Out Indefinitely

 No attempts to run until further notice.  I can handle a brisk walk around my neighborhood but any running, no matter how slow or short will do more harm than good at this stage.  Though I have not been tested, I am virtually certain that I am back to the state of full blown adrenal exhaustion.  The stress of the candida detox is the culprit and I have read several articles that have said that this could happen.

First, I found that Manganese helped with the die off reactions.  It worked for a while then quit.  Shortly thereafter, I developed an extreme need for NAC (N-Aceytal Cysteine).  That suddenly became ineffective about a week ago.  At least it is ineffective, not harmful like before I addressed the autoimmune issues.  Right now, the only thing that helps is a product called SBF Formula, which I have not taken regularly since at least 2008 when I was still adrenaline deficient.  I found that I could handle an occasional Mile time trial but if I attempted a two a day or a longer distance run, I would collapse.  Today, I opened with a pitiful 3:57 lap around Montreat.  Even a full dosage of SBF brought me no lower than 3:35 (10:45 pace).  Obviously, that's not good enough and it will only get worse if I try to keep pushing.

There is no timetable for another attempt to return to training but until I no longer need the SBF, it's out of the question.  In addition to the fatigue and sore muscles, I have a constant low grade headache and diarrhea.  I had 2 big and nasty attacks of diarrhea today at work then 2 more small dumps later in the day.  The good news is that I did feel noticeably better after a big dump.  Perhaps I got some toxins out.  

Although I have cheated a few times, I've done a lot better with restricting sugared and alcoholic drinks, both of which feed the candida.  The only thing that I can do is follow my present course.  If I cheat more often, I may get a bit of temporary relief from the die off but it will only prolong the recovery.  One article that I read said that the candida will eventually die off but it will go out kicking and screaming until the end.  If and when this resolves, I expect it to clear up suddenly.  I may go from flat out horrible to halfway decent over the course of just a couple days.  

It's too soon to think about this but the aftermath will probably be no picnic either.  I can expect an adrenal spike and the opposite pattern if this ever does clear up.   

What Constitutes Having Been to a State (Lenient and Strict Standards)

 I have touched on this before and it is a common discussion on online forums.  Everyone has their own standards and that's up to you.  I have 2 sets of standards.  

Lenient:

Anything counts except for airport layovers.  You could turn around at the Welcome sign without even getting out of the car.  You could be riding in the car sleeping as a small child with no memory of being there.  Even with airport layovers, you could make the case if you ate a sit-down meal and chatted with the bartender or purchased a souvenir.  Again, your rules.

My rules for Strict:

Here are some examples of what does make the standard.  I have no minimum amount of time.  

Attend or participate in an organized sporting event.  It could be a 5K race, a baseball game or your son's wrestling tournament.  I have done a half marathon in every state so that counts them all for Round 1

A swim in the ocean or a local public pool.  I have caught a wave in every state with an ocean coastline except for Alaska.

Trip to a ski resort.  I've done this in 5 states (PA, WV, NC, TN, CA)

You were taken to a state as a child with your parents, but you were at least 6-7 years old and therefore old enough to remember it with at least some clarity.  I was told that I went to the Jersey shore at 3 or 4 years old but did not remember it and did not count it.  I did go back as an adult.  However, I went to South Dakota about a month shy of my 8th birthday and yes, I do remember it.  That counts under the strict standard.

A visit to a museum or historical site.  You can chalk up Virginia by walking across the Potomac from DC to Arlington Cemetary.  That's most definitely a legitimate tourist attraction.

A visit to a State or National Park that includes a short hike or a sunset walk on the beach without taking a dip in the water.  I did the former in Iowa and the latter in Wisconsin for Round 2.  Those are probably my 2 weakest qualifiers but they both count in my book.

I don't think there is much argument about counting any of these but there is a grey area.

An overnight hotel stay?  IMO, this is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition.  Let's say you live near a state border and cross back and forth on a regular basis.  Chances are, you've qualified without going more than an hour or two from home.  There's no reason to stay in a hotel.  How about this one?  You pull off the interstate at night and sleep then check out the next morning.  You then proceed to the next state without leaving your car.  That's a NO for me but I would count a camping trip.  

Pulling off the highway to take pictures of a scenic overlook-  NO on the strict standard.

Browsing a shopping or outlet mall- I lean towards NO.  If you've seen one, you've seen them all and there is little difference between states.  However, if you purchase a souvenir or at least a T-shirt of the hometown sports team, I'd say MAYBE

Walking tour of a town or city- DEPENDS.  If you simply parked your car and walked a couple of blocks, I say NO.  A stop at a fast food restaurant or a convenience store does not qualify but a sit-down meal at a local restaurant or a small purchase at another local business?  I think YES.  National chains don't qualify.  A walk through a city park or a drink at the bar in which you had at least one meaningful conversation?  That's a YES.  I did both in Omaha, Nebraska and it counts.  

