RAVE: Delayed Kindergarten

 My mother started school one year ahead of schedule and I heard my grandmother admit to her decades later that it was probably a mistake.  Being 17 at graduation when everyone else is 18 is not that big of a deal.  Being 7 or 8 in a class of 9 year-olds can be a problem especially for boys who are often judged by their peers based on athletic ability.  Taking Algebra at 13 when your classmates are 14 can be a disadvantage as well.

I was born in mid-September, 2 weeks after the cut off date.  If I had turned 5 on or before September 1, I would have been expected to enter kindergarten that year.  Since I turned 5 on September 14, I got an extra year of nursery school.  My parents considered sending me early but ultimately decided not to do so.  DEFINITELY a good call.  I was probably ready academically and could have held my own in the classroom but socially and physically, I was nowhere near ready.  After all, I was only 1 year removed from getting kicked out of my first pre-school and sent to a special school, where I was physically abused.  

Especially for boys, I would go even farther that that.  If you have a July or August baby, I would hold him back 1 year for sure.  I'd even consider it if your child was born between March and June. January or February?  Probably not.  Studies show that summer babies are more likely to have difficulty than their slightly older peers born in the Fall or Winter.  

If you have a girl, it's a little easier to start school a few months early.  Athletic ability is not as crucial to making friends and many can crack the Varsity in 9th grade because puberty usually hits a little earlier.  However in most cases, the rate of improvement is slower as a Sophomore-Senior.  Still, I would not send a Fall baby to school early unless she shows exceptional skills but would be less inclined to hold back a summer baby.  

When I was involved in the youth track club, the age group rotated year by year.  In odd numbered years, I had to compete against kids born from January 1979-December 1980.  In most of my races, I was either last or next to last.  The worst year was 1995 when I was still in 8th grade and had to compete against some 10th graders who had already hit puberty.  However, in even years, it was January 1980-December 1981.  When healthy, I was in the middle of the pack.  Needless to say, I had a lot more fun.  

My general athletic ability was average at best but if I was 1 grade ahead, I would have been among the worst in every sport.  I always did look a little younger than my actual age.  Though slightly taller than average, I was very thin.  The bullying that I experienced was bad enough as it was but it would have been worse with older kids.  Academically, being a few months younger doesn't really matter as an upper classman.  However, starting Algebra 1 in 8th grade when I hadn't yet turned 13?  Even with superior math skills, I don't think I would have been ready.  

As it turned out, my worst year in school was 8th grade.  Because of that, I wasn't placed in advanced classes to start high school though I did move up the ranks later.  That really didn't hurt me in the long run and it probably helped my confidence to excel in regular classes.  Now, if my 8th grade year had been my 9th grade year, that could have been a disaster.  Yes, it may have impacted my college options even if I did shape up later.  When it came to Track, the class ahead of me was unusually strong and I would have barely cracked the Varsity as a Senior.  Again, it was a good call to hold me back.

The downside to that is Seniors turn 19 before graduation and can mix with girls who are still 14.  Such a sexual relationship is illegal and rightly so.  Parents and coaches need to be vigilant in such cases.  No contact outside of team activities if the age difference is more than 2 years.  That's 2 years, not 2 grade levels.  At least at my school, there was a rule that if you turned 19 before the start of your Senior year, you were ineligible for sports teams.  I think that's fair.  You're still eligible if you are 1 year behind but not 2.  For 5th or even 6th year seniors, I would encourage you to stick it out and finish high school. Being 1 year older is probably not a big deal but I'd imagine that 2 years would be a little awkward at that age.  Still, a diploma is more valuable to your future than a GED, which is not so easy to pass. 

RANT: Mental Health and Gun Rights

 I am really shaken up about the shooting at the Catholic Church in Minnesota.  If there is ever a location in which there is no place for violence, it is a church.  We cannot brush this off as a threat that we just have to deal with or it will become more common as the years go by.

I consider myself a moderate on gun rights.  The average law abiding citizen should be allowed to own a gun.   However I do favor reasonable restrictions such as a thorough background check, mental health screening and a waiting period.  If you have been treated for any kind of mental health issue within the last 3 years, no gun for you.  Also, I see no reason why anyone needs machine guns or an assault rifle.  

