Hawaii Decision/ More Detox News

 One piece of good news.  Hawaii has lifted all COVID restrictions for American travelers as of March 26.  That means I will not have to get the vackseen or provide a negative test in order to participate in a race.  The restrictions remain in place for foreign nationals but that does not affect me.  There is still a chance that a new variant could change things.  Fauci has warned of a possible surge over the summer but most people don't seem to care.  I am DONE with COVID!  I am willing to attend an indoor concert or sporting event and if it were up to me, the mask mandate would be lifted on airplanes and subways.  I'd wager that by this point, most Americans do agree with me.  

Unfortunately, I am in ABSOLUTELY NO CONDITION TO RACE!  Hell, I'm not even sure that I can safely WALK 13.1 miles.  I've already decided against the Maui race, which is in 9 days.  Instead, I'll be beach hopping in South Florida.  The Honolulu race is in just 6 weeks and that too is looking doubtful.

Here is what I am up against.  I am being poisoned by toxins that are being dumped after being stuck in my organs, probably for decades.  It has gotten so bad that I've had to turn to an adrenal glandular to combat the effects of the dump.  Otherwise, the symptoms would be unbearable.  I even had to call in sick once because it was so bad.  Problem is that doing so will further unbalance my chemistry.  It appears that toxins are being dumped in batches rather than as a steady stream.  After a dump, I will have extreme fatigue without the adrenal glandular.  I will get a little better over the next few days when the toxins begin the clear.  However, once the batch DOES clear, the effects of the adrenal glandular will become apparent and I will feel VERY overstimulated and almost as bad as immediately after the dump.  So just stop that and things will get back to normal?  NO!  After a couple of days of being overstimulated, there will be another dump and I am back to Square 1.  Severe fatigue and need for adrenal glandulars again.  How many times will this cycle repeat itself?  It does appear that the cycles are getting shorter and less severe.  EDIT: Today, I flipped from fatigue to overstimulation on the same day.

Here are the planned trips:

April- Florida beach hopping from Tampa to Miami.

June- Virginia Beach and Outer Banks, North Carolina

September- San Diego and Tijuana.

November- Honolulu, Hawaii and the race is the Val Nolasco half mary for state #50.  I can only hope that I will be at least somewhat better 7 months from now.  In all likelihood, it will be my last organized race.  I will still run occasionally.

BRUTAL DETOX PART 2

 I loaded on adrenal caps on Tuesday, and it proved to be too much.  In my standard issue 2 mile run, I started off reasonably well with a pace around 8:30 then died before the end of the first mile and settled for a 19:12 finish.  Could I have finished a 13.1 within 3 hours (13:45 pace)?  I doubt it.    The culprit was clearly excess adrenal caps. 

The next morning, I was horrible in the opener, then slightly BETTER after TRS and MUCH better after caffeine.  I did take the caffeine with the Fulvic Acid so I was unsure if that had anything to do with it.  I went with an adrenal suppressant and improved further.  Not a surprise there.  Unanswered question in addition to the Fulvic Acid/Caffeine is has my system rejected the adrenal glandular already or must I simply limit it?  There was no evening session due to a severe weather threat, which never came. 

Thursday morning- Opened with a 91 on NOTHING.  Improved to 85 on Fulvic Acid alone.  Improved to 78 on caffeine.  Slipped to 84 on TRS.  A 6-7 second difference over 1/6 of a mile is about 40 seconds per mile give or take with rounding.  That IS enough to be considered significant.  Fulvic Acid is necessary every day.  I don’t like that, but it could be worse.  Again, the dose does not seem to matter.  Improvement after caffeine, which was significant?  That is BAFFLING!  While I was slightly better after TRS yesterday, I was significantly worse today?!  A single adrenal cap appeared to make things better.  Multiple caps would likely be a different story.  The "real workout" was an improvement as well.  2 miles in 18:26 and I was a lot better holding the pace too. 

Going forward, what do I want to see?

-Insignificant reactions to BOTH caffeine and TRS.  The same with Fulvic Acid would be nice too but I won’t be greedy.  Since I am already a fast oxidizer, I actually WANT a NEGATIVE response to the Adrenal caps.  That is what SHOULD happen in the absence of toxins given my chemistry. 

I believe I got it on Friday morning.

I opened with a 72 on only Fulvic Acid.  Improved to a 70 on TRS then a 67 on caffeine.  Neither treatment on its own was enough to be considered significant but the combined effect was.  Then, the adrenal cap was tested.  The reaction was SLIGHTLY negative as I slipped to a 71.  Not a huge drop off but I could feel it.  I believe it would have gotten ugly over a longer distance.  That stuff will be quit now.  Tomorrow, the reaction will almost certainly be STRONGLY negative.  I predict a positive response to adrenal suppressants and will wean off caffeine.  

BRTUAL DETOX

 BRUTAL DETOX:

Two interesting tests last weekend. 

