North Carolina and Virginia Beach Road Trip

 6/16- Left home first thing in the morning.  It was a smooth ride through Atlanta on I-20 and 85 and my first stop was the South Carolina Welcome Center, where I got a shot of Lake Hartwell on the Georgia border.  Lunch was BBQ chicken in Greenville on Main Street near Reedy Falls.  Unfortunately, I hit bad traffic and stormy weather just before Charlotte and did not arrive until 4 PM.  That meant no time for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Not a big deal.  I'm not a real big fan, but I thought it might be interesting.  I settled in and took a walking tour of Tryon and MLK drive to the baseball stadium, where I saw a AAA game.  The rain stopped just in time for the game and I saw an epic sunset along with some great skyline views.  

6/17- I-85 up through Durham into Virginia then US-58 to VA Beach.  Arrived just after noon, got some lunch then it was a pretty decent surf session in the afternoon.  Last time I was here was the summer of 1987.  I was a month or two shy of my 7th birthday and it was the first family vacation that I remember clearly.  I was afraid of the ocean waves but my grandfather kept saying up and over.  Jump before it breaks and the buoyancy will pull you up.  Good advice.  VA Beach does have a boardwalk but it's mostly just hotels with a few restaurants connected.  The shops are all on the road just a block from the boardwalk.  You can still see the ocean but it's not quite the same.  However, if you prefer a more peaceful and quiet boardwalk, you'll prefer VA Beach to Ocean City, MD or Wildwood, NJ.  I've heard that they do require winter protection but yes, you'll see plenty of palm trees here so there is at least a sub-tropical vibe.  The sand has a brownish tint but I find it very pretty.   

6/18- Got up just in time to catch the sunrise.  I chose to spend a night in VA Beach instead of the Outer Banks because I could find and afford a motel on the beach.  Air temp was 78 with full sunshine and a water temp of 74 and good waves.  I found it to be nice.  A little chilly at first but only at first.  My only gripe was that it was quite crowded and I had to be careful not to hit kids with my board.   By late afternoon, I left VA Beach and headed toward the Outer Banks with a stop in Elizabeth City, NC for the night.  

6/19- Arrived in Kill Devil Hills and saw the Wright Brothers monument.  North Carolina's Outer Banks has a totally different vibe than VA Beach.  No boardwalk here and the shops are spread out.  You'll see more restaurants and shops in the southern part of Nags Head but it's much more rustic further north in Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills.   The advantage is that the surf is usually better.  Unfortunately, it was actually too strong even for me.  Waves came one after another and it was too deep to catch the big ones. Further down the coast after lunch, there was a steep drop off.  Of course, I still had fun.  All things considered however, I vote for VA Beach.  Stopped in Fayetteville, NC for the night after a brief tour of the capitol grounds in Raleigh.  

6/20- I toyed with the idea of squeezing in another surf session in either Wilmington, NC or North Myrtle across the border in South Carolina but decided against it because I wanted to get home at a decent hour.  Probably a good call.  I was tired by the afternoon and was happy to be home around 5.  I did do a small tour of Columbia, SC and the capitol grounds and came away with a favorable impression. My lunch stop was in Augusta. I had to stop at a rest area before Atlanta but outside of that, the drive was not bad. 

So-Cal Road Trip Plan

 I visited Southern California back in 2013 and got a decent sampling of the area but really did not do it justice.  It was in January so needless to say, I did not go into the ocean.    Among the places that I saw or drove through were Rosecrans in South Central, Malibu, Simi Valley, Pacific Coast Highway, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Blvd and Sunset Blvd through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.  I did not venture into downtown LA, nor did I see San Diego. 

I’m still in the planning stages here but here’s my early itinerary:

Day 1- Fly to Los Angeles and find my asshole brother (inside joke).  From LAX, the quickest way downtown is probably I-105 to 110.  I figure that on a Saturday, traffic won’t be too awful.  If I get into my downtown hotel early enough, I can do some touring that afternoon.  At the very least, I should see Grand Park.  Dodger Stadium is only 2 miles away and easily accessible.  I heard that my hotel even offers shuttles.  Yes, the team will be home on the day I plan to arrive.  I thought about a rooftop bar with views of the skyline, but it requires reservations and will probably be ridiculously expensive too.  From the top deck, Dodger Stadium offers an impressive view of the skyline so that's what I plan to do.    

