Added Extra Methyl Folate

 Good news.  If I limit my NAC dosage to 2 pills per day in divided doses, I do NOT need mega doses of Melatonin.  5 mg is all I need and there will be no ill-effects on that dosage.  I can't tolerate mega doses of NAC but 2 pills are fine.  

The last time I checked in, I was having trouble with Endodren, which is what SHOULD happen based on my chemistry.  Even better, the Thym Adren didn't appear to move the needle one way or the other.  I was slightly slower the first time but on the last run before Christmas, I saw a small gain.  Still, it was not enough to be considered significant.

Things shifted on Christmas Eve and I didn't even have to run to tell that something was off.  I was able to determine that it was an adrenal spike and I was back on mega Thym Adren.  The spike didn't really go down after I got back home.  I made one feeble attempt to run, which was a 1 Mile in 9:45.  I faded down the stretch and was totally spent at the end.  Splits were 4:40-5:05.

I got the idea later on that day to try extra Methyl Folate in order to possibly trigger a detox reaction and eliminate the adrenal spike.  MF by itself really didn't do anything even at large doses.  BUT. As soon as I took it together with the Melatonin, WHAM!  It felt like I got hit by a truck.  

Endodren actually HELPED but I've decided not to rely on that stuff.  I finished the bottle and pitched it.  It must be NAC to manage the detox symptoms.  I was hoping that the extra MF would increase the tolerance to NAC.  Unfortunately, that's not happening.  I still have to limit it to 2 per day in divided doses.  That means that I can only take 1 extra MF pill or the detox symptoms will be unbearable.  WHAT A MESS!  

NAC and Melatonin

 More for my reference.  Writing this stuff down helps me get it straight.

Anyway, the plot has thickened again.  A mega dose of NAC is not the answer.  Opened with a 1:52 on 30 mg of Melatonin the previous night.  Almost certainly, that dose is too high and I would do better if I cut it.  How much of a cut will be allowed before the bad reactions to NAC kick in again?  10 mg may not be enough.  I'll drop it to 25 tonight then 20 and so on.  

Despite the ill-effects of too much Melatonin, it was effective as NAC was beneficial again.  Down to 1:38 after popping just 1 of those pills (MINUS 84), which is bordering on game changer territory.  I probably would have done better than that if I just took one more NAC pill but with 3 more, I crossed the line.  My next interval was 1:49 (PLUS 66).  5 mg extra Melatonin brought it down to 1:39, basically the same as with just 1 NAC pill.  To be more concise, this means that 30 mg of Melatonin the previous night was not enough to enough to tolerate mega NAC.  I needed at least 40 and am unwilling to go that high.  

Options:

1. Cut out the NAC and stick with the 5 mg Melatonin plus the MF.  It may still be effective for the detox process but it will probably take longer.  There are 2 big negatives with that approach.  First, if I still react badly to NAC, it means that Demand #1 is not met.  Second, I will probably need Endodren to manage the detox, which is bad for my chemistry in the long run and fails Demand #2.  

2. Stick with NAC at no more than 2 pills per day in divided doses.  I will need more than 5 mg Melatonin to tolerate it but should not require anywhere near 30 mg.  A surprising advantage to this approach is that I may not need either the Thym Adren or the Endodren.

  I was encouraged yesterday when the Thym Adren really didn't do anything.  I was marginally slower but it was not significant.  On the Endodren, I was slower and it was significant.  That's what SHOULD happen when a person with overactive adrenals takes a stimulant.  It is definitely possible that toxic metals played a significant role in my adrenal imbalance.  Go through the detox with NAC and maybe I won't need any adrenal support.

I lean towards option 2.  I just need to find out how much Melatonin is needed.

Update: On 20 mg Melatonin, the results are similar.  Very poor opener (1:51) but the NAC was a game changer (1:31).  Thym Adren didn't really move the needle much (1:33) and I may have matched it if I didn't slow down at the end.  If I had taken Endodren instead, I'm pretty sure it would have been much worse.  

It's tempting to add more NAC because I did so much better on 1 pill but remain so far below my peak.  I know what happens if I try mega doses.  I will require more Melatonin and won't get any better.

I will continue to gradually cut the Melatonin dose in hopes that 5 mg is enough to tolerate NAC at low doses.  I'll take 15 mg tonight and I should be better in the opener.  I do hope that the NAC gap will eventually diminish.

