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Finally, I’ve got my Lactate Scout Sport — and, unlike most people, I actually started by reading the manual 😄
(Good thing I did: the strip code had to be changed in the device first.)

As it turns out, measuring lactate isn’t that simple.
My first test was a mess: the blood drop was too small, I pressed the strip too hard, and the result came back 4.0 mmol/L at rest, which made no sense.
A moment later, more blood started flowing (the 2.4 mm / 21G lancets are no joke).

Then I went for a run:

• Easy run: ~5:40 / km, upper Z2 → 3.8 mmol/L.
• Tempo segment: 3.2 km @ 4:42 / km, avg HR 171 → 177 bpm at the end → 4.3 mmol/L.

Testing blood mid-run was a hassle:
blood flowed much faster with high HR, I ended up with a hand literally covered in blood, strips kept throwing errors, and each test took over a minute.

Three hours after the session, lactate was 0.9 mmol/L at rest,
and the next morning (fasted) 1.2 mmol/L.

Takeaway

Garmin’s LTHR estimate (177 bpm at ~4:42 / km) seems reasonably accurate.
But the key insight is that what my watch calls “easy” may not actually be easy for my body —
my real Z2 could be sitting in the gray zone, with lactate already between 2–3 mmol/L.

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From the beginning, I’ve treated running, calisthenics, and mobility as an investment in health.
These are not just workouts, but part of my daily framework designed to regenerate the brain and sustain intellectual performance.

When balance breaks

I’ve noticed this three times already: when training intensity goes too high (as it is now in week 12 of Amy’s plan), things start to fall apart:

• brain fog — harder to enter flow,
• fewer deep work sessions, and the ones I do manage are shallower,
• even NeuroForge, which normally gives me a huge cognitive boost, doesn’t help this time.

It’s not just a subjective feeling. The body also signals overload:

• HRV fluctuations — values lost their stability,
• heart rate drift — less control at given paces,
• sleep not fully restorative — hours in bed are there, but recovery is incomplete.

Takeaways

This confirms that excessive physical load drains mental fuel.
The point is not to avoid intensity, but to seek symbiosis: physical activities should support intellectual ones, not exist at their expense.

What’s next?

I’ll finish Amy’s plan — three weeks left.
After that, I’ll take two weeks of deload and move into a very easy base and technique phase.
The goal for winter is to create a system where running, calisthenics, and mobility are a natural support for mental work, not a drain on the nervous system.

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October 1st, and something finally clicked.
The grind started paying off.

Mile benchmarks

• Week 11 (Sep 28) – Benchmark mile in 6:18. Stable pace ~3:55/km, with gas left in the tank.
• Week 12 (Oct 1) – Benchmark again: 6:11. Average 3:51/km. This one hurt. I kept it stable, but the last stretch was no joke.

Two mile PRs in just four days.

The grind

I know where it comes from.
The 7 × 3 minutes at ~4:00/km (with 3-minute rests) are the hardest workouts I’ve ever done.
They broke me mentally.

When I saw them on the plan, I dreaded them days in advance. Like a dentist appointment — or worse.
But those sessions built this result. No shortcuts.

Metrics and adaptation

• HR: topping at 186–187 instead of 191–192 in repeats. Progress.
• VO₂max: now 51 — back on the rise.
• HRV: still high, often ~130.
• Sleep: steady, 80+ Garmin scores, thanks to earlier bedtime.

Reflection

These mile benchmarks prove the suffering isn’t wasted.
Amy’s plan is brutal, but it’s forging something new.
I don’t know yet if I can carry 4:20/km for a full 5K — but mile by mile, rep by rep, I’m closer.

Grind. Adapt. Survive. Break PRs.
That’s the cycle.

September 8th 2025 — I start my third cycle of brain-health supplementation (NeuroForge 3.0).
I couldn’t wait for this moment – it feels like stepping into a new level, not just “taking supplements.”

This is not about a temporary boost.
This is systemic building: like bones and muscles build slowly from raw material, the brain also needs time and foundations.
The guiding principle: no shortcuts, no hacks. I’m creating conditions for long-term neuroplasticity, stable energy, and sustainable growth.

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Daily protocol

Morning (with breakfast, include fat)

• Uridine (Nootropics, 250 mg) → synaptogenesis, neuronal membranes, synergizes with DHA and Alpha-GPC.
• Alpha-GPC (300 mg) → acetylcholine precursor, memory, processing speed.
• PQQ (20 mg) → mitochondrial biogenesis, higher ATP yield.
• CoQ10 (100 mg) → mitochondrial support, heart health, antioxidant.
• ALCAR (500 mg) → fatty acid transport, mental stamina, neuroprotection.
• Rhodiola (100–200 mg) → adaptogen, stable energy, resilience to stress.
• Thorne 2/Day – 1 capsule → micronutrient base.