I have resolved long ago that I will never own a gun myself because of my issues with depression.  Though I am sure that I pose no danger to others, I fear that I could be a danger to myself.  I'm not suicidal but if I had an exceptionally bad day, I don't want access to a deadly weapon of any kind that would enable me to act rashly in the spur of the moment.  

Statistics show that 72 percent of mass shooters in the last decade were trans.  Nearly 100 percent were taking some sort of anti-depressant or anti-psychotic medication.  One such person reported having no memory of the shooting afterwards.  Still, he is absolutely responsible for his actions.   There is NO WAY that they should have access to a gun.  That said, we need to take a serious look at how we should deal with mental health.  I'm afraid that we need to consider bringing back insane asylums.

Yes, I have been on anti-depressants in the past.  I took an SSRI and an SNRI and was not pleased with the results.  A Neuro Science screening later revealed that my adrenaline levels were shot and I was in a state of full blown adrenal exhaustion at the time.  Obviously, these classes of anti-depressants were not the answer.  I never acted violently towards others but I did have temper problems in which I kicked walls and threw pillows during meltdowns.  Not pretty.

There are 2 schools of thought.  First, an SSRI by definition only affects serotonin.  Therefore, if your biggest deficiency is dopamine or any other neurotransmitter, it's unlikely to work.  The second and more likely case is that increased serotonin triggers production of adrenaline.  Unfortunately, when your adrenal glands are exhausted, they can't keep up with the demand and your fatigue gets worse! 

 SNRIs may be even worse than SSRIs  Adrenaline and noradrenaline need to be in balance.  It's better for both to be a little on low side than have one normal and one deficient.  In my case, noradrenaline was normal and the drug worsened that imbalance.  I would get better for a couple of weeks then crash again.  Then I would increase the dose and the cycle repeated itself.  Eventually, I had enough and went holistic.  Despite my issues with autoimmune reactions, I am NEVER going back.  Who knows how badly I could react now?  If nothing else, doctors and psychologists need to keep a close eye on patients who take these drugs.  Parents need to be on alert as well.  Perhaps switching to a different class of drug more suitable to their chemistry could have prevented these tragedies 

I may take some heat for this but I believe that gender dysphoria is a symptom of a much deeper mental health issue.  Studies show that even after transitioning and living in a supportive environment, mental health issues persist and may actually get worse.  The suicide rate is extremely high and the fact that less than 1 percent of the population commits 72 percent of mass shootings is an issue that cannot be ignored.  Still, I advocate compassion as well as treating all people with respect and civility.  I condemn anyone who mistreats others on the basis of gender identity.  Tolerate but don't celebrate.  Some people regret it and go on to de-transition.  When that happens, they become a pariah to the Left.  

That's all I've got for now.  I may come back to edit this one down the road.  

Training 8/30-9/7

 I did another "sprint" on 8/28 and my times are getting slower.  Last week, I did a 51 with hamstring pain.  A few days ago, a 55 with less pain.  Today was over 60 but the good news is that I was virtually pain free.  I am nearly certain that I am weakened by the Para Purge.  Good news is that I have only 1 more day before the scheduled pause in treatment.  

I expect to be AWFUL in my first real workout.  Likely over 12 for 1 Mile.  It will be interesting to see what happens in the following days. I expect to get better but go backwards again when I am finishing up the treatment.  Will I see much effect from the Vitamin C and ADHS?  Hopefully not.  If the hamstring flares up again, no big deal.  I'll just take another 10 days off and start when the treatment ends.

For many people who enter 5K road races, 12 minute pace is the best that they can do.  I applaud them for getting out there and making an earnest effort.  Though I don't wish my condition on my worst enemy, these arrogant elitist runners who look down on others should experience being slow for just 1 day.  

8/29- Very weak today but I have reached the pause phase.  

8/30- 1 Mile at Heardmont in 10:43.  Actually not as bad as I expected.  Splits were 5:28-5:15 so that's encouraging.  More importantly, I had almost no hamstring pain.  Tomorrow will be big.

