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.

Training 7/6-7/12

 7/6- 1 Mile on New Lakeshore in 10:34.  Not as bad as I feared considering the weekend that I had.  Relatively even pace with a little bit left at the end.  Splits were 5:15-5:19.

Distance-1.0

7/7- AM-Repeated the 1 Mile distance this time on the track at Vestavia.  Hoped to be comfortably under 10.  I was comfortably under 9.  Finished in 8:49 with splits of 2:16-2:12-2:10-2:11.

Tried to run in the evening but could not.  Odds are that it was sugar withdrawal.  Mag is still tolerated.  

Distance-1.0

7/8- Caffeine withdrawal was the culprit, not sugar.  Drank a caffeine free ginger ale and it did nothing.  A NOS Energy eliminated the withdrawal but re-started the clock.  By the evening, I was well enough to attempt a workout.  

1 Mile in 10:44 with a negative split (5:28-5:16)

Distance-1.0

7/9- AM-Got through the withdrawal and now I face an adrenal spike.  Quit after a half mile with a time over 6.

PM- 1.5 miles in 15:45 (10:30 pace) with splits of 7:58-7:47.  I'll take it.

Distance-2.0

7/10- 2 miles in 20:30 (10:15 pace).  Improvement but hoped for better.  I reduced the Thym Adren from 8 to 6.  If I had taken yesterday's dosage, I am likely under 20 if not 19:30.  Even pace with no attempt to kick 

Distance-2.0

7/11- Unplanned rest day.  Feels like sugar withdrawal.  Again, I got better briefly after drinking Gatorade but it re-started the clock.

7/12- 1 Mile in 11:15.  Adrenal spike is brutal but I am staying strong 

Distance-1.0

8 miles

Training 6/22-6/28

 More drama with the pills.  I will update this later.

6/22- Planned rest day.

6/23- Did a sprint in 79 with no pills.  Improved to 72 on Thym Adren.  Significant but not a game changer.  Paramin is the new must take.  I was all the way down to 53 on that.  Estimated distance was 200 meters.  

PM- Took Zinc at lunch.  Not surprised that it made things much worse.  Extra Cal did help but too much triggered the need for Mag.  Cut the Zinc and increase the Paramin.  That's my only option.  

Distance-0.5

6/24- AM- 1 Mile in 11:50

PM- Took extra Paramin and showed improvement.  1.5 miles in 16:28 (10:59 pace).

Distance-2.5

6/25- 2 miles in 20:36 (10:18 pace).  Steady improvement.  I will take it.  Even pace too.

PM- No running but much worse after caffeine.  Is it the caffeine or the sugar?  Sugar free didn't work either but that doesn't surprise me.  Fake sugar may be worse.  Nothing helped except extra Paramin.

Distance-2.0

6/26- Bad reaction to Body Armor.  Complete sugar intolerance.  Extra Paramin did help but it wasn't enough.  Something else is at work here.  I got the idea to take Magnesium and got better immediately.  I'm going with Maggie.  No Zinc until further notice.  

6/27-AM High hopes for today ended with an adrenal spike.  1 Mile in 13:48.

PM-  In spite of both Coke and alcohol today, I improved to 10:52 this evening.

Distance-2.0

Training 6/8-6/14

 This is what I am up against.  I got an increased demand for Paramin, which triggered the need for B12, which was only tolerated in small doses prior to this.  Ouch!

6/8- The usual pattern.  Initial positive reaction to B12, which turned negative overnight.  When the shock fades, I will have an insatiable need for it.

I was still in the negative phase this morning.  Quit after 2 laps on the track with a time over 6 minutes.

Distance-0.5

Insatiable need kicked in by the afternoon.

6/9- 1 Mile on New Lakeshore in 10:50. Splits were 5:34-5:16.  Had to drink a Red Bull this afternoon because I couldn't stay awake at work.  Extra B12 would have been a better choice.

Distance-1.0

6/10- 2 miles in 20:17 (10:09 pace).  Painful but it was a big improvement over yesterday.  Splits were 10:07-10:10.  Very over-stimulated but the need for B12 may be starting to diminish.  Red Bull again today then I go off.  Just hope I don't have major withdrawals.

Distance-2.0

6/11- Collapse.  Quit after just a tenth of a mile and have no idea.

