Training 11/2-11/8

 11/2- COLLAPSE.  This was not totally unexpected.  Low Potassium is the culprit and I have read that this can happen with Folinic.  It has to do with cell division and repair of damaged red blood cells.  Most likely, it is only temporary.  I just have to reduce the dosage for a while.  If I have to quit it altogether, I predict that the sensitivity will return with a vengeance and I am screwed.

I had no discernable reaction to stand alone Magnesium but the reaction to Paramin was negative.  Stand alone Cal would have been worse.  The Calcium in Paramin reduces Potassium.  Positive reaction to Zinc, which raises Potassium.  I have yet to try B12 and Thym Adren today and will report back when I do so.

Cut the Thym Adren down to 4 and it appears to be tolerated and so does the B12.  I should be well enough to attempt a small workout this evening.

PM- 5x half lap at Montreat plus a cool.  No big surprises.  Only took 1 Folinic this morning and I could tell by mid-afternoon that I needed more. 

Opener-1:50

Zinc- 1:49

Zinc won't help unless Potassium is depleted

Folinic Acid-1:23

Paramin-1:31.  Calcium depleted Potassium.

Zinc- 1:24.  Undid the damage.  

Distance-1.0

Questions still remain.  What is the optimal dosage of Folinic?  How much more can I tolerate if I take Zinc?  Paramin or back to stand alone Magnesium?

11/3- 6x200 at Vestavia plus a 1 lap cool.

Opener-72

Paramin-66

1 Folinic-66

2 Folinic-71

Zinc-53

3 Folinic-57

Wow!  Paramin was a negative yesterday but a positive today.  Perhaps the 2nd interval was better because I was warmed up.  I conclude that it was tolerated because Potassium had not been depleted by the Folinic.  

Because K was lowered by the Paramin, Folinic was ineffective at low doses and harmful at higher doses UNTIL I took Zinc.  If I had not taken Paramin, I bet 1 Folinic would get me down to 60 and 2 would get me to 53 without Zinc.  

I had hoped to see further improvement on Folinic with Zinc but it didn't happen.  Paramin is out.  Zinc is in.  2 Folinic or 3?  I bet 3 will be tolerated with Zinc and no Paramin. 

Distance-1.0

11/3- Rained out as expected but I saw enough to know what to do going forward.  Woke up with a strong need for Folinic and got significant benefits from the first 2 pills.  Despite taking Zinc, I was slightly weakened by the 3rd pill and did not try to take any more.  Took just 2 Thym Adren and was significantly "worser" so it will be 2 Folinic going forward.  How long will this pattern continue?  Google says it takes 4 weeks to 4 months for Folinic to repair the cells.  Yes, I can wait that long.  I've only been on it for 7 days.  Hopefully, I am close to the nadir and will see improvement soon.

11/4- Half mile at Vestavia in 5:35.   This is not autoimmune issues.  Calcium and Thym Adren haven't cleared yet.  Both lower K so that's understandable.  A reaction to Probiotics is inexplicable.  I may have to temporarily take adrenal stimulants.  Again, this is only temporary.

Distance- 0.5

Training 10/26-11/1

 10/26- AM- Vestavia Mile in 9:28.  Big improvement over the last 2 days.  Decent pacing (4:41-4:47) with no real effort to kick.  

PM- Montreat loop in 3:03 (9:09 pace) but it did NOT feel sustainable and I was fading at the end.  Popped a 3:2 ratio of Probiotics to Taurine and it was clearly too much Probiotics.  Quit after just a half lap in 1:52 (11:12 pace).  Tomorrow, I will go down to 1:1.  If that's too much, I'll try 1:2 but that's as far as I go.  

Distance- 1.5

10/27- Probiotics haven't cleared.  Opened with a half lap in 1:41 (10:06 pace).  Tried the 1:1 ratio and fared NO better.  Repeated the 1:41.  Popped a 2nd Taurine and did improve.  However, the rate of improvement was not enough to be considered a game changer.  Clocked a 1:31 (9:06 pace) and doubt that I could have sustained it for a full Mile. 

