Training 8/10-8/16

 8/10-AM Opened with a very poor 99.  Took 1700 MF and improved to 89 but even that likely overshot.  2500 weakened me and I slipped to a 97.  Caffeine binge yesterday didn't fully clear and I didn't even try Thym Adren.

PM- Felt very much different by the afternoon and the need for Thym Adren kicked in bigly.  Took 2 at work and 1 on the run.  Not sure of the exact distance.  It was over 0.25 but under 0.30.  Did the front leg in 2:45 popped a pill and felt noticeable improvement immediately.  Time improved to 2:21 on the back leg (MINUS 14.5 percent). Game changer!

Distance-1.0

Reaction:

It has been confirmed that caffeine was the reason why I couldn't tolerate Thym Adren.  Why the extreme need for it now?  Could be a temporary adrenal spike.  Most probably, it's more permanent.  

Any chance it might be mineral depletion.  It's possible that extra Magnesium could help but I won't try caffeine again.  Tried some extra Magnesium before bed and felt no discernable difference.

8/11- 2 miles in 24:24 (12:12 pace).  Actually, I'm not upset with this one.  Extremely overstimulated even with 6 Thym Adren.  That has GOT TO CALM DOWN.  Good news is that I didn't collapse and negative split this (12:30-11:54).  Popped an extra 400 MF at the half and got a boost.  Total dose was 3300, which is higher than what I thought was optimal.  Hmm

PM- Extra Thym Adren did help.  No discernable difference from extra MF but the good news is that it doesn't appear that I went backwards.  Tacked on another 1 Mile in 10:28.  Even pace (5:13-5:15) that felt sustainable.  2 miles would have been 21:xx, which is a lot better than this morning.  Now 60 hours clean off caffeine.  The worst is over.

Distance-3.0

8/12- 3 miles in 32:53 (10:58 pace).  MUCH BETTER than yesterday's morning session.  I want to keep my Thym Adren dosage no higher than 6.  It would have been better if I took 8.  As it is, no complaints.  Near perfect pacing (16:27-16:26).  Backed off a tad in the last half mile when I felt a little niggle in my knee but it's no concern.  

Distance-3.0

8/13- 3 miles in 31:56 (10:39 pace).  Solid improvement over yesterday but hoped for a little better.  I've been taking mega doses of MF to test my tolerance. Today, I went down to the baseline and it probably slowed me down.  

Good pacing.  Splits were 10:38-10:32-10:46.  With a comfortable cushion on the sub-32, I didn't try to kick.  Otherwise, the 3rd mile is better.  3 miles on back to back days is encouraging.

PM- No running but definitely got a boost from extra MF.  I suspect that the need for Thym Adren has diminished but I won't try anything new when I am improving steadily.

Distance-3.0

8/14- I could tell warming up that 3 Thym Adren wasn't gonna cut it so it will be 6 until further notice.  I do think the extra MF helped as well.

Brutal conditions out there.  Mid-August in Alabama is never pleasant for running but this was worse than usual.  Fortunately, I only had 1 Mile on tap.  Finished in 8:35, which was about what I expected.  Maybe a hair better.  Splits were 2:06-2:11-2:13-2:05 so the back half was only 1 tick slower.  8 second gap between fastest and slowest is about what I should expect.

Improvement from a 10:28 to 8:35 in 3 days is a big deal.  Still 65 away from the reset PR and a sub-6 feels impossible right now.  

Distance-1.0

8/15- COLLAPSE on BAFA day.  Hoped to run 5 miles.  Didn't even finish 1.  Pace was over 12 through 0.8 and getting worse.  Thym Adren appears to be the culprit.  Why is it that I needed extra just yesterday but it failed me today?  

Distance-1.0

Theories:

1) Once I hit a certain amount of MF, which is probably around 5000 mcg, I can't take Thym Adren.  If I limit the MF to 4500, Thym Adren will be tolerated.  I believe that I exceeded 5000 MF before but it was taken in divided doses.  

