Training 12/21-12/31

 12/21- Got just about what I expected today.  2x400 at Vestavia.  Opened without anything then took 2 chews with no adrenal support.  Tomorrow, I will repeat this workout except I will open with the chews then take the adrenal support.  First lap was 2:43.7 then improved to 2:29.4 (PR).  The adrenal spike has died down since I last checked in but the demand for the chews has increased.  That pattern will reverse itself before too long.  Eventually, I will stabilize but probably with low energy.

Distance=0.5

12/22- Vestavia 400 in 2:10.3 (PR).  Took 2 Thym-Adren pills and repeated the distance.  Improved to a 2:05.2 (PR).  Added a half mile cool.  A 5 second improvement over 1 lap.  Is that enough to be considered significant?  As a percentage, it's about 4%, which is in the gray area.  It won't affect my plan.  I'll take it every day, but this does NOT qualify as an extreme need.  If I forget to pack it over Christmas, I'll be okay.  I may be able to squeeze in 1 or 2 runs on the mill over the next few days of extreme cold.  A sub-2:00 is within reach but next time, I will shoot for a non-stop Mile.

The need for chews appears to be diminishing but the adrenals could spike again when that happens.  That's okay.  It will eventually die down as well.

Distance=1.0 

12/23- Evening run on the 'mill.  Set the speed at 6.2 (9:40 pace) and let it run for a mile.  Not bad.  Difficult to assess because I've never been able to match my treadmill times outdoors.  Just glad to get my legs moving.

Distance=1.0

12/24- AM run on the 'mill this time without any chews.  Started out slowly then gradually bumped up the pace.  I was doing 6.5 at the end.  Again, not a workout to remember but at least I got it done.

Distance=1.0

12/25- Planned rest day.

12/26- Trip home.  Stopped at the track on the way.  Finished 1 mile non-stop as planned with a time of 10:26.0  My time is pretty much meaningless at this stage but I did hope to do a little better than this.  On the plus side, I wasn't pushing at all and the only real goal was to finish.  I bet I could have gone another 4 laps at least.  I should get a pretty easy PR next time I run this distance.  I do think I can finish a 5K by the 31st. 

Distance=1.0

12/27- Vestavia 400 in 1:40.5 (MASSIVE PR).  I did expect to break 2:00 but did not expect a sub-1:50.  I never thought I would threaten 1:45 let alone 1:40.  I passed 200 in 48 then hung on for a 52 and I was working pretty hard on the back half.   Next time, I will hit double digits.  This tells me that my time for the Mile is VERY soft.  I aim to beat that time tomorrow.  Added a 1 lap cool.  

PM- Easy 1.5 on Lakeshore in 15:09 (10:06 pace).  This does not count as a PR even though I surely covered 1 Mile faster than 10:26 at both the beginning and the end.  I don't know the exact distance and my GPS signal was funky.  Overall, it was an improvement over yesterday, but I can't let a decent sprint time give me a false sense of fitness.  I've got a LONG way to go.    

Distance=2.0

12/28- Vestavia Mile in 8:50.3 (PR).  Splits were 2:13-2:17-2:18-2:02.  Surprised that I had something left at the end and there is clearly room for improvement.  I expected to be around 9-flat and did a little better.  That's it for today.

Distance- 1.0

12/29- Adrenals have spiked.  This is not a big surprise.  My need for Chews has diminished considerably but I need mega Thym-Adren.  

Workout was 3x1 lap at Montreat.  Opened with a pitiful 4:15 (12:45 pace) then fared no better on the chews.  Popped Thym-Adren and improved to a 3:42 (11:06 pace).  Last week, this pill only made a difference of 20 seconds per mile.  Today, the gap was 99 seconds.  Within about 7 days, this too will fade.  In theory, I am in the clear after this but it never happens in reality.  I will still try to do a 5K on Saturday even though it will be pathetic.

Distance-1.0

12/30- Planned rest day

12/31- Pathetic as expected but I got through it.  5,000 meters non-stop.  12.5 laps around Vestavia track, so the distance is certified.  Finished in a time of 36:55 (11:52 pace).  The adrenal spike is on its 3rd day, and it will be 3 more days until it dies down.  Am I in the clear after that?  Probably not.  Good news is that I am on the board for the 5K distance, and I should get a pretty easy PR next time out. 

