4/25
My last day of the diet, but still a long day. I woke up early to ensure that I had enough time to get to calculus, but unfortunately, Any Lab Test Now opened at 8:30. So it didn't make any sense for me to start my run before 7:30. The run went well, but I was still feeling tired due to the lack of carbs. After the run my blood sugar was a 83 mg/dl. While this is not very low blood sugar, Mr. Morris and I were elated because this was the lowest recording for both trials, which was expected. We then went to Any Lab Test to get my blood drawn. After my first experience with getting blood drawn, I tend to get a little nervous each time. So I figured that I would just get it over with and go eat some carbs. The nurse stuck me in my left arm and let it sit there in my vain. It's normally a pretty quick process, but this time it was taking a little longer. She eventually gave up saying that she was not able to get enough blood, so she went to my left arm and stuck me again. Luckily, she got enough in the second vial and I was good to go. I then rushed to chick fil a to get two chicken biscuits and a coke. To wrap up my morning, I went to Lovett to shower and I miraculously made it to my 9:30 calculus class.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
4/23
The diet really hit me today. I was feeling very sluggish around lunch time and I knew that it was my last day. We had an outdoor barbecue today and everything looked great. Hamburgers without the buns, hot dogs without the buns, tostitos chips without the chips, and these amazing chocolate on chocolate ice cream sandwiches that had almost 50 grams of carbs! Unfortunately I was left to eat a hamburger without the bun and two hotdogs without their buns. After eating all of this meat and grease, I was feeling a little sluggish on my run. My stomach was growling and I kept having these awful burps. While the diet seems to be effective, it seems impossible to stick to for an extended period of time.
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The diet really hit me today. I was feeling very sluggish around lunch time and I knew that it was my last day. We had an outdoor barbecue today and everything looked great. Hamburgers without the buns, hot dogs without the buns, tostitos chips without the chips, and these amazing chocolate on chocolate ice cream sandwiches that had almost 50 grams of carbs! Unfortunately I was left to eat a hamburger without the bun and two hotdogs without their buns. After eating all of this meat and grease, I was feeling a little sluggish on my run. My stomach was growling and I kept having these awful burps. While the diet seems to be effective, it seems impossible to stick to for an extended period of time.
4/22
Today was another day of running. I did my tempo run today instead of a speed workout because I did nine miles yesterday. The weather was amazing and I did a quick lap around Chastain. After reviewing yesterday it is clear that my body was able to officially sustain itself on only fats while running.
Today was another day of running. I did my tempo run today instead of a speed workout because I did nine miles yesterday. The weather was amazing and I did a quick lap around Chastain. After reviewing yesterday it is clear that my body was able to officially sustain itself on only fats while running.
4/21
I had my long run today and I was very tired. I thought that today was going to be a miserable run as I knew that I needed to get in 8 miles. As I started running I was feeling pretty sluggish and I felt the wall coming. When I hit the wall I slowed down as expected, but I managed to slowly keep running. It wasn't easy, but I managed to keep running with the occasional walk. After a while, I managed to get past the wall and it felt like I was running on carbs. My high, post run ketosis levels indicate that I was burning fat as my primary energy source. This picture is from a new trail that I discovered at the river.
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I had my long run today and I was very tired. I thought that today was going to be a miserable run as I knew that I needed to get in 8 miles. As I started running I was feeling pretty sluggish and I felt the wall coming. When I hit the wall I slowed down as expected, but I managed to slowly keep running. It wasn't easy, but I managed to keep running with the occasional walk. After a while, I managed to get past the wall and it felt like I was running on carbs. My high, post run ketosis levels indicate that I was burning fat as my primary energy source. This picture is from a new trail that I discovered at the river.
4/20
Good day for running, the weather was almost too perfect. When I got to the river it seemed like it was the calm before the storm, because I could see these black clouds looming in the distance. I didn't think much of it except that I might get a little wet. As I was running I saw two older women frantically walking towards me. When I passed them they flagged me down and were trying to warn me about the impending tornado. I acknowledged the warming, but I kept running. I knew that there was weather moving in, but since we live in Atlanta, I'm not very accustomed to taking tornado warnings seriously. I was in the middle of the woods about three miles in and I heard something over my music. It sounded like an air raid siren from the 50s. The forest was dense, so I couldn't see much of the sky, but I started to get a little spooked. Luckily, when I was out of the woods the weather system had passed.