Day 1- Opened with a 94 first half lap, took 6 sprays of TRS and ran the back half in 95.  Essentially NO difference.  Popped an adrenal glandular and was MUCH better with a 76 (MINUS 1:54). 

After a serving of caffeine, I was horrible again but once again rebounded after taking an adrenal glandular.  Splits were nearly identical.  Good news is that the dosage of Fulvic Acid did not matter.

Day 2- I was better in my opener with an 87.  Took just 2 sprays of the TRS and improved to 78 so there was an improvement, but it was not as dramatic (MINUS 54).  If I had repeated the 6 sprays, I’m probably back to the mid-high 80s.  If I tried 10, I’m almost certainly WORSE than my opener. 

Why is this happening?

I have no doubt that it is detox.  In addition to the fatigue, I am getting headaches as well as strange pain under my ribcage, which is indicative of organ stress.  Lastly, I often feel my worst shortly before going to the toilet but am noticeably better immediately afterwards.  Unfortunately, that does not last long.  Simply put, I am being poisoned by toxins being released into my system that had been stuck in my organs for decades.    

Best course of action?

Still not sure.  I have the fast option and the slow option.  Here is the breakdown:

Slow- Take as much TRS as I can stand, which won’t be much while avoiding caffeine and adrenal glandulars.  It will take a long time to detox but when it’s over, my system won’t be as far out of balance.  I worry about another round of detox after this dump is complete. 

Fast- Load on TRS (10+ sprays each day).  Caffeine is allowed but it along with the TRS must be accompanied by an adrenal glandular.  I will still try to limit the caffeine.  Good news is that the toxins will be out faster.  Bad news is that I will be severely unbalanced when it’s over and I will need heavy adrenal suppressants.    

Fast oxidizers are better at eliminating toxins, so it does make sense that I feel better on the adrenal glandular.  It is facilitating removal while the suppressants hinder the detox process.  Caffeine probably contributes to the release of toxins as does the TRS.  If I go with the fast option, which is what I am leaning towards, I eliminate the newly released toxins.   

Update: Day 3- Opened with a 74, which is not bad.  Slipped to 89 on mega TRS and was further weakened by caffeine but again rebounded after taking the adrenal glandular.  I'm going with the fast option.

There are a few tell tale signs of success.  Eventually, mega doses of TRS will be tolerated and less effective.  The adrenal glandular should make things worse because I am already a fast oxidizer.  Also, caffeine should be tolerated up to 400 mg per day.  That equates to a can of Bang plus a Kickstart.  If I can handle that in additional to mega TRS without needing the adrenal glandular, there is a good chance that I’ve got the toxins out.  Will it be over after that?  Highly doubtful.  

Drafting and Tanking (Football and Baseball)

 

Between 1981 and 2000, 79 Hall of Fame players have been selected in the NFL draft.  Let’s call it 80 when Tom Brady finally retires.  I used this timeframe because almost everyone who was drafted 22 years ago has been retired for 5 years and is now eligible.  A few more players may be inducted down the road, but I don’t believe it will raise the number much higher.  That averages out to an even 4 per draft with a high of 8 and two drafts in which no player was inducted.  Now, let’s break it down further.

Of those 80 Hall of Famers, 48 (60 %) were drafted in the first round.  32 (40%) were among the top 10 picks).  Just 7 were mid- first rounders while 9 were late first rounders.  The remaining 32 were drafted outside the first round and though I didn’t research, I would imagine that most of them were 2^nd or 3^rd rounders.  Therefore, yes you could say that there is an incentive to tank in the NFL.  It may be better in the long run to have a couple horrible seasons than be around .500 every year.  After all, the expected value of the 15^th overall pick is probably not much higher than the 30.^th    By contrast, the 5^th pick will be expected to be much better than the 14th.  Expecting a high draft choice to be a Hall of Famer is too much to ask.  However, a reasonable expectation is that he will have a prime window of several years in which he is among the 5 best at his position (All Star/Pro Bowl caliber).

Because of the importance of high draft choices, I am impressed when a franchise is able to remain a contender for more than about 7-8 consecutive years despite never drafting in the top 10 or even the top 20.  The San Francisco 49ers never lost more than 6 games between 1981-1998 while winning 5 Super Bowls and making the playoffs all but 2 years.  The Pittsburgh Steelers have been .500 or better every season since 2004.  Lastly, New England had a winning record every year from 2001-2019.  Very impressive.  In order to sustain that level of success, a Franchise Quarterback is a necessity.  However, it is not a guarantee.  Green Bay had a few lean years even with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.  Typically, these teams are able to find greater value in the 2^nd or 3^rd rounds and make wise free agent signings as well.  In some cases, they traded up in the draft and scored big as was the case with Jerry Rice and the 49ers. 