-12 miles total.  I'll be in Costa Rica most of next week, but I'll manage a couple of junk runs. 

Super Beets Heart Chews Product Review

 Without this product, I predict that I will be able to train steadily and consistently but my energy will remain LOW.  My time in the 5K will plateau between 27-28 minutes and I will struggle to break 1 hour in the 10K.  That's not good enough.  I don't expect to match my times from my early 30s but I certainly was not expecting this either.  As recently as 2017, I was capable of a 1:40 half marathon if I regulated my cocktail of pills perfectly.  Now, I don't think I can run 2:20 on a good day and can't even finish without regular walk breaks.  It will get worse if I don't take new action.  

Blood Pressure:

It's going to run a little on the high side and that's okay.  I'm a fast oxidizer with an adrenal dominant pattern so that's to be expected.  As long as I can keep it below 135/90, I won't worry about it at all.  Nowadays, it has been tested several times around 150/100.  That's approaching the danger zone.  Restricting my alcohol and caffeine consumption while running 3 miles per day will help but I don't think it will be enough.  Word on the street is that blood pressure medication has AWFUL side effects, so I do hope to avoid that.

The product is made by a company called human n.  It is called Super Beets heart chews, with 3 advertised claims.

-Promotes normal blood pressure as part of a healthy lifestyle

-Promotes heart healthy energy

-Supports blood flow.

I DO suspect that my blood flow is weak due to a deficiency in nitric oxide.  I didn't expect a miracle but if the product boosted my energy a bit while reducing my blood pressure, it will be well worth it.  Now that my autoimmune issues APPEAR to be resolved, there is little danger of an inexplicable reaction.  

The product arrived after work on Thursday 12/15.

I didn't expect to like the taste, but I found it was pleasant.  That was not a factor in my purchase, however.  I did not quite feel any immediate effects but within minutes, I could feel that my legs had a bit more spring and more flexibility.  Very good.  Unfortunately, it also put me to sleep for the night at 7:30 PM.  I was out until it was time to get up the next morning.  

The next morning, I took just 1 chew instead of the recommended 2.  I found that my adrenals had spiked BIGLY.  I was a lot more dependent of the Thym-Adren pills but after I took a few extra, I actually felt decent at work.  My mood was the best it had been in a long time.  By the evening however, I was fading.  The leg stiffness had returned and that did not get better until I took a 2nd chew.  In turn, that also increased my need for Thym-Adren.   

Verdict:

Jury is still out.  I REALLY HATE being dependent on both the Super Beets and the Thym-Adren once again, but I do expect that will fade in due time once I build up a reserve of the Super Beets.  The adrenal spike clearly indicates that it is doing SOMETHING.  It is common after resolving a long-standing problem.   I will report back when I start running again.  I've chosen a start date of 12/21.  That's 4 days shy of the planned 6 weeks off but I like the symbolism of the winter solstice.  It's the darkest that it is going to get.  It will be very cold over the Christmas holiday, so I expect to do nothing between 12/23-12/26.  My first two workouts will be less than 1 Mile.  I will not go longer with walk/jogging.  It will be all running.  If I can't go long distance, so be it.  I do have a rather ambitious goal to finish an unofficial 5K on New Years Eve.  New Years Day, I'll be in Costa Rica.  I won't do much there either but should be able to manage a couple of junk runs.  It won't be much hotter than 85 degrees, but the humidity will be brutal.   

2022 Travel Stats and 2023 Plans

 I visited 15 US states in 2022.  That’s well short of my personal record of 26 but still a good year.  I’ll call it 18 because I also visited 3 Mexican states.  In several cases, I made multiple visits as well.