2) With or without the mega doses of MF, I am trending off Thym Adren.  I had a little bit of caffeine yesterday (20 mg), but I highly doubt that was a factor.  On 2nd thought, maybe it was.  

3) Pills must taken in the right order.  Crazy but it's happened before.  I need to take the MF first then assess my tolerance for Thym Adren 

What a mess!

Tomorrow's plan is to load on MF to confirm unlimited tolerance with no Thym Adren.

Culprit identified:  

Just happened to read the label of my Body Armor sports drink.  It contains a fair amount of non-methylated Folic Acid.  I was MUCH WORSE after drinking the rest of the bottle this evening.  Small amounts of caffeine are probably okay.  I am betting that Theory 1, 2 and 3 were all wrong.  

8/16- Discernable improvement with every dose of MF.  Yes, I exceeded 5000 mcg.  Didn't try Thym Adren because I know it won't be tolerated.  I had a little bit of caffeine this morning and it wasn't a factor in my tolerance for MF.  

When the non-methylated Folic Acid clears, the need for Thym Adren will kick in with a vengeance.  I expect it to happen tomorrow morning if not this this evening.  Everything should be confirmed by tomorrow. 

Update:

It's not even noon yet and my body demanded Thym Adren.  Only took 2 pills but felt an improvement.  Tomorrow, I start back in earnest 

Distance-0.0

12 miles on the week 

RANT: People Who Hate the USA

 Around the 4th of July this year, I saw some polls on the news from 2001 compared to today.  25 years ago, 90 percent of Republicans and 85 percent of Democrats were proud to be American.  I assume that poll was taken on the 4th of July in 2001.  If it was immediately after 9/11, we would have seen an upsurge in patriotism and the numbers would have been even higher.  The poll was taken less than a year after a highly contentious election and many Democrats were still angry about the outcome.  Nevertheless, national pride was not significantly lower among political liberals.  

Today, pride in being American is unchanged among Republicans but has dropped to 32 percent among Democrats.  Is it just because of Trump?  I don't think so.  This has been a steady trend that has been going on for a quarter century.  The Iraq War began in 2003, which I concede was a mistake.  Some drop off among Democrats in the mid-00's would be understandable.  I would have expected a resurgence in patriotism in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama.  It didn't happen.  I'm sure the number did drop considerably when Trump came on the scene a decade ago but Joe Biden didn't help either.  I'm afraid that the belief that the USA is fundamentally unjust and needs to be radically transformed rather than reformed from within has become the mainstream viewpoint.  This line of thought really took hold under Obama.

Does the USA have problems?  Sure.  We live in a fallen world.  Every culture and civilization in  history has had problems.  I certainly don't deny that.  My biggest concerns today are the chronic disease epidemic, the high cost of living and the job market for inexperienced workers.  I certainly do NOT make light of the injustices of the past either.  Slavery, Jim Crow and the Trail of Tears most definitely should not be swept under the rug. There was no golden age when everything was perfect.  I am nostalgic for the 1980s and 90s but I recognize that all was not roses.  We had gang violence, AIDS and the crack epidemic.  

 Growing up, I was raised to believe that the modern USA is the greatest country ever.  I'm not sure if I still believe that.  Well above average and one of the best?  Definite yes!  I challenge you to visit a 3rd world country and venture away from the tourist areas to see how the average person lives.  Even low income Americans are wealthy by those standards.  

I'll address and rebut some liberal talking points.

Stolen Land:

Again, policy towards Native Americans was shameful and I will not justify it.  My problem is the notion that Native American culture was pure and peaceful.  It was not.  There was constant tribal warfare.  Read up on the Aztecs, Iroquois and Algonquin.  In addition to slavery, there was also child sacrifice.  Some tribes were actually rooting for the colonizers because they figured that their lot would improve.  How would the American continent look today if the Europeans never arrived?  I'm betting, not so good.  