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Good day for running, the weather was almost too perfect. When I got to the river it seemed like it was the calm before the storm, because I could see these black clouds looming in the distance. I didn't think much of it except that I might get a little wet. As I was running I saw two older women frantically walking towards me. When I passed them they flagged me down and were trying to warn me about the impending tornado. I acknowledged the warming, but I kept running. I knew that there was weather moving in, but since we live in Atlanta, I'm not very accustomed to taking tornado warnings seriously. I was in the middle of the woods about three miles in and I heard something over my music. It sounded like an air raid siren from the 50s. The forest was dense, so I couldn't see much of the sky, but I started to get a little spooked. Luckily, when I was out of the woods the weather system had passed.
4/16
Today was supposed to be a good day off from running, but because of the upcoming weather I knew that it would be better if I got in a run today. Tonight there was an adventure run where you have an hour to run to randomly announced locations to pick up raffle tickets so that you can win things like gift cards and new shoes. I've done a few adventure runs and I've won a few things here and there, but something very strange happened tonight. A couple that I was sitting close to ended up winning 14 times! After their 3th prize it became a little frustrating, but by the 14th it was just amazing.
Today was supposed to be a good day off from running, but because of the upcoming weather I knew that it would be better if I got in a run today. Tonight there was an adventure run where you have an hour to run to randomly announced locations to pick up raffle tickets so that you can win things like gift cards and new shoes. I've done a few adventure runs and I've won a few things here and there, but something very strange happened tonight. A couple that I was sitting close to ended up winning 14 times! After their 3th prize it became a little frustrating, but by the 14th it was just amazing.
4/15
It looks like all of the runs from here on are going to be hard. Essentially, the few carbs that I eat throughout the day will be burned in the first half of the run, and halfway through the run, I will hit the wall. It's interesting because you normally have to run 18-20 miles on a regular diet to hit the wall. The benefit of a low carb diet is that you can now train yourself while you are in the wall. It's a neat experience because first time marathoners could do a low carb diet for only 2 days and they could see what it is like to run after hitting the wall. For most people, the first time they hit the wall is during their first marathon, and this makes it the hardest part of the race. If people could train themselves to run past this, I believe that the marathon experience would become even better.
It looks like all of the runs from here on are going to be hard. Essentially, the few carbs that I eat throughout the day will be burned in the first half of the run, and halfway through the run, I will hit the wall. It's interesting because you normally have to run 18-20 miles on a regular diet to hit the wall. The benefit of a low carb diet is that you can now train yourself while you are in the wall. It's a neat experience because first time marathoners could do a low carb diet for only 2 days and they could see what it is like to run after hitting the wall. For most people, the first time they hit the wall is during their first marathon, and this makes it the hardest part of the race. If people could train themselves to run past this, I believe that the marathon experience would become even better.
4/14
This was one of my harder runs. I have been eating a decent amount of calories, but virtually no carbs. During my run, I felt my body hit the wall. My legs started to burn, my stomach was in knots, and I was gasping for breath. This is what it will be like for the remaining 2 weeks. Hopefully I will get used to it and my body will be accustomed to running "into the wall". I discovered that Big Chow Grill is a great spot for Low Carb food because you control exactly what is in your food. While it was very tempting to add some rice or noodles to my bowl, I loaded up on vegetables, meat, and eggs instead.
This was one of my harder runs. I have been eating a decent amount of calories, but virtually no carbs. During my run, I felt my body hit the wall. My legs started to burn, my stomach was in knots, and I was gasping for breath. This is what it will be like for the remaining 2 weeks. Hopefully I will get used to it and my body will be accustomed to running "into the wall". I discovered that Big Chow Grill is a great spot for Low Carb food because you control exactly what is in your food. While it was very tempting to add some rice or noodles to my bowl, I loaded up on vegetables, meat, and eggs instead.