Alabama- Birmingham, Mobile

Tennessee- Gatlinburg, state park

Texas- El Paso, San Antonio, Port Aransas

New Mexico- Las Cruces, White Sands NP

Arizona- Tucson

South Carolina- Isle of Palms, Greenville, Columbia

North Carolina- Maggie Valley, Charlotte, Outer Banks

Georgia- Jekyll Island, state park

Florida- Tampa, Miami, Fernandina Beach, Pensacola, Panama City

Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh

Mississippi- Ship Island, Gulfport

Louisiana- New Orleans, Shreveport

Virginia- Virginia Beach

California- Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco

Hawaii- Oahu

Baja California- Tijuana

Sonora- Nogales

Chihuahua- Ciudad Juarez

Looking ahead to 2023, I’ve got Costa Rica booked for New Years and Idaho planned for President’s Day.  Over the summer, I’d like to hit the northwest.  Hopefully, Alaska and/or Oregon/Nor-Cal.  I am 6 states away from visiting all 50 states at least twice.  I’d like to get that knocked down to 3 or less.  Those states are Alaska, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho and Wisconsin.  If you go by the lenient standard, I’m only missing Alaska and North Dakota.

Ready to Run

 It has now been 30 days since I crossed the finish line in Hawaii, and I have not run since.  For the first 3 weeks, I did not miss it at all.  I’m starting to get the itch to run again but I will stick with the original plan and take off another 10 days.  I don’t think it will make much difference either way.  I thought that perhaps an extended break might reset my system and I would feel better.  That seems unlikely though there have been some positive signs. 

The last time I checked in regarding my health, I had flip-flopped from an extreme need for Cytokine suppressants or other auto-immune supplements to complete intolerance.  I am pleased to report that I can now tolerate them again and there is no extreme need.  That holds true for everything else in my cabinet.  I can take any pill or not take it on any given day and though I have not run to test it out, I felt NO DISCERNABLE DIFFERENCE!  That is YUGE!  My adrenals did spike for about a week after Thanksgiving but that too has gone down.  Last Friday, I took no pills at all, and I really wasn’t THAT bad. 

While the adrenal spike was still ongoing, I finally got around to make an appointment for blood donation.  I last donated in February.  Back then, it did stop an adrenal spike and left me temporarily intolerant to Thym-Adren.  That does not appear to be happening this time around.  In fact, it probably will make little difference one way or the other.  If I permanently quit all of my pills, I’m pretty sure that I would melt down eventually but that’s okay.  Could I make it through a long weekend without pills?  I think so.  That means that if I somehow forget to pack a key pill, it won’t ruin the fun of a road trip.   

As I’ve said many times, my demands are hardly unreasonable.  I only have 3 conditions that are non-negotiable:  Stable cocktail, no extreme need for any one pill, adequate energy levels.  I’ve been burned by false hopes too many times but as of now, 2 out of 3 conditions have been met.  The bad news is that my energy level remains very low, and I still have abnormal stiffness in my legs.  I have ordered a new product called Super Beets.  My primary motivation is to reduce my blood pressure, but it may also give my energy a bit of a boost.  I’m not expecting any miracles but yes, I could see enough of a gain to enable me to train more consistently.    

When I do run again, I expect to be horrible but that’s okay.  I really don’t care if I am over 12 minutes for 1 Mile.  Steady work will result in improvements if I am relatively healthy.  I will start back VERY slowly and may not even exceed 1 Mile until I get back from Costa Rica on January 5.  I’m in no hurry.  There are no big races on the horizon.  I’ll shoot for a local 5K sometime around March or April.  My PRs will be reset so I am starting with a blank slate as if I am a raw beginner. 

Favorite Place in Each State

 Disclaimer:

This is my favorite place to VISIT.  In many cases, I would not want to live there.  I've thoroughly explored most of the states but there is still more to see, and this could change.

1.Alabama- Gulf Shores

2.Alaska- Talkeetna

3.Arizona- Grand Canyon

4.Arkansas- Little Rock/ Pinnacle Mountain 

5.Southern California- Laguna Beach

5.Northern California- San Francisco

6.Colorado- Rocky Mountain National Park

7.Connecticut- New Haven

8.Delaware- Wilmington

9.South Florida- Miami Beach

9.North Florida- Emerald Coast

10.Georgia- Savannah

11.Hawaii- Kua Bay

12.Idaho- Coeur D'Alene

13.Illinois- Chicago

14.Indiana- Indianapolis

15.Iowa- Decorah Falls State Park

16.Kansas- Speedway in Kansas City (haven't seen much else)

