1/9- Junk run. 2 miles in a time over 20. IP-6 ill-effects were worse than yesterday but fortunately, I believe there is an explanation. I've read that caffeine messes with IP receptors. A glimmer of hope is still alive. I am prepared for a tough withdrawal tomorrow or Wednesday. What if Ferritin drops below 100 but I'm still not improving?
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=2.0
1/10- Spain Park 3 miler on a pleasant 50 degree evening. Stuck with IP-6 and abstained from caffeine. Did better than expected. I wasn't sure I would break the Mendoza line but I finished in 22:56 (7:39 pace). Splits were 7:33-7:44-7:39 but had little left at the end. No real withdrawal symptoms but Day 2 has historically been tougher. I can expect to be back in the 21s tomorrow or the next day but hope to go longer.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0
-IP-6 is still tolerated as long as I stay off caffeine and when motivated, I can do it. I'll get Ferritin re-tested at the end of the month and I think I can expect a significant improvement. Will it be accompanied by improved performance or at least more consistency? We shall see.
1/11- Lakeshore 5 in 43:42 (8:44 pace). Got through the planned workout but it was ugly. Started off okay with a 20:22 first half then died (23:20) and was doing about 9:40 pace at the end. Clearly a downer after yesterday and really not sure what to make of it. I did have some Green Tea today, which has minimal caffeine (about 20 mg). Could that be the problem? I wouldn't think that such a small dose would cause a problem but I could be wrong.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=5.0
1/12- Spain Park 1 mile in 8:56. Pace fell off after just a quarter mile and was doing 10 minute pace in the last lap. It is becoming increasingly clear that IP-6 won't work even if I abstain from caffeine, which I did today. It is possible but unlikely that a lowered dose or occasional use will work.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0
-Tried Sam-e afterwards and it was an INSTANT FAILURE so scratch that option.
-I could try Ultimate B or simply quit all methylation support and if that won't work, I must go radical. Looking bleak now.
1/13- As expected, I was awful but it was because the Sam-e has yet to clear not the IP-6. In fact, I was actually slightly better after I took LOW dose IP-6 with plenty of Zinc.
Totaled 3 miles around the lake at Veteran's Park and did not even time it. I will attempt the long run tomorrow.
Grade:D/1 credit/distance=3.0
1/14- IP-6 is NOT going to work at least as a regular part of my cocktail. I could try adding more zinc but that seems unlikely. I'll either have to cut back on the Methyl Mate or go radical. The BTC long run is actually tomorrow so I'm taking a planned rest day today.
1/15- I did attempt the BTC long run but had to drop out early. Finished with 3 miles in 25:54 then added 2 more in 16:24 later in the day for an overall total of 5 miles in 42:10 (8:26 pace). I am now 0 for 3 on long runs this year though I do have another chance tomorrow on MLK day. I went with NEITHER methylation nor IP-6 today and it's still too soon to judge this. In a half marathon race, I probably could have stuck it out and finished but it would have been well over 2 hours. The Mendoza line for a half marathon is set at an even 2 hours.
Grade:F/2 credits/distance=5.0
Distance= 19.0 GPA= 0.57
YTD- 0-2 with a 0.84 GPA. 42 miles.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Zinc RBC and Ferritin Test Results
Copper RBC- 0.73 (0.50-1.00)- NEAR PERFECT
Zinc RBC 1672 (822-1571) FLAGGED HIGH
Ferritin- 202- UP 8 (roughly 4%)
I’m SHOCKED and not in a good way. I fully expected Zinc to be deficient and instead it’s elevated. What to make of it? I’m still not sure. Why did I feel better when on the Zinc supplement? That’s probably because it’s balanced with copper. That does makes sense given that I cannot take Zinc as a stand-alone supplement. Zinc and copper are direct antagonists of each other so thus it prevented the zinc/copper ratio from getting too far out of hand. Also, zinc and copper balance may be important for Iron regulation.
Zinc and Iron are also direct antagonists of each other. When Zinc is low, the deficiency is often corrected by clearing excess Iron instead of supplementing with Zinc, which can lower Copper. It has been confirmed by Analytical Research Labs that excess Zinc is indeed associated with low serum Iron. . My serum Iron dropped from 176 (flagged high) to 119 (near optimal) on my last Iron panel. It may very well be that I went too far with the clearing of serum Iron. Let’s say that it’s dropped below 80. That would be a serious deficiency. I have recently become intolerant to Curcumin, which is known to lower Iron. I initially thought that I could not tolerate Curcumin because of its sulfur content but it may be possible that sulfur is not the problem at all. At least as of now, glutathione is still well tolerated and that stuff is very high in sulfur. What to do about low Iron? Probably simply stopping the Curcumin will allow it to rise naturally. Curcumin will stay in my cabinet as it may still be necessary occasionally to prevent the Iron from getting too high again.
I was quite displeased by the continued rise in Ferritin and suspect Yasko’s Folinic + (formerly Methyl Mate) because it contains Lactoferrin. I tried loading on the stuff this morning and sucked even worse than before taking it. This stuff was once a life saver that corrected brutal sensitivity issues but it will now be tossed. Can I get along without it now? We shall see. If not, I could try a substitute product such as low dose Sam-e. Ideally, Ferritin should be around 50 but as long as you are under 100, it should not cause serious problems. Mine is now twice that number. Is it the smoking gun? It still seems unlikely but I suppose it’s possible.
Ferritin represents the amount of stored Iron in the Liver and it’s certainly possible to have loads of it stuck in there but not flowing out into the blood and tissues where it is needed. I’ve gone back on a product called IP-6, which worked temporarily and did in fact reduce my ferritin level from a high of 248 down to 171. I had to stop it because it was depleting Zinc but that’s no longer an issue. If the IP-6 does not work, I must go radical. It’s possible that the Liver flush that I did several times in 2014 will dump out the stored Iron into the blood and tissues and I may end up back on the Curcumin at least temporarily. Let’s hope it does not come to that. The last resort is blood donation. According to Morley, it is almost guaranteed to lower ferritin but it will also lower other minerals including Iron, which I suspect to be low as it is.
Further testing:
I’ve done all the suggested blood tests out there now and the only one that I am interested in repeating is the Iron panel and specifically Ferritin. I’ll re-test the latter in about 3 weeks and if I don’t see a significant improvement, I will have to go radical. The only urine test that interests me is the Genova Comprehensive Profile to re-assess Candida and to get a number in writing for Sulfates. At this point, I’m not sure that will test high and if it does, it’s probably a wasting issue rather than an excess. What to do to prevent wasting? I don’t know. Finally, there is the ARL Hair Test. I’ve been an extreme fast oxidizer for several years but have thought several times (incorrectly) that I had flipped to slow. It is very possible that my Iron excess was the cause of the fast oxidation and thus, now that it’s been reversed, I have flipped. The fact that I am now intolerant to Calcium and D plus the 72 second improvement in pace immediately after taking the adrenal stimulant is pretty strong evidence of a flip. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to send the hair sample.