Slavery:

Once again, I will not sugarcoat this.  Words cannot express how I feel about this evil and barbaric practice.  My problem is that children today are being taught that it was chiefly an American institution.  That ain't true!  The Arab slave trade was far more brutal and lasted longer too.  White people didn't invent slavery but they were the first to abolish it.  Slavery and slave like conditions still exist in Sub Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.  Civil Rights won't wipe out 2 centuries of real systemic oppression overnight but if we haven't achieved racial equality yet, we are as close as we've ever been.  White racism is such a taboo nowadays that your reputation could be forever tarnished because of a decade old social media post.  

I follow several vloggers who have visited upwards of 100 countries.  They all say that the USA is one of the LEAST racist countries in the world.  Try being a Mexican in Puerto Rico and vice versa.  Try being Persian in Saudi Arabia.  How about being Tutsi in Rwanda in the 1990s?  

What I like and appreciate about the USA:

Despite the rising cost of living, I still believe that the American dream is attainable for most people.  Life isn't fair and some people are born into better circumstances than others.  That said, especially if you come from a good family, your chances of being successful are pretty good if you make smart life decisions.  If you are healthy with normal intelligence and reasonably attractive, you've been dealt a pretty fair hand no matter what your skin color.  You have the opportunity to achieve a standard of living far greater than the average person in the developing world.  Consider the caste system in India.  If you are born into the lowest caste, you have virtually no chance to get ahead and will endure slave like conditions for the rest of your life.

If you don't like your job or your current city, you are free to seek a fresh start and better opportunities elsewhere.  By contrast, the Soviet Union did guarantee you a job but your occupation was decided by an aptitude test.  If you don't like your assigned job or city, too bad. You will be imprisoned if you don't show up.  You lived in a planned high rise with government officials watching your every move and you needed special permission to leave your area.  

Our Founding Fathers created a democratic system of government.  I am a fan of the two party system too.  I worry that this could change in the future but if things are not going well, the incumbent party will likely be voted out.  Given a lousy economy, civil unrest and an unpopular war, there is still very little chance that you will win your next election.  Republicans deserved to lose in 2008.  Democrats deserved to lose in 2024.  In Nicaragua, the current president recently announced that no more elections will be held.  No matter what happens with the economy or how much he suppresses your rights, he is safely in power.

As much as I dislike when the Left has said about Trump, I defend their right to say it.  I will draw the line at death threats and rooting for violence.  We Americans take for granted that we can say we don't like the President or his policies and we won't get a visit from a government official.  China has a social credit system in which posts are social media deemed inappropriate will result in restrictions of your rights and privileges.  North Korea is far worse.  Simply being in possession of the wrong books can cost you your life.  

If the church in which you are raised no longer fits with your values or theology, you might get some family pressure but you are free to join another one or leave Christianity altogether without any erosion of your rights.  Much of the Muslim world has the death penalty for apostasy.  Their treatment of women and gays is far worse than any so-called Christian nationalist has ever proposed.  

I appreciate ethnic diversity and my life in the USA has been enriched by people from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.  I am in awe of the beautiful landscapes and world class cities.  From the beaches to the mountains, canyons and valleys, it is a breathtakingly beautiful country.  

In conclusion, sure there are plenty of things that the USA could do better but I believe the country is fundamentally good and capable of improvement.  When you consider the severe poverty and cruel oppression in other countries, the USA doesn't look so bad.  Yes, I am proud to be American and am thankful to be born and raised here.

Colorado/Utah Trip Plan

Labor Day trip:

I considered the Pacific Coast Highway but decided that I need 4 days to do it justice, not just 3.  Washington State was a close 2nd but this just felt like the better fit because of the climate.  

Lower elevations can be awfully hot in the summer.  It still might hit 90 in early September but mornings are cool and there is low humidity.  More importantly, I don't have to worry about snow at high altitude.  Come mid-October, yes that is a real concern.

9/2- Flights were much cheaper on a Wednesday and I wanted some slack time built in so that's what I booked.  Though I've been to Colorado 5 times, I have not ventured west of Breckenridge as an adult.  

The flight out of Birmingham leaves at 8:13 so I won't have to get up at 3 AM.  If I am out the door by 6, I'm in good shape to make the flight and I still beat the rush hour traffic.  I connect in Denver with a 59 minute layover.  That's shorter than I would like and I can't afford more than a 15 minute delay.  If all goes well, I land in Grand Junction, Colorado at 12:38.  