Day 2- Need to get an early start because this will be a full day.  I can probably walk to Vista Hermosa for views of the skyline.  MacArthur Park looks pretty cool too, but it may be too far.  The plan is to take 101 to Sunset Blvd through Hollywood and Beverly Hills then go rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun (inside joke).  From there, it will be Wilshire to 405.  I have several beach options just a bit further south but would lean towards Huntington or Laguna Beach in Orange County.  I can expect water temps around 70F so it will be comparable to New England in late summer.  Chilly but tolerable.  From Laguna, it is only about 75 minutes to Torrey Pines, where I can expect an epic sunset.  Another 20 minutes will get me to downtown San Diego. 

After a bit of deliberation, I think the best call for night #2 is a cheap motel off the interstate instead of downtown San Diego. 

Day 3- Change of the initial plan.  The cheap motel is only a few miles due east of Pacific Beach.  This is Labor Day so the beaches will be packed but, I’m an early riser nowadays.  Parking should not be a problem as long as I arrive early enough.  I’ll leave early enough to arrive in Tijuana by early afternoon.  Again, I’ll spend the night in Mexico to save money and avoid a real long line getting back to the USA.

Day 4- Back in America.  I will take a dip at Silver Strand or Coronado Beach in the morning before hitting Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo.  The Padres are also home so why not see a 2^nd game?  I’ll spend the night in downtown San Diego near the stadium in the Gaslamp District. 

Day 5- Leave San Diego and go beach hopping on the way back up to LA.  I have a lot of options and will probably sample at least 2 of them.  Options include La Jolla, Blacks Beach, Carlsbad, Huntington, Redondo, Manhattan and Santa Monica.  I’ll probably spend the night near Manhattan because it is so close to LAX.  If my flight to LA is delayed, I may go back to downtown LA.  I will be able to drive through Compton on the way up if I take a short detour.  

Day 6- I’ll probably have time to take one last dip then catch the flight home.

Training 5/30-6/5

 5/30- Planned rest day.  Drive back to Birmingham

5/31-AM 3x1 lap at Montreat.

No treatment- 3:29 (10:27 pace)

5 sprays- 2:48 (8:24 pace)  MINUS 2:03

Caffeine- 2:38 (7:54 pace) MINUS 30

After a full week off, it is clear that the Inositol is not going to be the answer.  The sweet spot is 5 sprays.  Any more and I will be HORRIBLE.  I do feel better after I pee.  That is a clear sign of detox.  Caffeine and alcohol in moderation may actually HELP because both are diuretics.  

PM- No surprise.  If I can barely do a sub-8 for a 1/3 mile sprint, a real workout will SUCK.  2 miles in 21:06 (10:33 pace).  I can only hope that is the start of sustained improvement.

Distance=3.0

6/1- Better all around.

AM 3x half lappers.

No treatment- 93 (9:18 pace)

5 sprays- 69 (6:54 pace)

Thym-Adren- 69 (6:54 pace)

Pleased by the improvement but the gap actually GREW.  Not so happy about that.

PM- 2.5 on Lakeshore in 23:58 (9:35 pace).  MINUS 58.  If I had repeated the 2 miler, I surely am more than 60 better than yesterday.  I'll take it.

Distance=3.0

6/2- 2 miles in 18:06 (9:03 pace).  Rate of improvement has already diminished.  Felt much worse in the afternoon

Distance=2.0

6/3- COLLAPSE.  Need 10 sprays.  Opened with a 2:02 half lap, not much better on 5 sprays (1:56) and 10 sprays got it down to 1:46

Distance=0.5

6/4- Parking lot junk intervals.  MUCH better.  Did 2x quarter mile.  Opened in 2:13 then all the way down to 1:35 on 10 sprays (6:20 pace)

Distance=0.5

6/5- Opened in 2:33 for a full lap (7:39 pace) THEN got WORSE on 10 sprays.  It never ends. Suspending the updates again until further notice.

