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On May 13th, I got sick. A full-blown cold — dripping nose, low energy.
And yet… I still ran. I still trained.
An hour of calisthenics outdoors — in the rain.

That’s not new.
I once did a full 90-minute winter workout during a snowstorm —
hands freezing, wind cutting through my jacket.

But what struck me is this:

Discipline isn’t built on good days.
It’s forged in the worst conditions.

When I move through discomfort —
when everything says “skip it” and I still show up —
that’s when I grow stronger.

And it leaves a mark.
A kind of silent confidence that says:
“You did this when it sucked —
so you’ll fly when it’s easy.”

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On May 3rd, a fascinating and unexpected result came from my Olimmuno Stack—specifically from NAC, L-Citrulline, Resveratrol, and Thorne multivitamin.

Earlier this week, I was feeling significantly under the weather with a stubborn cold that typically would linger. In a moment of desperation, I doubled up the stack, and to my surprise, experienced an incredible turnaround within a single day. Usually, such colds take several days to subside, but this time it was almost instantaneous.

🚀 Immediate Effects Noticed:

• Rapid decrease in inflammation and congestion.
• Significant improvement in energy levels.
• Overall sense of quick recovery and resilience.

🧪 Why Did This Work?

• NAC: Powerful immune modulator, antioxidant, and mucolytic.
• Resveratrol: Strong anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting antioxidant.
• Multi (Thorne): Key micronutrients (Zinc, Vitamin C, Selenium) that strongly support immunity.
• L-Citrulline: Enhances blood flow, optimizing nutrient delivery and tissue oxygenation.

📌 Insights and Next Steps:

• This rapid recovery is strong evidence of the potency and synergy within the stack.
• I now have a reliable and tested protocol for accelerating recovery from common colds or similar infections.

This experience reinforced my approach: targeted supplementation can genuinely trigger accelerated healing. No placebo here, just biochemistry working as intended.

I should also mention another supplement that has consistently shocked me with its effectiveness: high-quality colostrum. In the past, during a serious outbreak of stomach flu (with vomiting and diarrhea hitting everyone around us), only my daughter and I—who happened to be taking colostrum at the time as part of a planned immune-support cycle before travel—remained completely unaffected. It felt like we were protected by an invisible biological shield. That memory still stands out as one of the most striking testaments to the power of immune-priming supplementation.

This protocol will now be known as the Olimmuno Stack — my go-to rapid resilience system for recovery, immune defense, and bounce-back readiness.

On April 25, something clicked.

I ran a regular base session — 5.81 km in 34 minutes at an average pace of 5:51/km — but what made it stand out was the heart rate:
🟢 Average HR: 143 bpm

This is a personal record for such a pace. It didn’t even feel like a “magic” day. Legs were a bit sore from the last tempo session, and CNS felt taxed — but my heart? Absolutely cruising.

Why This Matters

This run didn’t happen in isolation:

• A strong long base run last week
• A solid threshold workout (2x19’) with full control
• Followed by the best tempo run of the year
• And now this — a base effort that felt smooth and efficient

🧠 Context:
Just one year ago, I was running this exact pace (~5:50/km) with an average heart rate of 166–167 bpm.
That’s a 23–24 bpm difference — not from a single breakthrough, but from consistent training and recovery over time.

This wasn’t just a physical milestone. It was visible proof of aerobic adaptation in motion.

“The heart’s ready — the rest just needs to catch up.”

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The BUILD phase of the adaptive Garmin Coach 5K plan wrapped up on April 23, and it’s been a transformative stretch.

Summary

After a rocky BASE phase, I started BUILD with a mindset shift: train by effort, not pace. I stopped chasing numbers and focused on staying within proper heart rate zones — especially avoiding overcooking threshold workouts.

• Threshold HR cap: 174–175 bpm, avoiding anything above 177.
• March 20 marked the turning point — from then on, every tempo or threshold run was based on heart rate control.

Highlights

• April 22 – Best threshold workout yet: 2x 19 min @ ~4:50/km, fully under control. Despite fatigue, I didn’t crack.
• Base pace runs dropped into the high 5:40s/km with HR well below 150 — previously unthinkable.
• VO2Max graph started to rise again after a long plateau.
• HRV reached 130+ for the first time this year (peak: 134), and resting HR dropped to 40 bpm.

Physical Costs

• Right-side groin tension reappeared, especially post-intense sessions (VO2max, threshold).
• Ongoing core fatigue and hip flexor soreness — likely from calisthenics and hill segments.

Despite the high volume, I’m not burnt out — just aware. I’ve learned to listen to early signals (twinges, sleep quality, HR trends), and I adapted accordingly.

What’s Next

PEAK phase begins now. It’s time to sharpen, taper smart, and see if the old PB (5K in 21:57) can finally fall. The plan continues through May 28, with a mix of threshold, VO2max and base runs.

Let’s see what four weeks of peaking can do.

Just wrapped up the 4-week Prep Phase of Mobility 2.0.
I introduced this phase here: Mobility 2.0 – Starting the Prep

It went surprisingly smooth — my body still loves this kind of work.
Mobility is clearly a “low-hanging fruit” for me. Every session feels like I’m doing something important.

But don’t be fooled by the word “prep” — this phase exposed a ton of hidden weaknesses.

Exercises that shocked me:

• Crouch Rocks – My brain seems disconnected from whatever muscles these require 😄
• Frog Rocks – No chance of shifting hips back; forward is fine, but posterior range is broken
• Straddle Sit – Honestly felt… disabled. Like I hit a hard limit of flexibility
• Pike Sit – Another brutal reminder of how catastrophically stiff I am

The authors of Mobility 2.0 do warn you not to expect fast progress.
And now I get it. These movements are thankless in the short term.

Unlike strength training — where you often see week-to-week gains — mobility asks for months of quiet, invisible work. It’s the opposite of dopamine-driven progress.

But I’ve committed to it.

I’m giving myself 6 months of discipline and consistency.
No ego, no rush — just faith that the body rewards patient effort.

Let’s see what happens.