17.Kentucky- Louisville

18.Louisiana- Baton Rouge

19.Maine- Acadia National Park

20.Massachusetts- Boston

21.Maryland- Ocean City

22.Michigan- Pictured Rocks National Seashore

23.Minnesota- North Shore (Tettigouchie Park)

24.Mississippi- Tupelo

25.Missouri- St. Louis

26.Montana- Glacier National Park

27.Nebraska- Scottsbluff

28.Nevada- Lake Tahoe

29.New Hampshire- Mt. Washington

30.New Jersey- Wildwood

31.New Mexico- White Sands National Park

32.New York- Manhattan

33.North Carolina- Blue Ridge Parkway

34.North Dakota- Fargo

35.Ohio- Cincinnati

36.Oklahoma- Oklahoma City

37.Oregon- Cannon Beach

38.Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh

39.Rhode Island- Newport

40.South Carolina- Charleston

41.South Dakota- Mt. Rushmore

42.Tennessee- Memphis

43.Texas- South Padre Island.  Favorite TX city is San Antonio

44.Utah- Bryce Canyon National Park

45.Vermont- Burlington

46.Virginia- Colonial Williamsburg

47.Washington- Seattle

48.West Virginia- Winterplace Ski Resort

49.Wisconsin- Door County (Cave Point Park)

50.Wyoming- Grand Teton National Park

Favorite Canadian Province- British Columbia

Favorite Mexican border town- Ciudad Juarez

Costa Rica Trip Plan

 Frontier Airlines flies direct from Atlanta to San Jose, Costa Rica and back only on Thursday and Sunday for $450.  Not half bad.  The best time to do this is probably New Years Day through January 5.  I would have preferred MLK weekend but I was summoned for jury duty on January 9.  If I am selected, that puts the kibosh on all my plans for that weekend.  Hotels are affordable and there will be no rental car expense. 

I will have to spend the night in Atlanta on New Year's Eve.  The 1/1 flight leaves at 6:33AM so that means a 4 AM wake up call.  Costa Rica is in Central Time Zone so I re-gain an hour.  It's a 4 hour flight so I land just after 9:30 AM local time.  The next step is to take a cab to the bus station.  The buses to Jaco Beach run every 2 hours from 5 AM to 5 PM.  I should have enough time to catch the 11 AM bus but that is barring a delay or any issues with Immigration.  I lean towards waiting until 1 PM.  The bus station doubles as a shopping mall and has plenty of fast food restaurants and certainly an ATM to get some Costa Rican money and get some food.  Lastly, since the bus ride is 2 hours, I will arrive just about on time for check-in to my hotel. 

As for the hotels, I have plenty of options.  There are a few hotels within walking distance of the bus station but they are much more expensive.  I would lean towards taking a cab to a couple miles down the road to save maybe $60-70 per night.  If I do so, I'll be within walking distance of Miro Mountain but a bit away from the main drag.  Word on the street is that 2-3 days is enough to do justice to the city.  I will use my Spanish but it should not be necessary in a tourist town.

I do want to hike Miro Mountain and take in the local culture and food as well as to enjoy a couple of drinks out on the town but most of my time will be spent in the surf.  It will be around 90 degrees every day and it's the dry season with virtually no chance of rain.  

Getting back could be a bit dicey.  The flight leaves San Jose at noon.  I have 2 options: 1) Leave Jaco at 5 PM the previous night and get a hotel near the airport with a free shuttle service.  Doing so will allow me to sleep in a bit but I'll have some dead time.

2). Enjoy another night out in Jaco and get up early to catch the bus.  If I choose this option, I will move to a hotel in the main drag so I can walk to the bus station.  A 7 AM departure should give me plenty of time to catch my flight but because it is International, I figure I should be extra cautious and shoot for the 5 AM departure.  Again, I'll have dead time but will be able to get a sit down meal at either the bus station or the airport.  I'd lean towards this option.  The flight lands in ATL just after 5PM so I'll get home at a decent hour.

I have not booked this trip yet and will decide within the next week or two but I am leaning towards going.  It will be country #7.  EDIT: Leaning towards a hotel within walking distance of the bus station in Jaco every night.  