In other news, I've had a cyst on my back for several years.  Even the doctor that I saw wasn't concerned because I had it for years.  This morning, it started to drain out.  Thick, white and stinky pus.  Did the Para Purge have anything to do with that?  Don't know.  If so, I don't know what to make of it.

Distance-1.0

8/31- Testing with half lap:

Opener in 1:49

2 ADHS in 1:43

Vitamin C in 1:40

Real workout was 1.5 miles on the South Lakeshore extension in 14:36 (9:42 pace).  Splits were 7:27-7:09 so I finished strong.  As for the hamstring, I wouldn't call it pain or discomfort but I could feel it.  Weakness is probably the best choice of words.

Distance-2.0 

Reaction:

Pleased overall.  Before California, I was completely intolerant to ADHS and needed mega Vitamin C.  Today, I was significantly better on ADHS but it wasn't a game changer.  I actually think the improvement came as a result of being warmed up rather than the pills.  The improvement from the Vitamin C was not even enough to be considered significant.  I have no extreme reactions or dependence on pills but my energy level is not adequate.

The real workout was much better than yesterday but I still have a long way to go.  I expect to improve again tomorrow but may go backwards again after re-starting the Para Purge on Tuesday.  Pus continues to drain but it's mostly out now.

9/1- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 18:44 (9:22 pace).  About as expected.  Solid improvement but not as much as yesterday.  Finished strong again (9:35-9:09).  Hamstring was stiff early but it loosened up later.

Got home and did a couple of tests.  Sprint in 51 seconds then popped 2 more ADHS.  Slipped to 53.  Not a significant loss but extra is definitely not the answer.  If anything, I may need to cut it.  Added a 1 lap cool at glacial pace.

Distance-2.5

9/2- Back on the Para Purge and had absolutely NOTHING.  Quit after just a half mile with a time approaching 6 minutes.  I don't think there's anything I can do to mitigate the ill-effects.  I just have to ride it out for 9 more days.  Then, I am done with it.  Probably no point in trying to run through it.  I will give my hamstring a little extra rest.

I have read that parasites can cause cysts to form and yes, my running went downhill around the time the back cyst appeared.  Who knows if there is a connection?

Distance-0.5

9/3- Planned rest day.  8 more days until I am done with the Para Purge.  I can make it.

9/4- Unplanned rest day.  Car repairs and rental car drama stressed me out.

9/5- Walk jogged 1 Mile at Montreat.  The jogging was even slower than it was 3 days ago.  No point in even trying now.  Walking is all I can do until I am through with the Para Purge.  I will finish it next Thursday.  It's tempting to overdose and get it over with 2-3 days sooner but that's trouble.

Distance-1.0

9/6- Forced rest day.  Side effects have become intolerable but it doesn't feel like an autoimmune reaction.  I don't even have the energy to walk briskly. No more diarrhea or muscle aches.   Just extreme weakness.  I don't think I can ride it out until Thursday.  I may just stop 2 days early.  I doubt that will be a long-term problem.

9/7- Forced rest day.  This could hurt me at work tomorrow.  I will take the last pill on Tuesday.  Only two more days to go.

7 miles

Para Purge Review

 I finished 1 full lap at Montreat yesterday.  Time was so slow that I am embarrassed to say it but the pain barely registered as a 1.  If I put out standard effort, it would probably jump to a 3 on a scale of 1-10.  I expect to be ready by this weekend, which is only 3 weeks from the injury.  Not as bad as I initially feared.  The race would not have been any good anyway even if I wasn't injured.

The parasite cleanse is a 25 day process.  3 pills per day in divided doses for 10 days followed by a 5 day pause then another 10 days.  After that, it's over.  I'm halfway through the first 10 days.  So far, I can deal with it.  There is no immediate reaction to the pill but I do feel "a little loopy". That's really the only way that I can describe it. There is no insatiable need for it.  If I did take a double dose, the side effects would likely intensify.  I'm a little drowsy and alcohol does intensify this effect.  I drank the equivalent of 2.5 beers at the pool and normally, I'd be okay to drive after 2 hours (BAC around .03). Not today.  I didn't even get a buzz.  It just put me to sleep.  Fortunately I walked to the pool so that wasn't an issue.  