When it comes to Quarterbacks, it is increasingly difficult to get a Franchise player or even a successful starter much beyond early Round 2.  Nowadays, teams are desperate and may reach for 3^rd round talent.   You’ve got about a 50/50 chance of drafting a successful starter in the 1^st round, maybe a little less.  It’s a dilemma.  Some teams are willing to give up multiple first rounders for a veteran QB such as Russell Wilson or Matthew Stafford.  If it is a safe bet that you won’t have any losing seasons with him at the helm, that can be a good call especially when the next draft class is thin at the position.  Again, there won’t be many Hall of Famers drafted outside the Top 10. 

Some teams can hedge their bets by signing a player who was not a total bust but a bit of a disappointment with their original team while remaining open to drafting a new QB.  IMO, it’s too soon to write off the likes of Mitch Trubisky and Baker Mayfield just yet.  Alex Smith and Ryan Tannehill both thrived in new systems after shaky starts to their careers.  Bringing in the 2^nd coming of Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell for anything more than a shot at 3^rd string is really not smart.  If a team has a need at QB or will have a need very soon, depending on who is available, trading up from say pick 16 to pick 8 could be a big win.  After some internal debate, Pittsburgh decided not to trade up for Roethlisberger but would take him if available at Pick 11.  They were very fortunate that at least 2 QB needy teams elected to pass.  In a head scratcher, Cleveland chose to roll with Tim Couch and Kelly Holcombe while Detroit stuck with a young Joey Harrington.  If you make a mistake on a high first round QB, it will set the franchise back 5 years and the coach will almost certainly be fired.     

Now, let’s look at baseball.  Within the same 1981-2000 timeframe, the 1^st overall pick produced just 2 Hall of Famers (Ken Griffey Jr. and Chipper Jones).  Alex Rodriguez would have made it 3 if not for the steroids.    Surprisingly, there were only TWO OTHER HOFers drafted in the top 10 in those years (Frank Thomas and Barry Larkin).  Edit:  Barry Bonds would make it 3.  Unless there is a consensus, once a decade type talent available, tanking for a high draft choice is NOT the answer.   It seems like you are just about as likely to get an All-Star caliber player in the mid-late first round as you are with the number 2 or 3 overall pick.  Pitchers are especially risky given the increasing rate of UCL injuries.  Tommy John surgery is usually successful but it’s hardly a guarantee.  Stockpile bats instead and trade for arms.    

In recent years, several quality mid-level free agents have gone unwanted and had to settle for low-ball one-year deals if that.  The thinking is that it is not worth it to sign a $10MM player to lift your team’s win total from 65 to 68.  I would disagree.  You can certainly strike gold on 3 mid-level free agents and end up getting more combined value than from one superstar.  Suppose a couple other prospects see unexpected break throughs.  It is certainly possible for that team to be a surprise contender.

I don’t know the full details of the new CBA agreement, but I don’t believe anything substantive was done about the tanking problem.  I have proposed having to go back ten spots in the draft for back-to-back 100 loss seasons.  Another idea that I liked better was to re-order the draft such that the team that just missed the playoffs gets the number 1 pick while the worst team gets pick number 20.  I don’t believe that would have much of an impact.  As stated above, a high draft pick does not have the same value in baseball as it does in football.  My new solution is to penalize tanking teams by cutting their stake in revenue sharing.  I’d keep the penalty threshold at back-to-back 100 loss seasons.  Any team can be hit with terrible luck once.  Consecutive years with bottom of the league payroll and 100+ losses?  No.  That is tanking.    

March Training

 Sorry to be negative but this hurts!  No matter how hard I try, I just cannot plug all the leaks.  As soon as I solve one problem, another one springs up.  What is especially disheartening is that I often have a couple of days in which it seems like I am improving then WHAM, I am hit with another crushing relapse.  

I began the month with an extreme need for Fulvic Acid but limited tolerance to it and complete intolerance to Thym-Adren (adrenal suppressants).  I end the month with Fulvic Acid being just like all the other treatments.  I can get away with not taking it for a few days but probably cannot stop it altogether.  I also went through a period of extreme need for TRS but that too has faded.  I now have an extreme need for Thym-Adren.  Yes, that's right. The same stuff was not tolerated just 2 weeks ago but now I have an extreme need for it.  Nothing new for me.  I will never be happy unless I get this "under control" and I don't believe anyone else could handle it much better.

On the weekend of March 5-6, I did something crazy that bordered on stupid.  Some people are familiar with the California Double in the Los Angeles area.  That involves skiing in the morning then driving 2 hours for an afternoon and evening surf session.  The Carolina Combo is what I did.  On Friday, I drove to Charleston, South Carolina (7 hours) but arrived in time to take a dip before sunset.  Though it was sunny for most of the drive, it was overcast on the coast on both Friday night and Saturday morning.

At any rate, I was up and out the door just after 6 AM for a surf session at Isle of Palms and stayed until about 11 AM.  Air temp was in the low 60s with a water temperature of 58F.  Too cold for swim trunks but with a wetsuit, I was fairly comfortable.  Yes, there were other surfers in the water.  Surf conditions were strong enough to fun but strong enough to cause any wipeouts.  That was fine with me.  Going under in 58 degree water without any head protection was not real appealing.  At least I know what to expect if I ever hit the Pacific Northwest.  My wetsuit should work fine from Santa Cruz all the way up to the state of Washington in the summer.  Not sure if it is thick enough for Alaska or even British Columbia.