Resolution:
Earlier, I posted that I expect to get a final answer one way or the other within the first quarter of 2017. That now seems unlikely. I may be chasing balance at the end of the year as well. I’ve already held on to hope much longer than I thought I could but that runs out eventually. Once again, I’ve thought about retiring but will continue at least through NYC and probably the end of the year. Let's say that I have to endure a 1-2 day blip every month. I can deal with that. If it happens on race day, it's bad luck but 93% of the time, I will have a decent day when it matters. Nowadays, I relapse almost every week. That is unacceptable.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Training 1/1-1/8
1/1- Decent start to 2017. 4 miles at Gold's in 30:12 (7:33 pace). The 1st and 2nd halves were both 15:06 but slipped to 7:44 in Mile 3 before a nice rebound at the end. I'd like to do 10 tomorrow but it will probably have to be indoors because it's supposed to rain all day. I believe the formula is SET once again. I do indeed need methylation support and low dose B-12 so that means Cal is out and the adrenal support must be ADHS rather than Thym-Adren. I may tinker a bit with taurine, glutathione or TMG but I want to keep it stable. All those should be tolerated now that I am taking Zinc.
Grade:B/ 1 credit/Distance=4.0
1/2- AM- Planned on 10 miles @ 8:20ish pace. Fell off a cliff after just a quarter mile and just slow jogged the remainder of the mile. Time was likely over 10 minutes. The culprit was taurine. It worked just fine yesterday but not so today. More of the same in the new year.
PM- Extra zinc/copper made things a bit better but I was still not up for any quality stuff. Did 3 miles at Gold's in 25:44 (8:35 pace) with relatively even splits on a nasty weather day. Strangely, all the other sulfur containing pills seem to be well tolerated including glutathione. However, I can't say that I would be surprised if several consecutive days on that stuff will trigger a relapse. I will likely toss the taurine and opt for occasional use of the glutathione. Another FAILED long run and Mercedes is only 6 weeks away. NYC is 5 weeks after that. I expect to get the Zinc and Copper RBC test results any day now and it will merit a separate post.
Grade:F+/2 credit/distance=4.0
1/3- Unplanned rest day. I can no longer tolerate Curcumin. Test results came back today and I was right about having a Zinc imbalance but it was HIGH not low. Ferritin was up again while Copper was normal. More to come later but I was NOT happy. IP-6 appears to be okay again.
1/4- AM- The hated trial and error interval workout. 4x800s
Basic Formula- 5:04- Intolerance to Curcumin clearly evident
Lactoferrin- 5:46- Again, this was a HALF mile.
IP-6- 4:49- Intended to lower Ferritin
Adrenal Stimulant-4:13- Have I flipped to slow oxidation?
More to come in a separate post. Most likely, that's it for today as far as training. Overall moving time was 19:52 for 2 miles (9:56 pace).
Grade:F+/1 credit/distance=2.0
PM- Began feeling a little better by the afternoon. Decided to tack on 3 miles at Gold's in 24:52 (8:17 pace) with a negative split (12:32-12:20). Tomorrow is my first full day off Lactoferrin and Curcumin. Being off the latter won't hurt me. The lactoferrin was merely an ingredient in a methylation supplement. Can I get by without it? I don't know. If not, I'll have to find a substitute.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=3.0
1/5- NO GOOD. Tried taking all methylation support except for the pill containing lactoferrin and it was disastrous. Pace collapsed after just a third of a mile and called it quits after just 1 mile in 8:25. Pace had slipped to over 9 by the end. There are 3 solutions to the lactoferrin problem:
1) Cut out all methylation support
2) Find a substitute product that does not contain lactoferrin
3) Bite the bullet and stay on it but hope the IP-6 will offset it.
Leaning towards #3.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0
PM- Felt better immediately after taking the Methyl Mate. Re-learned the lesson that with Methyl folate and Methyl Mate, it has to be both or neither. NOT one or the other. At least the dose and ratio are flexible. Last summer, I needed X amount of each or else. I really believe that the IP-6 will more than compensate for the lactoferrin and a substitute product could be expensive and ineffective or possibly harmful. As for the workout, I did 3 miles in 22:48 (7:36 pace). MINUS 41/mile over yesterday.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0
What usually happens is that I continue to get better for a few more days and get down into the 21s, I may even break the barrier but just when my hopes begin to rise, I get hammered by another crushing relapse. Hate to say it but I expect it to happen again.
1/6- 3 miles in 21:48 (7:16 pace). MINUS 20. So far so good with the current plan. I was 11-flat at the half then popped an adrenal stimulant (took only a few seconds) and improved to 10:48 over the back half. Not a dramatic improvement so I'm sticking with the modulator.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=3.0
Getting into the 21s is no cause for celebration. I'm still over 90 seconds (30/mile) away from a sub-21 5K, which is the low end of respectability in my book. If I can break 21 (7:00 pace), I'd feel a little differently.
1/7- Unplanned rest day due to the weather. We got ice/snow last night and the roads are still bad as of noon today. I'm staying in. Energy has taken a hit today. It appears that I was too aggressive with the IP-6. If I have to cut that out completely, I'm in big trouble. Hopefully, I just need to reduce to dose. Otherwise, few conservative options remain.
1/8- Another FAILED long run. Pace fell off immediately but held it under 9 until the end of Mile 2 then collapsed to 10 minute pace. Called it quits after 3 miles in 27:27 (9:09 pace). IP-6 was likely the culprit. Hopefully, a reduced dose will do the trick. If not, it's a liver flush or blood donation.
Grade:F/2 credits/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
Not much difference in the new year.
Distance= 23.0/ GPA= 9.9/9= 1.10
Grade:B/ 1 credit/Distance=4.0
1/2- AM- Planned on 10 miles @ 8:20ish pace. Fell off a cliff after just a quarter mile and just slow jogged the remainder of the mile. Time was likely over 10 minutes. The culprit was taurine. It worked just fine yesterday but not so today. More of the same in the new year.
PM- Extra zinc/copper made things a bit better but I was still not up for any quality stuff. Did 3 miles at Gold's in 25:44 (8:35 pace) with relatively even splits on a nasty weather day. Strangely, all the other sulfur containing pills seem to be well tolerated including glutathione. However, I can't say that I would be surprised if several consecutive days on that stuff will trigger a relapse. I will likely toss the taurine and opt for occasional use of the glutathione. Another FAILED long run and Mercedes is only 6 weeks away. NYC is 5 weeks after that. I expect to get the Zinc and Copper RBC test results any day now and it will merit a separate post.
Grade:F+/2 credit/distance=4.0
1/3- Unplanned rest day. I can no longer tolerate Curcumin. Test results came back today and I was right about having a Zinc imbalance but it was HIGH not low. Ferritin was up again while Copper was normal. More to come later but I was NOT happy. IP-6 appears to be okay again.
1/4- AM- The hated trial and error interval workout. 4x800s
Basic Formula- 5:04- Intolerance to Curcumin clearly evident
Lactoferrin- 5:46- Again, this was a HALF mile.
IP-6- 4:49- Intended to lower Ferritin
Adrenal Stimulant-4:13- Have I flipped to slow oxidation?
More to come in a separate post. Most likely, that's it for today as far as training. Overall moving time was 19:52 for 2 miles (9:56 pace).
Grade:F+/1 credit/distance=2.0
PM- Began feeling a little better by the afternoon. Decided to tack on 3 miles at Gold's in 24:52 (8:17 pace) with a negative split (12:32-12:20). Tomorrow is my first full day off Lactoferrin and Curcumin. Being off the latter won't hurt me. The lactoferrin was merely an ingredient in a methylation supplement. Can I get by without it? I don't know. If not, I'll have to find a substitute.
Grade:D+/1 credit/distance=3.0
1/5- NO GOOD. Tried taking all methylation support except for the pill containing lactoferrin and it was disastrous. Pace collapsed after just a third of a mile and called it quits after just 1 mile in 8:25. Pace had slipped to over 9 by the end. There are 3 solutions to the lactoferrin problem:
1) Cut out all methylation support
2) Find a substitute product that does not contain lactoferrin
3) Bite the bullet and stay on it but hope the IP-6 will offset it.