4/13
Today was the start of my diet. It hasn't been too bad. I had eggs and sausage for breakfast, a gyro salad for lunch, and spaghetti squash for dinner. One of the things that I am worried about is my sweet tooth. I am constantly grabbing small bits of sugar throughout the day. Luckily there are things out there like Coke Zero and sugar free candies that will keep me at bay. Unfortunately, these things can be a lot less healthy than the actual sugary products because of the chemicals that they use to simulate sweetness. The sugar may be unhealthy for some people, but because of my high metabolism and activity the sugar I intake does not affect me. But in order for me to achieve ketosis, I will need to reduce as much sugar as possible. I am now monitoring my ketosis by testing my urine for ketones. The week is looking pretty rainy, but hopefully I will be able to get some runs in when it isn't raining.
Today was the start of my diet. It hasn't been too bad. I had eggs and sausage for breakfast, a gyro salad for lunch, and spaghetti squash for dinner. One of the things that I am worried about is my sweet tooth. I am constantly grabbing small bits of sugar throughout the day. Luckily there are things out there like Coke Zero and sugar free candies that will keep me at bay. Unfortunately, these things can be a lot less healthy than the actual sugary products because of the chemicals that they use to simulate sweetness. The sugar may be unhealthy for some people, but because of my high metabolism and activity the sugar I intake does not affect me. But in order for me to achieve ketosis, I will need to reduce as much sugar as possible. I am now monitoring my ketosis by testing my urine for ketones. The week is looking pretty rainy, but hopefully I will be able to get some runs in when it isn't raining.
4/11
Quite an interesting start to the day of prom. I had my 2nd blood test this morning and I had to run a 10k beforehand. I met Nomo at the river to do two laps there. The early morning weather was perfect. While standing around it was a little chilly which meant it would feel amazing as soon as we started running. It seemed as if everyone else wanted to catch the great weather too. There was an entire company of the military there that was training and quite a lot of people out walking their dogs. The blood test requires that I fast for 8 hours before the test. This made the run a little harder for me just because I was running on an empty tank. After the run I took my blood sugar (91 mg/dl) which seemed pretty high because I just ran 6 miles and hadn't eaten in over 8 hours. We then went to Any Lab Test Now to get my blood tested. Luckily I was prepared this time and I did not get light headed or queasy at all. After all of this I went to Chick fil a to get 2 chicken biscuits that I ate after I got home. I took a short nap and before I knew it, it was time to get ready for prom.
Quite an interesting start to the day of prom. I had my 2nd blood test this morning and I had to run a 10k beforehand. I met Nomo at the river to do two laps there. The early morning weather was perfect. While standing around it was a little chilly which meant it would feel amazing as soon as we started running. It seemed as if everyone else wanted to catch the great weather too. There was an entire company of the military there that was training and quite a lot of people out walking their dogs. The blood test requires that I fast for 8 hours before the test. This made the run a little harder for me just because I was running on an empty tank. After the run I took my blood sugar (91 mg/dl) which seemed pretty high because I just ran 6 miles and hadn't eaten in over 8 hours. We then went to Any Lab Test Now to get my blood tested. Luckily I was prepared this time and I did not get light headed or queasy at all. After all of this I went to Chick fil a to get 2 chicken biscuits that I ate after I got home. I took a short nap and before I knew it, it was time to get ready for prom.
4/9
Today was a good day off. I thought that I needed to go for a run today because I missed so much running over the weekend, but after the past two hard days of workouts, my legs were telling me that I needed a break. I went home, had lunch with my mom, played golf for the first time in a while, and then fell asleep while watching the Masters. I needed the nap and when I woke up it was time for dinner and then after dinner I was able to wrap up some homework and then go to bed.
Today was a good day off. I thought that I needed to go for a run today because I missed so much running over the weekend, but after the past two hard days of workouts, my legs were telling me that I needed a break. I went home, had lunch with my mom, played golf for the first time in a while, and then fell asleep while watching the Masters. I needed the nap and when I woke up it was time for dinner and then after dinner I was able to wrap up some homework and then go to bed.
4/8
The weather has taken a turn for the worse. It is already starting to get hot and I definitely noticed this today during my run that started at 1. I went for a speed run today that involved 4, 800's. The whole run including warm up and cool down was on campus which was nice. The run was tough as I went for a 5 mile run the day before and this was my first speed workout since cross country last fall.