6/12- Still looking for answers.  Found it.  The B12 is still very necessary but it must be taken AFTER the Paramin during the day.  What the.  ------!  If I get the order wrong, I am worthless.

Distance-0.5

6/13- Made the adjustment.  1 Mile in 11:36 with splits of 5:56-5:40.  Felt better as the day progressed.  

Distance-1.0

6/14- 2 miles on New Lakeshore.  Finished in 19:52 (9:56 pace).  This route is a bit more rolling than the one I normally do. Splits were 9:55-9:57.  Can't say that I am pleased but it was a lot better than yesterday.

Distance-2.0

7 miles on the week 

Training 5/28-6/7

 5/28- Glutamine wore off and I can tolerate Thym Adren again.  Did 1 Mile in 11:35 and it was painful.

Distance-1.0

5/29- Opener in 1:58.  Closer in 1:38 so the gap remains constant at 20 seconds (2:00 per mile).  Real workout was an improvement over yesterday.  1.5 miles in 16:22 (10:55 pace) with even splits.  Added a short cool.

Distance-2.0

5/30- 2 miles in 20:38 (10:19 pace).  Slow climb out of the pit as usual.  Even pace again.  Bad reaction to Glutamine yesterday but it cleared by the morning.  Will I need it occasionally?  I don't know.

Distance-2.0

5/31- Unplanned rest day.  Caffeine withdrawal hit later than usual and it's lasting longer.  Not angry about this.  I did it to myself but it never would have happened if not for the Glutamine Issues.

6/1- AM.  1 Mile on Lakeshore in 11:49.  Very painful but the strong negative split (6:08-5:41) suggests better days ahead.

PM- Repeated the Mile distance this time at New Lakeshore.  Improvement by 90 seconds down to 10:19.  Splits were 5:15-5:04.

Distance-2.0

6/2- Opener in 1:49.  Closer in 1:27.  Gap actually increased a tad.  Not real happy with that.  Someday, it's gotta close.

Real workout was 1.5 miles in 15:09 (10:06 pace).  Hoped for a little better but I'll take it.  Modest improvement in the pace but increased the distance by 50 percent.  If I even maintained the same pace over 6 miles as I did over 4, I'd be quite pleased.  Added a short cool.

PM- Began to suspect that I am low on Paramin.  I skimped on it last night.  Improved from an 86 to a 78 after popping 2 more of those pills.  That is significant.

Distance-2.5

6/3- Opener in 93, which is a big improvement.  However, I didn't feel much better after the Thym Adren.  Real workout was a failure.  1 Mile in 10:38 plus a cool.  Early pace was slightly under 10 and was still on pace through 0.75 but the power cut off and I was done.  

Culprit?  Thought it might be lack of Glutamine but it didn't really do anything.  Glad it didn't make things worse.  I did feel better after Paramin.  I thought that abstinence from sugar would reduce my dependency on that stuff.  Instead, it appears that the demand temporarily increased.  ARGH!

Distance-1.5

Increased Paramin did help but it evolved into complete intolerance to sugar 

Glutamine made no difference either way.  B12 did help.  B12 is only tolerated if I take sufficient Paramin.  Argh!

Tampa/Bradenton Trip Report

 A trip with my Mom.  This was the weekend of my Dad's would be birthday.  Mom really needed this and so did I.  

5/22- Worked a full day then drove to Atlanta.  I took my time due to a flight delay but arrived about 20 minutes before Mom landed.  I booked a hotel connected to the airport and just took the sky train to baggage claim, where I met Mom right on time.  We went to the lounge for a drink then hit the sack.

5/23- 10 AM flight and a 45 minute line at security but we had plenty of time.  I am not a fan of Frontier Airlines but this was the only flight with a reasonable arrival time.  It looks like a great deal but because of the outrageous bag fees, it's really not.  They said that they would hold the plane for 20 minutes to accommodate passengers who were delayed on a prior flight.  That turned into more than an hour.  

Lunch was fast food at the airport then we got the rental car and did not arrive at the hotel in Clearwater until after 3.  I took a dip then we got some delicious Grouper at a restaurant on the beach.  We then saw a beautiful sunset over the water then went out for a drink.  

I didn't bring my board because the surf forecast showed 0-1 foot waves all week.  Bad call there.  Surf was surprisingly decent and better than expected.  3 out of 4 sessions had rideable waves.  I still enjoyed it even if I was only body surfing.