The only way that Probiotics will be tolerated is if I drink Red Bull every day.  That would NOT be good for me.  Without Probiotics, my tolerance for MF will diminish considerably.  The only viable option is Folinic Acid.

Distance-0.5

10/28- Took my last Probiotic yesterday evening with 2 Taurine and it made things worse.  Good news is that Folinic Acid appears to be well tolerated.  I know that my tolerance to MF will sharply decrease starting tomorrow.  Questions remain.

Low dose MF, All Folinic Acid or some combination?  It never ends.

PM- 1.5 on Lakeshore in 14:46 (9:51 pace).  I'll take it.  Probiotics are clearing out.  Now, I need to find the MF and Folinic Acid balance.

Distance-1.5

10/29- Test intervals at Vestavia were the only option.  Took only Thym Adren beforehand.  Opened with a 2:28 (9:52 pace).  Same pace as yesterday but it wasn't sustainable.  I'd expect to be well over 10 for a full Mile.

Popped 800 MF and improved bigly.  Did the next lap in 1:58 (7:52 pace) though I did put a little extra effort into the last 100.  With an even effort, I'm likely at 2:00-2:01.  Again, ONE DOSE SHOULD NOT MAKE THIS MUCH DIFFERENCE!  The extra effort did not wipe me out for the next interval.  

On 1600 MF, I was noticeably poorer and I knew it before I started.  Cut it off at 200 meters in 67.x (9:00 pace) 6-7!  Fading and likely around 2:20 for 400 meters. If I had gone up to 2400 MF, I'm over 2:30 and worse than the opener. 

Got home and tested the Folinic Acid at Montreat.  Did the first half lap in 95 (9:30 pace).  Popped just 400 of Folinic and I was all the way down to 79 (7:54 pace).  I undid the damage from the extra MF.  Tomorrow, I will lead off with Folinic and see what is tolerated.  This is good news.  If I need a small amount of MF every day, I should be able to tolerate it without Probiotics.  

PM- System demanded extra Folinic Acid and I may have an insatiable need for the time being.  I got a bizarre idea that it could reduce the sensitivity.  After popping another Folinic Acid pill, I tried extra MF.  NO discernable reaction.  

Tried a Probiotic pill and once again, NO DISCERNABLE REACTION.  Didn't run to test it out.  I will do that tomorrow.  

Distance-1.0

10/30- GOOD NEWS ALL AROUND!

Opener on only Thym Adren in 2:28 (9:52 pace). Fractionally better than yesterday.  

Led off with 1600 Folinic and improved to 1:55 (7:40 pace).  Could have been even faster but I coasted down the stretch.  I expected this.

Moment of truth came with mega MF.  I knew that I would tolerate low dose but was unsure of the mega.  Did 200 meters at about 80 percent effort in 49.3 (6:34 pace).  Felt better too.

Probiotic- Repeated the 200 at the same effort and improved further to 46.4 (6:11 pace).  That's enough to be considered significant.  

Added a 1 lap cool.

A few questions remain but I have reason to hope.

PM- No more running but I did get an answer.  I hoped that the mega MF would prevent the extreme demand for Folinic.  It did NOT.  It will be mega Folinic and low dose MF.  I don't think it matters if I take 800 MF or 8000.  The effects will be the same.  I've read that Folinic can deplete Potassium so I've added back Zinc.  

As for the Probiotics, I merely hoped that I would not be significantly worse after taking that pill.  I'm intrigued that I was faster and felt better.  I'll keep taking it at a low dose.  Don't think it can hurt me.  I'm not even close to being out of the woods but I have real reason to hope.

Distance-1.0

10/30- First real workout on Folinic Acid was no sudden miracle.  Hoped for 3 miles but settled for 2 in a time of 22:45 (11:23 pace).  Splits were 11:05-11:40.  I won't call that a collapse and I've been worse than this.  Not mad about this one.  Just do better tomorrow.  I suspect that Thym Adren might be slowing me down.  I'll test that out tomorrow.  An adrenal spike is still possible down the road.  

