2023 Travel Stats

 Set a new personal record for number of states seen in one year.  I see more states in a given year than most people see in a lifetime.  Under the lenient standard, I hit 28 states plus 2 Canadian provinces and one other country.  That's 31 points, or 5 more than my previous record.  That said, under the strict standard, the numbers are not quite as impressive.  Here is the breakdown.

Drove or walked across the border and that was it (4):

Nevada

Illinois

South Carolina

Indiana

Drive Through Only but did stop for gas and/or food (6)

Louisiana

Mississippi

Iowa

Montana

West Virginia

Virginia

Strict Standards (18) plus 3 bonus-

Alabama- Lived

Florida- Gulf and Atlantic Coast

North Carolina- Skiing at Cataloochee

California (2)- Palm Springs and Crescent City

Idaho- Boise, Stanley and Ponderosa Pine

Ohio- Cincy Reds game

Tennessee- Walking tours of Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville

Arkansas- Mammoth Falls State Park

Missouri- Kansas City and St. Louis

Kansas- Topeka, Eisenhower Library

Nebraska- Omaha

Texas- Houston and Galveston.  Astros game

Oregon- US-101.  Pacific Coast

Washington- Long Beach, Cape Disappointment

Pennsylvania- Pittsburgh  Pirates game

North Dakota- Bismarck, TR National Park

Georgia- Black Mountain, Toccoa Falls

Kentucky- Louisville.

Bonus:

Costa Rica- Jaco Beach

Manitoba- Lake, Winnipeg

Saskatchewan- Regina, CFL football game.

Looking ahead:

I have booked my Dominican Republic trip for next month.

Top priorities are Alaska and Newfoundland.

If I can do that, I will complete Round 2 of Visit All 50 States and Round 1 of Visit All 10 Canadian Provinces.

False Hope

 WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED??

I get a little better for a few days then just as hopes begin to rise, I'm hit with something like this.  

The drama with the pills is NOT OVER!

I hoped to run 3 miles easy on Lakeshore this morning.  I didn't really care about the pace.  I just wanted to feel comfortable and finish strong.  A storm came through last night, which apparently was worse in Homewood.  I had to stop several times to go around downed tree branches but that shouldn't affect me.  

 I could tell something was a little bit off from the get go.  After a slow start, I seemed to find a decent rhythm after the first quarter mile and my pace was around 9:15-9:20.  I told myself to just maintain that pace and I'll take it.   Just before the 3/4 mile mark, I suddenly began feeling MUCH worse and also was holding in a diarrhea dump.  I had no choice but to stop and complete the walk of shame back to the start.  I did do a couple of spurts of running to get the total distance up to 1 mile but my pace slowed considerably and my moving time was 9:39.  Slightly WORSE than 2 days ago.  

You can expect some variation in performances on a daily basis.  If this one had been 8:39 instead?  No big deal.  An 8:20 vs 8:39 is within the margin of error and not enough to be considered significant especially with the tree branches.  A 9:39 with nothing left at the end?  NO!  That clearly indicates that something is wrong.  The next step was to go home and find the culprit.  I figured that it was either the Zinc or the Thym-Adren but hoped that it was the latter.  A bad reaction to an adrenal supplement is understandable.  A bad reaction to a mineral?  That's likely an autoimmune issue.  Just one pill confirmed that indeed it was the Thym-Adren.

I was very pleased yesterday when I saw a BIG improvement seemingly in spite of not taking any pills.  I know now that I did better BECAUSE I did not take the pills.   Obviously, the candida detox has had an effect of my adrenals.  I'm likely still a fast oxidizer and thus, I will need the Thym-Adren over the long haul at least at low doses.  That said, I cannot be like this.  If I remain on this path, I will likely continue to get worse.  I have 3 options for the near future.  

1-Lower the dose to just one pill and take it the night before.  

That's probably the least likely to be effective as I'm growing more and more intolerant.

2. Quit the pills temporarily.

Could be an option but it may not be strong enough.

3. Temporarily take an adrenal stimulant.

I had to do that when detoxing heavy metals in the past and it worked well for a while.  Eventually, I became over-stimulated and was forced back on the Thym-Adren.  That's likely the outcome this time as well.  

In the past, I've had a VERY HIGH tendency to cheat when something like this happens.  I MUST stay strong this time.  Committed to 21 days no matter what.

As far as the running is concerned, I don't have to be ultra-competitive to be happy.  I DO expect to be well enough and BE CONSISTENT ENOUGH to enjoy the social aspect.  Should not be too much to ask, but right now, that's impossible.  

UPDATE:

I tried the adrenal stimulants and got MUCH better for a short time.  A fourth option has come up, which is NAC.  It too produced a strong positive, albeit short-lived reaction.  I'm going with a combination of #3 and #4.

Improving: Day 10 Clean

 Today is Day 10.  Assuming that I make it through the weekend, I'll be more than halfway to my goal of 21 days of drinking water only.  