The weather has taken a turn for the worse. It is already starting to get hot and I definitely noticed this today during my run that started at 1. I went for a speed run today that involved 4, 800's. The whole run including warm up and cool down was on campus which was nice. The run was tough as I went for a 5 mile run the day before and this was my first speed workout since cross country last fall.
4/7
The first day of feeling better. My break was not much of a break. I was sick with a self diagnosed norovirus that started Friday night. This meant that I was sick on Easter Sunday with all of my family at my house. Unfortunately this meant that I was not able to run all weekend, but this is not that big of a deal because it happened during my baseline weeks. If it had happened in the weeks following, it probably would have taken my body a lot longer to recover. I went for a 5 mile run today and it was the first run that I had been on since Thursday. It went pretty well except it felt very hot and humid even though it was a spring day compared to our summers in Atlanta.
The first day of feeling better. My break was not much of a break. I was sick with a self diagnosed norovirus that started Friday night. This meant that I was sick on Easter Sunday with all of my family at my house. Unfortunately this meant that I was not able to run all weekend, but this is not that big of a deal because it happened during my baseline weeks. If it had happened in the weeks following, it probably would have taken my body a lot longer to recover. I went for a 5 mile run today and it was the first run that I had been on since Thursday. It went pretty well except it felt very hot and humid even though it was a spring day compared to our summers in Atlanta.
4/4
Another day of recovery. Because of the awesome weather outside and the cabin fever I had accumulated from the day before, I was desperate to do something outside. I was scheduled to do a 7 mile run today, but I knew that was highly unlikely. My Dad and sister decided that they were going for a hike today so I decided to join them. This was a much better decision than going for a run because I was starting to feel sick halfway through the hike. Even though it wasn't an easy hike it was nothing compared to a run. I'm glad that I was able to spend a day outside and still get a moderate day of rest.
Another day of recovery. Because of the awesome weather outside and the cabin fever I had accumulated from the day before, I was desperate to do something outside. I was scheduled to do a 7 mile run today, but I knew that was highly unlikely. My Dad and sister decided that they were going for a hike today so I decided to join them. This was a much better decision than going for a run because I was starting to feel sick halfway through the hike. Even though it wasn't an easy hike it was nothing compared to a run. I'm glad that I was able to spend a day outside and still get a moderate day of rest.
4/3
Today was very rough. I got this stomach bug and I was not able to sleep at all the night before and I was bed ridden all day. There was no chance of me doing my speed workout today, and the chances of me completing a seven mile run tomorrow are also looking pretty grim. Hopefully this will pass soon and I'll be able to continue running.
Today was very rough. I got this stomach bug and I was not able to sleep at all the night before and I was bed ridden all day. There was no chance of me doing my speed workout today, and the chances of me completing a seven mile run tomorrow are also looking pretty grim. Hopefully this will pass soon and I'll be able to continue running.
4/2
Finally my first day off from running. It seems as if I have so much spare time today. Today will be a day for me to just relax and let my body recuperate from the miles that I have put in over the last few days. After our Maker's Club meeting after school, I came straight home and fell asleep. When I woke up it was around 6:30 and Josh and Anthony were texting me trying to get me to go to trivia. So we went to Pig n Chik and we were winning until we were in a 4 way tie at the end. For the last question we wagered 15 points and lost 15 points. All in all a good uneventful day of rest.
Finally my first day off from running. It seems as if I have so much spare time today. Today will be a day for me to just relax and let my body recuperate from the miles that I have put in over the last few days. After our Maker's Club meeting after school, I came straight home and fell asleep. When I woke up it was around 6:30 and Josh and Anthony were texting me trying to get me to go to trivia. So we went to Pig n Chik and we were winning until we were in a 4 way tie at the end. For the last question we wagered 15 points and lost 15 points. All in all a good uneventful day of rest.