I grabbed something mediocre to eat between Charleston and Columbia then kept driving until I reached Maggie Valley, North Carolina (4-4.5 hours).  I arrived on time for a 5PM to close ski session at Cataloochee Ski Area.  That's right.  I went surfing and skiing on the same day.  Only I would even think of doing something like that.  I caught some nice mountain sunset views but with Spring just around the corner, ski conditions were poor.  There was quite a bit of mud, bare spots and slippery slopes.  I took one spill but handled the Beginner and Intermediate slopes.  Needless to say, I was completely exhausted at the end of the day as well as the next day.  Fortunately, I got home at a decent hour on Sunday. I do NOT recommend doing this.  Back to back days is fine.  You can have a nice surf session in Charleston then spend the night in Greenville/Spartanburg.  From there, it's not long to the NC mountains.  

 I binged on caffeine then had a reaction to it.  I've heard conflicting reports on caffeine's effect on detox.  Some reports say that it interferes with detox while others say it enhances its effects.  In any event, it should be avoided, and I've been pretty good about that lately.  Detox too quickly and the symptoms can be unbearable.  That explains the narrow range of tolerance to Fulvic Acid.  Too much triggered too much detox for me to handle.  

The spill on the slopes left me with a bit of knee soreness but it was no worse when running.  All I was able to do was junk anyway, so it really didn't matter.  By the middle of the month, it seemed like Fulvic Acid was becoming less of an extreme need as I was not significantly better after the drops.  I tried the stronger powder, which I could not tolerate before. Much to my relief, I was actually slightly BETTER but not enough to be considered significant.  At this point, it was becoming increasingly clear that detox was the cause of my symptoms.  For the next week, while the Fulvic Acid was no longer a critical need, I found that I felt much better after several sprays of TRS as well as immediately after going to the toilet.  I also got occasional stabbing pains in my organs.  That is DEFINITELY DETOX!  For those who say I should see a "real doctor," he or she CANNOT help with this!  I just have to let it run its course and hope against hope that it will eventually end.  

Towards the end of last week, the critical need for TRS also began to fade.  Though it wasn't pretty, I got through 5 miles yesterday in a time of 45:46 (9:09 pace).  That's right on the edge of sub-2 half marathon pace.  I wasn't completely spent either.  I had a couple more miles in the tank.  I followed that up with 3@8:33 this morning.  On the surface, it looks like a slightly better result, but I knew I was in trouble after fading badly down the stretch.  By lunch time, I was AWFUL!  As is often the case, after a major problem is solved, the adrenals temporarily spike.  I was much better after a few doses of Thym-Adren.  

What happens next?  Since the blood donation was just 6 weeks ago, I don't have to worry about Iron Overload.  The adrenal spike will calm down soon and I will probably be intolerant to Thym-Adren again.  The plan is to gradually reduce the dose from 6 pills down to 4 then 3 and so on.  Is it clear sailing after that?  Highly doubtful.  I will probably face another round of detox and the cycle will repeat itself.   

Racing Hawaii:

I am officially OUT for the April race.  I'm still considering Memorial Day but am leaning towards November in Oahu.  It's impossible to predict my health and fitness but it's a better fit for my travel schedule.  I'd like to go to the Outer Banks and So-Cal this summer.  No way that I can squeeze in Hawaii as well but if I want until November, maybe.  Still no confirmation one way or the other about the vackseen requirement.

Rant: Romance Scams

 I've been targeted several times over the past few months and it makes me VERY angry.  Preying on a single man who is lonely and depressed with over the top love notes in order to extort money is about as low of a blow as you can go.  If there is any justice in this world, karma will come back to bite these awful women.  For the record, yes I'd be just as upset if a man was using me for the same purpose but it has only happened once.  

You should see some of the messages that I get from women that I've never met and have only talked to online for a few weeks.  I'm not half bad looking for a guy in his early 40s and have an attractive smile even if I do say so myself.  Some of them are genuinely attracted and sincerely want to get to know me but I can usually tell pretty early on who has good intentions and who does not.  

Most recently, I was told that life without me "was like body without soul."  Another wanted to be "together forever" after the first message exchange and within weeks said that she loved me "more than anything else in the world."  Another repeatedly talked about wanting to marry me even after I told her that such talk made me feel uncomfortable.  In all of these cases, we had never met in person and had only been talking online for a few weeks.  In general, if she comes on too strong too soon, 9 times out of 10, it is a sign of trouble.  Another potential red flag is an insistence on talking on private forums such as Google chat or via text message.  If you ask for money on Instagram or Facebook, you can be reported or even banned if you do so repeatedly.  Not so on private chats.  