Rant: Election Integrity and Midterm Results

 The last 2 presidential elections were disputed by the losing side.  I'm not going to rehash those claims on this post but that type of sentiment is very dangerous.  I believe that if Trump had won in 2020 under the same circumstances as Biden with suspicious vote dumps in the middle of the night, we would have seen full scale riots that would make January 6 look like a nothingburger.   Here are some reforms that I propose.  If nothing else, they should restore confidence in our election system.

I am fine with early voting up to a week in advance of Election Day.  To me, there is something special about Election Day itself and I always vote on that day.  Still, early voting will reduce the lines and enable easier access if your work schedule makes it difficult.  

Polls are open from 7 AM-7PM.  I'd extend that by one hour in each direction.  Suppose that something comes up late in the day and you can't leave the office on time and/or you get stuck in traffic, there won't be any exceptions.  You must be in line at the time of closing.  There should be many small precincts that are easily accessible to all of the population.  If there are few precincts in populated areas that make for prohibitively long lines, that is a form of voter suppression and must be stopped.

Absentee or mail-in ballots should only be used if the voter truly cannot make it to the polls.  Examples would be college students, military personnel and those with a chronic illness.  There may be other rare exceptions, but the rest must vote in person either early or on Election Day.  If you do vote by mail, there must be a strong security system to ensure integrity.  Provide a copy of your ID and make sure that your signature matches.  To me, an even better method would be matching thumb prints.  

When it comes to reporting the results, some states are different than others.  For example in 2020, Iowa and Ohio reported the mail-in ballots first.  As a result, Trump trailed up until 75% of the vote was counted but he surged ahead at the end, and it wasn't very close when all the results were counted.  By contrast, Pennsylvania and Michigan counted mail-in ballots last, and the opposite occurred. 

My proposal is this: Mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than 5 days before Election Day and must be received by Election Day itself.  No matter which party benefits, people will question the result if the outcome changes after Election Day due to "found ballots."  Mail-in and early votes must be the FIRST to be reported in every state.  Partisan observers on both sides must be present for vote counting of both early votes and Election Day votes.  Also, there must be nationwide voter ID requirements to prevent non-citizens from casting a ballot.  

I've heard of conspiracy theories that suggest that voting machines can be hacked such that 1 in 50 Republican votes are switched or thrown out in swing states.  I'm not going to comment on that but if every state used paper ballots with pens that are picked up by the scanner, that puts such talk to rest.  If something goes wrong with the scanners, you have the ballots themselves to verify in case of a recount.  Also, the results should be known within 4 hours of the poll closing unless the margin is razor thin.  Why is it that Florida can count their ballots so quickly, but Arizona and Nevada take up to a week?

As for 2022, Republicans certainly should have done better given the current environment.  Some of it can be attributed to poor candidates. However, I'm afraid that we are perilously close to the point in which 50+ percent of the electorate will vote Blue no matter who it is or how much of a failure their policies turn out to be.  I was particularly disappointed about Kari Lake in Arizona and Mayra Flores in Texas.  Also, victories by the likes of Fetterman in Pennsylvania and Witmer in Michigan were inexplicable to me.  The latter was not even close.  Fetterman is obviously incompetent after his stroke and should have stepped aside.  With the possible exception of Newsome in California, no state had more draconian COVID restrictions than Michigan.  I surely hoped that a swing state would be wise to that by now.  

Florida continues to be a pleasant surprise.  DeSantis barely won in 2018 but 2022 was a 19 point landslide while Rubio, who is considered to be a more "respectable conservative" won by 16.  Obviously, the people liked the policies set forth by DeSantis but that did not carry over to Michigan or Pennsylvania.  As for 2024, I am open to supporting DeSantis over Trump.  

Changes With My Health

 It's been 7 days since I crossed the finish line in Hawaii.  There was very little joy in that moment.  I was just glad to be done.  Unless I am capable of a sub-2 finish, I will not do this again.  Too painful both physically and emotionally.  Except for a few steps of jogging across the street to beat the traffic light, I have not done any running in the last week.  I don't miss it yet and plan to take off at least the next month.  I will probably start back again gradually sometime around Christmas.  