From there, it's slightly more than 2 hours west to Moab, Utah.  I should have enough time to catch a sunset at Canyonlands or Arches NP.  

9/3- I will spend most of the day in Moab and will probably do the Arches hike early in the morning then check out Canyonlands.  I've been to the former before but not the latter.  In the evening, I will drive to Durango, Colorado just across the New Mexico border.  4 corners monument?  Most likely, I will pass.  It's crowded, too far out of the way and the monument is a few hundred yards from the actual borders.  Thus, you don't really get to stand in 4 states at the same time.  I might cross into New Mexico just for the hell of it because it's only a 20 minute detour.  I probably won't go 45 minutes to Arizona.  

9/4- Mesa Verde National Park.  I was there as a teen but not as an adult.  From there, it will be a very scenic but possibly scary drive on the Million Dollar Highway.  That's why I didn't want to chance it with the weather.  I will not drive that road in the snow.  Figure that if I could navigate the roads in Maui, this won't be a problem in dry conditions.  There is a nice state park on the way but my destination for the night is Montrose and Gunnison NP, which I have never seen.  

9/5- I hope to make it to Gunnison before sunset the previous day but if not, it will be okay to hit it in the morning.  From there, I am flexible.  Grand Junction is only 60 miles north of Montrose.  There are several gems east of Grand Junction that I would like to see.  I could go as far as Aspen and hunt down Mary Swanson.  I will pass on the International Preservation Society and go back to Grand Junction for the night.  

9/6- There is a Monument and a park just outside of Grand Junction that I should hit before my 1 PM flight.  This time, I will have plenty of time in Denver on my layover.  I am scheduled to get back to B'ham at 9 PM.  I will have a full day to recover on Labor Day (9/7).  

After this one, I am down to 4 bucket list USA trips.  

PCH, Washington State, Kauai, Niagara Falls.

Training 8/3-8/9

 8/3- More observations from yesterday:

Caffeine enhances methylation.  Thus, the need and tolerance for MF is reduced.  Alcohol has the opposite effect.  It's probably best to steer clear of both.  

My opener was a 73, which was MUCH BETTER than the 93 that I managed just 2 days ago.  3 Thym Adren had minimal impact (72).  Hmm.

Took the same 2500 dose of MF that appeared to be optimal yesterday.  It did help but it only brought me down to 60.  By comparison, I did a 51 just 2 days ago on a slightly higher dose.  Extra Thym Adren did nothing.  I was actually slightly worse at 62.  Figure that a Mile time trial would have been in the high 8s to low 9s once again.  If I had only taken 1500 instead, I almost certainly would have been better.  

Another 400 of MF made it much worse so I didn't even try the real workout.  

Distance-1.0

Reaction:

It should be safe to reduce the Thym Adren. It's good that I didn't collapse from taking too much.   I was only slightly slower.  As for the MF, I don't know.  Am I really trending down or was it because I consumed caffeine yesterday?  Maybe come Wednesday, I will know for sure.  

8/4- No opener.  Went out on 1200 MF and only 3 Thym Adren.  Came through the first half mile in a pathetic 5:45.  Popped another 400 and was down to a less horrible 5:08 for an overall time of 10:53.  

Most definitely NOT trending down!  The caffeine messed up the balance for sure.  At 1600, I was not even close to the optimal dose.  

Distance-1.0

Update: Noticeably worse after taking a 4th Thym Adren pill.  Maybe that's why I was so slow this morning.

8/5- Went with 1700 MF and NO Thym Adren.  Vestavia Mile and improved to 8:52.  Splits were 2:13-2:17-2:15-2:07.  Big improvement over yesterday but not even close to optimal.  I have a strong feeling that Thym Adren needs to be eliminated.  I'll take 1 pill this evening to confirm but it will be after my date.  Also, does Thym Adren still hurt on mega MF or is it a non-factor?  I'll find out tonight.