A walk across a river to see a city skyline?

The best views of Cincinnati are in Kentucky.  The best view of St. Louis are in Illinois.  Indiana offers a nice view of Louisville and the best view of Detroit is from Windsor, Ontario.    If all you do is cross the river and take a picture, it's a NO.  Put some effort into it.  Go out for a meal in Covington, Kentucky.  A visit to a casino in East St. Louis, IL?  That's safe enough and I say it counts but it's not something I'd recommend.  

North Dakota and Canada Road Trip

 9/1-

Early flight out of Birmingham.  There was a short delay but it did not affect my connection and I still had time to pick up some food in Dallas.  I landed in Bismarck around 2:30 then picked up my rental car and headed north.  The destination for the night was the town of Devil's Lake.  I did see a decent sunset over the lake but overall, the town was nothing special.  That was okay.  It would have been too hard to make it to Winnipeg that night and this was a good stopping point.  North Dakota was ranked #42 in terms of natural beauty according to Thrillist.  That's probably about right.  Outside of Theodore Roosevelt NP, you won't be awed by the scenery but it's not a barren wasteland either.  There were several nice lakes visible from the road and the western half is a lot more scenic than the eastern half.

9/2-

I expected to face a bit of scrutiny at the border because of where I am from.  They don't get many visitors from my neck of the woods.  I did have to wait almost an hour because the border crossing didn't open until 9 AM but it went without a hitch and I was welcomed into Canada, more specifically the province of Manitoba.  The drive from Devil's Lake to Winnipeg is only 3 hours but I took a short detour to the town Delta Beach on Lake Manitoba.  It won't be confused for Florida or even South Carolina but the beach scenery was not half bad.  Surf was minimal as expected with no rideable waves.  I didn't go out much beyond knee deep water but yes, it was warm enough for a swim.  The water temperature was probably around 70 degrees.  

As far as the weather, days dawned cool but it warmed up rapidly after 9 AM.  Normal highs for this time of year are in the low-mid 70s but the next 2 days topped out at over 90F.  However, with virtually no humidity, I felt quite comfortable on my walking tours.  Because of the dry air, I needed plenty of water to prevent a sore throat.  A cold front came through the night before my flight home but fortunately, the rain held off until my touring was complete.  

Lunch was a slice of pizza just a few kilometers from the beach and I was back on the road to Winnipeg.  I arrived just before 2 PM then went straight to the Museum of Human Rights.  It was interesting and thought provoking but it also offered some pretty nice views of the Winnipeg skyline. From there, I walked around the Forks, which is a park down by the river then went back downtown.  Winnipeg is a fairly large city but its downtown is compact and you can easily get from one side of town to the other.  Dinner was a good but overpriced steak at Keg's Restaurant.  I did not go out for more drinks on the town but did walk a few blocks from my hotel to get a night view of the city and view the Provincial Capitol.  I met a nice girl but didn't have much time to talk.  

9/3-

Up with the sun.  It would be 5.5 hours driving time to Regina, Saskatchewan.  As expected, the drive was incredibly boring with nothing but flat prairies and open spaces.   I did gain an hour so I arrived in town by lunchtime.  I stayed on the north side of town a couple of miles from the city centre so I would have to drive to get to my attractions.  Fortunately, I got a map of the city on my way.  I went down to Lake Wascana to see the Capitol and found that the leaves were already beginning to change.  I bet the foliage will be nice at the end of the month  With time to kill, I went into a nearby science museum and got a quick sample of downtown.  The museum was better than expected with many cool dinosaur exhibits.  I learned that millions of years ago, Saskatchewan had a tropical climate and its latitude has moved.  However, even when it was further north than it is now, the climate was still mild.  Of course, this was long before CO2 emissions were an issue.  The Earth's climate is always changing.  

The part of the trip that I probably looked forward to the most was a CFL football game.  It did not disappoint.  There were passionate fans on both sides and several rule differences that IMO make for a more exciting and interesting game than the NFL version.  In the end, Saskatchewan won an overtime thriller over Winnipeg by a score of 32-30 on a missed 2 point conversion.  Though I really didn't much care who won, I couldn't help but feel a bit excited in that atmosphere. 