  As far as the weather, it turned out pretty good.  We are right at the transition between the dry season and the rainy season.  That means a guaranteed high temperature in the low 90s but a risk of scattered storms in the afternoon and evening.  We got some thunder but no significant rainfall.  Water temp was about 82.  Just about perfect.  

5/24- Morning beach session then checked out and attended church.  From Clearwater, it was a little over an hour south to Bradenton.  Our first stop was Pirates City, the Spring Training site of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  There was no museum but we did get to tour their practice fields and took a walk around the bases.  

From Bradenton, it was about 20 minutes to Anna Maria Island, specifically Holmes Beach.  We chose to stay inland because beach hotels are outrageously expensive ($600+ per night).  Parking can be hard to come by but because we arrived late, it wasn't too hard.  Dinner was nice but the beach session was cut short due to a threat of storms that never came.  

5/25- Another 30 minutes south to Siesta Key.  Despite a 9:30 arrival, parking was a nightmare.  Fortunately, we got lucky at a small public lot with no bathroom.  We had to sneak in a hotel but it was a success.  This was the most beautiful beach with the best surf.  It is often ranked as the number 1 beach in the country and I can see why.  

From Siesta Key, it was about an hour and 15 minutes north to Tampa.  We spent about an hour touring the Aquarium then checked into our hotel in Ybor City.  This is the party section of Tampa.  I just wanted to check it out.  Dinner was a steak at a Spanish restaurant then I went out for an uneventful drink at the bar.  Nevertheless, I found Ybor City to be interesting and worth a visit.  

5/26- Uneventful.  Smooth ride to the Tampa airport.  On time flight to Atlanta and the drive back to Birmingham wasn't too bad.  

Glutamine Issues Again

 5/18- NOT A V-SHAPED RECOVERY!  ANOTHER COLLAPSE.  Quit after just a half mile with a pace over 12.  In bed by 7:00 and slept the next 10 hours.  Any way out of this vicious cycle of slow climbs out of the pit followed by another collapse?  Don't try any new pills and if I get a reaction, DON'T TOUCH ENERGY DRINKS to be functional at work.  Take a sick day if necessary.

Distance-0.5

5/19- As expected.  Slow climb out of the pit.  Did 1.5 miles in 16:25 (10:57 pace).  The strong negative split (8:25-8:00) suggests better days ahead.  No cause for celebration.

Distance-1.5

My need for Glutamine increased this week then I became completely intolerant.  I have no words.

Training 5/11-5/17

 5/11- 1 Mile in 11:48.  Believe it or not, this was better than my feeble attempt last weekend.  Splits were 6:02-5:46, which suggests better days ahead.

Distance-1.0

5/12- Extra sleep with vivid dreams last night.  Hoped to run 2 miles but cut it short at 1.5 in a time of 15:29 (10:19 pace).  Splits were 7:49-7:40.  Very over-stimulated but a LOT BETTER than yesterday.  I will stick with the current formula and won't mess with any other pills.

Distance-1.5

5/13- More vivid dreams and this time, it was a nightmare.  Showed progress in the workout.  2 miles in 19:44 (9:52 pace) with splits of 9:55-9:49.  I'll take it.  Still awfully over-stimulated and I need to temporarily increase my dosage.

Distance-2.0

5/14- COLLAPSE!  Quit after just a half mile at a pace well over 11.  Lack of methylation was the culprit.  I am not surprised or disappointed by this development.  I had to try to go without it.  Turns out that I need it occasionally just like the Malic Acid.  I can go 5-7 days without it but no more.  

Felt better after taking the Methyl Folate but it was not an instant fix.  Had to pee several times within just an hour, which could be a sign of detox.  I'll be better tomorrow.

Distance-0.5

5/15- 2 miles in 19:28 (9:44 pace).  A 1 day blip with a V-shaped recovery?  I can deal with that.  What really pisses me off is a collapse followed by a gradual recovery then another collapse then repeat In this case, I am back to where I was on Wednesday plus a tad more.  

Felt about the same as usual.  Decent leg power but easily winded.  Blood donation may ease the adrenal spike and I may consider it down the road but I am DONE messing with the pills.  I'm sticking with this formula for better or worse.