Their strategies can be varied.  Some will start out by simply saying that gas is so high and that they are struggling financially.  Can you just give me a few bucks?  I promise that I'll never ask again.  HA!  I expressed interest in meeting someone from Miami if I am in Fort Lauderdale next month.  I offered to buy her a meal with drinks but she is on her own for gas money.  It's only about 20 miles from Miami to Lauderdale and I have to pay $4+ per gallon too.  Nope, she wanted gas money now before we even met at all.  No way Jose!  I politely declined and guess what?  No more messages from her.  If I had given her $50 or so, I can pretty much guarantee that next month, she will have a more serious emergency that will require more money and no that will NOT be the last time either.  

Others will go right for the throat.  Something terrible will happen if they don't get the money (usually a fairly large amount) and I am the only one that can stop it.  In these cases, they usually wait a few weeks and chat with me every day in order to build trust.  They will seem to be caring and ask me about my job and about my health.  Then all of a sudden, they are hit with an emergency and instead of asking close friends or family for help, they turn to a guy that they only know online and for just a few weeks.  These cases make me a lot more angry than the scenario described above.  I'm quite sure that I am not the only man that they are targeting either.

Medical expenses are my weakness and yes I will sometimes donate up to $100-150, but only if they have set up a fundraiser. In fact, I've done so twice this year.  I do have a heart but I need to be sure that the need is legitimate and I am more inclined to help if it is someone that I've known for years.  I will not send blanket payments via Paypal or World Remit.  In these cases, if you say no, they will keep begging.  If, in a moment of weakness, you decide to chip in some cash, you better believe it will NOT be the last time either.  They will have a new emergency next month that will be even more pressing than the previous one.  The only was to stop this is to block and report them.  I've got some cash to spare but just like En Vogue, no you're never gonna get it!    

February Training

 Overall, I fared no better than I did in January.  In fact, I was probably worse.  I began the month with an adrenal spike that simply would not go down.  A few days into the month, I developed sudden and seemingly inexplicable reactions to Adenosyl B12 and Whole Food Vitamin C.  Vitamin C as Ascorbic Acid WAS tolerated and so with Methyl B12.  I later developed intolerance to the latter.  This was EXTREMELY MADDENING because I thought that the Intrinsic Factor was supposed to stop this from happening.   

Fortunately, there really WAS an explanation.  It was Iron Overload, which is often the culprit behind extreme adrenal over-activity.  It had been approximately one year since my last blood donation, and I also learned that the B12 that I take for Pernicious Anemia also raises Iron levels.  So too does Whole Food Vitamin C.  The solution was blood donation, which was done on the afternoon of February 13.  It is likely that I had Iron Overload AND Pernicious Anemia at the same time, and it would make sense that I felt better if I had both rather than one or the other because of compensation issues.   

No immediate impact was apparent but by the time I left for Arizona on 18^th, my dosage of Thym-Adren (adrenal suppressant) was trending down from a need of 6 pills per day down to 2-3.  A few days after I returned to Alabama, I could no longer tolerate the very pills that I could not function without just a couple weeks earlier.  I have no doubt that it was the blood donation that made the difference.  Once the mega doses wear off, it will probably be tolerated again but not necessary.  I’ll just have to keep donating every 4-6 months to prevent the adrenals from spiking again.  I was actually pleased by this development.  It was a sign of better adrenal balance.  That left me with only one must take treatment, which was the Fulvic Acid.  I was curious as to how the adrenal balance would affect my need/tolerance for the Fulvic Acid.

I tried to go without Fulvic Acid, and I knew on the afternoon of the first day that I still needed it.  No need to run to test things out.  Next, I tried a large dose of powder.  Bad call there too.  It proved to be too much and that became apparent on the second day.  Finally, I went back to the drops and have been gradually increasing my dose.  I’ve seen improvements in the last couple of days and I was less horrible without it this morning.  I predict the usual pattern in which the gap between the floor and ceiling will decrease.  Perhaps the Fulvic Acid will eventually become like the other treatments.  I won’t notice any problems unless I don’t take it for 5-7 days.  In other words, if I forget to pack it before a weekend trip, no big deal.  I would call that “under control.”

Needless to say, with all those crashes and adjustments, I did very little running and nothing longer than 3 miles.  On another note, I had hoped to find out from the blood donation, whether or not I have COVID antibodies.  So far, no word one way or the other.  Regardless, I am DONE with COVID.  Starting now, I will NOT shy away from crowded events even if they are indoors.  I will only wear a mask if I have to do so, such as on an airplane.  If a destination has vackseen or mask requirements, I just won’t go until they are lifted.  My only POSSIBLE exception would be Hawaii and that is only because it is my 50^th half marathon state.

Southern Arizona Road Trip Report

 2/18-

Worked almost a full day but did leave an hour early so I could eat dinner before my 7 PM flight.  That went off as scheduled and after a quick connection in Dallas, I was on the ground in Tucson just before midnight local time.  I checked into my fleabag motel just before 1 AM and hit the sack.