Leaning towards #3.
Grade:F/1 credit/distance=1.0
PM- Felt better immediately after taking the Methyl Mate. Re-learned the lesson that with Methyl folate and Methyl Mate, it has to be both or neither. NOT one or the other. At least the dose and ratio are flexible. Last summer, I needed X amount of each or else. I really believe that the IP-6 will more than compensate for the lactoferrin and a substitute product could be expensive and ineffective or possibly harmful. As for the workout, I did 3 miles in 22:48 (7:36 pace). MINUS 41/mile over yesterday.
Grade:C/1 credit/distance=3.0
What usually happens is that I continue to get better for a few more days and get down into the 21s, I may even break the barrier but just when my hopes begin to rise, I get hammered by another crushing relapse. Hate to say it but I expect it to happen again.
1/6- 3 miles in 21:48 (7:16 pace). MINUS 20. So far so good with the current plan. I was 11-flat at the half then popped an adrenal stimulant (took only a few seconds) and improved to 10:48 over the back half. Not a dramatic improvement so I'm sticking with the modulator.
Grade:B-/1 credit/distance=3.0
Getting into the 21s is no cause for celebration. I'm still over 90 seconds (30/mile) away from a sub-21 5K, which is the low end of respectability in my book. If I can break 21 (7:00 pace), I'd feel a little differently.
1/7- Unplanned rest day due to the weather. We got ice/snow last night and the roads are still bad as of noon today. I'm staying in. Energy has taken a hit today. It appears that I was too aggressive with the IP-6. If I have to cut that out completely, I'm in big trouble. Hopefully, I just need to reduce to dose. Otherwise, few conservative options remain.
1/8- Another FAILED long run. Pace fell off immediately but held it under 9 until the end of Mile 2 then collapsed to 10 minute pace. Called it quits after 3 miles in 27:27 (9:09 pace). IP-6 was likely the culprit. Hopefully, a reduced dose will do the trick. If not, it's a liver flush or blood donation.
Grade:F/2 credits/distance=3.0
Weekly summary:
Not much difference in the new year.
Distance= 23.0/ GPA= 9.9/9= 1.10
2016 Review
I'm not going to sugarcoat it. This was not a good year. While I had several significant victories on the medical front, I have yet to see a increase in energy or improved performance. This could change when I get the Zinc RBC results but the real smoking gun has yet to be found. With that said, this was a better year for me than 2015 and this is the first time since 2012 in which I feel that I am better off than I was 12 months ago. I raced only 4 times, only one of which was halfway decent but I did run 1305 miles (25 MPW), which was over 200 more than last year and I had many more successful long runs. This could be a year that will be viewed as laying the groundwork for future success. Let's take a look month by month.
January:
Began the year nearly hopeless. I was deficient in Lithium and B-12 but could not tolerate it because of the ATP deficit. The ATP started working early in the year and Lithium was soon tolerated as well but by the end of the month, ATP failed.
February:
Not a good month for running but began what was my greatest travel year ever with a road trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth. Began to add some B-12 by the end of the month.
March:
Finally topped 100 miles in a month and managed a couple decent long runs. I began to require mega doses of B-12 and Lithium had to be stopped then re-started.
April:
Methylation block was obvious. Many pills triggered an immediate negative reaction such that just a trace would cause my whole body to tighten up and both my mood and energy were shot for the rest of the day and into the next day. Again, despite the constant adjustments, I managed decent mileage and set my sights on a May half marathon.
May:
Methylation block began to open up thanks to a product called Methyl Mate and my hair test showed that my B-12 had edged into the normal range. Still very sensitive and required an exact cocktail on most days but got lucky with a good day in Kansas City (1:45 half)
June:
Forced off Lithium at an inopportune time just before a big race in Alaska but still enjoyed the trip immensely.
July:
Bombed at Peachtree but it seemed like I was really getting it all together this month. I felt like I found THE cocktail and delivered my best run of the year which was a 20:48 solo 5K but it was short-lived. Nice trip to the FLA Gulf Coast.
August and September:
Diagnosed with Iron Overload and the treatments produced more ups and downs
October:
GREAT trip to Lake Tahoe despite another mediocre race. Looked toward oxalates in an effort to find the smoking gun but the OAT test proved that it was not the issue after all.
November:
Tried Vitamin D and Vitamin C with temporary success. Had to skip Vulcan and Magic City.
December:
Attacking a probable Zinc deficiency, which I hope will also lower ferritin. Cut out Cal and reduced B-12 and once again, I have reason to believe the formula is SET. Improved tolerance to sulfur.
2017:
I really feel that I've done all I can and expect to get a resolution one way or the other within the first quarter of the year. I don't expect to PR again but if I can avoid the relapses and train steadily at 40 MPW, I see no reason why I cannot get back under 20/42/1:34. Hell, I'll settle for 21/45/1:40. Thanks to improved Iron regulation, I am a bit more at peace about it and have less anger issues. As I've said repeatedly, if you have a chemical imbalance, you WILL be depressed despite favorable external circumstances. The only way to change that is to balance your chemistry, which can be very challenging if you have defective enzymes. I am cautiously optimistic but a large part of me is expecting more of the same.
Preliminary Race Plans:
Mercedes Weekend- I definitely want to participate in something this year but may end up choosing the 5K. I don't want to embarrass myself in a local race.
NYC Half- This one is on 3/19 and it's a definite. I've already planned the trip and I'm really looking forward to it.
Summer- I'd like to do an epic road trip that includes Yellowstone, Glacier and the Canadian Rockies. There will be 2 half marathons 7 days apart. Other summer options include Seattle with a side trip to Vancouver and Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota.
Fall:
Too far off. Depends on what kind of shape I am in. Contenders include Detroit Free Press and a New England double.
Blog:
It's staying up but 2017 may be the last year that I do the training updates. I'll keep posting travels, random rants and possibly more political commentary. We shall see.
January:
Began the year nearly hopeless. I was deficient in Lithium and B-12 but could not tolerate it because of the ATP deficit. The ATP started working early in the year and Lithium was soon tolerated as well but by the end of the month, ATP failed.
February:
Not a good month for running but began what was my greatest travel year ever with a road trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth. Began to add some B-12 by the end of the month.
March:
Finally topped 100 miles in a month and managed a couple decent long runs. I began to require mega doses of B-12 and Lithium had to be stopped then re-started.
April:
Methylation block was obvious. Many pills triggered an immediate negative reaction such that just a trace would cause my whole body to tighten up and both my mood and energy were shot for the rest of the day and into the next day. Again, despite the constant adjustments, I managed decent mileage and set my sights on a May half marathon.
May:
Methylation block began to open up thanks to a product called Methyl Mate and my hair test showed that my B-12 had edged into the normal range. Still very sensitive and required an exact cocktail on most days but got lucky with a good day in Kansas City (1:45 half)
June:
Forced off Lithium at an inopportune time just before a big race in Alaska but still enjoyed the trip immensely.
July:
Bombed at Peachtree but it seemed like I was really getting it all together this month. I felt like I found THE cocktail and delivered my best run of the year which was a 20:48 solo 5K but it was short-lived. Nice trip to the FLA Gulf Coast.
August and September:
Diagnosed with Iron Overload and the treatments produced more ups and downs
October:
GREAT trip to Lake Tahoe despite another mediocre race. Looked toward oxalates in an effort to find the smoking gun but the OAT test proved that it was not the issue after all.
