I ran a 10k!
My out of body experience running 10k and what my running plan will be for the future ⚡️ lifetothemax #27 ⚡️
I had started writing my newsletter this week about my plans to retire by the age of 30 (subscribe to read that newsletter next week), but I just ran my first solo 10k and since I'm still riding on the high of that, I thought I would write about that experience and give an updated training plan for my Marathon next year.
When I tried and failed to run a 10k a few weeks back, part of the reason I had attempted that was because I wanted to get my Strava "August 10K" badge. One of the features of Strava is "challenges" that you can register for, and as long as you complete the challenge then you get an in-app badge to add to your virtual trophy case. As you know, I am very superficial, so the thought of a trophy (even a virtual one) gets my blood pumping.
So when I failed my challenge a few weeks back, I still had this in mind. And so today, when I was already planning to do an "endurance run" as part of my training plan developed by Coach Brigid, I thought, "This is my last chance to get the badge." So I went for it.
I, of course, applied a few lessons I gathered from my previous failure (You don't think I would just recklessly go out and try running again under the same conditions expecting a different result, did you? That just isn't who I am. I am, as you know, a very reasonable person with reasonable ideas. Not some lunatic...) :
The biggest issue I had last time was the heat. Last time I ran during a heatwave, which didn't go too well. So throughout the week, I kept an eye on the weather and it seemed that Sunday was going to be a little cooler and cloudier. Perfect! But of course, it ended up being a beautiful day, and so when I woke up around 9:30, it was already too hot to go out. So I waited it out. Eventually, around 12:30 pm, it seemed like the clouds were going to be coming out, so I went out. It was the hottest time of day but not the sunniest. You win some you lose some.
Another thing that I didn't realize was an issue last time was my clothing. I had worn heavy shorts that were not meant for running. My friend Oscar (the one who once ran 3 marathons in 3 days) suggested I should get shorter, lighter shorts. He even suggested this would immediately increase my pace by 10%. So I got new shorts (or rather my mom got me new shorts, thanks mom!). Not sure about the pace, but at least they're easier to run in.
Lastly, another thing that had been annoying in previous runs was my hair. As you may have seen, it had gotten quite long. I'd hold it back by wearing a hat, but still, it would get in my face, and also probably contribute to my heat issue. It looked good (IMO), but I'm committed to running, so it had to go.
So there you go. I had better shorts, shorter hair, and the clouds were, hopefully, going to be on my side. Since I was going to be out for a while anyway, I thought it would be a perfect time to listen to the new Kanye album, so I downloaded Donda to my Apple Watch. It was now time to put on my shoes, running hat, and Airpods and head out.
The first two miles felt very easy. Just like last time, I decided I would give myself a 1/4 mile walking break every 2 miles. The Donda songs/rants were the perfect distraction to keep my mind off the run long enough to make it to 2 miles with little pain. The clouds had not yet come out, but an unexpected friend, wind, was blowing perfectly behind my back, propelling me forward and cooling me down, just like a good pint.
So I stopped to walk at 2 miles and everything was going fine. The views were also quite majestic, as I was running along a beautiful lake in Michigan.
My Apple Watch then read 2.25 miles, so it was time to start running again. Almost immediately, I realized that I was sweating an alarming amount. That makes sense, as it was hot and I was running, but there seemed to be more sweat than usual, specifically on my face. I had neglected to appreciate the absorptive properties of my long hair! With it gone, the sweat had rapidly saturated my hat, and with 4 miles to go sweat started rushing down towards my eyes.
The stinging was pretty bad, and not even Kanye could distract me from it. I pushed through as best I could, brushing away sweat and tears with the back of my also sweaty hand. My glasses (I should probably get contacts for future long runs) started to also gets quite dirty with the repetitive wiping, so I was losing quite a bit of visibility.
Somehow, though, I made it to the halfway mark. At 3.2 miles, my watch buzzed to tell me I was halfway done with the run. Thirty minutes had gone by, but the music, views, wind, and stinging eyes had somehow fully masked the pain that I may have otherwise been in, and I felt quite good. At this point, I allowed myself another brief walk to hopefully find a more permanent solution for my eyes. I dried them and my face with what dry patches were left of my shirt, and I was ready to conquer another 5k.
The next mile was quite easy. My freshly wiped eyes felt like new, and I knew I only had to make it to 4.25 miles for my next 1/4 miles walk. With Yeezus in my ears, I made it there in what felt like no time.