Though I did not leave a trail of stool in the pool like the Diarrhea Song, I did get a NASTY attack the last 2 days after lunch and again yesterday before bed.  That said, it's not nearly as bad as the candida die off.  With that, I had debilitating stomach pain yet could not go.  Some people report seeing worms in their stool.  I have not seen that yet.  It doesn't mean that they weren't there.  Instead, they were dissolved by the Eye-Vermectin.  

Would the side effects impact my running?  Probably but I don't care about that because I am injured.  This is the perfect time to give this a try.  All things considered, it's tolerable.  I can work and will be done with it by mid-September.  Highly unlikely that there will be any long-term negative effects.  Even if it turns out to be ineffective, it's still worth a shot.  What the hell do I have to lose?

Update:

Did another "sprint" today in 55 seconds.  Compared to last time, I did ramp up the effort and again, the pain was minimal. I am probably ready now.  Still, I am going to play it safe and rest 3 more days until Saturday.  Yes, I do believe that I am weakened by the Para Purge but will see it through to completion.  I only have a little more than 2 weeks to go.  It will be interesting to see what happens on the pause period.

RANT: Clingy with Unrealistic Expectations

 I'll start this off with some halfway good news.  It appears that I am no longer intolerant to ADHS and am less dependent on Vitamin C.  I was still weakened by Magnesium Malate but the ill-effects were not severe.  I did another "sprint" this morning of an estimated 150 meters to 0.1 mile.  3 days ago, it took slightly more than 1:00 to finish it.  Today, my time was down to 51 seconds.  Bad news is that the hamstring pain is still there.  Though I am improving, I likely need another week off.  Even then, I will need to go very easy the first few days. Now, here it comes.

Nowadays, I rarely even interact with strangers who contact me on social media because I've had too many negative experiences.  I made an exception last month.  A woman liked and commented on a few of my pictures from Miami.  I looked at her profile and saw that we share interests in both travel and fitness so I followed her back on Instagram.  

After exchanging a few messages that seemed to be a screening process, she asked to chat on Whatsapp instead.  That's normally a flag because her IG account won't last long.  Indeed, her account was deleted or disabled just a few weeks later.  For what?  I don't know.  

Her first message expressed interest in building a friendship on here.  Good.  Green flag.  If she had said that she was madly in love with me already, 9 times out of 10, she or he is up to no good.  In a couple weeks, they will be hit with a major emergency and an urgent need for cash.  No close friends or family can help so they turn to someone with whom they recently began chatting.  I know better than to fall for that trap.  I will immediately block anyone who asks me for money or gift cards.  

I guess I'm old school in that I am not real big on texting.  I do like to get a good morning greeting and maybe a few others during the day but I'm not going to chit chat, especially when I am supposed to be working.  I was asked about my beverages of choice when hanging out at the pool.  I meant to reply but was in the middle of my month end reports and it slipped my mind until evening.  I was called "rude and disrespectful". This was after just ONE missed reply.  It happens.  I apologized and pledged to do better in the future.  Now, suppose that I didn't reply to news about a sick relative who is in the hospital, YES, that would be bad.  My beverage of choice is hardly an urgent matter.  If you really want to know, ask me again and I will answer if I am not in the middle of something important.  

Despite the initial dust up, things seemed to be going pretty well over the next couple of weeks.  We even discussed taking a trip together in the future.  I did say that I would have to spend a day or two together before I commit to anything big like that.  I said that I could possibly be in her area as early as next winter and suggested a meeting spot.  I expected to receive her input but got no reply.  I didn't flip out.  We never spoke on the phone but I did send her a video greeting in which I used her name.  I expected to get a video reply but I didn't.  Again, I didn't flip out.  The day before I left for California, she complained again that I wasn't engaging enough.  I explained that I had to tie up a few loose ends before the trip and please don't be upset if I don't talk much during the trip.  After all, I cannot text and surf or text and drive at the same time.

