Glutamine Intolerance

 I've done little to no running in the last 3 weeks partly due to travel but mostly due to the Glutamine Intolerance.  I didn't just have the usual fatigue and abnormal sore muscles.  My knees were killing me.  It got so bad that I couldn't run at all but never really thought that I was injured.  

It took several days to find the culprit but it was most definitely Glutamine.  Not very long ago, I could not function without it and endured a horrible day because I did NOT take it.  Needless to say, I am pissed off!  

Also, I began having problems with tanning gummies, which like Glutamine can be beneficial for gut health.  I thought perhaps I overshot the balance and might still need it at low doses.  I took one pill at night in Savannah after laying off both the Glutamine and tanning gummies for a few days.  I didn't get an immediate negative response but I felt it the next morning.  I got home and tried 2 tanning gummies.  Immediate bad reaction.  Also, Thym Adren makes things worse when Glutamine is in my system but I need it again when it clears.

Source of the problem:

Most probably the CBS mutation.  A bad reaction to NAC confirmed this.  Anything that contains Sulfur is bad.  I am unclear if the tanning gummies have anything to do with the CBS mutation but I'm not taking anything that causes a reaction.  

Plan of Attack:

All I can do for now is to lay off the Glutamine.  Maybe the intolerance will fade in time.  Perhaps Yucca or other specific CBS treatments will allow tolerance again.

Savannah Road Trip Report

 Of the 3 trips I've taken with Cynthia, this was probably my favorite.  

4/25- It's slightly less than 6 hours driving time from Birmingham but figure with stops and the time change, it's a pretty long haul.  It was a smooth ride into town with relatively light traffic even in Atlanta.  We arrived by mid-afternoon and chilled at the hotel pool before dinner.  

Dinner was seafood and we took a stroll down River Street, browsed some shops.  Savannah is an open alcohol city, at least in the entertainment district, so I got a strawberry Pina colada for the walk.  

 

4/26-

Breakfast at the hotel then attended church together.  After lunch, we got on a trolley tour and made stops at a cathedral and Forsyth Park.  Dinner was pizza then we did a Ghost tour at night.  A lot of paranormal activity has been reported in Savannah.

4/27- An unexpected cold front hit overnight.  It was supposed to be sunny and 75 today with decent surf.  Instead, it was cloudy and 65.  With the wind, it felt even cooler.  I took a brisk walk in the morning, then we went to Bonaventure Cemetery then Wormsloe Plantation.  Both were beautiful.  We were hoping that the weather would clear by the afternoon but it never did.  We still went to Tybee Island.

With a water temperature of 71, it was actually more comfortable in the surf than on the beach.  I caught a few good rides on the board.  Back to Savannah for dinner, where we met a real nice couple from Michigan.  

4/28- Morning beach session this time across the South Carolina border at Hilton Head.  Not much surf today but still an enjoyable experience.  My parents did take me on vacation there and I still recognized some of the landmarks.  The drive home was not fun.  We hit Atlanta traffic and a bad storm approaching Birmingham.  Still, with the time change, we got home at a decent hour.  

Philadelphia/Watkins Glen Trip

 4/17-

My primary purpose was the Phillies vs Braves game this evening.  No issues on the direct flight from Birmingham.  In fact, there was virtually no line at security.  Lodging was a bit of a conundrum.  The stadium is located in South Philly.  If I didn't plan to leave town, I probably would have stayed in Center City and took the subway.  However, with a car, I opted to stay in South Philly.  It saved money on parking and allowed an easy exit out of town but I did have to do a lot of walking.  I was a little worried about a 1 Mile walk at night after the game but I didn't feel unsafe.  The skyline view from my room was worth it!

I took the subway up to the art museum to see the Rocky steps and statue.  I don't care that he's fictional.  Rocky Balboa is one of my heroes.  Next stop was the Reading Terminal Market for lunch.  I got some fried chicken and it was mid.  I took a stroll down Market Street with a stop outside of Independence Hall.  I've been there before but it's still cool to see it again especially in America's 250th year.  I was not yet born in 1976 and probably won't make it to 2076.  This time, I finally got a selfie at the Liberty Bell.  During COVID, I had to wear a mask.  LOL!  

I took the subway back to the hotel then had a little bit of down time before the game.  I believe this is the 10th straight game that I have seen a loss by the home team but this time, I was rooting for Atlanta so I went back happy.  The ballpark was well above average.  Definitely top 10, maybe top 5.  I have hit the 80 percent mark with 24/30 complete.  

 

4/18-

Left Philly.  I tried to take a toll free route but gave up when it took me through some depressed areas.  At any rate, it was roughly 4.5 hours to my destination of Watkins Glen, New York and it's a scenic ride through the Pocono Mountains.  I had not seen much of Eastern PA or Upstate NY before this trip.  My plan was to get to New York ASAP and save the Pennsylvania hikes for tomorrow.  That proved to be a bad call.  

Watkins Glen State Park was nice and so was  nearby Seneca Lake and roadside waterfalls.  I also caught a glimpse of the NASCAR track.  However, I was finished touring by 4:00 and had some downtime.  I could have made a couple stops in PA and finished before dark.  I had dinner on the lake.  The food was mid again but I had a real nice chat with the bartender (Angela).

4/19- 

A cold front swept through overnight.  I awoke to 40 degrees temps with light-moderate rain.  I couldn't stand to be outside for long so I had to skip the hiking.  It was still a scenic ride nonetheless through the Poconos.  I had a 4 hour wait until my flight home.  Good but not great trip.  If I had to live in the northeast megalopolis, Philadelphia would probably be my choice.