New England Road Trip Plan

 This one is a go for next weekend.  Saturday through Wednesday but I miss only 2 days of work because of the Columbus Day holiday.  

Saturday- Afternoon flight out of Atlanta and I won't have to leave too early to catch it.  It's a direct flight to Hartford, Connecticut and I land between 6:30-7PM.  After I pick up the rental car, it's a 30 minute drive north to Springfield, Massachusetts.  I might go out for a drink but that's about it.  This qualifies as a special occasion. 

Sunday- I'll have a little bit of dead time early in the morning because the Basketball Hall of Fame doesn't open until 10AM.  I can explore the town a bit.  I'm not a real big fan but why not?  I've seen the HOF of every other major sport.  Figure that it will be just after noon by the time I hit the road.  It will be a scenic ride through western Massachusetts at near peak foliage.  I will probably cross into Vermont just for the hell of it.  My night stop will be in Pittsfield, MA in the heart of the Berkshires 

Monday- Full day.  First stop will be the FDR Museum.  There's also a state park that looks beautiful but I'm not sure if I'll have time.  Hopefully, I get to Greenwich, Connecticut by mid-late afternoon.  From there, it will be a Metro North train to NYC.  I may be too late for the sunset but I really want to see the Brooklyn Bridge lit up at night.

Tuesday- Top of the Rock and Central Park with peak foliage.  Train back to Connecticut.  Explore Greenwich.  Back to Hartford for the night 

Wednesday- A little time to tour.  Flight back to Atlanta then drive to Birmingham.

Training 9/29-10/5

 9/29- About what I expected.  Yesterday, I managed only 1 Mile in 12:42.  Today, I upped it to 1.5 with a time of 16:48 (11:12 pace).  MINUS 90.  Gotta be pleased with that but it will probably be another 3 days until I am back to the new normal.  Then, something else will pop up.  No pills at all this morning.

PM- Half mile in 4:30 (9:00 pace) at Montreat.  Better than expected.  Pace was probably not sustainable but it still would have been a lot better than this morning.

Distance-2.0

9/30- 2 miles in 17:41 (8:50 pace).  Back to normal much faster than I expected.  Near perfect splits.  This evening, I want to see what low dose C does 

Distance-2.0

10/1- Took half a Vitamin C last night and half this morning.  No discernable reaction.  Repeated the 2 mile distance in 17:52 (8:56 pace).  Slightly slower but not enough to be considered significant.  I simply took too much for too long.  This is NOT an inexplicable reaction.  Splits were 9:06-8:46.  I could have matched yesterday if I had gone out faster.  Good news overall.

Distance-2.0

10/2- No pills.  A tad sluggish but no real concern.  Finished 4 miles in 36:30 (9:07 pace). Dialed down the effort a bit but did push a bit in the last mile (8:58) to shore up the sub-2 half Mary pace.

Distance-4.0

10/3- Planned rest day.

10/4- 10K in 59:24 PR (9:30 pace) plus a cool.  I believe this is my fastest time since at least 2022, possibly 2021.  Splits were 29:04-30:20 but I was pretty even from Mile 3-6 after starting too fast.  More importantly, I have achieved my bare ass minimum standard for racing!

Distance-6.5

10/5- Veterans Park.  2 loops around the lake (1.33 miles) in a time of 11:54 (8:56 pace) plus a short cool.  Surprisingly decent pop in my legs.  For a recovery day, I probably ran this too fast but given the short distance, it probably won't hurt me.

I drank the equivalent of 2 beers yesterday to celebrate the milestone.  No real buzz and I had to nap for an hour afterwards.  Not worth it.

Distance-1.5

18 miles on the week.  I want to add a little bit of speed going forward 

RANT or RAVE: Autism Report

 First, I will address Trump and RFK's recommendations:

Avoid too much Tylenol during pregnancy 

Separate the MMR Vackseen

Remove Aluminum 

Don't get multiple shots in a single visit 

Promoted a new drug to improve social skills of autistic children.

