Category: Races
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Historic Half Marathon – Race Recap
I don’t know what it is with my body. Why it always chooses the week of a race to get sick. Racing while sick isn’t easy, but I also need to get better at being uncomfortable. