Marathon Handbook Podcast
“The Hardest 10K of My Life”
1h 5m
Our co-host Alex Cyr finally did it — broke 30 minutes in the 10K before his 30th birthday. But in this deeply personal episode, he, Katelyn Tocci, and Michael Doyle go beyond splits and finish lines. They unpack the mental toll of public goals (13:00), the crash after big wins (25:00), and how to redefine motivation (40:00). It’s a story of resilience, racing, identity, and the strange emotional alchemy of chasing big dreams.
🎙 Topics Covered:
- 10K race strategy & pacing breakdown
- Running through exhaustion and travel fatigue
- The danger of public goals + social media pressure
- Imposter syndrome at every pace
- Post-race blues and dopamine crash
- Why your best race isn’t always your fastest
- Shifting from chasing times to racing people
- Finding purpose after you hit your big goal
- How to manage running motivation long-term
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