9/4-

Regina is about an hour and a half north of the border.  Getting back into the USA was no problem and the scenery did improve further south.  I actually crossed into Montana then headed back east to North Dakota.  It was another 2.5 hours to the North entrance of Theodore Roosevelt NP.  That was much better than I expected.  It was about on par with Badlands NP in South Dakota.  It was another hour to the South Entrance of the park.  That was cool too but unfortunately, the haze from the Canadian wildfires began to affect the views as the wind picked up.  A cold front was coming but I finished my touring before the rain hit.  My hotel was about 30 minutes east going back towards Bismarck.

9/5- 

With time to kill before my flight, I went out for a sit down breakfast then drove 1.5 hours back to Bismarck.  I did have time to sample another interesting history museum near the Capitol area.  My luck was good on the trip home.  Because the flight landed about 20 minutes early, I was able to get on an earlier flight back to Birmingham.  I arrived at the gate just in time and learned later than my original flight was cancelled.  If not for the early arrival, I would have been stranded in Dallas for the night.   

Final Thought:

I really wasn't expecting this trip to be all that great but it was better than expected.  To be honest, if I wasn't for the bucket list to visit all 10 Canadian provinces, I doubt that I would have gone here.  This part of the world is not a popular tourist destination but it should not be overlooked.  I have now visited all 50 states at least twice with the exception of Alaska and have visited 9 of 10 Canadian provinces at least once.  The one that I am missing is Newfoundland.  Perhaps, I could make it there next month but I am leaning towards waiting until next summer.   

RANT: Wander Franco and Statutory Rape Laws

 There is only one thing more damaging to a man's reputation than being outed as a racist.  That is being accused of sexual misconduct with an underage girl.  Even if it turns out that the allegations are not as serious as they appear, his reputation will be forever tarnished, and his MLB career may be over.   I recall a few years ago, there was an MLB prospect from college that was widely considered to be a 1st or 2nd round talent but it was revealed that 5 years earlier, he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a 13-year-old.  IIRC, there was no sex but inappropriate touching.  He later claimed that the charges were over the top but took the plea deal because he was afraid of jail time.  He went undrafted and I don't even remember his name. You could say that he was de-facto banned from baseball.   

Wander Franco is a former top prospect whom all scouts believed was headed for superstardom on the baseball field.  Though his stats are not on par with the likes of Ronald Acuna, he's put up All-Star caliber numbers this season and he's still only 22 years old.  

Though details are rather sketchy, here's what we know:

Social media photos have given the appearance of an improper relationship with a 14 year-old girl and the relationship was encouraged by the girl's mother.  The girl and her mother BOTH claimed that she was 18 then later revealed that she was actually underaged and demanded $200,000 in hush money.  Franco refused and is now under investigation.  For the record, what if it is proven that Franco knew or should have known that she was underaged and had a sexual relationship anyway?  Throw the book at him.  Lengthy prison sentence and de-facto permanent ban from baseball.  That's a shitty crime.    

My initial reaction:

All 3 characters are slime balls.  I do have several questions that need to be answered before I make a judgement about how to punish Wander Franco.  First, did he know or should have known that she was underaged?  If she was 12 or 13, I certainly would NOT buy the claim that he didn't know.  Let's say that she is just shy of 15.  It is plausible that she could pass for 18 especially if she is dressed up and wearing makeup.  If her own mother said that she was 18, you can trust her word, right?  What if she also had a fake ID?  

 I did see one picture and yes, she did look quite young.  If I had to guess her age based on that one picture, I would have said 16 but I only saw her face.  That said, I knew several 9th graders in school who certainly could have passed for 18.  You would not believe the size of some of the kids my age that I competed against growing up.  I've also read that her social media profile contained pictures of herself driving a car and drinking alcohol.  Franco had no way of knowing?  Yes, it is possible.  I also believe it's possible that she is not really 14.  She may have lied about her age again to make it look worse than it really is.  Is there proof of a sexual relationship or just a few flirtatious pictures?  

 I have a YUGE problem with the hush money demands.  If I had a 14- year old daughter and learned that she was romantically involved with a 22-year old, I would go straight to the authorities.  No amount of money could make this charge go away.  If the mother had a plan to sucker him into an illegal relationship without his knowledge to collect 6 figures in hush money, she's slime.  I may take some heat for this but even a 14-year old who goes along with that scheme knows that it's wrong.  I do NOT consider her an innocent victim.   However, I would not punish her.  

Wander Franco is married and had his first child with his current wife at the age of 17.  A married man should not be messing around with ANYONE!  Cheating on your wife with a presumed high school senior is disgusting but is it a crime?  

I did some research today and found that the laws vary by state.  In Alabama, the age of consent is only 16.  In Florida, it is 18.  Also, the defense of "I didn't know that she was underaged" is NOT always valid.  Again, some states allow more leeway than others.  I read that in a few states, you can be prosecuted for picking up a 17- year old IN A BAR.  How are you supposed to know that she was underaged if you have to be 21 to enter the establishment?  A teacher or coach who has sex with a student knowing full well that they are underage?  That's an entirely different beast.  

