Notes RSS feed

The PEAK phase of the 17-week Garmin Coach training plan (Apr 24 – May 18) was the most demanding stretch — physically and mentally. And it delivered.

Highlights

• May 10: 17 km long run → total wipeout. Napped 2h later. CNS fried.
• Final week: VO2max workout during a full-blown cold. Got through it.
• Calimove: Shifted microcycle from 7 to 10 days to recover better.

Performance Gains

• Base pace: 5:45/km @ HR ~147 — light and manageable.
• Threshold & VO2max: locked in and replicable.
• Garmin VO2max: steady at 50, near lifetime best (51) — but fitness feels deeper now.

Biometrics

• HRV: 138 (May 18) — all-time high.
• Resting HR: 39 bpm, stable for 3 days straight.
• Sleep: 7.5h, with solid REM and deep.

Reflection

In past years, I pushed blindly. In 2025, I trained with clarity, restraint, and control.

This block built a solid engine. Not the flashiest, but the smartest I’ve ever executed.

Now comes taper. The race is near.

Somewhere in May 2025, something shifted.

I can’t tell you exactly what caused it.
Maybe it was the NeuroForge protocol.
Maybe the deep conversations with sharp minds.
Maybe the books — Aurelius, the Bible, and everything else I’ve been reflecting on.
Maybe the intellectual tension of chess.
Or maybe the physical demands — learning new motor patterns in calisthenics, pushing mobility work, confronting physical limits with mindfulness.

Maybe all of it.

But the result is clear:
I feel like I’ve leveled up — cognitively, emotionally, spiritually.

For the first time in years, I’m not just doing things.
I’m thinking through them.
I question, reflect, analyze. I search for meaning.
Even books I once skimmed for tips — now I pause and ask, “Why does this matter?”

And I think this is how real transformation works.

It’s not fireworks.
It’s not loud.
It’s that stonecutter effect:
You hit the rock 100 times, nothing happens.
Then the 101st strike — and the rock splits.
Or like in Atomic Habits:
The temperature rises from –10°C to –5°C to –2°C…
and then finally, at 0°C, the ice begins to melt.

I was focused on the system, not the goal.
And the system delivered.

My brain — my actual cognitive architecture — feels different.
New neural patterns, new awareness, new depth.
And the most powerful thing?

I can feel it.

And once you feel it — once you realize it’s real —
you don’t want to go back.

Not ever.

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.”

---

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.”

---