NO lab results this week. I didn't expect them until Monday at the earliest. The turnaround time is 4-6 business days. I hope that my Aldosterone is indeed elevated while my Autoimmune profile is normal.
Reflecting on my workout today, I went out around 10:00 pace, dipped slightly under in Mile 2, held it in Mile 3 then collapsed. If I can run 2 miles @ 9:13 with a strong negative split, a 10:00 pace should NOT be a tough ask for 4-5 miles. As it is, I passed the halfway point in 24:51 then finished in 32-flat. OUCH! From Mile 3.2 on, I employed a walk/jog pattern at a ratio of roughly 4:1 but did run all the way through from 4.62 to the finish. There is no way that I could have matched or even come close to yesterday's workout even if I planned on stopping at 2 miles. I estimate that I would have finished around 19:20, or nearly 30 ticks slower per mile.
Here's what I predict will happen next week:
I will be HORRIBLE tomorrow. Probably around 24 minutes for 2 miles. I'll rest for 2-3 days then do a lot better next time. This will be done WITHOUT any major adjustments with the pills (that's a key point).
Am I overdoing it?
Hardly! I've done just 14 miles in the last 7 days and none of it was particularly hard. Yesterday's 2 miler really should NOT have taken much out of me. It seems that no matter how slow the pace, 3.3 miles (1/4 of the race distance) appears to be my limit.
Cause:
I have a very strong feeling that my Na/K ratio is too high, and an elevated Aldosterone would confirm it. The ideal range is 2.5-4.0:1. It's better to be a little on the high side than the low side but I'm sure if that ratio is in the 6-8 range or higher and stays there for any length of time, it will cause BIG problems. My running health was in a similar state back in 2006. I could maintain a decent clip for 2-3 miles but could not go beyond that no matter how slow the pace. Back then, the culprit was a LOW Na/K and an adrenaline deficiency. Everything was normal in the blood so I'm not sold on this test result. What does sell me is the fact that my pace improved from 11:18 to 8:24 just minutes after taking a supplement designed to LOWER that key ratio! I tried the pill designed to raise it and had a swift negative response.
Solution:
What did I do back in 2006? In addition to the recommended cocktail of pills, I took 6 weeks off running then started back again gradually. Within 6 weeks, I was back under 25 for 5K. Within 6 months, I was under 2 hours for a half mary. Incredibly, in just over 18-19 months, I was a sub-4 marathoner! I looked like a living miracle, but what people did not see was that I had to make constant adjustments to my cocktail to stay in good form. Perhaps Candida was the culprit.
Hawaii:
If I can build up to 30 MPW and get a couple 10-12 milers under my belt, it will be a respectable showing. However, if my prediction for next week is correct, it will be clear that I cannot handle steady training at this time. It is a very inopportune time to take 6 weeks off given that I am only 12 weeks out from race day. I have 2 options:
1) Limit my training to 3 days per week and strive for decent quality. At least 3 miles per session and a weekend long walk/jog session. After the race, I will take the rest of 2022 off.
2) Take off 6 weeks right now and forget about respectability on race day. I will not even attempt to run the whole way. It will be a Gallo-walk from the start. I will probably have to do that with Option 1 as well.
I am leaning towards #2. I have no time goal. I just want to finish. The time limit is 3:30, or roughly 16 minute pace. To put that in perspective, my pace per mile on the back half today was 12:48 despite being DEAD from running non-stop for 3.2 miles. Unless it is an extremely bad day, I really should come in well under that time even if I am almost completely untrained. What is most important is getting healthy ASAP. If running is holding me back at this time, it's got to stop until it is safe to resume it.
Unless by some miracle, I find a supp that gets me better fast, I'm going with #2. Also, the Autoimmune panel could throw a wrench in my plans. If something is abnormal, who knows what could be prescribed? How will I react to it? I've got to listen to the doctor on this. If something is flagged, I've already pulled out all the stops and see no other way to treat the sensitivity.
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