Prior to Hawaii:

Insatiable need for the Cytokine suppressant pills.  It got to the point in which I was noticeably weaker by the afternoon if I had not taken any since getting up in the morning.  Without these pills, I had to take Taurine and Probiotics together.  Same with TRS and Fulvic Acid.  Even with these pills, I was still weaker if I took one without the other.  I also had a SCARY relapse after taking IP-6 and Quercetin.

After Hawaii:

Split decision.  There is good news and bad news.  The good news is that the sensitivity APPEARS to be gone.  Though I did not run to test it out, I felt no discernable difference after taking Probiotics and Taurine alone.  Even better, I felt nothing after taking IP-6.  Bad news is that my energy level has not improved at all.  Worse is that I am now intolerant to the Cytokine suppressants.  One day's medicine is the next day's poison and I've been dealing with this for many years.  The shift was already beginning to take place on race day.  That's probably why I performed even worse than I expected.  Is this simply a never-ending nightmare cycle?  There will always be one pill that makes my life miserable.  

Next Few Weeks:

I will go off the Cytokine suppressants  I really don't have a choice.  There's a difference between no longer needing a pill and being forced off.  The latter is what makes me uneasy.  I have ordered a couple of new autoimmune supplements.  I will try them.  I will also try to re-introduce the Cytokine suppressants.  The best case scenario is that I will be able to take it OCCASIONALLY without a problem just as is the case with the methylation.  I also hope to see improvement in my energy without the problem pill.  However, if my history is any indication, another problem pill will take its place.

EDIT:

It appears that EVERY immune supplement will trigger a reaction!  The reaction to Curcumin may have been mildly positive but probably not a game changer.  I will go off the Immune supplements then try to gradually re-introduce them.

Oahu Hawaii Trip Report

 11/10-

No issues on the flight.  My layover was in Denver, so that meant my 2nd leg would be a full 7 hours.  We landed on schedule and I picked up my rental car around 5:00 local time.  That meant I would arrive at my hotel in Waikiki just as the sun was going down.  Beautiful!

11/11- 

Explored the south side of the island from Maili to Sherwood Forest Beach and sampled a couple beaches.  I found a stunning overlook near Sandy Beach.  By late afternoon, I was back in Waikiki. 

 

11/12-

Sunrise hike up Diamond Head with views of Honolulu down below.  The hike was not too difficult but provided a big reward.  From there, my choices were Pearl Harbor or just chill at Waikiki for the rest of the day.  You need several hours at Pearl Harbor to do it justice and there was a long line at the ticket counter so I opted for Waikiki.  The waves were tame there, which is just what I wanted.  I could not risk wearing myself out in rough surf with a death march the next day.  

Overall impression of Waikiki:

Somewhat overrated.  Stunningly beautiful especially around sunset but there is usually minimal surf and my biggest gripe was that the ocean floor is covered with rocks.  Aqua socks are a necessity.  If the surf is rough, don't go out unless you have a death wish.  Sure, I still liked it but other beaches were better and overall, I prefer the Big Island.  

11/13-

The day that I had been dreading.  Based on my training, I predicted a finish around 2:30 and I could not even manage that.  I took walk breaks at regular intervals and kept the planned pace through about 7 miles.  By Mile 10, I had completely melted down and was doing more walking than jogging.  Still, to my relief, I could have slow walked from there and still beat the time limit.  50 states is done but the predominant emotion is sadness.  Unless I find help for this medical condition, I am finished.  I am too young for this to be happening.  I knew that this day would come eventually but hoped it would not be for another 15-20 years.  STILL, no word from the Rheumatologist!!

I limped back to my hotel, showered up and hit the famed beaches on the North Shore.  Sunset Beach had beautiful blue water and no rocks, but the surf was too strong, even for me.  Not only were the waves high, they broke almost on dry sand.  Not safe.  Still, I caught some more beautiful sunset shots.  

11/14- 

Got some well deserved sleep then headed back to the North Shore.  First stop was the Dole Plantation.  I skipped the tour but did get some delicious pineapple ice cream  This time, I did find some beaches with rideable surf on the North Shore.  Later, I drove around the Windward side and saw some lush mountain scenery.  By late afternoon, I was back in Sherwood Forest, which remains my favorite beach on the island.  

