #3- You value independence and the freedom to do what you want and go where you want.

The woman in the video gloated about being able to go out to concert, stay out late and sleep in the next morning without having to pay for a baby sitter.  While that's not the type of woman that would appeal to me at this point in my life, she made a lot of valid points about the advantages of being single with no kids.  The criticism of her was both mean-spirited and unwarranted especially when she is still under 30 years old.  

Again, I wish my situation was different but I have made the best of it.  Though the last few years were ugly, I completed my goal of finishing a half marathon in all 50 states.  I did this by age 42 and if not for COVID, I could have done it just after turning 40.  There is NO WAY that I could have done it at such a young age with a family.  I have visited all 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico plus 9 Canadian provinces, 5 Mexican states and 8 countries.  If I make it to Alaska as planned next year, I will have been to all 50 at least twice.  If you read my blog with any regularity, you know that my trips are AWESOME and I'm glad that I am able to do it.  

A former co-worker from Montgomery had a wife who would not allow him to run the famous Azalea Trail race in Mobile because it was too far (less than 3 hours).  Never mind that there is plenty to do in and around Mobile besides the race and New Orleans is just 2 hours further.   He referred to his wife as "the ball and chain."  I can check the surf forecast on the weekend and if I see good conditions with a low chance of rain, I will go if I want to.  I'm not tied down at home because my son has a soccer game or my wife doesn't want to go.  Just recently, I took a trip to Daytona Beach for Columbus Day and a trip to the north Georgia mountains for Veteran's Day with an overnight stop in Atlanta.  If you value independence, it does NOT mean that you are selfish.  Some of the most kind and generous people that I know are single by choice.  On the other hand, I know some married people who don't much care about anyone outside of their inner circle and really look down on singles.  Being married does NOT necessarily make you a better person especially if it is not a great match.  The more time people spend together, the more alike they become.    

#4- Genetic disease and the direction of the country

I know that there is a genetic basis to my illness and it would absolutely break my heart to see my own child suffer from the same illness knowing that it was my genes that caused it.  If you are a carrier of a known genetic disease, that is certainly a good reason not to have kids and to embrace the DINK lifestyle.  I see where the USA is headed and while I will probably be retired before it completely goes to hell, my child would live through it.  Will the USA even exist as a 50 state constitutional republic in 50 years?  I don't know.        

 

Training 11/6-11/12

 11/6- I felt the adrenal spike yesterday evening and it was brutal this morning.  Curcumin did nothing.  The only thing that helped was Thym-Adren.  Did 3x half lap at Montreat with steadily improving times with each pill.  Still, I was no better than 1:33 (9:18 pace).  

Forced myself to run 1 mile and it was pathetic.  Did not time it but it was probably around 12 minutes.

Distance= 1.5

11/7-AM- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 16:45 (11:10 pace).  OUCH!

PM- Repeated the morning session and my time was down to 14:52 (9:55 pace).

I will gradually reduce the Thym-Adren so I don't flip to the other side.  Excess Curcumin won't hurt me.  When the adrenal spike dies down, I'll already be taking a lot of Curcumin so I should not have another horrible day until the next adrenal spike.

Distance=3.0

The cycles appear to be over but I'm not sure that the Candida has been eliminated.  I tried Zinc and it's effective but I have an insatiable need again.  

Managed only 2.5 miles of junk the rest of the week.

-Total of only 7 miles.