4/1
Good day today. Nothing eventful at school just Holocaust, Environmental Science, and Band class. After that I hustled to Henri's bakery to get a turkey po-boy before I ran. I went to the river around 2 and the weather was great. It was about 70 degrees with a light breeze and it felt great. I was going for a tempo run of three miles around an 8:30 minutes/mile pace. The warm-up went well but as I continued into the run I had a few stitches a knee pains but nothing too bad. My grandmother was being dropped off nearby at 3:30 so I knew that I needed to leave a little before then. I was about to start my last run, when I decided to check if I had enough time left. When running, my watch displays all sorts of information like my pace, distance run, and heart rate, but I have to push a few buttons to see the actual time. After doing this I realized it was already 3:25, so this was good motivation to hurry back to my car. I hadn't been too worried about being there on time because they were very late last time, but the thought of my grandmother sitting alone at a Mcdonalds made me a little worried. I got there late, but per usual, her shuttle also hit traffic. So I took her home once she got there and everything was alright. My garmin watch has paired up with the My Fitness Pal app where I record all of my data of what I have been eating. Yesterday, because of scheduling and improper planning I was pretty low on my recommended numbers. So today, I made a conscious effort to consume more calories so I could stay ahead of my energy levels. With the 351 calories I burned during running taken into account, I still was 651 calories over my recommended amount. At the same time, my relatively regular diet for the day had me at 5,087 mg of sodium, when the recommended amount was only 2,300 mg. While sodium is needed to absorb water from the bloodstream and to activate the sodium potassium pump in the muscles, a number this high is considered very bad. It will be interesting to see if this has any affect on my cholesterol.
Good day today. Nothing eventful at school just Holocaust, Environmental Science, and Band class. After that I hustled to Henri's bakery to get a turkey po-boy before I ran. I went to the river around 2 and the weather was great. It was about 70 degrees with a light breeze and it felt great. I was going for a tempo run of three miles around an 8:30 minutes/mile pace. The warm-up went well but as I continued into the run I had a few stitches a knee pains but nothing too bad. My grandmother was being dropped off nearby at 3:30 so I knew that I needed to leave a little before then. I was about to start my last run, when I decided to check if I had enough time left. When running, my watch displays all sorts of information like my pace, distance run, and heart rate, but I have to push a few buttons to see the actual time. After doing this I realized it was already 3:25, so this was good motivation to hurry back to my car. I hadn't been too worried about being there on time because they were very late last time, but the thought of my grandmother sitting alone at a Mcdonalds made me a little worried. I got there late, but per usual, her shuttle also hit traffic. So I took her home once she got there and everything was alright. My garmin watch has paired up with the My Fitness Pal app where I record all of my data of what I have been eating. Yesterday, because of scheduling and improper planning I was pretty low on my recommended numbers. So today, I made a conscious effort to consume more calories so I could stay ahead of my energy levels. With the 351 calories I burned during running taken into account, I still was 651 calories over my recommended amount. At the same time, my relatively regular diet for the day had me at 5,087 mg of sodium, when the recommended amount was only 2,300 mg. While sodium is needed to absorb water from the bloodstream and to activate the sodium potassium pump in the muscles, a number this high is considered very bad. It will be interesting to see if this has any affect on my cholesterol.
3/31
After today I realized the importance of planning. I woke up and went to school at 8 for my Environmental Science presentation. I then had 2 free periods that I used to meet with Mr. Morris about my project's plans and to finish studying for my Calc test. After my test I changed and went to CVS to pick up a blood glucose monitor. I grabbed a one touch monitor because it was only $20 and I recognized the name from their commercials. I drove from the Vinings CVS to the Chattahoochee river park right next to Lovett to go for a 5 mile run. Before my run I was looking at my newly purchased monitor only to realize that it did not come with any testing strips. So I decided that it was too late in the day for me to make a return trip to CVS before I ran. So I started my run and as soon as I hit the first hill I became very sluggish. I hadn't eaten lunch and looking back, that was a big mistake. After barely finishing the run, I was feeling pretty crummy so I continued to delay my lunch. I went back to CVS only to realize that the strips for my $20 monitor were $140! Luckily I was able to return this monitor and get a generic CVS brand monitor. I went into the parking lot and pricked my finger a few times trying to get a reading but I was not able to get it to work. I gave up because I realized that it had been over 30 minutes since I finished my run and that the data would no longer be significant. After this I realized that it was 4:00 and I had yet to eat lunch... So I "ran" to Willy's to grab a quesadilla. After eating and showering I decided to jump on the scale to see if my weight had changed. The night before I had been drinking a lot of water while studying in order to stay concentrated and hydrated, and I weighed just over 160 pounds. When I got on the scale today, I got quite the surprise. My new weight was 152 pounds! I lost 8 pounds overnight. I believe that this is explained simply by the water weight that I sweated out during the run and my lower caloric intake before my run. In the future, I will definitely make sure that I plan my meals accordingly.