I'm glad the 5K in Malibu was sold out.  I would have been awful today and not much will change in 7 days.

PM- Tomorrow will likely be rained out at least in the morning so I did some quick testing now.  

Opener at Montreat in 80.5 (8:03 pace).  It left me a bit winded so I took a long recovery then popped 2 extra Thym Adren.  Maybe a tad more sluggish but still clocked an 82.0 (8:12 pace) on the back half. Probably translates to a 57-58 for 200 meters at Vestavia, which is well off yesterday's pace.  As for the Thym Adren, 9 seconds per mile is NOT a significant difference.  I don't need to raise the dose and "may can" reduce it.

Distance- 2.0

11/1-AM Dry enough in the morning for testing.

On no Folinic, I felt surprisingly good on just 3 Thym Adren.  Improved fractionally to 80.0 (8:00 pace).  Popped 2 more and once again, I felt a little more sluggish.  Though not a collapse, this time it was enough to be considered significant.  Slowed to 83.8 (8:23 pace) on the back half.  Thym Adren will be reduced.  

PM- Lakeshore 2.5 in 23:57 (9:35 pace).  That's MUCH BETTER!  Still faded on the back half, especially the last half mile (11:48-12:09) but this is very encouraging.  Only 0.6 miles away from a sub-30 for 5K.

Distance-3.0

-11 miles on the week.

Los Angeles Trip Plan

 The 5K race is sold out but it seems iffy that I will be able to finish without embarrassment anyway. Arkansas foliage was a close 2nd.  LA feels like it's the right fit for this year.  I just got back from the mountains and it's usually NOT warm enough to swim in So-Cal in early November.  As of today, the water temperature is 72.  It should stay at or near 70 for the next 2 weeks.  That's warm enough for me.  I can tolerate as low as 65.  I can expect air temps around 75 with a low chance of rain.  

11/7- Land at LAX at 11 AM.  Figure by the time I get the car, eat and drive to the hotel, the room might be ready.  I am staying 3 nights in Santa Monica within a 5 minute walk of the beach with easy access to public transportation.  Most likely, I will stay in Santa Monica for the day and barring a delay, I should have time to take a dip.  After sunset, I might go to Griffith or Echo Park to get night shots of the skyline.

11/8- This will be the big driving day and traffic should be relatively light on a Sunday.  First stop will probably be Pasadena and the Rose Bowl then I cut west to Simi Valley and the Reagan Library.  From there, it will be south to Malibu with a stop at Topanga Park and a short hiking trail.

11/9- This is a Monday.  I'll take a stroll on the Venice boardwalk in the morning then take a dip.  In the early afternoon, I will use public transportation to get to Hollywood Blvd and downtown LA.  

11/10- Most likely, I will leave Santa Monica this morning.  I can hit a couple of attractions that I missed earlier such as maybe UCLA.  I am leaning towards going 30 minutes south to Manhattan because it's cheaper and it's a little closer to LAX.

11/11- One last dip then go to the airport for the return flight.  If I get a rainy day, backup options are the Nixon Library and the Petersen Auto Museum.

North Georgia Mountain Trip Report

 

The first pictures came from our dating anniversary trip at Lake Guntersville just an hour and a half from home.  It was fun but the real adventure would come next month with the birthday trip.  

10/16-

First stop was a campus tour of my alma mater at Clemson.  It was roughly 4.5 hours driving time but you lose an hour going east.  I experienced ups and downs during my time as a student but I'm proud that I went to school there.

From Clemson, it was only 1.5 hours to Helen, Georgia mostly via US-123.  It's a German themed town at the foothills of the mountains.  We had a nice dinner right on the Chattahoochee River.  Unfortunately, my stomach rejected it shortly thereafter.

 

10/17- Left Helen around 10:30 this morning and headed towards our destination, which was Amicalola Falls with a detour on a mountain road to Vogel State Park.  This was perhaps the best scenery of the trip.  I wish we had waited another 2 weeks for better foliage but our schedule wouldn't allow that.  