PM- Opener in 65 and actually hoped to go downhill from there.  I was not disappointed.  800 extra MF plus caffeine and I slipped to 82.  Just 1 Thym Adren and I was "worser" with a 90.  I am 90 percent sure that Thym Adren must be eliminated but that may change when I am off caffeine.  The MF dose fluctuates based on my diet.

Distance-1.5

8/6- Planned rest day.  Thym Adren hasn't fully cleared.  Felt a bit jittery in the evening.  ADHS was tolerated.  That's a relief.  I don't feel comfortable eliminating all adrenal support.

8/7- Unplanned rest day.  Caffeine really spiked the methylation.

8/8- Lakeshore 1 Mile in 11:58.  Withdrawal hit much sooner than usual.  Good news is that the MF dose is back up to normal.  Passed half mile in 6:19 then improved to 5:39 after popping extra MF.  Might try again this evening.

PM- Half mile at Montreat in 4:56 (9:52 pace).  Much better than the morning session.  Once again, I got a boost from an extra 400 MF.  Splits were 1:47-1:39-1:30.  Popped the pill at the 1/3 mark.  

Distance-1.5

8/9- NIGHTMARE!  Hoped for 3 miles and barely finished 1.  Time was likely over 12.  Culprit this time was LACK of Thym Adren.  

Confirmed:  Caffeine caused the intolerance to Thym Adren.  Being off it, I either experienced a temporary adrenal spike or a more permanent condition.  I'll know for sure by the middle of next week!

Distance-1.0

Training 7/27-8/2

 7/27- Half mile of trials in the morning.  Real workout came in the evening.  1.5 on the Extension in 13:43 (9:09 pace).  Exactly 2 hour pace for 13.1 but I didn't have much left in the tank.  

How to assess how I feel on extra Methyl Folate is difficult but things did feel different.  Legs were stiff and sore but my wind was pretty good.  I'm pleased with this.  Didn't expect to set the world on fire but this was one of my better efforts so far this year.

Distance-2.0

7/28- AM-Opener was MUCH BETTER at 1:44.  Took a large dose of MF with cofactors and went out to Vestavia for a 1 Mile time trial.  I expected a time in the low-mid 8s and came up a little short at 8:41. 

 Not a horrible result in this weather (77 with 95 percent humidity) but something was clearly off.  Splits were 2:02-2:08-2:15-2:18.  Power suddenly faded on the backstretch of lap 2.  Feels like I still need the Thym Adren.  

PM- Felt better after Thym Adren but it didn't last long.  Extra MF actually made things worse.  Stand alone B12 did help but it wasn't the answer either.  Planned workout was 2 miles.  Settled for 1 Mile in 10:36 plus a cool.  Passed the quarter mile under 2:15 but it was sharply downhill from there.  

Got home and took extra Thym Adren and improved.  The very same formula that I couldn't tolerate just a few days earlier now works best!  WHAT THE ----!

Distance-2.5

7/29- Opener would have been horrible.  MF made it slightly better but what I really need is Thym Adren.  Took 6 and it still wasn't enough.

1 Mile in 9:58 was an improvement over yesterday evening but no cause for celebration.  The strong negative split (5:18-4:40) is encouraging.

Distance-1.0

7/30- AM Vestavia Mile in 9:40.  Looks like an improvement but I don't consider it as such.  It was clear that I needed MF after I opened with Thym Adren.  Solid start but faded early.  Splits were 4:30-5:10.  I've read that too much MF can cause overstimulation.  It would appear that's the case.

PM- Worse in the evening.  This confirms that the MF dose must be cut.  The optimal dose is somewhere between 800-4000 mcg.

Distance-2.5

7/31- Repeated the 1 Mile distance and improved to 8:58 with a slight negative split.  MF dose was cut to 3400 and it's still too high.  At least I have narrowed the range.  It's now 800-3200.

Distance-1.0

8/1- I believe that I have found the optimal dose.  It's 1600 with co-factors.  

Route was out and back at Montreat and the distance was probably around 240 meters.