Distance=1.0

-10 miles

RANT: Media Misinformation

 It's not much of a secret that Big Tech is censoring conservatives and now, the Biden administration wants to set up a "Ministry of Truth."  I believe their ultimate goal is a social credit system similar to China. If you post or do things that the government does not like, your rights could be severely restricted.  Trump called the mainstream media "the enemy of the people," which I thought at the time was over the top.  Now, I agree.  Let's take a look at just a few examples off the top of my head.  I'm sure there are many more.

1. The 2016 Election was stolen by Russia and Trump colluded with Putin.

By now, pretty much everyone has conceded that was a hoax.  If you ever sat through CNN in 2017-18, you could have been convinced that Mueller was just about to find the smoking gun and Trump would soon be removed from office.  This dogged Trump for the first 3 years of his administration.  You are still allowed to question the 2016 election but not 2020.  More on that later.

2. Trump called Neo-Nazis "very fine people"

This one angered me the most of all.  He specifically said that white supremacists should be "condemned totally," and criticized extremists on BOTH sides.  I personally believe that the question of whether or not Confederate statues should be allowed to stand is an issue in which people of good will can disagree.  That's basically what Trump said and the media spun it as support for Nazis.  Biden ultimately said that's why he decided to run.  I truly believe that many people are convinced that Republican voters are motivated by white supremacy when they cast their ballots.  

3. COVID

From 2-4 weeks to flatten the curve to just wait for the vackseen to get your booster every year.  Any post touting HCQ or Eye-Vermectin (deliberate misspelling) was censored by Big Tech despite loads of anecdotal evidence that such treatments are effective.  Biden is on record as saying that if you take the vackseen, "you are not going to get COVID."  When it became obvious, that was untrue, many people still believed that the vacksinated were not contagious.  That was a lie too.  Now, they are saying that it will only prevent severe symptoms, but you still have to take it or it could cost you your job.  Reports of vackseen injuries are being suppressed while rare cases of severe COVID among young people are reported non-stop.  My opinion is that the vackseen provides temporary protection then leaves you MORE vulnerable when it wears off.  Don't get me started about heart attacks and myocarditis among young people.

4. George Floyd/BLM-

The media would have you believe that cops are gunning down innocent black people every day and I know someone who posted that she was afraid for her son to go out because he could be the next victim of police brutality.  I saw the full video.  Floyd was doped up out of his mind and said that he could not breathe BEFORE the knee was on his neck.  Anyone know who Tony Timpa was?  NO.  He was a white man from Florida who died in nearly the same manner as Floyd but there was nary a word of media coverage and the officer on the scene was not even charged.  No doubt that the police officer in the Floyd case was wrong and should have been convicted of something.  I say manslaughter or negligent homicide.  This sort of thing happens to people of all races.  75 percent of people killed by police are NOT black.  I highly doubt that the Floyd case was racially motivated at all.  Yet, the fiery protests were described as "mostly peaceful" and the names of innocent black people killed by the rioters have already been forgotten.

5. Hunter Biden's Laptop-

This story broke in October 2020 and most definitely could have swung the election.  Even if you believe the results are legitimate, if just 1 out of 150 people switched their vote in Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania, Trump would have won.  Instead, it was dismissed as "Russian Disinformation."  If a similar story broke about Ivanka, Eric or Don Jr, you better believe it would be investigated.  Only now, we are being told that the story was real after all.

6. 2020 Election was the most secure in history.

HA!  In a normal election, about 3 percent of signatures are rejected on mail in ballots.  This time, it was more like 0.3 percent.  No doubt, there were many anomalies in swing states such as military ballots going heavily for Biden despite historically favoring Republicans.  Yes, there was fraud.  Was it enough to change the outcome?  I'll leave that for others to debate.  I do recommend seeing the Movie 2000 Mules, which may change your mind.  

