Rhys Desmond

Training Theory & Coaching

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  • How I trained for Squamish & Quebec Mega Trail without any mountains

    Two weeks ago, I finished as the top Ontario athlete at the Canadian National Championships – Squamish 50K, behind a host of names from Quebec, BC and Alberta. Of the top twenty-one finishers, Steph and I are the only Ontario outliers. One of the reasons why it’s such a rarity to see any athletes outside…

  • Lessons from the 2024 Squamish 50K

    According to Strava, I’ve never raced harder. Racing toward a near top-ten finish at a National Championship through injury, I shouldn’t be surprised. But with so many positives to take away from the race, I wanted to detail a dossier of what worked and what didn’t. It’s a library of information for myself, that hopefully…

  • How to win The Bad Thing 50K

    A year ago, in the midst of my Zombie mode recovery from Falling Water, I started training for my final trail race of the year – The Bad Thing 50K. The race fascinated me in so many ways, and entered the frame as the first ultra to catch my eye when starting my journey into…

  • The keys to recovery & celebrating the present

    Training is so much more than the actual act of training. My hypothesis is that it’s about 70% recovery from training, and 30% actual training. If you don’t get the right… 1. Sleep 2. Hydration 3. Nutrition 4. Positive vibes You will not be recovering (and therefore training) to your full potential. These are the…

  • Squamish 50K Recap – Front row seat

    For the past two weeks, I had two main concerns: Not starting. Not finishing. I just did both. & had the most fun I’ve ever managed to do when racing on the trails. Here is my recap of the Squamish 50K – including my front row seat to the battle for first in the women’s…

  • Squamish 50K Preview

    Next weekend, I will compete on the grandest stage of Canadian trail running. It will be not only the most competitive trail race I’ve ever done, but what I’m proclaiming to be the most competitive trail race in Canadian history.

  • Tips for running on technical terrain

    Technical trail running is my favourite style of all. I’ve thrown myself into the wolves with some of the most technical races I can find, and the bulk of my training is spent on some of the most technical trails around. I hope that these tips can help you to become a confident technical trail…

  • The art of patience in trail and ultra running

    It comes from knowing your body. Knowing your strengths. Playing to those strengths at exactly the right moment. It comes from remaining silent when others have chosen to be loud. It comes from hot-doggin’ it when you feel good in the early miles, so that you can fire up the grill later on. In trail…

  • Writing for myself

    I like writing best when it’s (almost entirely) for myself. It’s nice if other people get something out of my work. One small takeaway. One small laugh. One small eyebrow raise of utter confusion. BUT, I like writing best when it’s a library of educational content for myself.

  • Quebec Mega Trail 50K Recap – We all fall down

    QMT 50K this year was a rough one. Raining all morning – the course was as slippery as can be, especially in the already incredibly difficult Mestachibo.