Opener-93

400 with co-factors-77

800-64

1200-57

1600-51

2000-59

2400-70 (with Thym Adren)

A couple of wrinkles:

The co-factors contain about 1100 MF but it's not stand alone.  MF is an ingredient in the B-complex and the Intrinsic Factor.  What happens if I take MF without the co-factors?  

Thym Adren does NOT enable me to tolerate mega doses of MF but I probably would have done better if I took it with Thym Adren from the start.

A couple tweaks may be needed but I am very close 

Distance-1.0

8/2- Went with 1700 without co-factors but with Thym Adren.  Warming up, I could sense that it wasn't enough.  Passed 600 in 3:21 (8:56 pace).  Felt sustainable and my time at the finish would have been 9:00, give or take a couple ticks.  

Took 400 mcg of plain MF and felt a significant improvement.  Did the next 600 in an even 3:00 (8:00 pace).  Not sure if that was sustainable but I bet I'm a good 35-45 seconds better on 2100.  Do the co-factors count towards the total?  Answer is yes.  Yesterday's optimal was more like 2750 if you include the co-factors but the difference between 2500 and 3000 is probably not significant.  

Confirmed what I knew after another 400 mcg this time as part of a B-complex.  Did the final lap in 1:46 (7:04 pace).  Not sustainable, but that would smash my PR by 26 seconds.  

Two questions remain.  I suspect that caffeine reduced my tolerance to MF.  I may raise the dose a bit when it fully clears.  Finally, what affect does the Thym Adren have on the optimal dose?

I will have it all figured out by the middle of next week.

Distance-1.0

Trial and Error with Methyl Folate

 I have several options:

1) Same as I have been doing.  Mega doses of Thym Adren with MF only taken on an as needed basis. The hope is that the adrenal spike will eventually go down but it will take time and lots of pills to maintain it.  Also, it doesn't address the toxins that may be driving the adrenal spike in the first place.  

2) High but not mega doses of MF with high dose Thym Adren.

3) High dose Thym Adren with no more than 400 mcg of MF 

4) High dose MF (high as tolerated) with no more than 3 Thym Adren 

5) All MF and little or no Thym Adren.  Again, the MF dose will be as high as tolerated.  

The theory is that the adrenal suppression shuts down the detox process, which would explain why the Thym Adren wasn't tolerated on the mega doses of MF.

Trial #1- Opener was awful (2:07 half lap).  Took 400 mcg of MF and was only marginally better (2:05).  Responded well to Thym Adren.  Big improvement on the first 3.  Less improvement on the next 3.  Took a 2nd MF pill and it turned to crap.  Scratch option 2.  Number 3 doesn't look too promising either but I'm not ready to scratch it yet.  The next day, I did not respond to Thym Adren and was afraid to try MF.  I read that it may take 48 hours to clear.  

Trial #2- Opened with a 2:00 so it was better than last time.  This time, I did respond well to Thym Adren as my time dropped to 1:37 on 3 pills. Much to my relief, adding MF to the low dose Thym Adren added further benefit.  I dropped from 97 to 82 then as low as 64 with the higher dose MF.  Option 4 and 5 remain viable.

Update:  

Insatiable need for Methyl Folate developed this afternoon.  Scratch option 3.  It will be either 4 or 5.  I've wondered why this didn't happen before when I tried larger doses of MF.  Perhaps it was because I had not addressed parasites or had too much of a certain toxic metal for it to be effective.

Trial #3- Awful opener again (2:10).  Low dose MF once again made little difference (2:07).  Thym Adren would have helped but I would not come close to the 64 that I ran yesterday.  High dose MF with cofactors but no Thym Adren (1:49).  That's a game changer.  Added Thym Adren and didn't respond to 1 pill but didn't get any worse either (1:49).  Up to 3 will be tolerated.  Nearly certain to go with option 4.  Extra MF later in the day was clearly helpful.