7. Trump incited an insurrection on January 6.

No doubt that those who breached the Capitol were wrong and should be held accountable.  Trump said to march "patriotically and PEACEFULLY."  That's hardly inciting a riot.  Can you imagine what would have happened if Biden supporters went to bed believing that he had won because he had a comfortable lead in most swing states then vote dumps for Trump changed the outcome overnight?  In the end, only 1 or 2 people were killed and they were Trump supporters killed by police.  Ironic.  Some idiots claimed that January 6 should be considered to be on par with Pearl Harbor or 9/11.  They say that Trump supporters are against democracy.  Yet, if Roe v Wade is overturned, the question of abortion will be settled at the state level either at the ballot box or through the legislature.  Can't have that!  

8. Don't Say Gay and Critical Race Theory.

I've seen homework assignments posted such as this:

6x+y =12

It's a multiple choice question in which the correct answers such as x=2, y=0 or   x=1, y=6 contain a social justice message.  Just stick to math.  Children are taught that everything is to be viewed through the prism of race and that an autistic kid from a broken home in Appalachia is somehow privileged and an oppressor if he's white.  The Left denies this even though scores of examples have come to light.    The Florida Parental Rights bill simply said that nobody aged 9 or under should be taught about ANY type of sex or transgenderism.  The word gay was not even in the bill.    At the age of 9, girls had cooties.  I didn't even know that I was straight until I got a bit of crush on a female classmate when I was about 12.   

9. Great Replacement Theory is a Fringe White Nationalist Conspiracy-

Numerous Democrats, including Biden have said that they look forward to the day that whites will no longer be the majority in the USA, which is projected to happen in the mid-late 2040s.  I recall a scene in which the speaker declared that within a quarter century, the share of the white population will drop below 50 percent.  It was met with rousing applause.  Can you imagine what would happen if a Republican said that he looks forward to the black population dropping below 10 percent?  The Democrats want it to happen because they know it will be easier to win elections even with failed policies.  Julian Castro predicted that Texas will go blue BECAUSE of demographic changes.  Yes, we could be in a deep recession during a Democrat administration but no, we can't vote for the other guys.  They are racists. 

 Despite the fact that Democrats are on record saying that demographic changes help their electability, anyone who suggests that is the reason why they want open borders is a conspiracy theorist.  Some media even suggested that the Buffalo shooter represents mainstream Republicans.  SHUT UP!   I have faith in the Latino community and the Dems plan could backfire.  The Rio Grande Valley and Miami Dade both swung heavily to Trump and Biden's approval among Hispanics has fallen sharply.  Still, recent immigrants will vote heavily Democratic and it's not much secret that the Dems want to grant illegals citizenship and voting rights.  If you believe that predicted voting patterns are a non-factor in immigration policy, I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona that I'll sell you real cheap.

LET'S GO BRANDON! 

  

Training 5/16-5/22

 5/16- NOT GOOD.  2.5 miles on Lakeshore in 22:50 (9:08 pace).  Better than yesterday but I hoped to get a sub-9 pace.  It appeared that I had a shot until the last half mile then I faded badly.  Splits- 9:05-8:59-4:46.  Adrenals have spiked and the Inositol will not be enough.  Thym-Adren did help but even that didn't hold.

PM- Found the culprit.  Too much TRS.  I need to slow down the detox sprays.  Hated intervals at Montreat.  Opened with a 76 then slipped to an 89 after 5 sprays of TRS.  Bounced back with a 79 after B12 so that's not hurting me.  Neither is Liver.  I should donate blood again soon but I don't think it should have much impact this time around.

Distance=3.0

5/17-AM.  3x1 lap at Montreat.  Opened at an abysmal 4:13.  Only slightly better on Inositol (4:05) and showed similar improvement on B12 (3:58).  Overall time of 12:16.  OUCH!  Only taken together was it enough to be considered significant.  Question is: Can I tolerate small amounts of TRS or do I need to stop it temporarily?  I'll find out in a couple days.

PM- 1 mile at Montreat in 10:02.  Splits 5:12-4:50. Much better than the morning but certainly no cause for celebration.  I will lay off the TRS for a few days then try to gradually re-introduce it.