November:
Tried Vitamin D and Vitamin C with temporary success. Had to skip Vulcan and Magic City.
December:
Attacking a probable Zinc deficiency, which I hope will also lower ferritin. Cut out Cal and reduced B-12 and once again, I have reason to believe the formula is SET. Improved tolerance to sulfur.
2017:
I really feel that I've done all I can and expect to get a resolution one way or the other within the first quarter of the year. I don't expect to PR again but if I can avoid the relapses and train steadily at 40 MPW, I see no reason why I cannot get back under 20/42/1:34. Hell, I'll settle for 21/45/1:40. Thanks to improved Iron regulation, I am a bit more at peace about it and have less anger issues. As I've said repeatedly, if you have a chemical imbalance, you WILL be depressed despite favorable external circumstances. The only way to change that is to balance your chemistry, which can be very challenging if you have defective enzymes. I am cautiously optimistic but a large part of me is expecting more of the same.
Preliminary Race Plans:
Mercedes Weekend- I definitely want to participate in something this year but may end up choosing the 5K. I don't want to embarrass myself in a local race.
NYC Half- This one is on 3/19 and it's a definite. I've already planned the trip and I'm really looking forward to it.
Summer- I'd like to do an epic road trip that includes Yellowstone, Glacier and the Canadian Rockies. There will be 2 half marathons 7 days apart. Other summer options include Seattle with a side trip to Vancouver and Spearfish Canyon in South Dakota.
Fall:
Too far off. Depends on what kind of shape I am in. Contenders include Detroit Free Press and a New England double.
Blog:
It's staying up but 2017 may be the last year that I do the training updates. I'll keep posting travels, random rants and possibly more political commentary. We shall see.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Training 12/26-12/31
12/26- Least favorite workout but I learned a lot. Trial and error intervals. 6 laps at Gold's (2/3 mile) on various pills. Began with my current formula. I did take a little more B-12 which may or may not be a good thing. I opened with an even 5:00 (7:30 pace) with splits of 2:29-2:31 though the back half caused increasing strain. I figure a 3 miler would have been comfortably under the Mendoza line but likely not much better than 23:00, which is not acceptable.
On Chromium- Improved to 4:53 (7:20 pace) but my splits were 2:23-2:30. After a faster start, I was no better over the last 4 laps and really did not feel much different. VERDICT: Not a significant change and likely a non-factor overall. I'll take it occasionally and finish the bottle but I'll be done with it after that.
On Taurine- Improved to 4:43 (7:04 pace) with splits of 2:19-2:24. This IS a significant improvement. Taurine is a sulfur containing amino acid that has at times been a life saver and at other times, an utter failure. Not very long ago, I would have had an immediate negative response to just a half a pill. Long-term high level use is dangerous because of the CBS mutation but it could be a winner in the short-term. I'll opt for occasional use after several consecutive days on it.
On Cal/Mag- Felt like the clouds rolled in and my energy was knocked down several notches despite the fact that I took less than half a pill (50 mg each). Cut it off after just 3 laps in 2:39 (7:57 pace) and fading so it likely would have been around 5:30 (8:15 pace) for 6 laps. Again, this was ALL DUE TO A HALF A PILL!! I thought that perhaps citrate was the problem but no, ALL CALCIUM NEEDS TO GO! Morley will be pleased. Tacked on 6 laps as a cool down to claim 3 miles.
Distance=3.0
-10 miles shy of 1300. Maybe it will take 3 more sessions but I'll make it.
12/27- Went with NO pills today just to see what would happen.
NO adrenal support, NO methylation support, NO Zinc/Copper.
Felt about the same as usual (sluggish with low mood but no debilitating fatigue and depression) and performed accordingly. It was the same 4 mile workout that I did 5 days earlier at Spain Park. Finished this one in 30:57 (7:44 pace). Splits were almost exactly the same and if I had tempo-ed the last mile instead of delaying my kick until the last lap, I could have repeated the 30:40 give or take about 5 seconds.
Ordered the Zinc and Copper RBC tests but the turnaround time is 4-7 business days so that means that I won't know before the end of the year. Oh well. I want to see a significant deficiency in at least one of them and/or an unbalanced ratio. I also hope to see a decrease in my Ferritin level, hopefully at least down to 160ish. If I see that, I will remain on my current track.
Distance=4.0
Reaction:
This was a surprise. On one hand, I am very pleased to see that I can get by without pills for at least a day or two. Not very long ago, I could not break 9:00 for 1 Mile without pills. On the other hand, I want the pills that I do take to be effective.
12/28- Another interesting day. Woke up feeling a little rough then got MUCH WORSE IMMEDIATELY after taking sulfur containing pills but JUST AS QUICKLY got better after taking the Zinc/Copper. Felt decent for most of the day but being off the adrenal support and methylation support seemed to catch up with me by late afternoon.
Did 3 miles at Gold's in 23:39 (7:53 pace). I beat the Mendoza line but really struggled in the back half and had nothing left in the tank at the end. Splits were 11:22-12:17. I seemed to improve a bit afterward with methylation support but it wasn't a huge difference. Tacked on another half mile cool and 1 more session will take me over 1300.
Distance=3.5
Reaction:
This is good news all around. Without the pills, I can get by for a day or two but the pills are still necessary and effective. It's a good bet that the zinc deficiency was the cause of the issues with sulfur and I really believe the test will show something wrong. The B-12 may be reduced or eliminated temporarily in the future. The Thym-Adren is the more effective adrenal treatment but it can't be taken with B-12. On the other hand, B-12 may play a key role in producing bio-available iron.
12/29- 3 miles in 23:24 (7:48 pace). Felt sluggish today but it would have been much worse if not for the adrenal support. I am going to reduce if not eliminate the B-12 as I believe it is indirectly lowering my zinc levels. This was better than yesterday because the pace was more even (11:38-11:46) and tacked on another half mile cool. This takes me over 1300 miles on the year with 2 days to spare. I've averaged 25 MPW in 2016. After I cut the B-12, we shall see if I do better on Thym-Adren or ADHS.
Distance=3.5
12/30- Reduced the B-12 by half and improved to 21:31 for 3 miles (7:10 pace) this time at Spain Park. Started and finished well but struggled a bit in the midsection. MINUS 38 over yesterday. I'm going to see what happens if I go off the B-12 completely but I may need it at least as part of a methylation combo. I may need to go back on Cal when off the B-12 so the maze continues. Still, I believe I am very close to a resolution one way or the other.
Distance=3.0
12/31- This ends only the 2nd year since 1994 that I failed to break 6 minutes for 1 mile during the calendar year. I tried today without B-12 and it was not to be. Came through 3 laps at Gold's in 2:08 (6:24 pace) then popped a Cal and was awful from there. Just slow jogged the last 6 laps. I'll confirm tomorrow but I believe that low dose B-12 is needed, which means both Cal and Thym-Adren are both going to be a NO.
Distance=1.0
-18 miles on the week.
-1305 on the year.
On Chromium- Improved to 4:53 (7:20 pace) but my splits were 2:23-2:30. After a faster start, I was no better over the last 4 laps and really did not feel much different. VERDICT: Not a significant change and likely a non-factor overall. I'll take it occasionally and finish the bottle but I'll be done with it after that.
On Taurine- Improved to 4:43 (7:04 pace) with splits of 2:19-2:24. This IS a significant improvement. Taurine is a sulfur containing amino acid that has at times been a life saver and at other times, an utter failure. Not very long ago, I would have had an immediate negative response to just a half a pill. Long-term high level use is dangerous because of the CBS mutation but it could be a winner in the short-term. I'll opt for occasional use after several consecutive days on it.