Caffeine has turned bad.  The ill-effects are not as dramatic as before the Melatonin but significant nonetheless.  Opened with an 81 then slipped to an 87 after a Red Bull.  NAC was still effective (75) but the positive effects were not as dramatic this evening.  I should be okay with an occasional Coke but it's time for Red Bull to go.

NAC and Detox

 I found this by accident.  I saw that I had about 30 NAC pills left in my bottle.  Just like the Liver, the plan was to take 2 or 3 per day until the bottle was empty.  I did not plan to re-order but did view it as a test for Demand #1.  I should not see a major reaction one way or the other.  A bad reaction to Liver pills is understandable but NAC should be well tolerated, right?

WRONG.  I was beyond awful last Friday morning and by the evening, I was also reacting badly to Taurine.  I never really thought to take Molybdenum for a Sulfur excess.  Even if that was the problem, it should not feel like this.  Moreover, a Sulfur excess should not develop after just a day or two.  My first thought was to increase the Melatonin.  Much to my relief, I was better after an extra 3 mg and the NAC was tolerated again.  I decided to double my dose to 10 mg that night.

The next morning, my opener was a pitiful 2:00 for a half lap.  I figured that I would need Endodren to get better but wanted to test out the NAC first.  I expected to be about the same, give or take a couple of ticks but nothing more than a marginal improvement.  Much to my surprise, I clocked a 1:45, 90 seconds faster per mile.  Enough to be considered a game changer.  In the real workout, the story was the same.  I was awful in the first half but popped a NAC at the turnaround.  The back half was still bad but much less horrible.  Unfortunately, by the evening, I was fading again and could sense that my system was demanding more Melatonin.  Again, it helped.

Next morning, the plot thickened again.  Despite the increased dose, I already needed more by the morning.

I saw no other way other than to load on Melatonin until the NAC was tolerated.  Even if the side effects were bad, it's still preferable to the inexplicable reactions.  The story was the same the next morning.  I opened with a 2:11 then fared no better on NAC.  Melatonin brought it down to a less horrible 1:48.  I took Melatonin until the side effects kicked in.  I don't even know how much I took (not recommended). But at least I knew that there was still a dose that shut off the inexplicable reactions.  

This morning was interesting as well.  Opened with a 2:05 on mega Melatonin the previous night.  Down to 1:58 on NAC.  Significant but not a game changer.  Then, surprisingly I was WORSE on Endodren.  In the evening, I was down to 1:52 then 1:41 on NAC.  In another surprise, I was just about the same on Thym Adren at 1:42.  So, I was significantly worse on adrenal stimulants while the suppressants did essentially nothing.  

This is heavy!  Still trying to process it.  It's clearly detox related as evidence by positive reactions to NAC (with sufficient Melatonin).  It's definitely better to use NAC for detox than Endodren.  The plan is to take as much Melatonin as I need to tolerate NAC but no more than necessary.  I don't know what that dose is just yet.  I will load on the NAC.  

Training 12/5-12/15

 12/5- AM- Opened with an 85 at Montreat and improved only to 83 after taking Endodren.  Not a significant improvement.  

PM- Able to squeeze in a daylight run at Millbrook following a training class at work.  Half mile in 4:00 then drank a Red Bull and walked a lap.  Improved to 3:58 but I'd actually rate the 2nd interval as slightly worse.  I had to turn up the effort quite a bit to break 4.  

Distance-1.5

Reaction:  If current trends continue, I no longer need stimulants to ease the detox symptoms.  It's possible but unlikely that Liver is messing with my chemistry.  I'm just finishing that bottle to get rid of it.  Tomorrow, I will go back to Thym Adren.  If that's tolerated, I'll quit the Liver for a few days to rule out its impact then finish the bottle and pitch it.

12/6- Opened with a 1:42 half lap at Montreat.  Popped a Thym Adren and improved to 1:32.  I expected to tolerate it.  Did not expect a significant improvement.  I could see a massive adrenal spike this weekend.

Distance-0.5

12/7- Adrenals have spiked BIGLY.  Opened with a 3:38 lap (10:54 pace).  Popped 3 Thym Adren and did the next 2 laps in 6:35 (9:52 pace) for an overall time of 10:13.  A single pill probably won't make a significant difference.  That's good and bad.  Maybe I will finally see steady improvement going forward.