At any rate, after a quick lunch we arrived at the park around 2 then our room was ready shortly thereafter.  As for the resort, I have mixed reviews.  The view from the room was flat out beautiful and I had no issues with the room itself.  The food was a disappointment.  We thought there would be a full menu.  Instead, it was a rather mediocre buffet and the prices were way too high for what was offered.  With the nearest town being 10 miles away, it was really the only option.  

Viewing the falls required a strenuous hike of about 30 minutes each way up and down 475 stairs.  In my weakened condition, it was a struggle for me.  Cynthia passed on it and I don't blame her.  I survived a scare when I twisted my ankle on a pothole but fortunately my luck held.  It was slightly bruised but not swollen and I was able to run just 2 days later.  After dinner, we just chilled in the room and watched some college football.

10/18- Leisurely breakfast then checked out around 10.  We attempted to get to church but today was the town festival in Dahlonega.  Parking was impossible to find and our second choice for church met at a different location.  A for effort!  

The route back was US-19 to Atlanta then finally I-20 back to B'ham.  Atlanta traffic is never fun but I've done it enough and it's not intimidating anymore.  Good trip overall.

Training 10/19-10/25

 10/19- 3 laps at Montreat plus a cool.  Opener in 3:17.  Extra Thym Adren made it slightly worse at 3:26.  That's borderline significant.  Extra Probiotics helped.  Improved to 3:08.  Clearly short on Probiotics.  Extra MF made it worse on the cool and I was "worser" on Taurine.  I may need to lay off that stuff for a while or just take it occasionally.

Distance-1.5

10/20- AM- Just a couple of sprint tests.  Opened with a 65 then was only fractionally better on Thym Adren.  Improved to 58 on 1 extra Probiotic pill.  Not a game changer but definitely a significant improvement.

PM- Modest gain from an extra Thym Adren but the moment of truth came with 800 mcg of MF.  Improved from a 1:44 to 1:30.  I'd call that a game changer.  Tomorrow, I will go back to the old formula.  If I develop intolerance to Probiotics, a few days of Taurine should do the trick.  Let's hope that occasional use will be enough to prevent that from happening. I have a glimmer of hope.

Distance-1.0

10/21-AM- Slept 9 hours and didn't have time for a real workout.  2x400 at Vestavia.  First one was a pathetic 2:53 but improved to 2:37 on 2 extra Thym Adren (MINUS 64 per mile).

PM- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 16:52 (11:15 pace).  Not concerned about my paces now.  Popped another Thym Adren and delivered a strong negative split (8:40-8:12).  Adrenal spike won't go down easily.

Distance-2.0

10/22- FAIL!  Probiotics are too high.  Taurine did mitigate the damage.  These pills must be taken together.  At what ratio?  That's TBD.  I do know that 3 Probiotics with 1 Taurine is too much Probiotics.  Odds are it's either a 2:1 or a 1:1 ratio but it may be affected by the diet.

Distance-0.5

10/23- Vestavia Mile in 9:14.  Good pacing.  Slight negative split without too much slow down in laps 2-3.  Improvement over the last 2 days.  Took a 3:1 ratio last night.  I will continue taking it at night.  Tonight I will go down to 2:1.

PM- Another Mile this time on Lakeshore.  Hit the turnaround in 3:57 (7:54 pace) then treated the back half as a cool down to save strength for tomorrow.  I don't think I would have broken 8:00 but it would have been close.  Definitely a lot better than the morning.  That's because the excess Probiotics are clearing out.  It will be interesting to see what the 2:1 does for me.  There will be some tweaks but I think I'm on the right track.

Distance-2.0

10/24- FAIL!  Wanted 3 miles but had to settle for 1 in a time of 11:43.  Not surprised or disappointed.  This is an adrenal spike and I was beginning to feel it last night.  Popped an extra Thym Adren at the turnaround and the back half was less horrible.  Splits were 6:05-5:38.

