Training 12/21-12/31

 12/21- Got just about what I expected today.  2x400 at Vestavia.  Opened without anything then took 2 chews with no adrenal support.  Tomorrow, I will repeat this workout except I will open with the chews then take the adrenal support.  First lap was 2:43.7 then improved to 2:29.4 (PR).  The adrenal spike has died down since I last checked in but the demand for the chews has increased.  That pattern will reverse itself before too long.  Eventually, I will stabilize but probably with low energy.

Distance=0.5

12/22- Vestavia 400 in 2:10.3 (PR).  Took 2 Thym-Adren pills and repeated the distance.  Improved to a 2:05.2 (PR).  Added a half mile cool.  A 5 second improvement over 1 lap.  Is that enough to be considered significant?  As a percentage, it's about 4%, which is in the gray area.  It won't affect my plan.  I'll take it every day, but this does NOT qualify as an extreme need.  If I forget to pack it over Christmas, I'll be okay.  I may be able to squeeze in 1 or 2 runs on the mill over the next few days of extreme cold.  A sub-2:00 is within reach but next time, I will shoot for a non-stop Mile.

The need for chews appears to be diminishing but the adrenals could spike again when that happens.  That's okay.  It will eventually die down as well.

Distance=1.0 

12/23- Evening run on the 'mill.  Set the speed at 6.2 (9:40 pace) and let it run for a mile.  Not bad.  Difficult to assess because I've never been able to match my treadmill times outdoors.  Just glad to get my legs moving.

Distance=1.0

12/24- AM run on the 'mill this time without any chews.  Started out slowly then gradually bumped up the pace.  I was doing 6.5 at the end.  Again, not a workout to remember but at least I got it done.

Distance=1.0

12/25- Planned rest day.

12/26- Trip home.  Stopped at the track on the way.  Finished 1 mile non-stop as planned with a time of 10:26.0  My time is pretty much meaningless at this stage but I did hope to do a little better than this.  On the plus side, I wasn't pushing at all and the only real goal was to finish.  I bet I could have gone another 4 laps at least.  I should get a pretty easy PR next time I run this distance.  I do think I can finish a 5K by the 31st. 

Distance=1.0

12/27- Vestavia 400 in 1:40.5 (MASSIVE PR).  I did expect to break 2:00 but did not expect a sub-1:50.  I never thought I would threaten 1:45 let alone 1:40.  I passed 200 in 48 then hung on for a 52 and I was working pretty hard on the back half.   Next time, I will hit double digits.  This tells me that my time for the Mile is VERY soft.  I aim to beat that time tomorrow.  Added a 1 lap cool.  

PM- Easy 1.5 on Lakeshore in 15:09 (10:06 pace).  This does not count as a PR even though I surely covered 1 Mile faster than 10:26 at both the beginning and the end.  I don't know the exact distance and my GPS signal was funky.  Overall, it was an improvement over yesterday, but I can't let a decent sprint time give me a false sense of fitness.  I've got a LONG way to go.    

Distance=2.0

12/28- Vestavia Mile in 8:50.3 (PR).  Splits were 2:13-2:17-2:18-2:02.  Surprised that I had something left at the end and there is clearly room for improvement.  I expected to be around 9-flat and did a little better.  That's it for today.

Distance- 1.0

12/29- Adrenals have spiked.  This is not a big surprise.  My need for Chews has diminished considerably but I need mega Thym-Adren.  

Workout was 3x1 lap at Montreat.  Opened with a pitiful 4:15 (12:45 pace) then fared no better on the chews.  Popped Thym-Adren and improved to a 3:42 (11:06 pace).  Last week, this pill only made a difference of 20 seconds per mile.  Today, the gap was 99 seconds.  Within about 7 days, this too will fade.  In theory, I am in the clear after this but it never happens in reality.  I will still try to do a 5K on Saturday even though it will be pathetic.

Distance-1.0

12/30- Planned rest day

12/31- Pathetic as expected but I got through it.  5,000 meters non-stop.  12.5 laps around Vestavia track, so the distance is certified.  Finished in a time of 36:55 (11:52 pace).  The adrenal spike is on its 3rd day, and it will be 3 more days until it dies down.  Am I in the clear after that?  Probably not.  Good news is that I am on the board for the 5K distance, and I should get a pretty easy PR next time out. 

-12 miles total.  I'll be in Costa Rica most of next week, but I'll manage a couple of junk runs. 