Methyl Folate

 I have not tried to train in the last 7 days due to problems with Methyl Folate.  In the recent past, I found that I didn't need to take it every day.  I only needed it once every 5-7 days to prevent a relapse.  Last week, the store was out of my usual brand.  I picked up a new bottle, which was much stronger than my usual.  Bad reaction but it had one interesting effect.  Thym Adren didn't help.  If anything, it made things worse.  When the MF cleared, the adrenal spike returned with a vengeance!  I tried another bottle that was not as strong as the last one but stronger than my usual.  I found that I felt best on 3 Thym Adren and additional pills made it worse.  The smart money is on a detox reaction because I felt noticeably better after I took a smelly leak.  Who knows what I could be eliminating this time?  Your guess is as good as mine.  According to AI and Google, MF doesn't directly remove heavy metals but it does stimulate production of Glutathione, which does.  

A couple of theories came up that turned out not to work.  I supposed that the MF might allow me to tolerate Zinc again if the intolerance was related to an MF deficiency.  Nope.  The reaction was not as severe as last month but still decidedly negative.  I thought I could manage the detox by temporarily taking adrenal stimulants.  Nope.  That stuff had no discernable effect and left me worse off when the MF wore off.  

Going forward, yes I will take MF every day but I need to find the right mix with Thym Adren.  Trial and error is the only option.

Baseball/Family Trip Report

 A solo trip in which my main goals were to hit 2 new ballparks and spend time with my mother.  

7/17- Flight to Chicago (O'Hare) went off on schedule.  I was a little worried about the wildfire smoke.  It was a bit hazy but I've seen worse and I was never uncomfortable outside.  

I had a major SNAFU at the Amtrak station.  I thought that trains to Milwaukee ran every hour.  Nope, it's every 2 hours.  I arrived at Union Station just after 11 AM expecting to get tickets for a 1 PM departure.  I've never had trouble getting same day tickets in NYC.  Sold out!  The 3:00 would still get me into town in good shape to make the game.  Sold out!  No chance to get on standby either.  With the game at 6:40, the 5:00 train would arrive at 6:30.  Figure with the walk to the hotel, check in and transport time, the BEST case scenario would be an 8:00 arrival with the game half over.  I decided to bite the bullet and take a cab from Chicago even though it was a rip off.  It was still cheaper than a flight up there.  

At any rate, I got into town on schedule by 3PM and had time to check out the Harley Davidson museum.  Small but still pretty cool.  Though my hotel was within walking distance of the train station, it was 3 miles from the ballpark.  Fortunately, there was a bar just a quarter mile away that provided a free shuttle.  The game turned fun in the late innings and the home team won on a walk off hit in the 10th inning.  

Though I didn't really do a proper tour of Milwaukee, I found it somewhat underwhelming.  I didn't hate it but neither the stadium nor what I saw of the city will steal your heart on your first visit.  Back to the hotel at 10:30.  No rest for the weary the next day.  This time I did check the availability at Amtrak in advance.  The only available time from Milwaukee to Chicago was 6:15 AM.  That meant that I needed to be out the door by 5:00.  OUCH!  

7/18- No issues with Amtrak today.  I arrived in Chicago at 8 AM then dropped off my bag at the hotel.  The Cubs game started at 1:20 but the gates opened before noon.  I took a walk through Millennium Park and up to the Riverwalk before catching the Red Line to Addison and Wrigley Field.  This ballpark did live up to expectations and the fans were passionate as well.  Cubs won 6-2 and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  

After the game, I made a stop at the 360 John Hancock tower.  Though the skyline was somewhat obscured by the haze, it was still worth a stop.  I chilled at the hotel for a bit then went out for Chicago style pizza.  It was decent but I still prefer the New York style.  I capped off the day with some night shots of the skyline.  

7/19- Slept in a bit then took the subway to Oak Street Beach for a dip in Lake Michigan.  It's normally dead flat in the summer but today, waves were surprisingly big.  If you didn't know better, you would have thought that you were in the ocean.  My only gripe was that the floor was awfully stony in the shallow though it did smooth out as the water got deeper.  You really need aqua socks, which I didn't bring.  The real safety issue was that a big wave could send you back to the shallow.  If you get knocked down, you could get some cuts and scratches on the stony ground.  For this reason and the time crunch, I didn't stay long but did body surf a few waves.  A boogie board would have been nice.  As far as the North Coast, I have now taken a dip in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana and expect to add to that.  