Changes that I would make:

Age of consent must be 18 in every state in the interest of protecting the children.  Not many 14-year olds can pass for 18 but there are plenty who can pass for 16.  They may not feel like a victim at the time, but they do as an adult.  

Take into account the age of the defendant.  A 20- year old with a 16- year old is not nearly as bad as a 30 year old with a 16 year old.  

What if the defendant was lied to and presented with a fake ID? Thus, he TRULY had no way of knowing the real age?  I'd let him off with a slap on the wrist.  If this was the case with Wander Franco, yes I'd suspend him from baseball under the personal conduct policy, but I would lean against prison time.

Especially if you are young, having sex with people that you don't know very well is asking for trouble.  Don't do it.  

NAC and Candida Die Off

 The Candida die off symptoms were INTOLERABLE last week.  It was supposed to get better after 10 days but instead, it got worse.  In desperation, I tried a product called NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine), which is a sulfur containing amino acid and precursor to Glutathione.  I had read from Amy Myers that it can be effective in managing detox symptoms.  The theory is that the die off has released toxins that have overwhelmed my Liver and the Glutathione will assist in cleaning it out. 

Result:

On Monday, I came through the first half mile in a pathetic 5:30 then turned around after popping a pill.  It wasn’t a miracle, but I did feel noticeably better, and the watch showed it.  The back half was a decidedly less horrible 5:00, or a full minute per mile faster.  Again, just ONE pill made that much difference.  That’s hardly an unusual occurrence for me. 

Tuesday morning, I was at Vestavia track for test intervals.  As expected, I was awful without the NAC.  It took me 1:13 to run just 200 meters and probably would not have been much better than 5:30 for a half mile.  Again, I was significantly better after a pill (2:08 for 400) but it wasn’t until I took a 3^rd pill that I felt somewhat like myself.  For about 20 seconds, I was moving quite well but faded after the first 100.  Still, I managed to finish the lap in 1:39, which is the fastest I’ve gone in several months.  However, by the end of the workday, I was hurting badly again and needed more pills in the evening.    

On Wednesday, I jumped right into it.  After just a few strides to warm up, I wanted to see how fast I could go on 3 pills and believed that I had an outside chance of beating my reset PR of 86 seconds.  I passed 200 in 42.x but it was nearly 43.  I’ve never negative split a 400 before but I did it today with a time of 83.8.  I was very encouraged by how I felt in that last 100.  I got the familiar jelly legs but had enough juice to run the final straight in about 20 seconds flat. 

After this success, I was curious to see how I could do in a Mile that evening.  The reset PR of 7:48 looked awfully soft in comparison with the 83 second 400.  I was shooting for at least 7:30.  By lunchtime, I was hurting again after having gone several hours without NAC.  I waited until 4PM and took 3 pills in divided doses 20 minutes apart.  I was on schedule for the first half with a 3:44 split but I felt as if the power supply was unplugged around 900 meters.  I managed just a pair of 1:58 laps to finish and had zero finishing kick but enough in reserve to lower the PR to 7:40.  I was pleased but knew that I would really struggle in the longer distances.  My 5K PR of 27:48 was safe for the time being.   

Concerned by the amount of sulfur that I was taking in, I decided to take some CBS/NOS pills to guard against a reaction to the NAC.  Bad call.  It was as if the CBS/NOS pill cancelled the effectiveness of the NAC.  I opened with a 2:44 lap without the NAC and was still well over 2:00 even after 3 pills so I didn’t even try a time trial.  Again, I cheated on the diet and must get back on track.  I may have to endure a rough day or two but perhaps the NAC may help with the caffeine detox.  We shall see.  I have a faint glimmer of hope going forward. 

Training 7/24-7/30

 7/24- Not a collapse but a significant step backward.  2 miles in 20:52 (10:26 pace).  Even pace and wasn't totally spent at the end but I just could not pick it up.  I cheated yesterday and paid the price.  Glad it wasn't a collapse but I'm also glad that I did not get away with it.  I MUST be clean at least until the weekend.  Made it 6 out of 8 days now.

Distance=2.0

7/25-AM- Backwards again.  1.5 miles in 16:46 (11:10 pace) but I did have a negative split (8:30-8:16).  7 out of 9 days.  

PM- Much better.  2.5 on Lakeshore in 23:58 (9:35 pace).  Even pace but it did take a rally in the last quarter mile to break 24.  Sunday's cheating resulted in a 2 day blip and I seem to be back on track now.  Tomorrow will be 8 out of 10.  I can do it.