After today I realized the importance of planning. I woke up and went to school at 8 for my Environmental Science presentation. I then had 2 free periods that I used to meet with Mr. Morris about my project's plans and to finish studying for my Calc test. After my test I changed and went to CVS to pick up a blood glucose monitor. I grabbed a one touch monitor because it was only $20 and I recognized the name from their commercials. I drove from the Vinings CVS to the Chattahoochee river park right next to Lovett to go for a 5 mile run. Before my run I was looking at my newly purchased monitor only to realize that it did not come with any testing strips. So I decided that it was too late in the day for me to make a return trip to CVS before I ran. So I started my run and as soon as I hit the first hill I became very sluggish. I hadn't eaten lunch and looking back, that was a big mistake. After barely finishing the run, I was feeling pretty crummy so I continued to delay my lunch. I went back to CVS only to realize that the strips for my $20 monitor were $140! Luckily I was able to return this monitor and get a generic CVS brand monitor. I went into the parking lot and pricked my finger a few times trying to get a reading but I was not able to get it to work. I gave up because I realized that it had been over 30 minutes since I finished my run and that the data would no longer be significant. After this I realized that it was 4:00 and I had yet to eat lunch... So I "ran" to Willy's to grab a quesadilla. After eating and showering I decided to jump on the scale to see if my weight had changed. The night before I had been drinking a lot of water while studying in order to stay concentrated and hydrated, and I weighed just over 160 pounds. When I got on the scale today, I got quite the surprise. My new weight was 152 pounds! I lost 8 pounds overnight. I believe that this is explained simply by the water weight that I sweated out during the run and my lower caloric intake before my run. In the future, I will definitely make sure that I plan my meals accordingly.
3/30
What a rough monday. I started out by waking up at 7 to go for a run only to find it pouring rain outside. I ended up driving myself to Lovett so I could run on the hamster wheel that is the indoor track in the glover gym. I was interrupted by Buddy Warren's PE class as they were on their ultimate frisbee unit. Luckily he was able to let me out of the stairwell that I forgot lock behind you as you enter. After my short run, I hustled to Any Lab Test Now in Smyrna so I could do my first Lipid Panel test. Unfortunately the name is a little misleading. When they said Any Lab Test Now, they intended for the now to be interpreted very loosely. They were scheduled to open at 8:30, so I arrived at 8:30. The nurse however, decided to stroll in 25 minutes late at 8:55. There were others outside waiting that said she was almost always late. Fortunately, I was able to quickly get my blood drawn which was my least favorite part of the day. Immediately as I felt the blood start to flow out of my arm, I did not know if I would pass out or throw up first. Luckily I did neither, but I attribute most of the discomfort to the fact that I was not allowed to eat or drink anything other than water for 8 hours before the test. After this I was able to grab some CFA for breakfast and go my calculus class. The rest of the day was rough as I felt pretty crummy and I had to study for my huge calculus test the next day.
What a rough monday. I started out by waking up at 7 to go for a run only to find it pouring rain outside. I ended up driving myself to Lovett so I could run on the hamster wheel that is the indoor track in the glover gym. I was interrupted by Buddy Warren's PE class as they were on their ultimate frisbee unit. Luckily he was able to let me out of the stairwell that I forgot lock behind you as you enter. After my short run, I hustled to Any Lab Test Now in Smyrna so I could do my first Lipid Panel test. Unfortunately the name is a little misleading. When they said Any Lab Test Now, they intended for the now to be interpreted very loosely. They were scheduled to open at 8:30, so I arrived at 8:30. The nurse however, decided to stroll in 25 minutes late at 8:55. There were others outside waiting that said she was almost always late. Fortunately, I was able to quickly get my blood drawn which was my least favorite part of the day. Immediately as I felt the blood start to flow out of my arm, I did not know if I would pass out or throw up first. Luckily I did neither, but I attribute most of the discomfort to the fact that I was not allowed to eat or drink anything other than water for 8 hours before the test. After this I was able to grab some CFA for breakfast and go my calculus class. The rest of the day was rough as I felt pretty crummy and I had to study for my huge calculus test the next day.
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