Concerns:

I still do have a bit of residual crud.  It's mostly just a stuffy nose with very little phlegm.  Over the long haul, that is of no concern.  It may hang on for another week or so but it will be gone.  The abdominal pain is almost completely gone.   The big concern is that I still do have the candida rash on my armpits and above my ass.  It still itches from time to time.  How long will that last?  It's really more of a nuisance than anything else.  I figure that if need be, I can use a cream to control the itch if it gets really bad.  

I am concerned about this because it's a sign that the candida is not completely dead yet.  What if it mutates and learns to survive or grow without the regular supply of sugar?  Seems unlikely but I don't know what I can do if that does happen.

My energy is improving (more on that later) but I did need a nap on Friday evening.  I was in bed from 6:30-8:00 and was out cold for about an hour.  Not surprisingly, I could not get to sleep when it was time for bed.  Of course I must listen to my body and give it the rest that it needs but this sort of thing cannot happen with any regularity.  I've noticed that I've been sleeping deeper and had a couple of vivid dream the last 2 nights.  One involved urinating on a chair because I honestly thought it was a toilet.  

Improvement:

The biggest positive is that my energy is starting to come around.  I feel noticeably better EVERY DAY and yes, it translates to the track.  On Tuesday, I struggled through a 4:00 lap at Montreat (12:00 pace) and had stabbing pains in the belly with every foot strike.  By Thursday, I was down to 3:30 (10:30 pace).  On Friday, I went to the track to try a full Mile at Vestavia.  I simply hoped for a sub-10 but finished in 9:35.  1st half: 4:53, 2nd half: 4:42 and each lap was slightly faster than the previous one.  

Today (Saturday), my time was all the way down to 8:20 and I managed a 1:59 last go round.  Normally, I'd never celebrate something like that but considering where I was just a few days ago, it's pretty impressive.  I'm now within 40 seconds of my reset PR.  Still too soon to get my hopes up.  If I can avoid a relapse and get my time down to around 7:15, I may begin to believe.  

Perhaps the best news of all is that I am seeing VERY LITTLE impact from the pills.  I took 2 Probiotic pills, which were completely INTOLERABLE on a previous attempt. This time, NOTHING.  It didn't seem to matter one iota whether I took them or not.  Same with the Curcumin.  I'll still take both occasionally for preventative maintenance.  I've also gone 48 hours without Zinc or Thym-Adren with no problem.  In fact, the big improvement from Friday-Saturday came after having NOT taken any pills.  I know that I still need them and won't be surprised to see an adrenal spike in the near-future but being freed from extreme dependence could be YUGE!  

Candida Flu

 Since the last update, I tried Zinc and the results were not surprising.  An initial negative response followed by an insatiable need with a couple of adrenal spikes that eventually stabilized.  Still, I faced the harsh reality that the Candida is simply not going away unless I COMPLETELY ELIMINATE SUGAR, ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE.  All of the supplements that were so necessary (Probiotics, ACV, Curcumin) in the past don't seem to help much nowadays. 

 Not surprisingly, I was BAD over Thanksgiving but got back on track the next week.  I found that in the past, dealing with all the drama with the insatiable needs for pills and the moving targets PLUS the sugar withdrawals was just too hard.  With relatively stable chemistry, I gave it another shot and vowed to go at least 21 days no matter what happened.   As of today, I've completed 7 days clean with NO cheat days.  Today was the first day that I had any real temptation but so far so good.   

In the past, I've usually gotten caffeine withdrawal that peaks within 24-48 hours of stopping.  I get the energy crash, headache and sleepiness.  That's usually followed by an adrenal spike and I may get a little better after 4-5 days but I've always fallen off the wagon because of the drama with the pills.  There were some days that I kinda had to use or I could not even function at work.   In the past, quitting sugar actually made the sensitivity WORSE.  On one attempt, I developed a complete intolerance to the very same Probiotics that I needed just a few days earlier and also developed new food sensitivities.  I've since read that this was likely Cytokine related.  

This time around, I had symptoms that I've never experienced before.  The withdrawal came sooner than I expected.  I put down my last forbidden beverage (Margarita) around 10PM last Wednesday but I was already beginning to feel it by the end of the workday on Thursday.  I figured that I'd have to endure a couple of rough days on Friday and Saturday, then I'd start feeling better by Sunday.  

It got so bad that I actually had to leave work early on Friday.  I crashed in bed at 2:30 PM and stayed there until the next morning.  By Saturday, I had a massive sinus headache and was sneezing uncontrollably at times.  On top of that, I had several diarrhea attacks.  Sunday evening was the worst.  My temperature shot up to 101.4 degrees with TERRIBLE abdominal pains.  I kept hoping to get that shit out my system, but I couldn't defecate or fall asleep.  Finally, I took some Tylenol that temporarily reduced my fever, and I did wake up several times to urinate, which did seem to make it a little better.  

Needless to say, no work on Monday.  Fever was down to 99.8 degrees and I was able to sleep normally.  Still, awfully weak and with no appetite, I managed to get through half a day of work on Tuesday to avoid having to get a doctor's note.  I am slightly better today (Wednesday).