PM- Not yet noon and I feel better already.  Did a half lap at Montreat in 87 (8:42 pace) and it felt sustainable.  I'm going to stay on the 2:1 ratio until further notice but it may need to be tweaked.  Also, I will try the Folinic Acid next week but don't think it will be effective.  That's all for today.  I will try for 3 again tomorrow. 

Distance- 1.0

10/25- FAIL.  This time I didn't even try.  I felt a little weaker immediately after the 2:1 last night then woke up feeling HORRIBLE!  Ratio will be 3:2 going forward.  Even that might be too much.

-8 miles 

More Drama

 The plot has thickened again.  After 36 hours off the Methyl Folate, my system demanded it again.  I should have taken a small amount before bed but elected to wait until morning.  I went with 3400 mcg total, which is less than what I had been taking previously.  It was TOO MUCH!  It was so bad that I didn't even need to test it out on a run.  I know what would have happened.  An early exit before the first quarter mile with a pace around 12.

At least one question has been answered.  Can I get away with not taking MF every day?  That answer is NO.  

Options:

1). Reduce the MF and hope it's tolerated.

2). Switch to Folinic Acid 

3). Find a way to tolerate Probiotics again without energy drinks.  Regular use of Taurine might help 

Words cannot express how angry I am!

Edit:

I believe Option 3 is my best hope.  One or two doses of Taurine in pill form won't do anything but regular use could very well enable tolerance for Probiotics.  Odds are that I don't need a large dose of Probiotics to tolerate MF.

A lowered dose of MF may be tolerated but is unlikely to be effective.

Not totally confident in Folinic Acid either.

Probiotics and Methylation

 I know it's interrelated somehow but I'm not sure of the exact nature of the relationship. I read an article by Dr. Lynch, which suggests that without Probiotics, the methylation overflow drain is jammed.  I suppose that makes sense.  In short, if I go a few days without Probiotics (which I cannot tolerate), I will also develop an intolerance for large doses of Methyl Folate.  An experiment with another brand proved the intolerance to the pill form.  This form did NOT contain prebiotics so the Syntol was not the problem.  I need to steer clear of ALL probiotics until further notice.  Most likely, occasional use will be tolerated a few weeks down the road.  

Last Sunday was one of my better time trials of the year.  I clocked an 8:03 for the Mile and believed that I had a sub-8 in me with better pacing.  I went out 10 seconds fast (1:50) in the first lap and was still on pace through 1200.  Nevertheless, something still felt a little bit off as my knees were a bit sore.

I decided to run in back with the same formula on Monday and it was a disaster.  I hoped to do 2-3 miles but lasted just 200 meters with a pace approaching 12.  I stuck it out and walked the rest of the Mile.  When I got home, the culprit was identified as Methyl Folate.  

In my anger and frustration, I binged on sugar.  After that, I felt better and additional doses of Probiotics were tolerated.  With sufficient Probiotics in my system, extra MF was also tolerated.   In recent days, all it took was 1 day clean for the intolerance to kick back in.  The interval is getting shorter.  Now, the tolerance lasts just a few hours and more sugars are required for it to be tolerated.  While Probiotics were not tolerated the next day, an additional dose of MF worked out fine.  However, I know that intolerance to the latter will soon kick in without the Probiotics.

Tuesday was an improvement.  I managed to finish 1 Mile despite a brutal fade in 10:52.  On Wednesday, I took neither Probiotics nor MF and my time was all the way down to 9:11.  If I didn't have to run much of it in Lane 2 due to a HS practice, I might have broken 9.  If the pattern continues, I will be back to the low 8s tomorrow.  

Going forward, NO Probiotics until further notice. That much is clear.  How to navigate the Methyl Folate is still a little murky.  The dosage will definitely have to be cut but because I have the dreaded MTHFR-677 mutation, some support will be necessary.   Low dose every day or maybe just a couple times a week?  If that's not enough, I do have the option of switching to Folinic Acid.  It should be better tolerated but is it effective?  