11/15- 

Early morning flight to San Francisco.  I chose an overnight layover to break up the jet lag and do some touring.  I had 24 hours and made the most of it.  My hotel was within a half mile of the BART station at Embarcadero so I dropped off my bag and started walking.   I didn't make it all the way to Crissy Field but got close enough to see the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset.  After a pretty good steak dinner where I met a nice girl from San Diego, I took a cable car back to my hotel.  

11/16-

Got up for the sunrise near the Bay Bridge and got some night shots of the skyline from Pier 14.  From there, I took BART to Mission St and walked to Dolores Park, where I was treated to very nice views of the skyline.  

Overall impression of San Francisco:

Better than I expected.  If you watch conservative news, you might think it's a drug den full of people defecating on the street.  Not true, at least not in the Financial District.  Don't knock California if you've never been there.  Also, Alabama is NOT full of racist low-lifes.  Don't knock Alabama if you've never been there.  

Half Marathon in All 50 States (GOAL ACCOMPLISHED)

Here's a rundown of every half marathon that I have done.  It took me 15 years though I probably could have finished in 13 if not for COVID.  That's just about the amount of time I'd recommend.  Perhaps I should have done more sooner but money was a bit tight and I was still new at my job.

2007:

1. Seaside- Destin, Florida

2. St. Jude- Memphis, Tennessee

2008:

3. Eugene- Eugene, Oregon

4. Banco Popular- Chicago, Illinois

2009:

5. Mercedes- Birmingham, Alabama

6. Fargo- Fargo, North Dakota

7. BR Beach- Baton Rouge, Louisiana

2010:

8. ING GA- Atlanta, Georgia

Country Music- Nashville, Tennessee-repeat state

9. Run For Life- Jackson, Mississippi

Rocket City- Huntsville, Alabama- repeat state

2011:

Scenic City- Chattanooga, Tennessee- repeat state

10. CDA- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

Montgomery- Montgomery, Alabama- repeat state

11. Nationwide- Columbus, Ohio

12. White River- Mountain Home, Arkansas

2012:

13. 3M- Austin, Texas

14. Rock n Roll- Denver, Colorado

15. Thunder Road- Charlotte, North Carolina 

2013:

16.  13.1- Los Angeles, California

17. GO!- St. Louis, Missouri

18. Marshall Univ- Huntington, West Virginia

2014:

19. Blue Ridge- Roanoke, Virginia

Blue Nose- Halifax, Nova Scotia

20. Monumental- Indianapolis, Indiana

21. Route 66- Tulsa, Oklahoma

2015:

22. Phoenix- Phoenix, Arizona

23. Run the Bluegrass- Lexington, Kentucky

24. Montour Trail- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

25. Spinx Runfest- Greenville, South Carolina

2016:

26. Scout Challenge- Kansas City, Kansas

27. Mayor's- Anchorage, Alaska

28. Lake Tahoe- Incline Village, Nevada

2017:

29. United Airlines NYC- New York, New York

30. Grand Teton- Jackson Hole, Wyoming

31. Governor's Cup- Helena, Montana

32. Duke City- Albuquerque, New Mexico

Magic City- Birmingham, Alabama- repeat state

2018:

33. Maple Leaf- Springfield, Vermont

34. Horseneck- Westport, Massachusetts

35. Eagle River- Madison, Wisconsin

US Navy- Washington, DC

36. Autumn River- North Platte, Nebraska

37. Free Press- Detroit, Michigan

2019:

38. Caesar Rodney- Wilmington, Delaware

39. Kewash Trail- Washington, Iowa

40. Providence- Providence, Rhode Island

41. Rock n Roll- Seattle, Washington

42. Kelley Half- New London, Connecticut

43. Newport Liberty- Jersey City, New Jersey

44. New England- Concord, New Hampshire

2020:

45. Sun Half- St. George, Utah

46. Crazy Horse- Rapid City, South Dakota

2021:

47. Run SBY- Salisbury, Maryland

48. Pike Lake- Duluth, Minnesota

49. Blueberry Cove- Tenant's Harbor, Maine

2022:

50. Val Nolasco- Honolulu, Hawaii