It was time for my final walk. I made sure to go as slow as I needed, as I knew I wouldn't be stopping again before the end. Although I was two-thirds done with the run, I knew I shouldn't be overconfident. I had made it this far last time, and who knew what would happen during those final two keys miles. As I continued walking, the clouds finally arrived. This alone gave me the confidence that I needed to finish this. It was time to go get that badge. "Do it for the virtual trophy, Max! It's for a good cause," I told myself.
And so I started running.
Immediately, another hitherto unseen problem appeared: nipple chafe. Ooo boy, this was bad.
I knew what I had to do. If I didn't do it, the next two miles could prove fatal.
Armed with the few pounds I have lost over the past two months or so, I confidently ripped off my shirt. I wrapped my shirt around my neck like a fashionable scarf, which gave me the confidence to "finger gun" two older ladies that passed me on a bike.
After that ordeal, I was still only a quarter mile into my last run. Suddenly, the clouds turned darker and the wind picked up. And within minutes: a downpour.
Being newly unclothed, I wasn’t ready for this. And it came fast! Within seconds I was drenched, and my body temperature dropped. I wanted to put my shirt back on, but I was scared that the same thing that happened last time would happen again — that I would have to stop and that I wouldn't be able to start up again. I was going to need a solution fast.
And, like on command, the song changed. Kanye came into my ears with an enchanting religious-sounding harmony. I am fully an atheist, but at that moment, it felt like God was sending me a sign, "Let's go bud, bring it home." Yeezus came down like God's second coming and saved me.
That's a bit dramatic, but the music mixed with the torrential rains and what may have been my first ever runner's high felt magical. All the pain was gone. I just had to finish what I had started.
With redoubled confidence, my sights were set on the finish line. The last mile went by like a blur. The rain stopped soon after and when it did I felt fresh like I had just started running. I knew I could do it.
And so I did. I ran 10k! Finally, I had done it.
That may be the most dramatic recounting of a 10k ever, but hey, that's how it felt. Looking at my pace chart after the run, I noticed my pace shot up randomly at the fifth-mile mark to higher than it had been even at the very beginning of the run. I'm assuming that is when Kanye came to save me.
Anyway, on to the running plan.
My running plan
I'm one week away from being done with my running plan for the month. As a recap, it involves one speed run, one easy run and one endurance run each week.
For future weeks, I want to slowly increase the distances, but first increase the frequency of my runs. I think if I fill the remaining days each week (except for one day off on Sunday) with easy runs that will be relatively manageable on the difficulty side without making it too hard physically on my legs and body.
I'll slowly work up to that and then eventually, when I am running 6 days a week, increase the distances of each run gradually. I also want to attempt a "long-run" like today's about once a month, pushing my limits to see how far I've come. Maybe I can try 15k next month?
I'll also check out what Strava has to offer with running plans to see if they have other suggestions.
There we go. I think that's more than enough writing for this week. I'll see you next week.
💪 Goals
Year Progress: 65%
Publish one newsletter a week.
Read 30 minutes a day. (182 hours total)
✅ Work out once a week.
Post 52 videos on TikTok.
Consume less, create more.
Meditate daily.
Paint two paintings.
✅ Get a tattoo.
Make music.
Starting July 18th, work out 4 times a week, including 2 runs.
📥 Input
Newsletters posted: 27 📈 +1
Hours read this year: 120.5 📈 +1.5 (on schedule)
Workouts this year: 82 📈 +4 (48 ahead of target)
Workouts since July 18th: 23 📉 +4 (1 behind target)
Runs since July 18th: 17 📈 +4 (5 ahead of target)
TikToks posted in 2021: 9 (@maxzechef) + 17 (@maxlascombe) = 28 📉 +0 (6 behind target)
Screen time this week: 17h03
Number of times meditated this week: 2 📉 (5 behind schedule)
📤 Output
Newsletter subscribers: 53 (thank you ❤️)
Books read this year: 17
Number of abs: 1.3
TikTok followers: 127 (@maxzechef) + 51 (@maxlascombe)
📚 Reading
Currently reading:
“Money Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom”, Anthony Robbins.
“Homegoing”, Yaa Gyasi.
“Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind”, Yuval Noah Harari.
Please leave any book recommendations in the comments and add me on Goodreads.
Thanks to all my subscribers and readers new and old. Really means a lot that you read this week after week. If you’re not reading from your email inbox, please consider subscribing below:
See you next Sunday ❤️
In the meantime, you can read last week’s newsletter:
Many congratulations on getting to 10k. Looks like finding nipple protection should be added to your list of goals
Way to go Max ! Keep it up💪🏃♂️