Super Beets Heart Chews Product Review

 Without this product, I predict that I will be able to train steadily and consistently but my energy will remain LOW.  My time in the 5K will plateau between 27-28 minutes and I will struggle to break 1 hour in the 10K.  That's not good enough.  I don't expect to match my times from my early 30s but I certainly was not expecting this either.  As recently as 2017, I was capable of a 1:40 half marathon if I regulated my cocktail of pills perfectly.  Now, I don't think I can run 2:20 on a good day and can't even finish without regular walk breaks.  It will get worse if I don't take new action.  

Blood Pressure:

It's going to run a little on the high side and that's okay.  I'm a fast oxidizer with an adrenal dominant pattern so that's to be expected.  As long as I can keep it below 135/90, I won't worry about it at all.  Nowadays, it has been tested several times around 150/100.  That's approaching the danger zone.  Restricting my alcohol and caffeine consumption while running 3 miles per day will help but I don't think it will be enough.  Word on the street is that blood pressure medication has AWFUL side effects, so I do hope to avoid that.

The product is made by a company called human n.  It is called Super Beets heart chews, with 3 advertised claims.

-Promotes normal blood pressure as part of a healthy lifestyle

-Promotes heart healthy energy

-Supports blood flow.

I DO suspect that my blood flow is weak due to a deficiency in nitric oxide.  I didn't expect a miracle but if the product boosted my energy a bit while reducing my blood pressure, it will be well worth it.  Now that my autoimmune issues APPEAR to be resolved, there is little danger of an inexplicable reaction.  

The product arrived after work on Thursday 12/15.

I didn't expect to like the taste, but I found it was pleasant.  That was not a factor in my purchase, however.  I did not quite feel any immediate effects but within minutes, I could feel that my legs had a bit more spring and more flexibility.  Very good.  Unfortunately, it also put me to sleep for the night at 7:30 PM.  I was out until it was time to get up the next morning.  

The next morning, I took just 1 chew instead of the recommended 2.  I found that my adrenals had spiked BIGLY.  I was a lot more dependent of the Thym-Adren pills but after I took a few extra, I actually felt decent at work.  My mood was the best it had been in a long time.  By the evening however, I was fading.  The leg stiffness had returned and that did not get better until I took a 2nd chew.  In turn, that also increased my need for Thym-Adren.   

Verdict:

Jury is still out.  I REALLY HATE being dependent on both the Super Beets and the Thym-Adren once again, but I do expect that will fade in due time once I build up a reserve of the Super Beets.  The adrenal spike clearly indicates that it is doing SOMETHING.  It is common after resolving a long-standing problem.   I will report back when I start running again.  I've chosen a start date of 12/21.  That's 4 days shy of the planned 6 weeks off but I like the symbolism of the winter solstice.  It's the darkest that it is going to get.  It will be very cold over the Christmas holiday, so I expect to do nothing between 12/23-12/26.  My first two workouts will be less than 1 Mile.  I will not go longer with walk/jogging.  It will be all running.  If I can't go long distance, so be it.  I do have a rather ambitious goal to finish an unofficial 5K on New Years Eve.  New Years Day, I'll be in Costa Rica.  I won't do much there either but should be able to manage a couple of junk runs.  It won't be much hotter than 85 degrees, but the humidity will be brutal.   

2022 Travel Stats and 2023 Plans

 I visited 15 US states in 2022.  That’s well short of my personal record of 26 but still a good year.  I’ll call it 18 because I also visited 3 Mexican states.  In several cases, I made multiple visits as well.

Alabama- Birmingham, Mobile

Tennessee- Gatlinburg, state park

Texas- El Paso, San Antonio, Port Aransas

New Mexico- Las Cruces, White Sands NP

Arizona- Tucson

South Carolina- Isle of Palms, Greenville, Columbia

North Carolina- Maggie Valley, Charlotte, Outer Banks

Georgia- Jekyll Island, state park

Florida- Tampa, Miami, Fernandina Beach, Pensacola, Panama City

Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh

Mississippi- Ship Island, Gulfport

Louisiana- New Orleans, Shreveport

Virginia- Virginia Beach

California- Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco

Hawaii- Oahu

Baja California- Tijuana

Sonora- Nogales

Chihuahua- Ciudad Juarez

Looking ahead to 2023, I’ve got Costa Rica booked for New Years and Idaho planned for President’s Day.  Over the summer, I’d like to hit the northwest.  Hopefully, Alaska and/or Oregon/Nor-Cal.  I am 6 states away from visiting all 50 states at least twice.  I’d like to get that knocked down to 3 or less.  Those states are Alaska, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Idaho and Wisconsin.  If you go by the lenient standard, I’m only missing Alaska and North Dakota.