Distance= 4.0

7/26- 1 mile time trial at Vestavia plus a half mile cool.  I expected to finish between 8:15-8:30 and that's what I got.  Time was 8:24.4 (4:13-4:11).  Even pace with a decent kick.  I am officially 8 out of 10 with the diet.  Going for 10 out of 12 before my next cheat day.

Distance= 1.5

7/27- Never fails.  I get a little better for a few days then collapse.  What happened early in the week was not a surprise.  What happened today?  Never saw it coming.  I aimed for 2.5-3.5 and realized early on that I wasn't going to make it.  Turned around at 0.75 and could not even finish 1.5.  Called it quits after 1 mile in 10:54 with a pace approaching 12 by the end.  Added a half mile walk of shame.  

Culprit was the Thym-Adren.  Only last week, it was marginally beneficial.  Body feels sluggish and stiff but I thought that was Candida.  I've confirmed that this is not auto-immune related.  Why did this happen so suddenly?  I performed better in the evenings than the mornings this week.  Did my system clear it out?  Maybe it wasn't the cheating on Sunday that caused the problems on Monday and Tuesday morning.  In my anger, I cheated again today.  I'm still 8 for 11 but need to be perfect for the next 10 days to meet my goal.

Distance= 1.0

7/28- Unplanned rest day.  Felt better after taking adrenal glandulars but I know it's only a temporary fix.  Clean diet.

7/29- 4x1/2 lap at Montreat with adrenal glandulars after each interval.

Splits were 1:54-1:41-1:32-1:23.  Much better with every pill but didn't feel comfortable taking more.

Added a 1 lap cool at glacial pace.

Distance= 1.0

7/30- Failed again.  1 mile at Lakeshore in 12:18.  This time the adrenal glandulars made things WORSE.  I'm done until further notice.

Distance= 1.5

- 11 miles

Training 7/17-7/23

 7/17- Another detox reaction. I did manage one mile but the time was well over 12 minutes.

Distance=1.0

7/18- AM 1 mile on Montreat in 12:18.  OUCH.

PM- Much better.  1.5 on Lakeshore in hot conditions.  Improved to a 15:06 (10:04 pace)

Distance=2.5

7/19- ABJECT FAILURE!  Attempted to go 2.5 and quit before 0.25.  It's another Herx reaction.  I thought that perhaps the diet didn't matter as long as I took ACV and Probiotics.  Clearly, it does.  On just the 3rd day off sugar and alcohol, this is what happens.  Fared no better after cheating.  I'm sticking to this plan for better or worse.  I must not cheat again.

Distance= 0.5

7/20- 2x1 lap at Montreat plus a cool.  Embarrassingly slow times.

Distance=1.0

7/21-

Same workout as yesterday.  I did the first lap in 3:56 (11:48 pace) then improved to 3:52 (11:36 pace) on ACV then recorded a 3:44 (11:12 pace) on Thym-Adren.  At least I did not go backwards after the ACV and improved only slightly on the Thym-Adren so I would not call this and adrenal spike.

Distance= 1.0

7/22- 

AM- Full Mile at Montreat in 10:19.  Even pace (5:12-5:07) with no real effort to kick.  Pace was almost dead even after a slow first half lap.

PM- Repeated the morning session this time in light rain.  Improved to a 9:30 with splits of 4:54-4:36.  Starting to notice improvement.

Distance=2.0

7/23-

3 miles on North Lakeshore in 29:21 (9:47 pace).  Pleased with the improvement but I've got a LONG way to go.  I'm still over 30 for a full 5K.  Even pace with no effort to kick (14:43-14:38).   Provided that I don't cheat again, the Herx reaction should diminish after 10 days so I should be a lot better by next weekend.  

Distance= 3.0

- 11 miles on the week

Thrillist Most Beautiful State Rankings

 Thrillist published a ranking of all 50 states based solely on natural beauty.  I found it interesting and for the most part, I agreed with the rankings.  Even with my extensive travels, I still don't feel qualified to do a ranking myself as there are about 15 states that I cannot say that I have thoroughly explored.   For example, although I have been to Kansas twice, I have not ventured beyond the eastern third of the state.  The same holds true for others so I can't knock it if I've only seen a state park and just one or two mid-sized towns.    I certainly do know enough to comment on this list however so here is the link:  You may have to copy and paste the URL but it should work.  I'm not going to comment on every ranking but I will highlight a few that I thought were overrated or underrated.