For an essentially untrained 46 year old on the edge of a collapse, a Mile near 8:00 is not bad.  If by some miracle, I am healthy enough to train at 30 MPW consistently, I bet I could still break 1:50 in the half marathon.  Maybe even 1:45.  That said, at this point, I don't even care about my times.  I just want to participate in races and be a part of the running community.  Is that too much to ask?

Probiotic Mess/Veterans Day Trip

 I am now intolerant to Syntol Probiotics. Just a few weeks ago, they were absolutely necessary.  Nothing new for me! I'll bet that those pills will become a non-factor in a month or two.  Is it the probiotics or the prebiotics that I can't take or is it the pill form?  

I'll pick up an inexpensive probiotic at the store next week to answer this question.  I did eat 2 cups of yogurt this morning for breakfast without any issues so maybe it's the pills.  

To add to the drama, if I go overboard with the forbidden drinks, I need the pills again.  However, if I abstain for just one day, the intolerance kicks in bigly!  At first, it appeared that energy drinks were the only problem.  That does make sense because the Taurine in Red Bull can counteract the Probiotics.  One day, I had an episode in which I drank an iced tea with no problem then a beer with no problem but from the first sip of Coke, OUCH!  

Odds are that the one Coke (caffeine) wasn't the problem.  It only became one because it was the 3rd forbidden drink of the day.  Next day, alcohol was the only forbidden drink that I had.  No caffeine, tea or even non-caffeinated sugared drinks.  Only problem was that I drank the equivalent of 3 beers.  Hardly a binge but OUCH!  Next morning, I couldn't run at all but Syntol helped until the afternoon.  I was clean the next day and by the evening, I was once again intolerant to Syntol.

Going forward, it appears that I can handle an occasional Coke or beer but no more than 1 per day.  I showed some promise in my workout today (1 Mile in 8:18) despite raw and windy conditions. I was on sub-8 pace for 600 before fading at the end.  I'm shooting for a 5K in 4 weeks. Update: Repeated the Mile and felt about the same but improved to 8:03 the next day.

I'm now leaning TOWARDS Los Angeles the weekend before Veterans Day.  After the recent heat wave, the water temperature is up to 75.  I bet that will hold up for another 4 weeks.  I'm sure it will dip a bit but it should remain above 68.  Yes, there is a 5K in Malibu that weekend.  

Odds are that I would fly to LAX and stay in Santa Monica, within walking distance of both the beach and the Metro.  No need to worry about the key fob and I can probably get a good deal because it's the off-season.

Here's a list of some of the things I'd like to see:

Zuma and Malibu Beach 

Topanga and Tuna State Park 

Ronald Reagan Library 

Venice Beach boardwalk 

Griffith Park

Hollywood Blvd

Echo Park and/or City Hall 

Rooftop Bar

Petersen Auto Museum 

LA Coliseum and Rose Bowl

USC/UCLA 

Obviously, I need more than 2 days to see all that and there's plenty to do even if it's not pleasant for swimming.  As far as the traffic, I don't anticipate any problems on the weekend going to Malibu, Simi Valley or Pasadena.  On a Monday or Tuesday, I will use public transportation to get to downtown or to Hollywood especially if it is rush hour.  Santa Monica to LAX also avoids the freeways.  

Stop over from Hawaii:

San Francisco is the more convenient option.  In LA, flights don't arrive until very late.  I'd have to stay near the airport and would have to spend 2 nights if I want to do any touring at all.  Without a car, I am limited to downtown and Hollywood.  In SF,  flights usually arrive at a reasonable time.  I can take BART to my hotel, go out for a drink and maybe see a park but that's probably it.  One night is all I need.  I've stayed in Embarcadero and the Mission District.  This time, I will opt for Union Square, which is probably the most upscale part of town.  

Training 9/28-10/4

 9/28-AM- 1.5 miles in 15:54 (10:36 pace).  Matched yesterday's pace and tacked on 50 percent extra distance.  I'll take it.  Strong negative split (8:15-7:39).  Felt better during the day too 

PM- 2.5 miles in 24:48 (9:55 pace). Looks better on the surface but I was feeling weird.  Early pace was 9:30 with minimal effort but I could feel a fade coming from a mile away.  Considering bailing but stuck it out (12:05-12:43) and it took a rally to shore up the sub-25.  Likely very overstimulated and will get better with Thym Adren.