2/19-

Surprisingly, I was up with the sun this morning and captured some palm tree and catcus pictures before I showered up and hit the road.  My early start enabled me to hit Picachu State Park about 40 minutes north on the way to Phoenix.  I did a fairly challenging hike of about 1 mile on Calloway Trail then headed back south on the Interstate.  I didn't want to spend too much or too little time because I planned to arrive in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico shortly after noon.  I followed the plan to perfection.

This was my third visit to a Mexican border town and my fourth visit to Mexico overall.  Each one has a different vibe but as soon as you step foot on Mexican soil, you know that you are in a different place.  It's been described as a portal to another world.  Juarez and Nogales are more authentic than touristy places like Tijuana or Cancun.  In border towns, most people can speak English but Spanish will be appreciated even if slow and heavily accented.  I call myself the gringo with the southern lingo and that never fails to get a chuckle in response.  I find that I can recognize most of the words in Spanish but my comprehension is limited because the speech is too fast.  The key is to learn to think in Spanish and stop translating in your head.  Not so easy.  Some people worry about me going to Mexico.  However, I never felt unsafe despite the fact that Nogales does have a high crime rate.  In general, if you stick to tourist areas and don't do anything stupid, you'll be fine.  

Many Americans cross the border for cheap meds, dental work and food but I'm there to take in the culture and interact with the people.  I had a pretty good lunch at a bargain price, roamed the main streets and browsed some of the shops.  I got some delicious ice cream and purchased a T-shirt and shot glass from one of the shops.  I probably got ripped off on the price but the shop owner also walked me to a nearby hotel and helped me with the check-in so I didn't mind.  I may have been able to bargain to save a few bucks but chose not to do so.  I attended church then went out to dinner on the store owner's recommendation.  My hotel was about on par with low end American chains such as Motel 6 or Super 8 but at half price.  I only paid the equivalent of $35 US dollars.  It was a good call to stay in Mexico for the night.  It saved money and allowed me to drink a big margarita for dinner without facing the border guard shortly thereafter.  Again, I had a nice server and enjoyed brief conversations in Spanish. 

2/20-

I simply walked into Mexico without any questioning at all.  Normally, when going back to the USA, I'm usually only asked where I am going next then sent on my way after my passport is checked.  This time, I faced more questioning.  I was asked what I did in Mexico and why I would want to fly to Tucson for the weekend without knowing anyone in the area.  He wasn't mean and did not search me but he did find it strange that I would do something like this.  The scenery is beautiful and I wanted to do some hiking.  Simple.    

My first stop of the day was Mount Lemmon at 9,000 feet elevation and at least 30 degrees colder than  Tucson.  The road reminded me a bit of a desert version of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Vegetation and landscape changes as dramatically as the temperature.  The ubiquitous cacti stop just after the 4,000 foot mark and you would think that you are in Montana or South Dakota shortly thereafter.  I didn't know until recently but yes, you will see SNOW on the ground in the winter once you hit about 7,000-7,500 feet.  In southern Arizona?  Not many people know that. 

Back at lower elevation, I spent some time at a park called Agua Caliente, which is a beautiful area with a nice green lake surrounded by palm trees and mountain views.  Too bad those were not high enough to be snow capped.  My last stop was Catalina State Park.  Unfortunately, the hike was too long and I had to bail halfway through.  It proved to be a good call as I got some epic shots of a cactus in the sunset sky.  

2/21-

Today was planned to be devoted to Saguaro National Park.  Yes, it was very nice but nothing really stood out compared to the 2 other state parks.  The hiking trail was similar to the one Picachu albeit with a bit more scenic views at the top.  With a bit of time to kill, I went to downtown Tucson for lunch.  Though the food was nothing special, my server was very nice.  Though Tucson has a large population, it has more of a small town eclectic feel.  The University of Arizona is just a few blocks away.  I ended up taking a walk down several main streets then went back to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  The flight back also went off on time but I did not get back home until after 11 PM.  I was hurting the next day.

When to Race Hawaii

 

I am now about 95 percent sure that I will NOT be racing in Hawaii in April.  I only have 9 more weeks to get in shape and I still have not run longer than 4 miles this year.  My standard issue run used to be 5-6 miles at 7:30 pace.  Now, it is 2 miles at paces that range from 8:00 all the way up to 11:00.  What will my fitness level be in 12 months?  Those prospects are not bright.  Fortunately, the time limit is 4 hours so even on my worst day, I should be able to walk/jog and come in under that.  That’s a pace per mile of almost 17 minutes.

  To their credit, Hawaii reversed the booster requirement to bypass the 5-day quarantine but what’s the point of any requirement in that case?  A 12-month-old vackseen is basically USELESS against Omicron!  I may have natural immunity too.  More on that later.  In order to participate in the race, I need either a vackseen OR a negative test WITH permission from an official.  The latter is not guaranteed.  If there are other options available, I would certainly prefer NOT to support an event with such stringent restrictions.  I did meet a woman named Robin at my Maine race, who is finishing her 50^th state at the race in Maui that I initially planned to run.  It sure would be nice to finish together but all things considered, it’s not looking like it will happen. 