My thoughts:

Definitely a step in the right direction.  I don't know if my mother took Tylenol or its active ingredient when she had me, and I am not going to ask.  As I've said before, I don't blame my parents.  They always did what they thought was right for me.  

As I understand it, the effects of Tylenol are indirect.  It depletes Glutathione, which is the master cleaner of toxic heavy metals.  Thus, if Glutathione is deficient, you are more vulnerable to toxic metal buildup and thus, more likely to be autistic.  

Just had a thought right now:  A Rheumatologist may have given me a prescription for Ibuprofen, which has the same active ingredient as Tylenol.  Long-term heavy use of that stuff would have left me even more toxic over time.  That could have been a disaster!

Predictably, Leftists have said that they will only trust a real doctor rather than Trump.  Name is Du Mass!  A Harvard Medical study said the exact same thing!  Pregnant Leftists have taken mega doses of Tylenol just to spite Trump.  At least one of them ended up in the hospital for Liver failure and may not make it!  If Trump had said not to smoke crack while pregnant, would Leftists do it?  Maybe.

Separation of the MMR over multiple visits is a good start but I question whether or not the benefits really outweigh the risks.  Studies show that the shot may be more dangerous than the virus itself.

The new drug is nothing more than a mega dose of Folinic Acid.  It would not have helped me on its own.  I already take 5-MTH Folate for my MTHFR genetic mutation.  At least in the past, it had to be taken with TMG to be tolerated, let alone effective.  

Removing Aluminum could be YUGE!  I am nearly certain that Al was the source of my autoimmune reactions and inexplicable reactions to benign substances.  

Recent health news:

Adrenal support may be unnecessary going forward.  I've tried small doses of the suppressant, stimulant and modulator.  The results are the same.  Minimal benefits from low doses but if I up it from 1 pill to 3, the reaction turns slightly negative.  Still too early to tell but that could be a big victory.  I've been very cautious with Malic Acid but it appears to be tolerated at low doses.  Most importantly, the inexplicable reactions to certain pills have not returned.   

That said, I was quite displeased by today's reaction to Vitamin C.  Just 2 weeks ago, I got a significant benefit from raising my dosage.  Now, I may be intolerant.  That's nothing new for me.  I can only hope that I will hit equilibrium after a couple weeks off it.  Then, it will be tolerated again at low doses.  

My best showing this week was 2.5 @9:04 pace, which translates to a 28:30 for 5K.  I'm still over 8:00 for 1 Mile.  I've got a LONG WAY TO GO!  My realistic long-term goals are a sub-7 Mile and a 5K under 25.  

I have been alcohol free for 2 weeks but still can't kick the sugar.  AFF!

Another common autistic trait that I have is difficulty making friends with people my own age while relating better to people who are significantly older or younger.  

For a long time, I have found it much easier to talk to women who are about a decade older than I.  Could I actually date one of them?  I may be open to it.  Age differences are less of a factor as you grow older.  30 vs 20 would never work but if I'm 60 and she's 70, it's probably not a big deal.  

My best friend in the office is not yet 30 and I have a couple of female friends who are around that age as well.  Yes, there are exceptions to the rule.  I hit it off with a guy from my neighborhood who is only a couple years younger than I am.  

I have participated in a few Facebook groups for autistic adults and am disappointed by the defeatist attitudes.  Many of them believe it's purely genetic and must be accepted as their lot in life.  My social skills have definitely improved with treatment.  Sure, I am upset about the low energy but I refuse to give up.

Rant or Rave: Alcohol and Tobacco

 When I was in college, I described myself as anti-tobacco but pro-beer.  How did I justify that?  

Less addictive and less likely to become a daily habit though I did concede that if it does, it can be extremely ugly.  However, when used in moderation, it is not bad for you.  Think of it this way.  Give a 19 or 20 year-old kid with no history of alcohol use a case of beer.  