Distance-4.0

9/29- AM- Opener in 1:56 (11:36 pace) and it was as ugly as it appears.  

Closer in 1:07 (6-7).  6:42 pace.  I eased up a bit at the end too.  Otherwise, it would have been a 5 minute gap.  That has GOT to diminish soon.  I think the Thym Adren was already starting to wear off by yesterday's afternoon session.  That's why I faded.

PM- Step backwards.  1.5 miles in 15:29 (10:19 pace).  No panic.  The pills wore off.  Today's run was 2 hours later in the day than yesterday so that explains it.  Tomorrow's workout will be in the AM.

Distance-2.0

9/30- Opener improved to 1:48 (10:48 pace). MINUS 48.  Hoped for a little better but I'll take it.  Gap is probably down to 4:30.  No closer.  Went straight out for the real workout.  I was WORSE after the pills.  Bailed before the first mile with a pace over 12.  Culprit was Probiotics.  What do I do now?

Distance-1.0

PM- Felt a little better in the afternoon then went backwards again after taking Probiotics.  Taurine didn't help.  This is likely a detox reaction.  Best option is to reduce the Probiotics but it must be enough to tolerate the MF.  

10/1- Definitely detox.  Couldn't tolerate the Probiotics in the morning but when I cheated on my diet, I needed them again.  Write off another week as a loss.  Time running out.

2026-2027 Travel Plans

 A little early for a post like this but I most likely have just 2 trips left in 2026.  Neither will be epic.  Just a long weekend.  I will NOT be traveling for Columbus Day this year.  Instead, it will be the north Georgia mountains the following week for Cynthia's birthday.  

Veteran's Day falls on a Wednesday this year so I have the option of something big with 2 days off work.  I usually go to North Florida that weekend but I feel like something different is in order this year.  It will be the anniversary of my Dad's death so I'm not sure how I feel about going anywhere.

I considered California, more specifically Malibu and the Los Angeles area.  With El Nino, the water might still be warm enough for a swim.  That said, I was in So-Cal just last summer and have plans to return next Spring.  I also worry about storm surge and unpredictable weather associated with El Nino.  Unlikely.

Galveston, TX is an option.  Drive or fly?  I may not need a rental because there is a shuttle service from Houston to Galveston.  If I drive, a stop in South Loosiana on the way back could be interesting.  

The third option is an Arkansas foliage tour that will extend into eastern Oklahoma.  Overnight options include Fort Smith, Little Rock, Memphis and Tupelo.  The Talimena Scenic Byway is uncharted territory and so is Fort Smith.  I'm leaning towards this one.

2027:

The winter trip will be either Miami and Key West or Puerto Rico.  Been to both but didn't do justice to either Key West or San Juan.  

Will there be a baseball season?  If so, it will be Minnesota in late Spring and Detroit in the summer.  That will leave me with only one to go, which is Las Vegas when the new stadium opens in 2028.  

Of the 4 remaining bucket list trips, 3 must be done between July and September.  The only one that works best in the Spring is Kauai.  I will spend 3 days there then probably a day and a half in Los Angeles to break up the jet lag.  I won't rent a car and will stick to downtown and Hollywood.  

The only one that can be done without too much time off is Niagara Falls.  I can get there from Pittsburgh in just over 4 hours.  Even with a dip in Erie, it's manageable in just one day.  

Pacific Coast Highway- In order to do it justice, you really need 4 days to drive between San Francisco and Santa Monica.  Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Pismo, Santa Barbara and Malibu are must sees along the way.  Add to that, you need almost a full day to get there and definitely a full day to get back.  That's essentially a full week off.

Washington State- Seattle is the hub but there are 3 national parks that are a fair distance apart.  They are North Cascades, Olympic and Rainier.  Again, it will require a full week off.  

There's no way that I can do all of this in one year.  If I make half of it, I'd say that would be pretty good