PM- Taurine helped and caffeine didn't hurt.  Down to 83 for a half lap then 81 after a Red Bull.  I'm still planning to cut the caffeine.  I could be hurting badly by tomorrow evening.

Distance-1.5

12/8- Dipped under 90 on a half lap without pills.  Real workout went about as expected.  2 miles on Lakeshore in 19:16 (9:38 pace).  Very even splits.  This is sub-60 pace for 10K but I don't think I could have held it much longer.  I decided to taper off caffeine.  Next week could be rough.

Distance-2.5

12/9- Repeated the 2 mile distance at Lakeshore this time in the evening.  Improved to 18:32 (9:16 pace) with splits of 9;08-9:24.  Struggled a bit on the back half but the 9:24 is still faster than yesterday.  This was just about what I expected and hoped for.  A solid MINUS 22 versus yesterday but that's not a night and day difference.  Maybe extra Thym Adren or Taurine could have made a difference but I will take it.  Plan to stick with 3 Thym Adren.

Distance-2.0

12/10- Step backwards.  Hoped to make 3 miles but settled for 1 in 10:27.  Last week, I suspected that the Liver pills made the adrenal spike worse.  Looks like I was correct.  I will finish the bottle and not re-order.  Zinc may help with that.

Distance-1.0

12/11- Finished the bottle of Liver pills and chucked it.  It's confirmed to be the culprit.  It's a bit unnerving to have this reaction but it's probably not inexplicable.  It likely increased adrenal activity, which is not what I need at this point.  Moreover, I took 3 pills for several days to finish the bottle.  If I had taken just 1 occasionally?  Probably okay. 

 Opened with a 1:57 half lap (11:42 pace) and improved to 1:49 (10:54 pace) after 2 Thym Adren.  It helped but not nearly enough to get back to form.  I'll be okay once the Liver clears.  That's it for today.

Distance-0.5

12/12- Repeated the morning sprints.  Improved to a 1:38 (9:48 pace) on the opener and a 1:31 (9:06 pace) on the closer.  Still not even close to respectable and that's a larger gap than I would like to see but I'll take it.  I'll try to run in the evening.

PM- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 16 flat (10:40 pace).  About what I expected.  The Liver pills didn't mess me up overnight and the recovery won't be overnight either.  I am getting rid of the NAC now but I don't think that's an issue.

Distance-2.0

12/13- Quit after just a half mile in a time over 6 minutes.  The culprit is NAC.   The Melatonin was SUPPOSED TO STOP THIS SORT OF THING FROM HAPPENING!  A problem with Liver pills is understandable but I don't see why I would reject NAC.  This might be an inexplicable reaction.  If so, I have no words 

PM- Confirmed that the inexplicable reactions are back.  Fortunately, the Melatonin remains effective.  I just have to increase the dose.  Did a few strides and felt MUCH BETTER after increased Melatonin.

Distance-1.0

12/14- #1.  Intervals.  Opened with a pitiful 2:00 half lap.  Popped a NAC expecting it to do nothing, marginally faster at best.  Improved to 1:45, which is significant.  Endodren (not Thym Adren) brought me down to 1:24.  As it looks now, if I need Thym Adren, I'm not detoxing like I should be.

#2- 1.5 miles on Lakeshore in 15:24 (10:16 pace).  First half was 8:04 then popped a NAC and improved significantly again.  The back half was  decidedly LESS HORRIBLE at 7:20, faster by nearly 1 minute per mile.  The very same pill that I couldn't tolerate yesterday?  I needed it today.  What a life!

Distance-2.0

12/15- Junk intervals was all that I could do.  It is clear that more Melatonin is needed.

Distance-0.5

-Totaled 15 miles

Verdict on Melatonin

 HOPEFULLY MY LAST POST ON THIS;

5 mg is the sweet spot though a dose between 4-6 would probably work as well.  On 5 mg, I get no immediate negative reaction to Melatonin.  In fact, I am usually marginally faster after taking it.  The inexplicable reactions to other pills STOP COMPLETELY!  YUGE!  

Bump it up to 8 mg and I will feel stiff and lethargic after taking it in the evening.  I will struggle the next morning but get better in the afternoon.  Drop it down to 3 mg?  I'll be okay for the first couple of days.  In fact, I can get away with at least one skipped dose.  However, by the end of the week, even on 3 mg, the inexplicable reactions will suddenly return.  It affects the adrenal balance as well.  More on that later.  As long as I stick with 5 mg almost every day, I should be relatively free of complications.  