Midday (after lunch)

• Bacopa (1 cap) → long-term memory, cortisol modulation, calming effect.
• Gotu Kola (1 cap) → neuroplasticity (BDNF), microcirculation, mental clarity.
• Thorne 2/Day – 1 capsule → second half of the multi.

Evening (2–3h before bed)

• Neuro-Mag (Magnesium L-Threonate, 3 caps = 144 mg Mg) → synapses, working memory, deep sleep.
• Phosphatidylserine (100 mg) → lowers cortisol, sleep support, neuronal membranes.
• DHA (480 mg DHA + 205 mg EPA) → neuronal structure, memory, nervous system health.

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Functional roles

• Uridine – raw material for synaptic plasticity.
• Alpha-GPC – acetylcholine fuel → focus, coordination.
• PQQ – creates new mitochondria.
• CoQ10 – supports ATP production.
• ALCAR – energy transport, neuroprotection.
• Rhodiola – adaptogen, cortisol balance, steady energy.
• Thorne 2/Day – micronutrient foundation.
• Bacopa – long-term memory, anxiolytic.
• Gotu Kola – raises BDNF, circulation, clarity.
• Neuro-Mag – deep sleep, memory.
• Phosphatidylserine – lowers evening cortisol, recovery.
• DHA – neuronal structure, myelin.

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Plan & timeline

• Most compounds: 2 months (Sept–Oct).
• Some extend to 3 months (DHA, PS, Neuro-Mag, Thorne 2/Day).
• Rhodiola → 8 weeks, then pause.
• October → add Olimmuno stack (NAC + resveratrol + citrulline).

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Reflections

This cycle aligns with my Berkeley Executive AI Program – the brain stack will fuel heavy learning, while training (running + calisthenics) keeps the system in balance.

Daily rhythm for growth:

• Morning → power & mitochondrial energy.
• Midday → plasticity & memory.
• Evening → regeneration & consolidation.

Outside the stack:

• Running (VO₂ intervals, Z4/Z5 sessions) → boosts BDNF.
• Calisthenics → discipline, body-brain integration.
• Piano (10 min daily) → bilateral neuroplasticity.
• Chess (2–3×/week) → working memory & planning.
• Books → Presence Process (inner regulation) + Mastery (strategic growth).

The feeling is clear: this cycle will mark a new level.

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Mindset

• This is my 3rd cycle.
• The first gave me proof it works.
• The second stabilized my system.
• This one → I expect a leap.

No rush, no shortcuts.
Just systematic growth, built day by day.

August 31st, and I finished Week 6 out of 15 in the Amy Parkerson-Mitchell 5K Time Goal plan.

I survived.

How it felt

• Tempo runs: Amy wants me at 4:20–4:33/km. I don’t go there. I stay at ~4:50/km in Zone 3 — controlled, not suicidal. It still feels like tempo, and my HR stays where I want it. I’d rather run smart and consistent than burn myself down.
• Speed repeats: the grind. I can hold 5–6 × 3 minutes at ~4:00/km, with 3-minute cooldowns between. By the 4th rep I’m already dying, the last 30 seconds of each rep are pure hell. HR climbs to 186–187, though a few months ago the same sessions sent me to 191–192. Adaptation is happening.
• Base runs: smooth again, almost meditative. Back to the rhythm I built during the 17-week adaptive program earlier this year. Recovery pace ~5:55–6:00/km, HR <150. Easy means easy.

Metrics this week

• HRV stable at ~130 (top end of my range).
• Resting HR dropped to an all-time record: 38 bpm.
• Sleep consistently 80+ (Garmin scores), thanks to going to bed before 23:00 and finishing food by 17–18.
• VO₂max: climbing back, now at 50.

The doubt

Amy expects me to run the goal 5K at 4:20/km.
Reality: in my whole life, I’ve only managed that pace for 5K about 3 times — and it nearly killed me every time.

Yes, 20 seconds/km slower (4:40) feels sustainable.
But 4:20? That’s the edge.

When I do 3 minutes at 4:00/km, I can barely survive — even with 3 minutes rest between intervals. How will I run 22 minutes non-stop at 4:20?

Maybe adaptation will bridge the gap.
Maybe it won’t.

For now, I’m grinding, surviving, and learning not to let the plan kill me before race day.