Distance=2.0 

5/18-AM Beyond awful.  1 mile in a time over 13 minutes.  It is painfully obvious that I need the TRS.

PM- I was better immediately after just 1 spray.  Opened with a 2:28 quarter mile.  1 spray brought my down to a 2:11, 1 more- 1:54, 1 more- 1:42 BUT 2 more yielded a 1:59.  I need an EXACT number of sprays to feel decent.  If there is one scenario that I HATE, it is this one.  I don't like being locked into a pill or spray every day but if the dose is flexible, I can deal with it.  NOT THIS!  I had 0.75 miles after the last interval and treated it like a cool down.

Distance=3.0

5/19- Opened with a 1:57 then improved to 1:42 then 1:30.  Took just 1 spray in between.  On mega doses, I repeated the 1:30 then improved to 1:18 on Inositol and Thym-Adren. Got home and found that I needed more TRS.  The difference is probably more consistent use of Intrinsic Factor.

Distance=1.0

5/20- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 19:08 (9:34 pace).  Back on mega doses of TRS.  It only works if I take all the B-vitamins that I need.  Steady pace all the way.  Splits were 9:35-9:33.

Distance=2.0

5/21- HORRIBLE again.  Hoped to run 3 today and settled for 1 in 10:21.  First half was similar toy yesterday but I could feel a massive fade coming so I turned around.  Splits- 4:47-5:34.  Culprit: Lack of Inositol.  Later learned that too much is just as bad.  I need some sort of ratio of TRS/Inositol.  I HATE THIS!!!!

Distance=2.0

5/22- THIS IS NUTS!  Intervals at Montreat

Opener- 1:50 (11:00 pace)

2 sprays of TRS- 1:28 (8:48 pace)

4 sprays of TRS- 1:10 (7:00 pace)

6 sprays of TRS- 1:14 (7:24 pace)

1 Inositol- 1:00 (6:00 pace)

2 Inositol- 1:12 (7:12 pace)

2 extra TRS- 0:55 (5:30 pace)

I felt the best I have all year on that last interval.  Unfortunately, it didn't last.  I needed more TRS later on in the day.  I think I'm going with 5 sprays and 1 Inositol.  The more Inositol that I take, the more TRS is required.  The more TRS that I take, the more Inositol is required.  It's a RATIO that allows me to feel best.  I HATE THIS!!!!

Distance=1.0

- 14 miles.

Mobile and New Orleans Road Trip Report

 5/6-

Left work at noon and hit the road going south on I-65 down to Mobile.  Traffic was a nightmare, and I didn’t arrive until after 5PM (normal drive time is just under 3.5 hours).  I checked into my hotel and took a short nap then a walking tour of Dauphin and Government Street with stops at a Fountain and Bienville Square.  Dinner was a good but pricey pork chop with a mixed drink at a restaurant called Dumbwaiters.  Still tired, I was in bed early but began feeling better as the night progressed and I was up with the sun the next morning.  I caught a sunrise over the bay at Cooper Park and a good shot of the skyline before checking out.

5/7-

I was westbound on I-10 into Mississippi with a stop in Gulfport to catch the Ship Island Ferry.  In Mississippi, the coast is blocked by barrier islands further out to sea.  Though the sand is nice and white, the water is brown and nasty with no surf.  Fortunately, a 1-hour cruise will grant you access to a nice beach with clear water.  You will usually find small waves here, but don’t count on good surf.  I did catch a few short rides to the sand, which shored up Mississippi and I can now definitely count it as a state in which I caught a wave.  My verdict on Ship Island: Worth doing once or twice for something different but IMO, it is not on par with the West Florida or East Alabama beaches. 

 

I was back in Gulfport before 4:00 then took the scenic route along the MS Sound towards Louisiana before eventually picking up I-10 to New Orleans for a 6 PM arrival.  I was out the door immediately after check-in and got a good Shrimp Po-Boy for dinner.  I spent the rest of the evening on Bourbon Street with a stop at Jackson Square. 