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/most-beautiful-states-in-america

Bottom Tier:

Iowa was ranked last.  I have been there twice and was not surprised by the rank.  However, it's a state that I can't really knock because I haven't explored it extensively.  I saw a couple of small- mid-sized towns on the race trip and stopped at a state park near the border of Minnesota on another trip.  That qualifies under the strict standard but there are plenty of other attractions that could change my rank.

Kansas was 49th.  Maybe I have some bias because I was just there recently but it was better than I expected in terms of natural beauty and I've heard that Gypsum Hills in the west are nice as well.  It's probably in the bottom 10 but IMO, it should be a few spots higher.  I'd put it slightly ahead of Nebraska, which was #43.  

Illinois at 48 is probably the one that I would rank last especially if the skyscrapers on Lake Michigan are not considered "natural beauty."   That said, there are plenty of hidden gems off the beaten path that could change it.

Indiana at 47 is slightly underrated.  Nice rolling terrain in the south and Indiana Dunes NP in the north, which has views of the Chicago skyline in the distance.  

Mississippi at 45 is also bit underrated.  It's got nice rolling hills throughout the state except for the Gulf Coast, which is a long stretch of white sandy beaches.  You have to take a cruise to get to a clear water beach with any surf but it does exist.  For the sake of comparison, I'd put it ahead of Louisiana but behind Alabama.  

North Dakota at 42- Ask me again after I visit the western half of the state, specifically Theodore Roosevelt NP.  I will say that the area west of Fargo was the most boring stretch that I have ever driven and it would be last if it was just based on that.  

Missouri at 41- Underrated.  Ozarks in the south are very nice.  I do recall that as soon as I crossed the river from Illinois, the terrain became a lot more scenic.

Connecticut at 40- Overrated.  Small state that I really haven't explored too much but was not overly impressed.  The lack of surf on the beaches is a strike against it.  Rhode Island at 34?  Probably about right.

Delaware at 39- Overrated.  Mostly flat and non-descript.  Beaches are not half bad but neighboring coasts of Maryland and New Jersey are better IMO.  I'll do my best not to biased because of politics.  

Third Quartile-

New Jersey at 37-  Probably about right.  Maybe a hair underrated.  Though mostly flat and non-descript, it does have a very nice coast.  Try some lesser known beaches besides Wildwood and Atlantic City and you will be pleasantly surprised.  The far northwest has some pretty nice hills that could pass for West Virginia in terms of scenery but again, that's only a small portion near the Poconos.  

Alabama at 36- Underrated.  I'm sure you are not surprised by that comment.  Beautiful beaches on the Gulf, surprising mountains in the East Central and lots of hidden gems in the north.  Yes, I admit that I am biased because it's my home.  Where would I rank it?  Not in the top 10 but probably the top 20.  

Pennsylvania at 35- About right.  Lake Erie isn't half bad but nobody will confuse it with Florida or the Carolina coast.  It's got some nice Appalachian scenery in the south but neighboring states are better.  I hear that the Poconos area is nice but I've never been there.  

Georgia at 33- A hair underrated.  Beaches are not nearly as nice as Florida or even South Carolina but it's got some surprising mountain scenery in the north and Savannah is a beautiful city.  

New Hampshire at 32 and Vermont at 13- Maybe I'm biased here but Vermont is way overrated and ought to be ranked in the 30s with New Hampshire in the mid-high 20s.  Mountains and foliage are just as nice in New Hampshire and it has an ocean coastline while Vermont does not.  

South Carolina at 30- Underrated.  Beautiful coast and nice mountain scenery in the northwest.  I used to live here so yes, I am biased.  I would not put it in the top 10 but I would put it in the top 20.

Maryland at 29 and Massachusetts at 28- About right.  Both are similar in that you can find both beaches and mountains there.  While you won't be blown away by either coast or mountain range, you'll find the scenery to be nice.

Second Quartile-

Virginia at 25- Slightly underrated.  Competition is getting tougher in the top half but this state has it all with beaches, mountains and foliage.  

Wisconsin at 23- Overrated.  Yes, Door County is amazing but much of the state is gently rolling terrain and relatively non-descript.  

Texas at 22- Slightly overrated- I like Texas but don't think it should be ranked this high.  Beaches are better than Louisiana but pale in comparison to Florida and Alabama.  Some nice mountain scenery in the southwest.  Again, competition is stiff by this point.  If Texas was ranked in the mid-30s, I'd call it underrated.

South Dakota at 21- Not qualified to comment.  Many will be surprised to see this state ranked so high but if you've been to the Badlands NP and Mt. Rushmore, you'd agree.  However, that's only a small portion of the state.  I've never been to the eastern portion but I'd imagine that it's not nearly as beautiful.  