Tell him or her that you must have 1 every day until the case is finished but 1 is your limit.  In the absence of any outside influence, 9 out of 10 times, I am betting that it will not progress to several beers every day and he or she won't have any trouble quitting or at least limiting consumption to 1-2 times per week.  

Now, give the same kid a pack of 20 cigarettes.  You must smoke 1, but only 1 every day.  In that case, I would bet that there is about a 70 percent chance that they won't be able to limit themselves to just 1 by the 20th day.  By then, they will be up to 3-4 per day.  That's still a manageable amount that probably won't affect you much but after another month, you're likely up to 12-15.  You need a cigarette almost every hour to feel satisfied.  Not good.  

If you are able to quit before age 40, you will most probably go on to live a full and healthy life but unfortunately, it usually doesn't happen.  75 percent of smokers say that they wish they never started.  They say that they'll quit after college or when they start a family but sadly, it usually doesn't happen.

As for me, I started drinking at 19 as a college freshman.  I usually drank about 4 or 5 beers once per week but rarely exceeded 6.  Also, I seldom drank more than once a week.  That's probably about average for a college student but I had a reputation as a big party guy because of my low tolerance.  Looking back, that was likely related to Autism.  Sure, I had plenty of fun and never got into serious trouble but I could get awfully silly after just a few drinks.  I'm sure people laughed at my stupidity behind my back 

Nowadays, I might indulge 2-3 times per week but almost never exceed 3 in one sitting.  My consumption ticked up a bit during COVID but since brought it back down.  I'm thinking seriously about either quitting or limiting it to social gatherings or special occasions.  It's not because I think I have a problem but I usually don't enjoy it anymore.  It usually just puts me to sleep.  Also, I suspect that it may indeed be harmful to my health even in moderation.  

Thankfully, I never tried tobacco because something inside told me that it would be a big problem for me, plus I knew how it would hurt my running.  Indeed, a genetic test confirmed that I am vulnerable to nicotine addiction.  Though I would still describe myself as anti-tobacco, I am not nearly as judgmental towards cigarette smokers nowadays.  

A coworker saw my heartbroken expression after my grandmother died and took it upon herself to give me flowers.  She is a smoker.  Several servers at my regular restaurants have given me hugs every time I came inside.  At least 3 were/are smokers.  Now, what kind of self-righteous sicko could dislike people like that just because they have one bad habit that is difficult to break?  I have wanted to quit sugar for years but haven't been able to do so.  

A YouTuber who smokes in her videos has been very friendly to me in the comments section.  She knows how to make people feel valued and appreciated, which is certainly an admirable quality.  Could I be friends with someone like that?  YES.  Her smoking would not affect the friendship.  I would never criticize her for it but would encourage her to quit if she wanted to do so.  I still say that dating is a bridge too far because it doesn't fit with my lifestyle.  It still hurts me to see someone that I care deeply about do that to themselves. 

Who would win a long distance race with everything else being equal:  A pack a day cigarette smoker or a 6 beer a day drinker?  My money would be on the drinker.

Training 9/22-9/28

 9/22- 2 miles on Lakeshore again.  Time improved from 20:54 to 19:30 (9:45 pace).  Splits were 9:51-9:39.  Steady progress and no real complaints.  Took Mag Malate last night with no real ill-effects.  Even if I was weakened, it cleared by the morning.

Distance-2.0

9/23- 3 miles in 28:28 (9:29 pace).  Sub-30 for 5K.  Route was 1 Mile on New Lakeshore and 2 on Old Lakeshore.  Even pace (14:15-14:13) but struggled a bit down the stretch.  Small step forward but hoped for a little better.  Let's hope nothing is wrong.

Distance-3.0

9/24- Vestavia Mile in 8:04 plus a 1 lap warm and cool.  About as expected.  Probably translates to about 9:15 pace for 3 miles so the improvement continues.  Slow but steady.  I felt a little sluggish on extra ADHS yesterday evening so I went without it today.  Splits were 2:00-2:05-2:04-1:55.  Strong finish but not quite enough kick to break 8.