On Cal/Mag- Felt like the clouds rolled in and my energy was knocked down several notches despite the fact that I took less than half a pill (50 mg each). Cut it off after just 3 laps in 2:39 (7:57 pace) and fading so it likely would have been around 5:30 (8:15 pace) for 6 laps. Again, this was ALL DUE TO A HALF A PILL!! I thought that perhaps citrate was the problem but no, ALL CALCIUM NEEDS TO GO! Morley will be pleased. Tacked on 6 laps as a cool down to claim 3 miles.
Distance=3.0
-10 miles shy of 1300. Maybe it will take 3 more sessions but I'll make it.
12/27- Went with NO pills today just to see what would happen.
NO adrenal support, NO methylation support, NO Zinc/Copper.
Felt about the same as usual (sluggish with low mood but no debilitating fatigue and depression) and performed accordingly. It was the same 4 mile workout that I did 5 days earlier at Spain Park. Finished this one in 30:57 (7:44 pace). Splits were almost exactly the same and if I had tempo-ed the last mile instead of delaying my kick until the last lap, I could have repeated the 30:40 give or take about 5 seconds.
Ordered the Zinc and Copper RBC tests but the turnaround time is 4-7 business days so that means that I won't know before the end of the year. Oh well. I want to see a significant deficiency in at least one of them and/or an unbalanced ratio. I also hope to see a decrease in my Ferritin level, hopefully at least down to 160ish. If I see that, I will remain on my current track.
Distance=4.0
Reaction:
This was a surprise. On one hand, I am very pleased to see that I can get by without pills for at least a day or two. Not very long ago, I could not break 9:00 for 1 Mile without pills. On the other hand, I want the pills that I do take to be effective.
12/28- Another interesting day. Woke up feeling a little rough then got MUCH WORSE IMMEDIATELY after taking sulfur containing pills but JUST AS QUICKLY got better after taking the Zinc/Copper. Felt decent for most of the day but being off the adrenal support and methylation support seemed to catch up with me by late afternoon.
Did 3 miles at Gold's in 23:39 (7:53 pace). I beat the Mendoza line but really struggled in the back half and had nothing left in the tank at the end. Splits were 11:22-12:17. I seemed to improve a bit afterward with methylation support but it wasn't a huge difference. Tacked on another half mile cool and 1 more session will take me over 1300.
Distance=3.5
Reaction:
This is good news all around. Without the pills, I can get by for a day or two but the pills are still necessary and effective. It's a good bet that the zinc deficiency was the cause of the issues with sulfur and I really believe the test will show something wrong. The B-12 may be reduced or eliminated temporarily in the future. The Thym-Adren is the more effective adrenal treatment but it can't be taken with B-12. On the other hand, B-12 may play a key role in producing bio-available iron.
12/29- 3 miles in 23:24 (7:48 pace). Felt sluggish today but it would have been much worse if not for the adrenal support. I am going to reduce if not eliminate the B-12 as I believe it is indirectly lowering my zinc levels. This was better than yesterday because the pace was more even (11:38-11:46) and tacked on another half mile cool. This takes me over 1300 miles on the year with 2 days to spare. I've averaged 25 MPW in 2016. After I cut the B-12, we shall see if I do better on Thym-Adren or ADHS.
Distance=3.5
12/30- Reduced the B-12 by half and improved to 21:31 for 3 miles (7:10 pace) this time at Spain Park. Started and finished well but struggled a bit in the midsection. MINUS 38 over yesterday. I'm going to see what happens if I go off the B-12 completely but I may need it at least as part of a methylation combo. I may need to go back on Cal when off the B-12 so the maze continues. Still, I believe I am very close to a resolution one way or the other.
Distance=3.0
12/31- This ends only the 2nd year since 1994 that I failed to break 6 minutes for 1 mile during the calendar year. I tried today without B-12 and it was not to be. Came through 3 laps at Gold's in 2:08 (6:24 pace) then popped a Cal and was awful from there. Just slow jogged the last 6 laps. I'll confirm tomorrow but I believe that low dose B-12 is needed, which means both Cal and Thym-Adren are both going to be a NO.
Distance=1.0
-18 miles on the week.
-1305 on the year.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Test Results and Future Plan for Zinc/Copper
Liver Enzymes- 4 were tested in addition to protein. All were normal. The only one that was close to the edge was ALT. The range was 10-44 and my score was 40. I thought ALP would be elevated but it was solidly normal. Certainly no smoking gun there. There was an explanation as well. Word is that exercise can raise this ALT enzyme and I did run 12 hours earlier. GB-3 will not hurt me but it's not a game changer. I'll finish the bottle but will not re-order.
Vitamin C- Was NOT tested. It would have cost me $229 and I already know that I cannot tolerate it. Not worth the cost because even if I was low, I've got to go another direction, which is to reduce the Iron.
Vitamin D (OH.25)- This is the storage test. The range was 20-100 and my score was 34.7. That seems to be a little on the low side and most MDs prefer it to be at 40. However, according to Morley's MAG group, there is no additional benefit once it goes over 21. I'd say my score is fine.
Vitamin D (OH 1,25)- This is the Active D test. I tested at 55.5, which was right in the middle of the range. Supposedly, active D should be 1.5-2 times higher than storage and that's right where I am. No problem with either D test and no smoking gun there either. The plan to raise these numbers would be Cod Liver Oil but I'm going to pass on that. Unnecessary.
Ferritin- Ticked up from 171 to 194. The optimal target is 50 but I'll settle for under 100. This is NOT good news. What caused that to happen? I believe Vitamin C may have been the culprit. No radical solution yet. Staying off the C may help. Zinc may help as well. Those are the 2 conservative options. The radical choices are the liver flush and blood donation. Let's hope it does not come to that. Again, it's still well within the lab's normal range so I doubt that it is the smoking gun either.
Plan:
I credit my recent improvement to a product called Zinc balance by Jarrow. It contains 15 mg Zinc as methionine and 1 mg of Copper. Zinc and copper are direct antagonists of each other. Zinc alone will deplete copper and copper alone as well as anything that raises copper will deplete zinc. A 15:1 ratio COULD keep both in balance.
My past Treatments:
As my ceruloplasmin (bioavailable copper) level improved, I have felt WORSE. I am beginning to believe that although the treatments were necessary, they may have severely depleted my zinc levels.
Both Liver Beef and Whole Food C are INSTANT FAILURES at the moment. Guess what? Both raise copper and thus lower zinc. Although my plasma zinc has consistently tested well, it's not always a reliable test. Just like Magnesium, it needs to be tested at the cellular level with an RBC test. I'll also test copper.
At one point, I needed to take an exact 20:1 ratio of zinc and copper or ELSE but that is no longer an issue thanks to improved methylation. If I took all zinc, it would likely be a quick fix but would not last long. My copper is probably still a bit on the low side. It is better for BOTH to be a bit low than have 1 normal and 1 deficient. Think height/weight.
I had brief success with FOS and IP-6 but both turned disastrous after a few weeks. I know now that both deplete zinc. Signs certainly point in the direction of a zinc deficiency especially with the recent improvements since starting the zinc balance.
Next tests:
-Repeat Ferritin
-Zinc RBC
-Copper RBC
I've said this many times but now I believe that I will get some type of resolution one way or the other within the next few months.
Vitamin C- Was NOT tested. It would have cost me $229 and I already know that I cannot tolerate it. Not worth the cost because even if I was low, I've got to go another direction, which is to reduce the Iron.