Ready to Run

 It has now been 30 days since I crossed the finish line in Hawaii, and I have not run since.  For the first 3 weeks, I did not miss it at all.  I’m starting to get the itch to run again but I will stick with the original plan and take off another 10 days.  I don’t think it will make much difference either way.  I thought that perhaps an extended break might reset my system and I would feel better.  That seems unlikely though there have been some positive signs. 

The last time I checked in regarding my health, I had flip-flopped from an extreme need for Cytokine suppressants or other auto-immune supplements to complete intolerance.  I am pleased to report that I can now tolerate them again and there is no extreme need.  That holds true for everything else in my cabinet.  I can take any pill or not take it on any given day and though I have not run to test it out, I felt NO DISCERNABLE DIFFERENCE!  That is YUGE!  My adrenals did spike for about a week after Thanksgiving but that too has gone down.  Last Friday, I took no pills at all, and I really wasn’t THAT bad. 

While the adrenal spike was still ongoing, I finally got around to make an appointment for blood donation.  I last donated in February.  Back then, it did stop an adrenal spike and left me temporarily intolerant to Thym-Adren.  That does not appear to be happening this time around.  In fact, it probably will make little difference one way or the other.  If I permanently quit all of my pills, I’m pretty sure that I would melt down eventually but that’s okay.  Could I make it through a long weekend without pills?  I think so.  That means that if I somehow forget to pack a key pill, it won’t ruin the fun of a road trip.   

As I’ve said many times, my demands are hardly unreasonable.  I only have 3 conditions that are non-negotiable:  Stable cocktail, no extreme need for any one pill, adequate energy levels.  I’ve been burned by false hopes too many times but as of now, 2 out of 3 conditions have been met.  The bad news is that my energy level remains very low, and I still have abnormal stiffness in my legs.  I have ordered a new product called Super Beets.  My primary motivation is to reduce my blood pressure, but it may also give my energy a bit of a boost.  I’m not expecting any miracles but yes, I could see enough of a gain to enable me to train more consistently.    

When I do run again, I expect to be horrible but that’s okay.  I really don’t care if I am over 12 minutes for 1 Mile.  Steady work will result in improvements if I am relatively healthy.  I will start back VERY slowly and may not even exceed 1 Mile until I get back from Costa Rica on January 5.  I’m in no hurry.  There are no big races on the horizon.  I’ll shoot for a local 5K sometime around March or April.  My PRs will be reset so I am starting with a blank slate as if I am a raw beginner. 

Favorite Place in Each State

 Disclaimer:

This is my favorite place to VISIT.  In many cases, I would not want to live there.  I've thoroughly explored most of the states but there is still more to see, and this could change.

1.Alabama- Gulf Shores

2.Alaska- Talkeetna

3.Arizona- Grand Canyon

4.Arkansas- Little Rock/ Pinnacle Mountain 

5.Southern California- Laguna Beach

5.Northern California- San Francisco

6.Colorado- Rocky Mountain National Park

7.Connecticut- New Haven

8.Delaware- Wilmington

9.South Florida- Miami Beach

9.North Florida- Emerald Coast

10.Georgia- Savannah

11.Hawaii- Kua Bay

12.Idaho- Coeur D'Alene

13.Illinois- Chicago

14.Indiana- Indianapolis

15.Iowa- Decorah Falls State Park

16.Kansas- Speedway in Kansas City (haven't seen much else)

17.Kentucky- Louisville

18.Louisiana- Baton Rouge

19.Maine- Acadia National Park

20.Massachusetts- Boston

21.Maryland- Ocean City

22.Michigan- Pictured Rocks National Seashore

23.Minnesota- North Shore (Tettigouchie Park)

24.Mississippi- Tupelo

25.Missouri- St. Louis

26.Montana- Glacier National Park

27.Nebraska- Scottsbluff

28.Nevada- Lake Tahoe

29.New Hampshire- Mt. Washington

30.New Jersey- Wildwood

31.New Mexico- White Sands National Park

32.New York- Manhattan

33.North Carolina- Blue Ridge Parkway

34.North Dakota- Fargo

35.Ohio- Cincinnati

36.Oklahoma- Oklahoma City

37.Oregon- Cannon Beach

38.Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh

39.Rhode Island- Newport

40.South Carolina- Charleston

41.South Dakota- Mt. Rushmore

42.Tennessee- Memphis

43.Texas- South Padre Island.  Favorite TX city is San Antonio

44.Utah- Bryce Canyon National Park

45.Vermont- Burlington

46.Virginia- Colonial Williamsburg

47.Washington- Seattle

48.West Virginia- Winterplace Ski Resort

49.Wisconsin- Door County (Cave Point Park)

50.Wyoming- Grand Teton National Park

Favorite Canadian Province- British Columbia

Favorite Mexican border town- Ciudad Juarez