You can probably guess what happened next.  I was called "extremely rude and disrespectful" for "selective replies.".  Stupidly, I apologized again and told her to please understand that I had very little free time.  It's impossible to text and surf.  When she piled on after that, I decided that I'd had enough and abruptly blocked her.  Good call.  Sadly, that's been the usual pattern for me.  Several other "relationships" have gone similar to what I just described.  Again, she didn't exactly have a perfect record of responding to me but claimed that she did.

I don't have a lot of experience with women but I know enough to realize what it would be like to date someone like that.  Her expectations would be totally unrealistic and would be blind to her own faults, which is a double whammy.  I would have to walk on egg shells to avoid her wrath while having to tolerate the very things that she complains about when I do it.  No Thanks.  I discussed this with a few female coworkers and all of them were on my side.  Perhaps my younger self would try to make it work by being a simp and always accepting the blame.  Not so now.  Perhaps I am simply not cut out for relationships and ought to fully embrace the single life 

Injury Update 2/ Para Purge

 The news is mostly good.  I am pain free when walking now.  I did a couple very slow 150 meter jogs this morning and could still feel the pain.  Not quite ready yet.  I will rest this weekend and try again either early next week or next weekend.  Even if I have to wait until next weekend, that's only 3 weeks off, which is not as bad as I feared.

In other news, I ordered a new supplement called Para Purge.  I wasn't expecting it to be very effective.  There are different schools of thought regarding parasites.  ARL claims that most everyone has them and the aim should be to create an environment in your body that is not so hospitable.  However I have read other testimonials that have said it's life changing.  One is the key ingredients is none other than Eye-Vermectin.  Without much to lose, I decided to give it a shot but waited until after California.  A negative reaction is still a possibility.

Early response:  

Not a miracle cure but I did feel slightly better after the first dose so there is no autoimmune reaction to it.  It's kinda difficult to assess how I feel because I am not running.  There is a possibility of nasty diarrhea in which the parasites come out.  Nothing like that yet.  

Vitamin C:

I actually forgot to take it yesterday morning and didn't feel THAT bad.  It does appear that I am becoming less dependent on it.  I have not tried the ADHS yet and will update this when I do so.

Update:  No discernable reaction to ADHS but I was still weakened by Magnesium Malate 

San Diego and Orange County Road Trip

 I took a Los Angeles/Tijuana road trip 3 years ago.  Though I did stop in San Diego and Orange County, I didn't do justice to either of them and sought to change that.  I hastily signed up for the America's Finest City 5K after a week of decent training but injured my hamstring pretty badly just 1 week out.  Racing was out of the question, and I feared that I may not even be able to enjoy the ocean, but the trip was still a go. 

8/14-

3 AM wake up call.  I wanted an early flight but not quite this early, but it worked out fine.  After an easy connection in Dallas, I arrived in Santa Ana just after noon.  It was the closest airport to most of my destinations and probably a smart call to avoid LAX if possible.  From the airport, it was only about 20-30 minutes to Huntington Beach (Surf City USA).  I did take it a little easy out there, but the sore hamstring was of no concern, and I stayed in the water until about 5 PM.  It was a rare overcast day with temps in the low 70s.  The water temperature here normally tops out around 72 but this summer has been cooler than average, so it was around 70.  After the initial shock, I found it comfortably cool out there and still enjoyable even with the overcast skies.   After I got out, I overheard a guy mention Alabama and the Gulf so I struck up a conversation.  Lo and behold, he used to live there.  His name was Javier and I enjoyed meeting him and his girlfriend Sofia.  No pics because I didn't have my phone on me.  This would be the first of five beaches that I would sample on this trip.  My hotel was about 2.5 miles up the road so I grabbed a pizza for dinner and just relaxed for the night.  

8/15- 30 minute drive on PCH down to Laguna Beach.  Every beach has a different vibe but despite a bit of seaweed in several spots, this was my favorite.  Clear water was an aqua tint and strong surf.  I went down a couple times and got consistently good rides to the shore.  There's also beautiful cliff side scenery.  My only gripe was that parking is difficult to find in the afternoon and prices are outrageous.  I cut my session a little short for this reason.  Today, we got some afternoon sun but it clouded up before sunset.  However, it was crystal clear just a few miles inland at my hotel.  Strange.  

