3 demands

 For a time, it appeared that my system would be able to balance itself out without pills.  That is not going to happen.  I’ve accepted it and though I’m not happy about it, I’ve made peace.  The realistic goal is to get it “under control” with treatment.  I’ll repeat that 3 things need to happen to declare that to be the case and where I am in that regard.  My demands are hardly unreasonable, and my expectations are certainly not unrealistic. 

1.        At least adequate levels of energy almost every day.

I am nearly there.  My bare ass minimum standard for racing is sub-60 minute 10K shape (9:39 pace for 6.2 miles).  I’ve run a 60:44, which is less than 2 seconds per lap away.  This Monday, I did the equivalent of low-27 5K over 3 miles (8:45 pace).  If I had attempted a 10K instead, I’m pretty sure that I finish under that barrier especially if I paced it well.  The trick is being able to do that consistently, which is always more difficult than simply doing it once.  That can only happen if I meet the other 2 conditions.  Low energy does not only affect my running.  I was amazed by how much more productive I was at work when I was not feeling horrible. 

 

2.        No extreme dependence on any one pill

I am in the middle of an adrenal spike with daily dependence on Thym-Adren but the extreme need has diminished.  As recently as last week, it took me 3:29 to run a lap at Montreat without pills (10:27 pace).  Today, I was able to run the distance in 3:02 (9:06 pace) without pills.  Also, I require fewer pills to match my performances from last week.  7 days ago, I did 2 miles @ 9:20 pace on 7 pills.  I’ve already beaten that time on 6 pills.  I bet I could match it on 4, give or take a few seconds, today.  Nevertheless, the gap in performance remains considerable.  On 5 pills today, my time improved from 3:02 all the way down to 2:25 (7:15 pace).  That’s MINUS 1:51 per mile and likely over 2:00 with the full 6 pill dose.  That’s unacceptable.  In order to meet this demand, I need to last at least 72 hours without the key pill (Friday thru Monday morning).  When I go back on the pill after the 72 hours off it, I must NOT see a significant difference in performance.  I’d accept a gap of roughly 15-20 seconds per mile but not more than that.  Also, if I see a significant drop off after more than 3 days off the key pill, I would be okay with that. 

 

Great strides have been made here but there is still a long way to go.  I’m okay with that.  I actually would rather see the adrenal spike go down gradually than have it disappear overnight and deal with the ill-effects of an overshot.  Perhaps next weekend, I can run a 2:45 lap without pills then 2:30 the following weekend.  That would be trending in the right direction.  Though the floor rises faster, the ceiling does not stay the same.  I will most definitely be faster when the spike goes down.  I won’t predict a time for 10K, but it will be well under 60 even with low training volume. 

 

3.        No inexplicable negative reactions

This aspect of the disease is and has always been the most frustrating and maddening part of it.  I need to clarify what I mean by “inexplicable” reactions.  A recent example would be not being able to take Magnesium Malate or anything with Malic acid, such as strawberries, with the amino acid Glycine.  That should NEVER happen, and it was clearly an autoimmune reaction. 

On the other hand, if I took an adrenal glandular in the midst of an adrenal spike and suffered a significant negative reaction, that is NOT inexplicable.  In fact, it’s exactly what is supposed to happen.  This latest development with the Liver and Zinc is unnerving to me but perhaps it can be explained.  If you take Liver with a Zinc deficiency, a bad reaction is understandable because Liver tanks Zinc.  In the reverse situation, taking Zinc when you are deficient in bound copper is not a good idea and again, a negative reaction is understandable. 

 

What should NOT happen is a reversal from Zinc intolerance to a need for it within just a week or two.  Also, a bad reaction to Probiotics should NOT happen!  That said, it’s possible that the Probiotics indirectly affected the Zinc/Copper balance by lowering Taurine, which is necessary for mineral transport.  If that’s the case, I can live with that.  How do I know that Probiotics lower Taurine?  Taking them did result in a much lower Taurine level on Yasko’s Amino Acid profile years ago.  Thanks to Colostrum and the Liver pills, I may not even need the Probiotics to kill Candida.  If Taurine ever gets too high, there are other ways to lower it that I can tolerate.  Imagine being in a situation in which you NEED a pill but can’t tolerate it for an inexplicable reason.  I’ve been there and that’s the ULTIMATE IN CRUELTY!