Vitamin D (OH.25)- This is the storage test. The range was 20-100 and my score was 34.7. That seems to be a little on the low side and most MDs prefer it to be at 40. However, according to Morley's MAG group, there is no additional benefit once it goes over 21. I'd say my score is fine.
Vitamin D (OH 1,25)- This is the Active D test. I tested at 55.5, which was right in the middle of the range. Supposedly, active D should be 1.5-2 times higher than storage and that's right where I am. No problem with either D test and no smoking gun there either. The plan to raise these numbers would be Cod Liver Oil but I'm going to pass on that. Unnecessary.
Ferritin- Ticked up from 171 to 194. The optimal target is 50 but I'll settle for under 100. This is NOT good news. What caused that to happen? I believe Vitamin C may have been the culprit. No radical solution yet. Staying off the C may help. Zinc may help as well. Those are the 2 conservative options. The radical choices are the liver flush and blood donation. Let's hope it does not come to that. Again, it's still well within the lab's normal range so I doubt that it is the smoking gun either.
Plan:
I credit my recent improvement to a product called Zinc balance by Jarrow. It contains 15 mg Zinc as methionine and 1 mg of Copper. Zinc and copper are direct antagonists of each other. Zinc alone will deplete copper and copper alone as well as anything that raises copper will deplete zinc. A 15:1 ratio COULD keep both in balance.
My past Treatments:
As my ceruloplasmin (bioavailable copper) level improved, I have felt WORSE. I am beginning to believe that although the treatments were necessary, they may have severely depleted my zinc levels.
Both Liver Beef and Whole Food C are INSTANT FAILURES at the moment. Guess what? Both raise copper and thus lower zinc. Although my plasma zinc has consistently tested well, it's not always a reliable test. Just like Magnesium, it needs to be tested at the cellular level with an RBC test. I'll also test copper.
At one point, I needed to take an exact 20:1 ratio of zinc and copper or ELSE but that is no longer an issue thanks to improved methylation. If I took all zinc, it would likely be a quick fix but would not last long. My copper is probably still a bit on the low side. It is better for BOTH to be a bit low than have 1 normal and 1 deficient. Think height/weight.
I had brief success with FOS and IP-6 but both turned disastrous after a few weeks. I know now that both deplete zinc. Signs certainly point in the direction of a zinc deficiency especially with the recent improvements since starting the zinc balance.
Next tests:
-Repeat Ferritin
-Zinc RBC
-Copper RBC
I've said this many times but now I believe that I will get some type of resolution one way or the other within the next few months.
Training 12/19-12/25
12/19- 5 miles in 37:25 (7:29 pace). That's an impressive 17 seconds/mile faster than I was just 3 days ago over the same distance. Obviously, that rate of improvement is not sustainable over the long haul. Still, if I can simply cut off an average of 1 second per mile per day, I'll be under 35 in just under a month. Even pace that hovered just over 7:30 most of the way then rallied from 7 seconds down with 1 mile to go with a 7:18 kick.
Distance=5.0
12/20- Easy 6 in 46:49 (7:48 pace). Dialed down the effort a notch and felt comfortable all the way. Even pace with a 1st half in 23:22, 2nd half in 23:27. Only 4 days ago, a tempo effort yielded 5@7:46. Today, I did essentially the same pace over an extra mile with much less effort. Good job.
Distance=6.0
12/21- Tried Zinc alone in addition to the combo and it was not the answer. Managed to salvage a workout in spite of it. Finished with 4 miles in a time of 31:56 (7:59 pace) and needed a small rally at the end to finish under 8 minute pace overall. Started off pretty well but it was quickly apparent that this was not working. Zinc balance at 15:1 is my only option,
Distance=4.0
12/22- AM- Excess zinc has yet to clear. Did 2 miles just to pad my total. Finished in 15:08 (7:34 pace) and felt marginally better than last night. I'll be back out this evening. I'm closing in on 1300 miles on the year (25 MPW average) and barring sickness or injury, I will make it.
PM- 4 miles at Spain Park track on a pleasant evening. Finished in 30:40 (7:40 pace). Not a bad workout but I feel like I've plateaued in recent days. Came through 3 feeling comfortable then tempo-ed it in Mile 4 with a 7:23 and dipped under 7 in the last lap.
Distance=6.0
Update: I saw a post on CureZone in which a patient had a Ferritin level over 1600. Mine was 194. While I don't doubt that I will be better off when that number is lower, it seems unlikely that it is the smoking gun. I'm at 1284 miles on the year and even without a workout over Christmas weekend, I should finish over 1300.
12/23- Planned rest day. Travel.
12/24- 3 miles on Peter's Trail in a time of 23:51 (7:57 pace). Dreary day and my heart wasn't really into it but I'm concerned now. This is not a collapse but I have taken a step backward since the beginning of the week. Splits were 7:35-7:57-8:19 so I was under the Mendoza line all the way but didn't have much more left at the end. I could not have finished a half without walking. I was a bit more sluggish after taking Cal yesterday so that could be it. I may also try low dose taurine or chromium. I'll test again next week and want to know my Zinc status before the end of the year.
Distance=3.0
12/25- Christmas Day. Planned rest. The Calcium needs to be cut out. Is it just Cal citrate that is bad or is it all Cal? I'll find out tomorrow. Chromium and taurine will also be tried.
Weekly total- 24 miles. YTD: 1,287. 3 sessions to 1300.
Distance=5.0
12/20- Easy 6 in 46:49 (7:48 pace). Dialed down the effort a notch and felt comfortable all the way. Even pace with a 1st half in 23:22, 2nd half in 23:27. Only 4 days ago, a tempo effort yielded 5@7:46. Today, I did essentially the same pace over an extra mile with much less effort. Good job.
Distance=6.0
12/21- Tried Zinc alone in addition to the combo and it was not the answer. Managed to salvage a workout in spite of it. Finished with 4 miles in a time of 31:56 (7:59 pace) and needed a small rally at the end to finish under 8 minute pace overall. Started off pretty well but it was quickly apparent that this was not working. Zinc balance at 15:1 is my only option,
Distance=4.0
12/22- AM- Excess zinc has yet to clear. Did 2 miles just to pad my total. Finished in 15:08 (7:34 pace) and felt marginally better than last night. I'll be back out this evening. I'm closing in on 1300 miles on the year (25 MPW average) and barring sickness or injury, I will make it.
PM- 4 miles at Spain Park track on a pleasant evening. Finished in 30:40 (7:40 pace). Not a bad workout but I feel like I've plateaued in recent days. Came through 3 feeling comfortable then tempo-ed it in Mile 4 with a 7:23 and dipped under 7 in the last lap.
Distance=6.0
Update: I saw a post on CureZone in which a patient had a Ferritin level over 1600. Mine was 194. While I don't doubt that I will be better off when that number is lower, it seems unlikely that it is the smoking gun. I'm at 1284 miles on the year and even without a workout over Christmas weekend, I should finish over 1300.
12/23- Planned rest day. Travel.
12/24- 3 miles on Peter's Trail in a time of 23:51 (7:57 pace). Dreary day and my heart wasn't really into it but I'm concerned now. This is not a collapse but I have taken a step backward since the beginning of the week. Splits were 7:35-7:57-8:19 so I was under the Mendoza line all the way but didn't have much more left at the end. I could not have finished a half without walking. I was a bit more sluggish after taking Cal yesterday so that could be it. I may also try low dose taurine or chromium. I'll test again next week and want to know my Zinc status before the end of the year.