8/16- About a 90 minute drive south mostly on the freeway to Ocean Beach just outside of San Diego.  Waves were not quite as strong here but they broke further out, which enabled longer rides.  Free parking as well.  From there, I went to a burger joint just about a mile up the road where I ended up eating with a random woman named Tina.  

After lunch, it was a scenic ride to the marina with views of the San Diego skyline to the race expo.  After much back and forth deliberation, I decided it would be okay to participate in the 5K as a walker.  I checked into my hotel then found the starting line for tomorrow's race.  

Next was a walking tour of downtown San Diego on Market Street through the Gaslamp quarter to Kansas City Barbeque (Top Gun bar).  In a mild disappointment, nobody commented on my resemblance to Val Kilmer.  I took an alternate route back through Little Italy and chatted a bit with several people at a sports bar on the way back.  I find it easy to talk with locals here.  Perhaps Southerners mix well with laid back California culture.

8/17- Race morning.  A road race from the very back of the pack was a new experience for me.  Even when I was fast, I always had SERIOUS issues with people who make fun of slower runners.  Anyone who makes an earnest effort and gets out there deserves our respect.  Some people just wanted to take in the experience and didn't seem to put much effort into it but there were others who were honestly giving it their best.  My brisk walk was almost as fast as their run but I still applaud them.  

I walked about 80 percent of the course but did incorporate some very slow and easy jogging at regular intervals.  I could still feel the pain in my hamstring but don't think I made it any worse.  I knew better than to push it.  Of course, it was a personal worst by more than a mile but I didn't care.  The only goal was to finish without aggravating the injury.  According to the results, I wasn't even close to being the last finisher.  I placed 45th out of 55 in my age group and did something positive that I have never done before.  I negative split a 5K for the first time with the back half being about a minute faster than the first half.  Can't say that I enjoyed this experience but it wasn't as depressing as I expected.  

My only irritation came afterwards when I was denied entry to the beer garden without an ID even though my bib listed my age.  Maybe I still appear under 40 but certainly not under 30.  Ridiculous.  In the end, it probably worked out for the best. By leaving early, I had an easier time finding parking at La Jolla Shores, which was a mess in the afternoon.  

La Jolla Shores has a darker green tint and gentler waves but crystal clear water that was so clear that you could see to the bottom.  Yes, such American beaches do exist outside of Florida.  I left just after noon and drove about 20 minutes to Torrey Pines for lunch and a short hike.  

From Torrey Pines, it was only about 20-30 minutes to Oceanside via the Freeway.  Oceanside is a beautiful area with tall palm trees lining the streets.  I had another good surf session.  Oceanside has clear water too but it's a more aqua tint like Laguna.  Less seaweed but no cliffs.  

8/18- Had time for another dip in Oceanside before check out.  I got to see it in all its glory with crystal clear skies today.  After lunch at In & Out Burgers, I had a little bit of dead time because it was only 1 hour to Anaheim and the game didn't start until 6:30.  

I decided to take a short detour through Compton, the birthplace of gangsta rap.  Certainly a rough area but it's not nearly as dangerous as it was in the early 90s.  I've seen worse neighborhoods but I knew better than to get out of my car or venture outside of the main roads.  At any rate, I arrived safely in Anaheim around 3 and just chilled at a very nice pool at my hotel.  

Angel Stadium is my 22nd ballpark and ranks in the middle of the pack.  It's got some nice mountain views but you can tell that it's an old facility.  The game was nothing special as the Angels lost 4-1.  At least I can say that I saw Future HOFer Mike Trout live.  I believe that makes 8 losses in row for the home team.  Yes, I've seen some bad teams but I should get lucky once.  

8/19- Got to sleep in a bit with the flight out being at 12:30.  I had to contend with a bit of Freeway traffic but had more than enough time.  There was a short delay on my first flight but fortunately I had a 2 hour layover scheduled so it didn't affect my connection.  I still got home at a half decent hour.

Excellent trip overall.

