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Bandera, Black Canyon, and the future of ultra-trail running
Golden Ticket races have kicked off with a bang this year, with both Black Canyon and Bandera reaching the two largest audiences Aravaipa Running has ever produced. As far as live streaming of running goes, both events also hit some serious highs (even despite some patchy footage at Bandera), with much in the way of…
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Busting the 10% rule in endurance sports
It’s long been hypothesized that athletes like runners should increase their training volume by no more than 10% a week. This is generally considered to be one of the golden rules to injury prevention. But as I’ve constantly revised my own return from injury training plan, and religiously studied the training of elite athletes on…
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Why performance is dependent on optimizing your own training needs
Last weekend, the second Golden Ticket race of the year kicked off with a bang in the Arizona Black Canyon 100K. The day saw five runners (three men and two women) beat the previous course records, firmly establishing the race as one of the most competitive Golden Ticket races in years. But the most intriguing…
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How to run on icy terrain
running on ice and snow can be worthwhile if taken with caution. For one, it’s more of a strength-based exercise. For another, you can often get some technical terrain training prep in large forests at times when no one else will be out on the trails! Here is how to run on ice safely -…
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Why it’s okay to run slow on technical terrain
After a few months out with plantar fasciitis, today was my first day running on “technical terrain”. One thing that stood out was just how much slower I ran on the trails than on the roads, whilst exerting the exact same amount of energy. This is completely okay in so many ways.
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Why you need a therapist
Last year, at the lowest point in my life, I finally took the leap to do something that I should have done long ago, and seek out therapy. I had often shied away from therapy out of fear of the price, the time, and whether or not things were truly “bad enough” to “need therapy.”…
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The art of structuring an effective warm-up
We all know the importance of warming up the body in the proper ways, but many novice (or dinosaur) coaches fail to adequately know how to warm up the body in the proper ways specific to the sport.
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Why you need a training plan
Throughout my life, I’ve done my best training for running with the help of fantastic running coaches, who helped to dictate a lot of the intense workouts and running efforts I conducted. But since leaving university, I’ve failed to get coaching advice from others, and I’ve failed to follow a distinct plan. Instead, I’ve followed…
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Why you shouldn’t train at maximum intensity
If I was to tell any athlete in any sport one piece of advice it would be this: You don’t need to train at maximum intensity to perform at maximum intensity. For that matter, you don’t even need to perform at maximum intensity in any sport except for in short bursts.
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Best indoor cycling workouts for runners
The indoor cycle is a powerful machine for the injured runner, the winter season, and anyone aiming for some cross-training year-round. It can be great for an easy day on tired legs, but simultaneously stellar for getting in an easy workout when your options for intense workouts are reduced. I’ve personally spent the past six…
Rhys Desmond
Training Theory & Coaching
Rhys Desmond 