There are 2 races in Honolulu over Holiday weekends.  One is Memorial Day, and the other is Veteran’s Day.  I’d prefer not to race on the Big Island because I’ve already been there.  Whether it’s Maui, Oahu or Kauai, I can’t lose.  I’d probably lean towards Honolulu (Oahu) because I think I can see pretty much all I want in 3 days instead of the 5-7 that I would need in Maui or Kauai.  I’d want to see Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach and the North Shore.  According to the website for the Memorial Day race, there is no mention of any vackseen or testing requirement.  That said, I will certainly verify that with the RD before I sign up.  If true, I would almost certainly choose that one over Maui. 

As far as lifting restrictions, recent news is mostly good.  Several blue states have lifted mask mandates.  Word on the street is that although the city of Los Angeles still has a vackseen requirement for indoor dining, it is rarely enforced.  While restrictions may not be fully lifted in Hawaii within 3 months, I do think that there is a realistic chance of normalcy within 9 months especially if COVID deaths continue to fall.  A talk show host brought up the Vietnam War.  Even among people who supported it at the time, very few people admitted it after it turned out the way it did.  Same with Iraq.  It took about 5 years for the country to form a consensus that it was a mistake.  Come 2025, very few people will admit that the lockdowns, masking and vackseen requirements were good ideas.  Sadly, I’m afraid that it really will take that long but if current trends continue, most restrictions will be lifted before the 2024 election.

What will I do that weekend instead?  Florida beach hopping from Bradenton to Fort Lauderdale.  My parents have expressed interest in joining me.  Who knows how many chances I will have to spend time with them?  If my parents are able to make the trip with me, Hawaii is OUT for sure.   

As far as my training, my results in early February have been no better.  The adrenal spike is not fading like I hoped it would.  I need mega doses of Thym-Adren to run at all.  This need has triggered demand for more Vitamin C because of the Copper content.  I had bad reaction to Whole Food C and Adenosyl B-12.  I think both are related to Copper and I know for sure that Whole Food C is related.  At least there is an explanation this time.  Instead of that, I need Methyl B12 and the Ascorbic Acid form of Vitamin C. 

Any hope of improvement on the horizon:

I’ve got blood donation scheduled for Sunday afternoon.  That might lower the Iron and thus slow down the adrenals.  Also, I could try again to reduce my Lactoferrin, which related to Iron metabolism.  My last resort is another liver flush, which I last did in 2016.  It dumped copper out of my organs and Taurine and Glutathione were effective in cleaning it out of my tissues.  However, I would have hoped that TRS would accomplish that without the harsh side effects.   The blood donation should reveal whether or not I have COVID antibodies as I still suspect that I had the virus over New Years.  If I do, MAYBE I can get around a vackseen mandate for a Hawaii race.        

Rant: Autism

UPDATE:  I've since learned that my extreme sensitivity to pills is most probably related to elevated Cytokines and toxic metals.  Both are related to autism.  So too is candida overgrowth and gut dysbiosis. I've also read that 91 percent of autistic people have the MTHFR mutation.  That makes me VERY ANGRY! 

Back in the 1980s, children were diagnosed with autism at a rate of about 1 in 5,000.   Hell, I never even heard of autism until the early 1990s.  Now, it’s more like 1 in 50 with boys more likely than girls to be affected.  There is a school of thought that it really hasn’t become much more common.  It was simply not diagnosed in the past.  I believe the truth to be somewhere in between.  Autism cases have not really increased 100-fold in the last 40 years, but the rate is indeed increasing at an alarming rate.  I would say that it could be up to a 10 or 20-fold increase.

Let’s take a look at my childhood and some of the traits that I had:

I taught myself how to multiply and divide when I was in kindergarten but when it came to reading, I was merely average and was even assigned to track 2 in that subject.  That gap did close in later years.  Though I wasn’t on the same level as the valedictorian in Math, I could usually count on getting an A in Advanced Algebra.  My best subject in undergrad was Statistics and Probability and I nearly made it through an entire semester without missing a point.  I could manage an A in Regular English and earned solid Bs in those AP classes. 

One of my superpowers is a legendary long-term memory.  If you were to ask me what subject I had for 2^nd period in 6^th grade, I could tell you not only that but the room number and who sat next to me.  One of my old track teammates looked at me in disbelief when I told a high school story and asked: “How the f--- do you remember that shit?”

I usually had a terrible time getting up in the morning and didn’t feel fully awake until maybe 9:00 AM but was always wound up at night.  That problem is completely gone as I had no trouble getting up for 6 AM runs when I was competitive.

I spent quite a bit of time stacking soup cans in the kitchen and watched the same movies over and over again.  I still did the latter through college but not so much anymore.  However, there are several YouTube videos that I’m sure I’ve watched at least 10 times.