Distance-1.5

9/25- Planned rest day.  Took just a trace of straight Malic Acid last night and didn't notice any ill-effects.

9/26- 2.5 on Lakeshore in 22:40 (9:04 pace).  Splits were 11:22-11:18.  Hoping for a sub-9 but not quite enough in the tank.  Did this without Vitamin C because I left it at the office.  Translates to about 28:30 for 5K.

Distance-2.5

9/27- 5 miles on Lakeshore in 53:34 (10:43 pace).  NOT PLEASED.  At least I finished but that's the only good thing about this workout.  Went out at 9:35 pace, which was 30 seconds slower than yesterday at half the distance.  Bold but not stupid.  Began to tie up early in Mile 3 but passed the half in a still respectable 24-flat (9:36 pace).

After the turnaround, I had nothing left.  It took me 29:34 to do the back half (11:50 pace).  I suspect that excess Vitamin C is the culprit.  I took 2 yesterday afternoon and 3 this morning.  

Distance-5.0

9/28- 1 Mile at Montreat in 12:42.  Culprit is definitely Vitamin C.  Passed the half in 5:58 then popped a pill and slipped to 6:44 on the back half.  I know the pattern.  I'll get a little better every day but it will take until mid-week until I get back to where I was before this relapse.

Took a half scoop of Malic Acid and felt no discernable difference.  Probably a good thing.  The recent pattern is that last month's medicine is this month's poison.  But.  It will eventually become a non-factor.

Distance-1.0

15 miles on the week 

RANT: Charlie Kirk Assassination

 A little late with my commentary and I probably don't have anything to say that that you haven't heard before but I still need to get it off my chest.

I did follow Charlie on Instagram and was familiar with the TPUSA organization but was not an avid viewer of his videos.  I will look back and watch some more in the near-future.  I'll admit that some of his viewpoints were a little too right-wing, even for me.  However, most of his egregious quotes were either never said or were taken out of context.

I know that he NEVER said gays should be stoned to death.  He did say that marriage is between one man and one woman and that only 2 genders exist. He also said that gays should be welcome in the conservative movement.  No, that's not hate speech.  Many people who screech that he was such a horrible homophobe or transphobe are strong supporters of Palestine but that's a rant for another day.  

Everything that I saw showed that he advocated civil debate.  He often sat at a table advertising his viewpoint then challenged others to change his mind.  From what I say, he was never disrespectful no matter how outrageous the opposing argument.  Never once did I see him respond with name calling, personal attacks or violence.  

The reaction from the Far-Left and the Democratic party as a whole angered me even more than the assassination, but sadly I was not surprised given that Trump and his supporters have been called fascist nonstop for the past decade.

According to this survey, political violence is almost universally condemned on the far-Right but it becomes more and more acceptable the further Left you go.  That was a mild surprise to me.  

I would have expected it to be lowest among Moderates, slightly higher for the Far-Right but not nearly as high as the Far-Left.  Only 55 percent of people who identify as Very Liberal condemn it with no ifs ands or buts.  25 percent openly admitted that it was acceptable and another 20 were too cowardly to admit it.  SICKENING!  More than half of House Democrats refused to condemn it.  Some actually voted NO on the resolution while others cowardly voted Present or NOT VOTING.  I actually have more respect for people who let me know where they stand, no matter how offensive their views.

I have already un-followed most of my liberal friends so I didn't see any celebration posts myself though I did say that I cannot be friends with anyone who roots for death of political opponents, Left or Right.  My post was well-received.  

Some people didn't just celebrate.  They called for MORE, including "getting rid" of Kirk's family as well as other prominent Conservatives.  The scary thing about this is that some interact with the public on a daily basis at their jobs.  They teach your children at school.  Others work in health care.  What if they look me up on Facebook and find out that I am a Conservative?  Could they harm me intentionally and pass it off as accidental?  I wouldn't put it past them if they are on record rooting for Conservatives to die.  Medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the USA.  