Injury Update

 Day 3 and I have improved.  I jogged VERY gingerly for about 20 yards in the parking lot this morning.  It was painful and done with a significant limp but just 2 days earlier, I could not even do that.  No, I didn't strain it further and I know better than to push my luck.  

I should be able to enjoy the ocean as per usual but I actually hope that waves are in the 2-3 foot range rather than 4-6.  5 days out from race day and I'm afraid it's a no go.  I've thought about walking it but I'll probably just skip it.  Knowing me, I am liable to push it beyond my limits and make it worse.  

I predicted anywhere from 2 weeks of rest to up to 8.  Most likely, it will be in the 3-4 week range.  I will not run until I am 100 percent pain free.  

As for the pills, I am off the ADHS.  The only thing I take besides the methylation support is Vitamin C.  It does give me a bit of a temporary boost but it's short lived.  When I get back, I'll try an anti-parasite supplement but I have little confidence that it will work.

Hamstring Strain

 My first injury since 2019 when I twisted my ankle on a pine cone in the parking lot.  Before that I hadn't been hurt since 2014, but given the minimal volume, there should not be much risk.

I really don't think I did anything wrong.  I slow jogged before this and did a few moderately fast strides.  I simply could not handle the speed in my weakened condition.  

As I feared, I am now completely intolerant to ADHS.  Vitamin C does help for a while but the positive effects don't last and it appears to be an insatiable need.  I tried to sprint all out after taking the C.  Though I was still a little stiff and sore, I was moving well.  Pleased, I increased the effort and it felt great.  For about 10 seconds.  About 15 seconds in, my legs started going numb but I was only about 50 meters away from the finish.  I thought I was losing control of my legs and was afraid that I was going to fall.  That would have sucked if I did.  I would have had bad cuts and scratches.  I decided to ease up and cruise it in.  Even still, it would have been my fastest recorded time for that distance.

Too late.  In mid-stride, I felt a sudden stabbing pain in my lower right hamstring.  No pop or tearing sound but I knew immediately that it was serious.  Fortunately I didn't try to continue.  I stopped immediately and remained on my feet.  After walking a few steps, I made a half hearted attempt to slow jog but could not.  Too painful and I knew from the first step.

Is it Grade 1 or 2?   Probably 2.  The day after the injury is usually as bad as it gets.  I am able to walk without much discomfort and it's actually worse when I am seated in certain positions but even 1 step of slow jogging is just too painful.  7 days out from race day, I'm afraid it's out of the question.  Best case scenario is 2-3 weeks recovery time but more likely 4-6 with 6-8 being the worst case 

I'm not terribly upset about the missed race.  Even if it's a good day, the best that I can hope for is a time in the mid-high 27s or just under 9:00 pace.  I never should have signed up being this unstable.  I got excited after 1 relatively good week with much progress.  I will still go to California but I may have to take it easy in the surf.  A wipeout could aggravate it.  Ugh!  Probably should have opted for Washington State.  Hopefully, I will see some improvement over the next 4 days.  

What upsets me the most is that if my pills were stable, this probably never happens.  Since the "miracle" with the Malic Acid that may well have solved the autoimmune reactions, it's been one thing after another.  First, the need for stimulants then flip flop flip then intolerance to Malic Acid then overstimulation from CoQ10 then the extreme Vitamin C need and intolerance to ADHS.  Now this!  Will it ever end?  Probably not.  I CAN NEVER BE HAPPY UNLESS THIS IS AT LEAST UNDER CONTROL!   MY 3 DEMANDS ARE HARDLY UNREASONABLE!!

Training 8/4-8/10

 8/4- Repeated the 2 mile distance this time on Lakeshore.  Improved to 21:11 (10:35 pace).  MINUS 48 compared to yesterday.  Solid improvement but as I predicted, not an instant rebound.  Only 67 degrees this morning.  Summer is not over yet but it's nice to get a break.  Added a half mile cool.

Took just 1 CoQ10 and felt noticeably worse immediately.  Sure hope it's not an autoimmune reaction.  Probably just too much of a stimulant.  I have been good about avoiding energy drinks but still drink an occasional Coke.  I've noticed that I lose something after that as well.