Distance=3.0
12/25- Christmas Day. Planned rest. The Calcium needs to be cut out. Is it just Cal citrate that is bad or is it all Cal? I'll find out tomorrow. Chromium and taurine will also be tried.
Weekly total- 24 miles. YTD: 1,287. 3 sessions to 1300.
Monday, December 12, 2016
NYC Trip Plan
The race is on a Sunday (3/19). I am going regardless of my running status. If I have to walk part or even most of it, so what? The course begins on the upper East side and makes a loop around Central Park before turning south through Times Square for a finish near Wall Street downtown. I spent a night in Queens once because a flight home was cancelled but have never been to any other boroughs. Manhattan in particular ought to be on any American's bucket list.
Here is the plan:
I'll get in on a Friday morning around 10 AM. It's a direct flight into LaGuardia (Queens). It's only about 10 miles into Manhattan but figure with the traffic, it will take almost an hour to get to my hotel. Word on the street is that if you're thinking about renting a car and driving in NYC: DON'T! I'll take a cab into town and I've heard you can buy a weekly pass for unlimited subway rides too. If my destination is less than say 20-25 blocks away, I'll walk. Hopefully, the weather will be decent though it can be a crap shoot that time of year. Normal high is in the low 50s and snow is rare but not unheard of in mid-late March.
Here's a list of some of things that I would like to see:
-Rockefeller Center
-Freedom Tower (new WTC)
-Empire State Building
-Trump Tower
-9/11 memorial
-Wall Street/ NYSE
-Brooklyn Bridge into downtown Brooklyn
-Times Square
-5th, 7th and Madison Ave. shops
-Broadway area
-Yankee Stadium tours (Bronx)
-Grand Central Station
-Riverside Dr.
-Battery Park
-Central Park
Food:
-One of the famous delis
- A Pizza joint
-Seinfeld cafe (yes, it's a real restaurant)
-Rooftop bar
-Overpriced steak.
I'd say that's plenty to do. The plan is to stay an extra day and get back to B'ham on Monday the 20th.
Training 12/12-12/18
12/12- 2 miles in 17:42 (8:51 pace). Splits were 8:15-9:27. Odds are the Vitamin C in any form (currently on Whole Food) needs to be cut out completely. I am committed to staying with it for the rest of the week. GB-3 did help but it wasn't a game changer. If nothing changes, I will quit the C even if my blood test shows that I am still deficient.
Distance=2.0
12/13- Another forced rest day. If I'm not better tomorrow, the Whole Food C will be eliminated altogether. The testing will be done on Thursday.
12/14- 1 Mile in 9:54. That does it. No more Whole Food C. I just remembered early last year that I had to take zinc with Whole Food C. It had to be both or neither and I went with neither. It could happen again. I'm curious about my Zinc RBC status but I'll hold off on that test until I am off the C for a while.
Distance=1.0
12/15- Did my blood tests this morning but I'll probably have to wait until Monday for the results this time. First day off Vitamin C. 3 miles in 26:28 (8:49 pace) with relatively even splits. 3 times the distance at a pace 65 seconds faster than yesterday. I'll take it. Picked up some Zinc/copper at Whole Foods and though it wasn't night and day, I did feel a positive difference. More on the reasons for taking it will be posted later.
Distance=3.0
12/16- Added 2 miles to the distance and was once again over 60 seconds faster per mile. Finished the day at 5 miles in 38:50 (7:46 pace). Struggled a bit on the back half (19:15-19:35) but kept the pace under 8 all the way. The zinc/copper could be a winner.
Distance=5.0
12/17- Stuck with the same formula as yesterday. Came through 4 miles in 30:48 (7:42 pace) and felt pretty much the same as yesterday. Again, I slipped a bit in the back half (15:14-15:34). I probably could have coaxed a sub-8 5th mile to beat yesterday's time but it would only be by a few seconds. What I was most curious about was how I would respond to an extra zinc/copper pill. Would I see a resurgence? The answer was yes but only slightly. Did the next 2 miles in 15-flat (7:30 pace) with a good finish in which I briefly dipped under 7:00 pace. No lab test results but I didn't expect it until Monday. More good news is that the Curcumin (sulfur) is tolerated once again.
Distance=6.0
Reaction:
-With no Zinc and with Vitamin C in a form including a glass of OJ, I'll struggle to break 10 for 1 mile.
-With no Zinc but no Vitamin C, I'll manage 3 miles at 8:45-9:00 pace.
-On all Zinc and no C, I'll have a good few days but it's not the answer long term
-A zinc/copper combo is my only chance at long-term stability.
12/18- Tempo. 3 miles at Gold's on a nasty day outside. I hoped to break 22 and finished in 21:43 (7:14 pace). with splits of 7:06-7:21-7:16. Maybe a little better than yesterday but not a night and day difference. That's okay. What should happen when I'm on the right path is steady gradual improvement that becomes evident over a few weeks.
Distance=3.0
-20 miles on the week.
Distance=2.0
12/13- Another forced rest day. If I'm not better tomorrow, the Whole Food C will be eliminated altogether. The testing will be done on Thursday.
12/14- 1 Mile in 9:54. That does it. No more Whole Food C. I just remembered early last year that I had to take zinc with Whole Food C. It had to be both or neither and I went with neither. It could happen again. I'm curious about my Zinc RBC status but I'll hold off on that test until I am off the C for a while.
Distance=1.0
12/15- Did my blood tests this morning but I'll probably have to wait until Monday for the results this time. First day off Vitamin C. 3 miles in 26:28 (8:49 pace) with relatively even splits. 3 times the distance at a pace 65 seconds faster than yesterday. I'll take it. Picked up some Zinc/copper at Whole Foods and though it wasn't night and day, I did feel a positive difference. More on the reasons for taking it will be posted later.
Distance=3.0
12/16- Added 2 miles to the distance and was once again over 60 seconds faster per mile. Finished the day at 5 miles in 38:50 (7:46 pace). Struggled a bit on the back half (19:15-19:35) but kept the pace under 8 all the way. The zinc/copper could be a winner.
Distance=5.0
12/17- Stuck with the same formula as yesterday. Came through 4 miles in 30:48 (7:42 pace) and felt pretty much the same as yesterday. Again, I slipped a bit in the back half (15:14-15:34). I probably could have coaxed a sub-8 5th mile to beat yesterday's time but it would only be by a few seconds. What I was most curious about was how I would respond to an extra zinc/copper pill. Would I see a resurgence? The answer was yes but only slightly. Did the next 2 miles in 15-flat (7:30 pace) with a good finish in which I briefly dipped under 7:00 pace. No lab test results but I didn't expect it until Monday. More good news is that the Curcumin (sulfur) is tolerated once again.
Distance=6.0
Reaction:
-With no Zinc and with Vitamin C in a form including a glass of OJ, I'll struggle to break 10 for 1 mile.
-With no Zinc but no Vitamin C, I'll manage 3 miles at 8:45-9:00 pace.
-On all Zinc and no C, I'll have a good few days but it's not the answer long term
-A zinc/copper combo is my only chance at long-term stability.
12/18- Tempo. 3 miles at Gold's on a nasty day outside. I hoped to break 22 and finished in 21:43 (7:14 pace). with splits of 7:06-7:21-7:16. Maybe a little better than yesterday but not a night and day difference. That's okay. What should happen when I'm on the right path is steady gradual improvement that becomes evident over a few weeks.