I am 100 percent in favor of firing people for such posts on social media.  I certainly wouldn't want my child to be taught by such a sick person nor would I want them as a co-worker.  Is it a violation of free speech rights to fire people for social media posts?  NO.  If they were arrested for celebrating?  As disgusting as it is, NO, they should not be arrested unless they are a clear and present danger.  

A few years ago, someone was fired for calling a football coach "a no good n-----".  I supported the decision to fire him but maintained that he shouldn't be arrested even though I hate the word that he used.

As for the 55 percent on the Far Left who do condemn violence, I invite you to take a look at the other side.  I am not suggesting that you flip flop and go full MAGA.  How about going Indie?  Give that a shot.  

Training 9/8-9/21

 9/8- Forced rest day.  Done with the Para Purge tomorrow.

9/9- AM- Half mile at Montreat in 6:56 (13:52 pace).  Not much better than my brisk walk in San Diego.  Who knows what is going on with those at the very back of the pack in races?  Anyone who makes fun of them gets a throat punch.

PM- Took my last pill about 7 hours ago and I am feeling better already.  Repeated the distance at Montreat and my time is down to 5:40 (11:20 pace).  Stopping a day and a half early?  Highly doubt that will be a problem.  I couldn't take it!  

Distance-1.0

9/10- Full mile on New Lakeshore in 10:10 with a strong negative split (5:18-4:52).  Better than expected.  No cause for celebration yet but I did this without pills 

Distance-1.0

9/11- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 18:50 (9:25 pace).  Progressing ahead of schedule.  Splits were 9:35-9:15 despite easing up a bit at the end.  Took Vitamin C but no adrenal support.  YES!

Distance-2.0

9/12-AM.  Interval test.  1 lap warmup.

No pills- 3:06.7 (9:20 pace)

2 Thym Adren- 3:04.7 (9:14 pace).  

Same effort.  Not a significant gain.  I consider that to be good news.  I may try the stimulant this evening.  

PM- Took the stimulant and improved modestly to 9:10 at New Lakeshore.  It's not the answer.  I had to put out a bit more effort just to run essentially the same pace.  My preference going forward is the modulator.  

Distance-2.0

Interesting.  Modest improvement with BOTH the suppressant and the stimulant but neither was significant.  A SINGLE dose should not have a significant impact one way or the other.  Excellent news.

9/13- Planned rest day.  Lots of walking in DC 

9/14- Planned rest day to visit my parents.

9/15- More interval testing.  I've noticed that while I don't collapse if I miss a dose of Vitamin C, I am weakened if I miss a few days.

Warmup.  Unsure of distance.

1:34 on no pills.

1:23 on 3 Vitamin C pills.

Significant gain.  

Adrenal support doesn't seem to matter but I need the Vitamin C.

Distance-0.5

9/16- Never fails.  I get a little better for a few days, then WHAM.  This time the culprit was a stomach flu.  Fever shot up to nearly 101.

9/17- Unplanned rest day 

9/18- Unplanned rest day 

9/19- First attempt went about as expected.  Half mile at Montreat in 5:55 (11:50 pace).  It took a rally in the last 200 just to get under 6. Stomach hurt with every stride.

Distance-0.5

9/20- 1 Mile at Montreat in 11:18.  Hoping for a little better but I will take it.  Double the distance with a modest 32 second improvement in the pace. Slight negative split (5:42-5:36).

Distance-1.0

9/21- 2 miles on Lakeshore in 20:54 (10:27 pace).  Splits were 10:38-10:16.  The early rate of improvement is slower than previous comeback attempts but at least I am moving on the right direction.

Distance-2.0

-10 miles total 

RAVE: Delayed Kindergarten

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RANT: Mental Health and Gun Rights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Training 8/30-9/7

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distance-1.0

8/31- Testing with half lap:

Opener in 1:49

2 ADHS in 1:43

Vitamin C in 1:40

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

Distance-2.0 

Reaction:

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

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

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

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

Distance-2.5

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

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

Distance-0.5

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

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

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

Distance-1.0

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

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

7 miles