Category: My Personal Journey
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Falling Water Trail Marathon – Race Recap – “Rocks!”
It’s the first year of trail for the both of us, we’re both mid-twenties, and we’re both podium finishers at two of Ontario’s craziest trail races now. I think Dylan will be a great training partner to have in the coming months, and I’m so pumped now for The Bad Thing in October, knowing that…
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Visualization and race-specific training
I’ve always had a wild imagination. Growing up, I’d play hockey and soccer in my basement for hours on end. Every single time, I’d visualize being the best in the world. I’d break all the records, score the wildest of goals, and mesmerize the commentators every time. When I quit hockey at age 12 and…
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The art of downhill running
Much of the advice comes down to training with someone else that is good and watching their lines of travel, doing downhill intervals, or the very true facet of confidence. But you rarely here an elite runner discuss what they do from a technical perspective to run better at downhills. I discuss how to get…
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The power of reframing negative thoughts
As the self-conscious individuals that we are, it’s impossible to go an entire day with zero negative thoughts entering the mind. Despite the difficulty of that task, I used to subscribe to a ‘no-negativity’ mindset. It’s incredibly important to always think on the bright side and come up with the positives in any situation, but…
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Sulphur Springs 50k Recap – A photo-finish at the final climb
My first ultramarathon is officially in the books, and with a third-place photo finish, I feel great about how I executed the race.
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My method for optimal recovery: POSSM
In my own recovery journey and subsequent battles through injury, I’ve developed my own acronym for how I want to recover in time for the next effort. I call it ‘POSSM’.
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How can you inspire others, if you can’t inspire yourself?
To kick off 2023, I’ve had the privilege of teaching a coaching & leadership class to undergraduate students at Western University. To end the final class, I asked them one simple question – how can you inspire others, if you cannot inspire yourself?
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The anti-stick with a pack agenda – Around the Bay Recap
I will forever be dramatic. But three months ago I half-heartedly told my parents that I was going to have to retire from running. I had been out with plantar fasciitis for thirteen weeks, with minimal improvement and no end in sight for the vast majority of that time.
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High ambition, high caution: my new running motto
As I enter a new phase in my running career and take on a cautious approach to dedicated training, I find myself balancing the line between all of these crazy ambitions I have within my running career, and accomplishing those ambitions in the most cautious ways possible.
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Around the Bay & the quest for intentional training
Since March has rolled in, it’s been all the more imperative me to slightly adapt my approach to what’s coming at the end of March – Around the Bay 30k. Around the Bay is one of Canada’s most famous races, and is often stacked with a deep field of runners from a variety of categories…
Rhys Desmond 