If I take Methyl Folate almost every day like I am supposed to do, I cannot tolerate the Thym Adren (adrenal suppressant).  I am 99 percent sure that it's a detox reaction.  I must take BOTH the 5 mg Melatonin AND the MF to trigger the detox.  If I skip the MF OR take the reduced 3 mg Melatonin for more than a couple of days, BAM!  Once again, I need the Thym Adren and at mega doses.  I don't think Glycine is a factor after all.  I still need it but it's not a critical pill.  I won't notice until I go 5 days without it.  

Again, there are no immediate ill-effects from the Melatonin but the the story with Methyl Folate is a little different.  I do feel a bit of a let down after taking it but the ill-effects are not severe.  On a test interval, I am usually 30-45 seconds slower per mile after taking MF.  I usually have to pee shortly thereafter and feel a bit better after doing so.  

With Endodren (adrenal stimulant), I am usually 45-60 seconds faster.  Same with Red Bull.  Helpful but not a game changer.  I've read that caffeine can aid in detox.  Speeding up the oxidation rate will get the toxins out faster. 

  I fully expect that this is only a temporary reaction and I won't have a permanent need for Endodren.  I may be left with BADLY UNBALANCED adrenals when this is over but maybe not.  I've read that toxic metals can trigger fast oxidation.  Perhaps that was the source all along.  Therefore, there is a chance that I won't be as dependent on the Thym Adren when it's over.  

I have no choice but to roll with the detox process and hope for gradual but steady improvement.  How long will it last?  Likely, at least a couple of months.  Maybe a year.  Endodren will speed up the process but I prefer not to rely on caffeine even if it improves my symptoms.  

Why might this be different than previous false hopes?  I've never reacted like this before.  It usually starts with an insatiable need for the pill.  The need gradually diminishes until it becomes ineffective and leaves me back where I started.  There is no insatiable need for Melatonin.  I don't think I get much gain from mega Endodren either.  For the last time, I don't need to be a competitive runner to be happy.  I only want enough energy to be productive and enjoy life.  That can only happen if I have no extreme reactions or extreme need for pills 

2024 Travel Stats

 Still a month left in the year but it seems unlikely that I will visit any new states in December.  Given the current cold snap, the Gulf Coast will probably be too cold for another swim until the end of March.  

22 points on the year, which is well short of last year's total of 31 but I got in more quality this year.  18 US states, 2 Canadian provinces and 2 other countries. I also completed a bucket list item by visiting my 10th and final Canadian province.

Last year, I had at least 3 states in which I didn't even drive through.  I simply walked across the border.  None of those in 2024 but I did have 3 drive through only states.  I also had an airport layover in Dallas, Texas but that doesn't count on any level.

Virginia 

West Virginia  

Kentucky 

I did stop for gas and/or a meal in all of these states.  In Virginia, I took a scenic detour but did not stop at the nearby state park.  If I had gone on a short hike (even 5 minutes), it counts for the next tier.  An overnight stay in West Virginia also only counts for the lenient standard.

Single day visit:

Mississippi- Day trip to Hattiesburg 

Tennessee- Day trip to Chattanooga

Georgia- Stop at Monticello to see My Cousin Vinny courthouse.  Walking tour of town.

New Jersey- Liberty Park in Jersey City.

Maryland- Deep Creek State Park 

Ohio- Cut a tire on the road north of Cincinnati.  Had to call the tow truck.  No tourism but I say this counts for the strict standard.

Multiple day visit-

Florida- Gulf and Atlantic coast 

South Carolina- 2 dips at Myrtle Beach.  A little weak but it counts because they were on different days.

North Carolina- Surf City, Carolina Beach, Ocean Isle.

Colorado- Denver, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs 

Nevada- Reno and Lake Tahoe 

California- Tahoe, San Francisco and Yosemite

New York- NYC.  Manhattan, Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn.

Pennsylvania- visit family.  Steelers museum in Pittsburgh.  

Ontario- Toronto 

Newfoundland- St. John's 

Dominican Republic- Punta Cana and Saona Island.

Turks and Caicos- Beaches Resort

Lived-

Birmingham, Alabama 

Edit:

Saw 4 new baseball parks, which brings that total to 18.  

New York Yankees 

New York Mets

Toronto Blue Jays

San Francisco Giants