5/8-

Walk down Canal Street for a sunrise junk run on the Riverwalk.  Drove to City Park, which I found to be quite nice then headed home.  I did take a detour to Jackson, Mississippi for a stop at the History Museum, and got some pretty good pizza afterwards.  Downtown was dead and it was pretty scary if you drove a few blocks out in the wrong direction.  The north side of town is much nicer, and I may pay another visit there soon. 

Final thought:

I've always liked Mobile but was not a fan of New Orleans before this trip.  I was nearly mugged the first time I visited and had a bad race the second time.  However, I’m glad I gave the city another chance as I came away with a more favorable impression this time around.  It’s still not among my favorite cities to visit but for a weekend getaway every few years?  Sure, it can be fun.  

Training 5/9-5/15

 In what should be a surprise to nobody, my adrenals spiked and it's not a one day blip.  It's another relapse.  Not very long ago, I could not tolerate Thym-Adren.  Now, I can't get along without it.

5/9- AM- Opened with a 1:56 half lap.  I was better after I took the TRS and better again after I peed.  Down to a 1:42 at the end.

PM- Lakeshore 1.5 in 17:15 (11:30 pace).  Nothing else needs to be said.

Distance=2.0

5/10- Lakeshore 2 mile in 20:16 (10:08 pace).  Much better.  Negative splits.  First half in 10:30, second half in 9:46.  How many days can I improve before I relapse again?

Distance=2.0

5/11- 3 miles on Lakeshore in 28:03 (9:21 pace).  Continued steady improvement but too soon to get excited.  Splits- 14:15-13:48.  Could have broken 28 but took it easy in the last quarter mile.

Distance=3.0

5/12- Repeated the 3 mile distance on a slightly different route.  Goal was a sub-27 and I made it but was not pleased at all by how I felt.  Finished in 26:45 (8:55 pace) but splits were 8:50-8:38-9:17.  I was at 13:10 at the half and thought I had a sub-26 but ended up struggling for a sub-27.  Last half mile was over 4:45 and I had nothing left in the tank.  Clearly over-stimulated.  I need blood donation and/or IP-6.  Until then, I must take mega Thym-Adren.  After the blood donation/IP-6, I may become INTOLERANT to Thym-Adren.  WHAT THE __________!!!!!!

Distance=3.0

5/13- Unplanned rest day.  Barely made it through the day at work then crashed in bed.  Good news is that my local health foods store does sell Inositol.  I hoped to find IP-6 but Inositol should get the job done.  I upped my Thym-Adren dose and it made little difference.

5/14- Half mile total at Montreat in intervals.  1:50 opener then improved to 1:34 on Inositol and managed just a 1:33 on Thym-Adren.  Actually #2 and #3 were both 1:33 and change so that's good.  Inositol may do the job of blood donation and should not leave me intolerant to Thym-Adren or force me on an adrenal glandular.

Distance=0.5

5/15- A better than expected performance to close out a horrible week.  Did 1.5 miles at Railroad Park in 14:24 (9:36 pace).  Splits were 7:23-7:01, so I did the last half just over 9:20 pace.  Hardly a cause for celebration.

Distance=1.5

-12 miles on the week.

Training 4/30-5/8

 I've signed up for Hawaii on 11/13 so I've essentially got 6 months to get in shape.  I really don't care how I do but I don't want to completely embarrass myself either.  Once again, in THEORY, I have a path to balance but it has never actually worked in practice.  I have 2 must take treatments which are Fulvic Acid and TRS.  As for the rest of my cocktail, I can get away with occasional missed doses.  I hope that eventually, the 2 must takes will be in that category as well.

4/30- Opened with a 1:51 for 1/6 of a mile at Montreat.  With Fulvic Acid, I was significantly better at 1:44 then leaped to a 1:24 on TRS.  Still, if I can't run an 8:00 pace on a sprint, I expected to be beyond horrible in a real workout.  I was correct.

2 miles on Lakeshore in 23:34 (11:47 pace).  To put that into perspective, my personal record for 2 miles is 11:30 (5:45 pace).  I am LESS THAN HALF of my top speed.  A sub-3 half mary is 13.1 @13:45 pace.  No, I don't think I could have done that today.