Distance=3.0
-20 miles on the week.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Median Finish Times By Age Group
The following are roughly the peak ages for various distances:
Sprinter- Age 26
Miler- Age 29
Marathoner- Age 32
Ultra/Ironman-Age 35
Obviously, there are some exceptions to the rule. Carl Lewis ran his 100 meter PR, which was a world record at the time, at the age of 30. He was still a world class sprinter ranked in the top 10 in the world up through age 35. Meb Keflezghi set his marathon PR with a victory at Boston just a few days shy of his 39th birthday. Even at 41, he was still good enough to make the U.S. Olympic team. Bernard Lagat nearly won an Olympic medal at the same age in the 5000 meters.
Realistically, the 19:09 5K that I ran 10 days shy of 34, was probably my last personal record but I've met some people who honestly think that my age is the reason that my performances have fallen off a cliff in the last 2 years. Some might blame past over-training. I do not. Even at my peak, I never averaged more than 42 miles per week over the course of an entire year. Yes, I did over-reach at times by forcing too many quality sessions in a single week but I almost always took a rest day when I needed it and took cut back weeks periodically when I had a race coming up soon. If I had it to do over again, the only thing I would have done differently was race more frequently when I knew that I was hot. I believe I had a sub-19 5K in me on a few occasions as well as a sub-5:15 Mile. I never broke 40 for 10 K in a race setting but the time trial counted the same to me. I did get the one that I wanted most, which was the sub-90 half marathon.
Now to address the main point of this post:
I did some research on the median finish times in every age group at the last 2 Mercedes half marathons among the men. I found some intriguing results that are likely to surprise my readers. Teenagers were the fastest age group followed by the 20-24 division but they also had relatively few finishers. Starting at the 25-29 age group (when I debuted), things got interesting. Listed below are the median finish times and number of finishers from the M25-29 through M50-54 averaged between 2015 and 2016 to guard against any anomalies:
25-29- 2:05:12 (145)-9:33 pace
30-34- 2:03:59 (176)-9:27 pace
35-39- 2:01:41 (215)-9:17 pace
40-44- 2:05:30 (214)-9:34 pace
45-49- 2:07:39 (187)-9:44 pace
50-54- 2:10:33 (170)-9:57 pace
If I were to guess the training of mid-pack finishers, I would say it's only "semi-serious" with an average weekly volume around 20 miles with ups and downs throughout the year and a build up which includes several double digit runs as race day approaches. Of course, there are exceptions based on the amount of natural talent.
In both 2015 and 2016, the 35-39 division was the fastest among the age groups listed so it's unlikely to be an anomaly. Why is that? I'd chalk it up to more experience racing the distance. In my first 2 half marathons, I really didn't know what I was doing. In my first, I went out too fast and had to walk-jog the last 5K. My second time, I did the opposite and finished strong but left time on the course. Also, runners in their late 30s are probably a bit more serious about training and less likely to jump in unprepared. In terms of raw physical ability, I'd say those in their late 20s do have an edge over the late 30s but not a significant one.
As for the age-related decline, a 40 second drop off in pace between the 35-39 and the 50-54 seems like a lot but if you average it out over 15 years, it amounts to an average annual decline of 2.66 seconds per mile, which should not even be noticeable from one year to the next. Expressed another way, it's just under one half of one percent per year. Being 35 or even 45 or 50 is NOT a death sentence. There is most definitely something physically wrong with you if you fall off a cliff at that age. I will not quit until I find the smoking gun.
As for the participation rates, it seems like that tends to rise from age 25 before a peak around age 40. Similar to the performance, the rate of decline is slow up through the early 50s. Things got interesting in the 55-59 age group. While the median finish time did not decline significantly, the number of finishers fell by nearly 40%. I would guess the reason for that is top performers are more likely to stay with the sport than those in the back of the pack. Starting with the 60-64 division, the attrition rate is about 50% for each subsequent division and performances decline sharply among those who stay involved. Male finishers over age 75 and females over 70 are very rare.
Sprinter- Age 26
Miler- Age 29
Marathoner- Age 32
Ultra/Ironman-Age 35
Obviously, there are some exceptions to the rule. Carl Lewis ran his 100 meter PR, which was a world record at the time, at the age of 30. He was still a world class sprinter ranked in the top 10 in the world up through age 35. Meb Keflezghi set his marathon PR with a victory at Boston just a few days shy of his 39th birthday. Even at 41, he was still good enough to make the U.S. Olympic team. Bernard Lagat nearly won an Olympic medal at the same age in the 5000 meters.
Realistically, the 19:09 5K that I ran 10 days shy of 34, was probably my last personal record but I've met some people who honestly think that my age is the reason that my performances have fallen off a cliff in the last 2 years. Some might blame past over-training. I do not. Even at my peak, I never averaged more than 42 miles per week over the course of an entire year. Yes, I did over-reach at times by forcing too many quality sessions in a single week but I almost always took a rest day when I needed it and took cut back weeks periodically when I had a race coming up soon. If I had it to do over again, the only thing I would have done differently was race more frequently when I knew that I was hot. I believe I had a sub-19 5K in me on a few occasions as well as a sub-5:15 Mile. I never broke 40 for 10 K in a race setting but the time trial counted the same to me. I did get the one that I wanted most, which was the sub-90 half marathon.
Now to address the main point of this post:
I did some research on the median finish times in every age group at the last 2 Mercedes half marathons among the men. I found some intriguing results that are likely to surprise my readers. Teenagers were the fastest age group followed by the 20-24 division but they also had relatively few finishers. Starting at the 25-29 age group (when I debuted), things got interesting. Listed below are the median finish times and number of finishers from the M25-29 through M50-54 averaged between 2015 and 2016 to guard against any anomalies:
25-29- 2:05:12 (145)-9:33 pace
30-34- 2:03:59 (176)-9:27 pace
35-39- 2:01:41 (215)-9:17 pace
40-44- 2:05:30 (214)-9:34 pace
45-49- 2:07:39 (187)-9:44 pace
50-54- 2:10:33 (170)-9:57 pace
If I were to guess the training of mid-pack finishers, I would say it's only "semi-serious" with an average weekly volume around 20 miles with ups and downs throughout the year and a build up which includes several double digit runs as race day approaches. Of course, there are exceptions based on the amount of natural talent.
In both 2015 and 2016, the 35-39 division was the fastest among the age groups listed so it's unlikely to be an anomaly. Why is that? I'd chalk it up to more experience racing the distance. In my first 2 half marathons, I really didn't know what I was doing. In my first, I went out too fast and had to walk-jog the last 5K. My second time, I did the opposite and finished strong but left time on the course. Also, runners in their late 30s are probably a bit more serious about training and less likely to jump in unprepared. In terms of raw physical ability, I'd say those in their late 20s do have an edge over the late 30s but not a significant one.
As for the age-related decline, a 40 second drop off in pace between the 35-39 and the 50-54 seems like a lot but if you average it out over 15 years, it amounts to an average annual decline of 2.66 seconds per mile, which should not even be noticeable from one year to the next. Expressed another way, it's just under one half of one percent per year. Being 35 or even 45 or 50 is NOT a death sentence. There is most definitely something physically wrong with you if you fall off a cliff at that age. I will not quit until I find the smoking gun.
As for the participation rates, it seems like that tends to rise from age 25 before a peak around age 40. Similar to the performance, the rate of decline is slow up through the early 50s. Things got interesting in the 55-59 age group. While the median finish time did not decline significantly, the number of finishers fell by nearly 40%. I would guess the reason for that is top performers are more likely to stay with the sport than those in the back of the pack. Starting with the 60-64 division, the attrition rate is about 50% for each subsequent division and performances decline sharply among those who stay involved. Male finishers over age 75 and females over 70 are very rare.
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