West Virginia at 19 and Tennessee at 20- About right.  Some of the nicest mountain scenery in the East but again, competition is getting fierce.  Both would have a case for being in the top 10 if they had an ocean coastline.  

Florida at 18- Slightly underrated.  This is a tough call.  Since I'm a big beach guy, I've got to rank Florida high.  However, I also like mountains and Florida doesn't have it.  As far as inland scenery, for the most part, I did not find it boring with the ubiquitous palm trees and Spanish moss.  The only part that was a little rough was the inland area between Tampa and Miami.  Not much to see there.

New York at 17- I was going to call this one overrated but I'm probably not qualified to do so.  I was surprised to see this one ranked so high.  I've been to Albany, Cooperstown and Buffalo in addition to NYC and was not overly impressed but there is so much more that I have not seen as I have NOT thoroughly explored Upstate New York.  Pennsylvania was ranked 35.  Is New York really THAT much better?  I doubt it but I could be wrong.  Edit: I imagine Niagara Falls brings up the ranking.  I was there as a child but not as an adult.

Top Quartile:

Really into the cream of the crop now.  You could make a case for almost all of these to be in the top 5 so I won't comment much.

North Carolina at 12- I think this one belongs in the top 10.  Best mountain scenery in the East and probably the 2nd best coastal scenery after Florida.  

Michigan at 8- Overrated.  I've only been to Detroit and the UP.  Don't get me wrong.  It's got some beautiful areas but #8 is just too high.  I'd put it outside the top 10 but probably inside the top 20.  

Washington at 6 and Oregon at 7- Oregon is about right but I'd put it ahead of Washington because the coast is MUCH more beautiful all around.  That said, Rainier has the slight edge over Hood and I've not yet seen North Cascades or Olympic NP so I could change my mind.

Utah at 4 and Colorado at 5-  Both are about right and I agree with Utah being ranked ahead of Colorado.  Though Colorado has the better mountain scenery, there is not a dull moment driving through any part of Utah.  The eastern third of Colorado is basically an extension of western Kansas and Nebraska and the mountains don't come into view until Denver.  

California at 1- Its politics are a mess but in terms of natural beauty, I really cannot argue against this ranking even though you can make a case for Hawaii and Alaska (#2 and 3)  It's got it all.  Surfing, skiing, deserts, redwoods, national parks, you name it.  I only wish that the water temperature was a bit warmer further north.  

Training 7/10-7/16

 Another attempt:

I am fresh off another Herx reaction and an adrenal spike, which is just beginning to die down.

7/10-AM- 2 miles in 20:28 (10:14 pace).  Not good by any stretch but it was a lot better than yesterday.  Can I build on it and continue to improve or will I melt down again?

PM- Repeated the distance again on South Lakeshore.  Improved to 18:56 (9:28 pace) with splts of 9:24-9:32.  Did not need kick at the end.  Sub-19 was in the back so I just relaxed a bit.  I'll take it.  I'll shoot for 3 tomorrow in the evening.

Distance=4.0

7/11- 1 step forward, 2 steps back.  Planned to go 3 but settled for half that distance in a pathetic time of 16:54 (11:16 pace) with splits of 8:14-8:40.  I don't understand this one.

Distance=1.5

7/12- Half mile in 5:55 (11:50 pace).  I think the Candida is being removed in batches.  It's a cycle of Herx reactions and adrenal spikes.  Hopefully, the cycles will be less intense from now on.  The cycles are definitely shorter now.  I flipped from the Herx to the adrenal spike in just one day.  I expect another Herx reaction by the weekend but hopefully less intense.

Distance=0.5

7/13- 3x1 lap intervals at Montreat.

Nothing- 3:40 (11:00 pace)

ACV- 3:35 (10:45 pace)

Thym-Adren- 3:10 (9:30 pace)

I'm still in the adrenal spike phase but will soon flip to the Herx.  Ler's hope it won't be as intense this time.

PM- Repeated the same workout.  This time, I did 3:40/4:00/3:52.  I am back to the Herx side of the cycle but the reaction was less intense.  MUCH worse on the ACV but only slightly better on the Thym-Adren.  The worst may be over as far as the Candida.  I might have a few more small dumps but hopefully nothing to fear.  

Distance=2.0

7/14- Non-stop mile at Montreat.  Finished in 11:48 and it would have been even worse if I did not take extra Thym Adren after the first lap.

PM- Repeated the distance after a nap.  Improved to 10:37 with a negative split (5:27-5:10).

Distance=2.0

7/15- 3 miles on North Lakeshore in 31:39 (10:33 pace).  Marginally faster over triple the distance compared to yesterday.  I'm pleased.  Splits were encouraging too (10:50-10:33-10:16).