Distance=2.5

5/1- No opener but tacked on another half mile to my real workout.  I performed about as expected.  2.5 miles in 27:10 (10:52 pace).  MINUS 55.  This is what I want to see.  I was noticeably better than yesterday but it was not a night and day difference. I think that with a walk/jog plan, I would have had a shot at finishing a half.  I will shoot for 3 miles tomorrow in a time between 30-31 minutes.

Distance=2.5  

5/2- 3 miles (1 on South Lakeshore extension and 2 on the trail itself).  Finished in 29:36 (9:52 pace).  Actually slowed down in the last mile on purpose so I'd be closer to 30 than a sub-29.  No cause for celebration but as of now, I'm headed in the right direction.

PM- 1 mile time trial at Vestavia track.  Finished in 7:38*.  I hit the half in 3:59 then stopped to take 5 sprays of TRS and found another gear.  Turned in a 3:39 on the back half and a 1:46 on the bell lap.  Without the extra TRS, I'm not sure I break 8.  If I took the sprays before the run, I'm almost certainly under 7:30.   I'll see greater gains on more sprays but I'm pleased with my progress.

Distance=4.0

5/3-AM 1 mile on Montreat this time on NO treatments.  Finished in 9:40, and that's about as expected.  A LOT better than just 3 days ago but I'm still a good 2 minutes slow on no treatments.  One positive out of this is another strong negative split.  I was 4:58 at the half and simply hoped for a sub-10 but did the back half in 4:42 and did not stop at the midpoint.  I probably went out too conservative and mis-underestimated my endurance.  That's it for today.  Don't need to get myself hurt by too much too soon.

Distance=1.0

Goal: In order to meet my definition of "no extreme dependence",  I must make it through a weekend on no pills then come back and survive an easy 3 on Monday.  Long way to go.

5/4- North Lakeshore 3 mile in 25:55 (8:38 pace).  Again, I slowed down deliberately in Mile 3 and was headed for a mid-25 if I kept it up.  Obviously, this rate of improvement is unsustainable and I will level off soon.  I bet I can get into the 24s pretty easily but it will become much harder after that.  BARRING A RELAPSE!!

Distance=3.0

5/5- AM- Vestavia Mile in 7:22.  An improvement of 16 seconds.  83 to go.  I can't be too disappointed but I did hope for a little better.  I am starting to level off, which was expected.  I did NOT stop at the halfway point to take more detox sprays.  I bet I'm under 7:15 if I had done so.  Splits were 1:50-1:53-1:53-1:46.  Back half  was no better than last time.  On the bright side, this was done on fewer sprays so if everything was equal, I'd see more improvement.  I hope to be under 7 by the end of next week.  Added a half mile cool.

PM- Easy 2.5 on Lakeshore.  Finished in 22:25 (8:58 pace).  Interesting.  Took off at sub-8 pace for the first quarter mile and it did feel "almost sustainable"  but backed off to an "easy effort," which was a low-9 pace.  Stopped at 1.5 to take caffeine and the pace quickened by about 15 ticks with the same effort.  I still think I should stay off that stuff.  Small short-term gains are not worth the long-term harm.  Perhaps the TRS doesn't fully kick in until the afternoon.  I'll soon test that out.

Distance=4.0

5/6- Another 1 mile at Montreat WITHOUT treatment.  Time was down to 8:53 with a strong finish (2:49 last third).  Still hoped for a little better.  I'm still 90 seconds slower without TRS and that's a LOT.  Going to the coast this weekend. 

Distance=1.0

5/7- Planned rest day.

5/8- 2 mile junk run at the River in NOLA.

Distance=2.0

-20 miles on the week

South Florida Road Trip Report

 

South Florida Road Trip Report

IMO, late April and early May is the best time to visit.  Though the water temp never drops below 70 in Miami, you can expect about 6 days every winter in which air temps will not make it out of the 60s and maybe 1-2 in the 50s.  On the Gulf side, water temps may not climb above 70 until the end of March and cold fronts are more likely to reach Tampa than Miami.  This time of year, you don’t have to worry about cold fronts or rowdy Spring Break parties and rain chances remain low.  Perhaps most importantly, the water color is more beautiful in the Spring and Summer.