Distance-2.5

8/5- Back to the new normal.  Lakeshore 2.5 in 22:55 (9:10 pace) with a sub-9 on the back half.  Splits were 11:46-11:09 so that's a pretty solid finish.  ADHS plus methylation support is a winning formula and I will not try to mess with it.

PM- Took a pot shot at the sub-8 Mile.  Got off to a fast start but it didn't feel right.  Pace fell off after 200 meters but held it near 8:00 pace for the next 400.  Punted at 800 still under 4:00 but fading and slow jogged the last 2 laps.  

You might think that I was just too tired from the morning but I can tell the difference between natural fatigue and pill issues.  This is clearly the latter.  It seems like I took too much ADHS.  I predicted that my need would diminish without CoQ10 but I SHOULDN'T REACT BADLY TO A MODULATOR!  Too much of a suppressant can hurt but a modulator?  Should not!

Distance-3.5

8/6- AM- Needed an extra hour of sleep because of crazy dreams.  Dreamed that I hung out with a guy from my childhood that I  haven't even thought about in several years. We didn't like each other growing up and didn't like each other in the dream either.  LOL.  

Did have time for Sprint tests.  Did a 41/32 plus a warm and cool.  The final sprint felt good.  I am still too dependent on ADHS but the dosage will be reduced and I may no longer need the afternoon dose 

PM- Hoped to run 3.5 from the Shak.  Called it quits after 1 Mile in 10:03.  Cut the ADHS from 9 pills to 6 but it was still too much.  Concern, panic or doom?  Concern but on the edge of panic.  It's not a surprise that cutting CoQ10 affected the adrenal balance.  I plan to cut it down to 4 tomorrow and I had better see significant improvement.

Distance-1.5

8/7-AM- 2 miles in 17:56 (8:58 pace) plus a cool.  Splits were 9:10-8:46 with most of disparity coming in the last quarter mile.  Still concerned but no panic.  I still need the pills but there is a magic number, which is clearly going down.  Am I headed towards complete intolerance?  If so, I got big trouble.  Took only 3 pills this morning and will take 1 in the afternoon.

PM- Noticeably weaker after the afternoon dose (just 1 pill).  After a half lap warm, I ran another half lap at base effort and clocked an 83 (8:18 pace).  Over a full mile, I estimate that I was good for a low-mid 9.  Better than yesterday afternoon but clearly a step backwards from this morning.  

New theory:  The Zinc/Copper ratio in ADHS is only 10:1, which is too low.  At a low dose, it probably doesn't matter, but on 8 pills, it sure does.  Popped a Zinc pill and walked back to the start line for the half.  Time improved to 74 (7:24 pace).  If the problem with ADHS is a Zinc/Copper imbalance rather than adrenal suppression, that makes me feel a LOT BETTER!

Distance-3.0

8/8- Took 1 Liver pill last night and it wrecked me.  Not a big surprise and it was a risk that I was willing to take to confirm the Zinc/Copper issue.  This ratio is often problematic with Autism and I don't believe it is an autoimmune reaction.

I was worthless this morning.  I would have been better off without ANY ADHS pills but just 2 of those made it much worse.  Just slow jogged 1 Mile untimed.  Even Zinc was not enough to counteract the Copper in the Liver pills but Vitamin C was effective.  That's what I'm going with until San Diego.  Lots of new experiments to come afterwards.

PM- Turned away at the DMV in an attempt to get a STAR ID.  AARGH!  Fortunately my passport should still work.  I never reported it lost to the government.  2 sprint with and without Vitamin C.  57 without and a 40 with.  Gap of 17.  If I simply need to add Vitamin C to my cocktail, I can live with that as long as it doesn't become a magic number.

Distance-1.5

8/9- DISASTER.  Took some Vitamin C and felt like it triggered the need for ADHS again, which is actually what I wanted to see.  Took 3 ADHS- pills and quit after just a half mile in 5:38 plus a warm.  Got home and took more Vitamin C.  Tried to sprint and I was moving fast.  It felt good for a few seconds then my hamstring gave way.  Likely out for San Diego.

Distance-1.0

8/10- Unplanned rest day.  Too soon to say how long I will be out.

13 miles on the week