Distance=3.0

7/16- 2 miles in 20:58 (10:29 pace).  Tough day out there.  Not much worse than yesterday but certainly not an improvement.  Splits were pretty even but it took a late rally to beat yesterday's pace.  Heat and humidity are to be expected this time of year but today was worse than usual.  Dewpoint was 75 and I've always found that it's virtually impossible to get a quality workout when it's that high.

Distance= 2.0

-15 miles on the week.  I'll shoot for 20 next week.

Oregon Road Trip

 6/29- Worked a half day then drove to Atlanta for a 7:30 flight to Portland.  This was my 3rd visit to Oregon but the first time I drove all the way down the coast.  Because of the 3 hour time difference, I landed at 9:30 local time.  The line was pretty long at the rental car pickup so I got to the motel around 11:00 and went straight to bed.  The motel was just across the river in Vancouver, Washington.  

6/30-

Day dawned cloudy but it cleared up nicely by noon.  As far as the weather, it could be 90 degrees 2 hours inland but it won't be much warmer than 65 degrees on the coast with a water temperature around 57.  Yes, I did wear a wetsuit but it was fairly comfortable in the water as long as it wasn't too windy.  I headed north on I-5 toward Seattle then picked up US-30 to Astoria, Oregon, just across the border from Washington then turned south on US-101.  First stop was Cannon Beach then it cleared up when I got to the famous overlook in Manzanita.  

 By mid-afternoon, I arrived at my destination at Cape Kiwanda near Pacific City.  It was AMAZINGLY beautiful but it was also very windy.  I still caught several good waves out there but it was still chilly even with the wetsuit.  I stayed until sunset then went about 30 minutes south to Newport for the night.  

7/1-

Left Newport and stopped at a few random pullouts off the highway.  I had a rare sit down breakfast in the town of Coos Bay to pay tribute to Steve Prefontaine.  The next planned stop was Gold Beach near the California line but I ended up stopping at Arch Point and Bandon as well.  Gold Beach had grayish sand and was also quite windy.  I did not go deep into the water.  I saved that for California.  

I crossed the border into California around 2 PM then it was maybe another 30 minutes to South Beach in Crescent City.  I played in the surf for about 2.5 hours.  I'd wager that the water was not significantly warmer than Oregon but with sunny skies and calm winds, it was a lot more comfortable.  Waves broke between thigh and waist deep so I did not even need a wetsuit top.  I even saw a couple of kids in the water with nothing but swim trunks with a water temperature below 60F.  You have to go all the way down to Malibu on the Pacific to get comfortable swimming temps (69+ F) even in late summer.  I've gone surfing in So-Cal before but Nor-Cal has a totally different vibe.   

7/2-

Probably the most challenging drive of the trip.  I was up with the sun to Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park, still in California and met a nice girl at the gas station. 

 I was only on the interstate for a short time before picking up country roads to Crater Lake NP back in Oregon.  If at all possible, get there early.  Crowds can be large and parking may be limited but I had no such problems.  I hiked for about 1.5 miles on the Rim trail before turning around.  It was breathtaking.  Even in July, there were still spots with snow on the ground at 6.000+ feet elevation.  The water is so clear that words cannot express.  I wish I had a bit more time here but I had to get a move on if I was to make it to Eugene by dark.

I did make one stop on the way at Tokettee Falls, which included another half mile hike but was just off the road on the way to Eugene.  There, I stopped at Hayward Field and walked around the practice track.  It looks very much different since the remodeling.  

7/3-

Left Eugene for the coast.  This time, I crossed the bridge in Astoria going north to Washington state.  My surf spot was Long Beach.  This completes a bucket list item for me.  With Washington and Oregon, I've gone swimming and caught a wave in every state with an ocean coastline in the continental US.  This includes the Atlantic, Pacific and the Gulf plus two Hawaiian islands.  I intend to go for a swim in Alaska but the surf may be too far off the beaten path.  

It was nice and sunny just a few miles inland but foggy on the beach.  It did eventually burn off and I had a short and cautious but fun surf session.  I did not venture beyond waist deep water because of the strong currents but still caught more than a few good rides.  Water temp was not significantly cooler than Oregon and Nor-Cal and again the winds were calm.  Next stop was the not so aptly named Cape Disappointment also in Washington.  My only regret on this trip was not spending more time here instead of at Long Beach.  It looked much nicer.  

From here, I checked into my motel back in Portland and just relaxed for a bit then took a sunset ride to see some views of Mt. Hood.  Before bed, I got a quick drink at the bar across the street where I met another nice girl.  

7/4- 

Sit  down breakfast. Short delay on the flight home but no major issues.  This is one of my all time favorite trips.