4/20-

I don’t smoke pot, but I was flying high on this day.  I got a smokin’ deal too.  It was just $79 for a one- way ticket to Tampa.  The flight landed on time just after 6 PM but it was almost 7:30 by the time I got checked in to my hotel.  I wanted to make it down to the Riverwalk before sunset and just made it.  However, I found that the Tampa skyline was especially impressive at night.  I stopped for a drink on the way back then settled into bed for the night. 

4/21-

Got up for a junk run down at the Riverwalk, got cleaned up then hit the road to Fort Lauderdale at Hollywood Beach.  There is plenty to do on that boardwalk and prices are more reasonable compared to Miami.  I found that the beaches are just as nice too.  Though palm trees are ubiquitous throughout Florida, the tropical coconut variety just won’t survive north of Tampa.  I opted for I-75, which runs south to Naples before cutting east through the Everglades to Lauderdale.  It was a 4-hour drive and not very exciting but that’s okay.

  I have sampled just about every beach on the Atlantic coast from Miami to Jacksonville.  In general, the further south you go in FLA, you will find bluer and clearer water as well as the more tropical vibe but the negative for me is that it often gets deep quickly, which makes for short rides on the board.  To me, the best of both worlds is between Vero and Melbourne.  The beach was indeed beautiful in Hollywood, but my only gripe was there was quite a bit of seaweed.  I arrived at mid afternoon and stayed in the water until about 6:00.

4/22-

Full day in Hollywood.  I found that surf conditions were pretty good each day.  I caught many good waves and the rides to the shore were fairly long as well.  With the exception of a brief rain shower in the morning, it was partly sunny with air temps in the low 80s and water temps in the upper 70s.  Most everyone will find those conditions to be comfortable.   

4/23- Left Hollywood and headed down to South Pointe in Miami.  Supposedly, this is the bluest water on the Atlantic coast.  Indeed, it was very nice, but I didn’t notice much difference from Lauderdale.  It wasn’t as blue as Hawaii or Cancun but rather a more aqua tint.  After lunch in Miami, I headed north to Palm Beach. 

This was my favorite spot of the trip.  Less seaweed and longer rides on the board and though the water was a shade darker, it was just as clear and IMO, even more beautiful.  Again, I stayed out until almost 6 then took the rural route back to the Gulf.  The road was flat and straight.  If not for the occasional palm trees, you would think that you were in Illinois or Iowa.  It did become a bit more scenic west of Lake Okeechobee.  I stayed on the south side in the town of Clewiston.  I’ve long been curious about the predominant culture in rural South Florida.  I would not think that there would be many northern transplants, and I was correct.  It’s a good mix of Southern and Latino culture and yes, the southern accent has survived in isolated rural areas of South Florida. 

4/24- Arrived early in Lido Beach on the Gulf just outside of Sarasota.  Good thing I did arrive early because both parking and traffic turned into a nightmare later in the day.  Here, you will find snow white sand with emerald colored water with no seaweed that does not get deep quickly.  Waves were tiny but I was able to catch a few short rides. 

It’s rare to find good surf on this part of the Gulf but strangely, just a few miles up the road in Bradenton, conditions were quite different.  It did get deep quickly but I caught some decent sized waves.  I wanted to be in Bradenton Beach for the evening because it faces due west, and the sun sets directly over the water.  That did not disappoint.  I also met a very nice Puerto Rican girl at dinner.      

4/25- Sunshine Skyway to St. Petersburg and I wanted to catch a sunrise over the water.  I timed it well and arrived early at the beach again.  I chose Treasure Island, just south of Clearwater.  I only had a few hours before I had to get back to Tampa to catch my flight home.  Conditions here were similar to Lido Beach.  Clear emerald water with very little surf.  I was fine with that because my body was tired. 

Final Thought:

I expect to be back to both coasts in South Florida and although I’m glad I hit both coasts on the same trip once, I probably will not do it again.  Instead, I’ll stick to one coast and drive down.