I checked out just before noon and took the subway to Midway for a flight to Pittsburgh, where I met up with my Mom and sister.  I'm glad I did that but missed my Dad more than I expected.  Dinner was a steak followed by an early bed time.

7/20- Drove 2.5 hours to Blackwater Falls in West Virginia with a quick stop at Deep Creek, Maryland.  Nice easy trail down to the falls and it was worth the trip.  We stayed in today for dinner and watched some TV.  

7/21- Delays on the flights home.  It was nerve racking but I didn't miss my connection.  Overall, a fun but stressful trip.  I have now completed the National League and have just 4 parks to go.  That's probably it for 2026 but I "might could" swing a day trip to Minnesota at the tail end of the season.

Rant or Rave: Travel Companions

 I'll start with the obvious pros and cons.  First, if it's good company as it certainly is for me, it can really enhance the experiences.  Also, splitting the cost of lodging is a real benefit.  I'm normally budget conscious on a solo trip.  If I'm going to the beach, I'll stay inland and use the public lot.  Now, I can splurge and stay on the beach but still come out about even.  Plus, I don't have to worry about the damn key fob getting lost or wet if I leave it in the room.  

Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am full speed ahead when traveling and like to set the pace.  I can tone down the Type A personality with Cynthia but I still want to pack as much adventure as possible.  Only once have I missed out on a museum that I would have seen on my own.  I was a little disappointed but not angry.  It probably worked out for the best but that's another story.  

I still spent much of my time in the surf in Panama City but I do take breaks to sit out and talk.  It's worked out well for both of us.  In Savannah, I didn't expect to enjoy Bonaventure Cemetery all that much but I actually did and would have missed out if I had been solo.  Overall, a net positive just based on the above.

Although I am a little on the introverted side, I usually have good success connecting with others on my trips.  All I have to do is ask where they are from and I have an opening.  I have almost certainly been to your hometown and definitely your home state or province.

  Now, it's a lot easier to connect with other couples.  In Savannah, I was sitting next to a guy with a Detroit Tigers cap.  I asked him if he was from Detroit and if he's a big Tiger fan.  Though I have been there, I have yet to see Comerica Park, which looks to be one of the better ones.  We had a great conversation and I found his wife to be very nice as well.  When we said goodbye, she said that she couldn't remember if she gave me a hug earlier so I took another one.  

We had a server in Panama City from Atlanta and I made some small talk about the city and mentioned some specific roads and towns.  She thought we were husband and wife and told us to ask specifically for her the next time we are in town.  I doubt very much if either of these connections would have formed if I was solo.  In the future, I hope to reach out and invite solo travelers to hang with us because it meant a lot to me.  

Now, a mini-rant:

Why is it that guys are so much more appealing to women if they are in a relationship?  I'm pretty much the same guy.  

I have one co-worker and a woman from my neighborhood who barely talked to me before but now have become good friends. Several Facebook friends that hadn't liked or commented on my posts in years are all of a sudden dropping hearts on every picture with Cynthia.  I'm grateful for their support but the ones who stuck with me through thick and thin are valued higher.  

Training 7/13-7/19

 7/13- 1 Mile at Vestavia in 9:29.  Splits were 4:51-4:38.  A 2:14 last go round enabled me to sneak under 9:30.  Improvement of 1:46 over yesterday.  Can I keep it going?

PM- Added another 1.5 miles in 14-flat (9:20 pace) on Lakeshore extension.  I'll take it.  Upped the distance by 50 percent and was marginally faster.

Distance-2.5

7/14- Aimed for 2 miles.  Felt a little off but the early pace was decent.  Slowed dramatically after the first quarter mile.  Passed 0.5 in 5:20 then walked back.  Culprit was over-methylation.  The store was out of my usual brand so I had to get a different one, which proved to be too strong.

Distance-0.5

7/15- Unplanned rest day.  Still clearing it out.