Poor eye contact, social skills and difficulty making friends.  My mother told me never to be a criminal because it always appeared that I was lying though she never actually thought I was.  I also had a tendency to "space out" at times. I could not read social cues either.  I recall a time when I was horrified after my mother told me to "knock 'em dead" referring to a couple of tests that day at school.  Sometimes I thought I was being bullied but it really just harmless teasing and I should have let it go.  Other times, I thought some people were being friendly to me, but I now realize that they were actually mocking me and my behaviors perpetuated it.   This aspect has improved but I’d still like it to be better. 

Bad handwriting, poor coordination, and messy bedroom.  Sadly, this is still a problem today.  I remember several school assignments that I simply could not do.  One involved making geometric figures out of paper or drawing 3 dimensional figures in art class.  My Shop teacher would have given me an F if my Dad didn’t protest that I had pneumonia.  That was true but I never could have figured it out even if I was healthy.  I would fare no better if put in the same situation today.  I would recommend teachers in non-academic subjects such as Shop, Music or Art to never give grades less than a C unless the student misbehaves. 

Unusual speech- I used to talk much slower and softer than other kids and was called a "retard" even though it was no secret that I was an A-student.  My final class rank was 18th in a class of 215.  It was not uncommon for other kids to laugh at me after I answered a question correctly in class.  Many times, I was told to shut up with a 4 letter word in between if I tried to join a conversation.  One such person admitted that he didn't even listen to what I said.  WTF!   A so-called friend of mine told me that if I made the top 7 in my high school class, I should decline the opportunity to speak at graduation to save myself embarrassment.  Today, my speech is almost normal for Alabama and it’s pretty much a non-issue.  If I didn’t live in the South, it could be a problem. 

If I was in Generation-Z instead of being a late Gen-Xer, I almost certainly would have been diagnosed with mild autism.  My Mom agrees that I did have mild autism symptoms as a child but for the most part, I have outgrown it.  Key word is for the most part.  As for my sharp decline in athletic performance, it is certainly possible that the toxic metals were lurking beneath the surface long before the symptoms appeared.  Even in elementary school, I had a sneaking suspicion that something was a little bit off about me.  Part of me is glad that I didn’t know.  Perhaps kids would have been nicer to me, but I know that I would have played the victim card and settled for average.  Clearly, I was capable of much better. 

Not every autism case looks the same.  Some children never smile.  It sure would be a shame if that was one of my traits.  Thankfully, it is not.  Some are extremely talented in art and music.  I am not.  Others are afraid of change, prefer the same routine every day and do not like traveling to unfamiliar places.  The latter is CERTAINLY not a problem for me and never was an issue.  I always enjoyed family vacations to new destinations.  That said, I will get anxious if you give me several tasks all at once especially if they are unexpected.  Also, I do often eat at the same restaurants on the same days of the week and order the same items from the menu. 

If autism cases are on the rise as I believe they are, what could be driving it?  Proponents of the school of thought that it simply diagnosed more often will say that it is all about your genetics.  You are either born with it or you are not.  There is nobody who develops autism as a toddler or child due to environmental factors.  I would mostly disagree.  Genetic mutations may make you more susceptible, but are not the cause.  I do believe that alcoholism does run in families but I guarantee that it will never happen to you if you don't take that first drink.  Some people, myself included, are poor eliminators of toxic metals due to genetic factors.  If they were never exposed to the toxins, they cannot suffer any ill-effects.      

Yes, I am going to go here.  The vackseen schedule is WAY too aggressive.  I would have no issue taking a shot to prevent a disease as deadly as smallpox or as crippling as polio.  However, the number of shots should be reduced and spaced out over a longer period of time.  That’s hardly an extreme view.     Nowadays, children receive up to 40 vackseens before they enter school.  Many are laced with toxic metals such as mercury as well as plenty of other not so friendly ingredients.  Nordic children receive fewer vackseens and also see much less autism diagnoses.  Most people can manage to detox but some cannot.  Indeed, I’ve heard and watched documentaries which detailed horror stories of children shrieking in pain hours after a shot then becoming severely disabled.  Granted, most cases are usually not that dramatic.  It is usually a slow fade over time that cannot easily be traced to a particular event.  No, I do not believe that vackseens are the ONLY reason for the increase.  Dr. Mercola believes that plastics and environmental pollution are factors as well.  I would agree.  Exposure to toxins is NOT good for anyone and to suggest that it cannot cause health problems is IDIOTIC!  If I was harmed by childhood vackseens, can you imagine how badly off I would be if I had to take today's schedule?

Actress Jenny McCarthy shared that her son experienced a sharp decline within a day or two of getting a vackseen.  Thankfully, with treatment he is doing better.  Though I normally do not care about Hollywood celebrities, if I could pick one to meet, it would be her.  Like many men my age, I had a bit of a crush on her as teenager and at least based on interviews that I have seen, she seems to have a good heart full of compassion and is respectful to those who disagree with her.