Wasn't this just a standard case of the flu virus?  Was it really Candida related?     

I am nearly CERTAIN that it is TOTALLY Candida related and it was not influenza at all.  Based on my research, everything that happened in my body is what is SUPPOSED to happen when Candida is going away.  It will go out kicking and screaming!  The severe abdominal pain is actually a sign that the liver is working overtime to flush out those toxins!  I have one big question:  Why didn't any of this happen when I tried to quit sugar before?  I've lasted this long several times before.   I had yet to try any anti-candida supplements besides the Probiotics and this was before I addressed the Cytokines.  I don't think recovery was even possible until I did that.  Maybe all the drama with the pills was necessary as well.

Prognosis:

Too soon to get my hopes up but I see a glimmer of light.  Odds are that it's not going to be a switch where one day I wake up feeling well.  It will be a gradual process.    I will have to strictly limit forbidden drinks after the 21 days are up.  NO energy drinks EVER AGAIN.  I might have an odd Coke or alcoholic beverage but those must be RARE.  I'll have to be careful over Christmas and I'll have to be careful in Punta Cana as well.  

Any running:

All I've done is 1 lap at Montreat the last 3 days.

Mon AM- 4:28

Mon PM- 4:10

Tue- 4:00

Wed- 3:47.  

Wednesday's pace was 11:21 so that no cause for celebration but it's a lot better than the 13:24 pace that I managed just 2 days earlier.  

UPDATE - Today (Thursday) I managed a 3:30 (10:30 pace).  Clearly improving.  Keep it up.

Punta Cana Trip Plan

 This is the sixth time that I have gone to a tropical climate during the dead of winter.  Someday, I'll make it to Colorado for a ski trip.   Here's my history:

2019- Miami and the Florida Keys

2020- San Juan, Puerto Rico (pre-Covid)

Christmas 20- Cancun, Mexico

2021- Big Island, Hawaii

2023- Jaco. Costa Rica

MLK weekend is my best bet. I scored a smokin' deal on a round trip flight out of Atlanta for under $300.  It lands on Saturday the 13th and returns on Wednesday the 17th.  I actually tried to extend it another day but none of the flights would have allowed me to drive back to Birmingham the same day and I don't want to be out all week.  Plus, the fares would have been much higher.  

Including the US, the Dominican Republic will be my 9th country visited.  I had some fun pranking co-workers by talking about checking out the beaches on the west side of the island.  I said that it might be a little bit dangerous.  They wondered why until I told them that those beautiful beaches are in Haiti.  LOL.  

I prefer NOT to stay at an all-inclusive resort but in Punta Cana, you really don't have much of a choice.  Over 90 percent of the hotels are all-inclusive and the ones that are not are located a fair distance from the beach itself.  It may not even be possible to walk to the public beaches and I really don't feel comfortable renting a car.  To me, that means a much less authentic experience.  The same resort also has a property in Jamaica, so I could go there instead and probably have a very similar experience.  You can't truly say that you "loved the country" if you didn't experience it outside of the resort.  

I don't really care about high class accommodations or fine dining.  I'm there for the beach and specifically the surf.  I ended up choosing the cheapest all-inclusive resort that I could find, Riu Republica in Arena Gorda.  I would have preferred Macao Beach but the prices were outrageous.  Dreams Macao was over $700/night while Riu Republica was under $300.  Therefore, I save over $1,200 over a 4 night stay.  

I think it will actually work out for the best.  Bavaro Beach has brilliant white sand and crystal clear electric blue water but usually minimal surf.  Macao has consistently good surf, but the water is not as clear and the sand is more golden than white.  I figure that since Arena Gorda is located in between, it should offer the best of both worlds.  Beautiful beach with rideable waves.  Food will be mediocre but as long as it's edible, I'm good.  My only real concern is that it attracts a young crowd that likes to party.  I won't get stupid drunk but sure, I'm up for some fun in the evening.  

1/13- My fight lands at 2:00 and I figure that by the time I get through Customs and take a taxi to the resort, it will be almost sunset when I check in so I don't expect to squeeze in a quick dip.  This will leave me with only 3 full days on the beach plus a morning session on 1/17.  I may change my mind, but I am currently leaning AGAINST an excursion to Santo Domingo.  It's a 4 hour bus ride each way, which leaves me with only 4 hours to tour.  Plus, I'm not sure that I'd be interested in all of the activities on the organized tour.  I certainly will NOT strike off on my own in a strange city. 

Instead of that, I will likely spend an afternoon in the shopping district of downtown Punta Cana, and hope to mingle a bit with the Dominicans.  Word on the street is that it is safe enough, especially in the daytime.  As for the weather, I can expect temps in the mid-80s and sunny skies with a water temperature around 80-82.  Can't beat that in January.  Unfortunately, rainfall is a possibility.  Though it's unlikely to be a total washout, I can expect about a 30 percent chance of rain on any given day.  I really don't want to take an excursion on a beautiful day then have 2 rainy days on the beach.