Distance-2.0

5/16- Not overstimulated at all this morning.  Instead, I was sluggish and lethargic.  Attempted 3 miles and had to quit at 1.5 in 15:08 (10:05 pace)  Passed the 1 Mile mark in 9:30 then had nothing left after that.  Next half mile was over 11 pace. 

 Culprit is either lack of NAC or B-6.  I thought B6 would be tolerated with better Cal/Mag balance but I'm not ready for it yet.  B6 is part of my methylation support but should not be needed.

NAC was not a factor and neither was B-12.  The culprit was B-6.  Thought it would be tolerated as part of the methylation support but it's not.  Good news is that it's water soluble and should clear quickly.  Simply peeing brought my interval time down from 2:02-1:53.  3 Paramin lowered it to 1:37 (9:42 pace).  Is it tolerated if I take mega Paramin?  Probably not, but it may get me there faster.  I'm not taking it until further notice.  I'm hoping for another V-shaped recovery but I have a feeling that it will be a slow climb out of this pit.

Distance-2.0

5/17- Back to over-stimulation.  I think the B6 has cleared.  2 miles in 21:16 (10:38 pace).  Splits were 10:43-10:33.  Not a V-shaped recovery but not as bad as expected.  I should be back to Friday's pace in another day or so.  

Distance-2.0

11 miles on the week.

Training 5/4-5/10

 If I had to guess, the ingredient in the tanning gummies that I cannot tolerate is beta carotene because it produces too much Vitamin A.  Last weekend, I tried low dose Glutamine and neither it nor Thym Adren was tolerated after taking the last of the gummies on Friday.  Is there a way to get the Vitamin A out faster?  Maybe.  The antidote is Vitamin D-3.  That's plain D-3 without Calcium or Magnesium.

5/4- Hated interval tests.

Opener-98

2 Thym Adren-80

Vitamin D-3 -92

Glutamine-68

Distance-0.5

Wow!  How do I process this?  After 36 hours off Glutamine, Thym Adren was needed again.  That was expected.  Though I felt worse on D, it did the job.  It depleted the excess A that I suspect was the source of my recent ills and triggered the need for Glutamine.  After taking that, I was a LOT BETTER.

Do I stay on the D long-term?  I don't know.  Even if the tanning gummies are tolerable on D, I'm still not taking them.  I may be open to plain Astaxanthin down the road.

  I have one off the wall theory:  Accutane flooded my system with toxic doses of Vitamin A, which may never have fully cleared.   Could D be the antidote?  I'm willing to try it.  Worst case is that it doesn't work and I endure a few horrible days.

5/5- Opener in a poor 1:45 (10:30 pace).  Hit the track in Vestavia for the real workout.  Clocked an 8:56 in the Mile, which is about what I expected. Added a 1 lap cool on the outside lane.

Very little running in the last 4 weeks and no Thym Adren for the past few days will take a toll.  Extra D didn't make much difference. Popped an extra pill at the halfway point.  Back half was marginally faster (4:30-4:26) but didn't feel any difference.  I will probably finish the bottle and be done with it unless something dramatic happens tomorrow.  Good news is that both Thym Adren and Glutamine are tolerated again.

Distance-1.5

5/6- Opened with a 1:41, which was a modest improvement over yesterday.  Popped 2 D-3 pills and got WORSE (1:58).  This time, Glutamine didn't help.  Neither did Thym Adren.  I will pitch the D but this was a risk that I was willing to take.

PM- Thought I could handle D if I took it with Paramin.  I thought wrong!  If this was going to happen, I am glad it happened now.  Not after 2 weeks of tolerance!  I am back to the starting line.

Distance-0.5

5/7- Lakeshore 1.5 in 17:31 (11:41 pace).  This was about what I expected as the D hasn't fully cleared.  Best guess is that it works similarly to stand alone Cal by depleting Potassium.  I think I'm on the right path now.  Negative split (8:53-8:38) suggests better days ahead.

Distance-1.5

5/8- 2 miles in 21:47 (10:53 pace).  Satisfactory.  Significant improvement over yesterday but was hoping for a little better.  Even pace with a little bit of a push at the end.  Splits were 10:56-10:51.  Very sore and short of breath, which is a double whammy.  

Distance-2.0

5/9- Crashed again.  Taurine is likely the culprit and it cannot be taken with Glutamine 

Distance-1.0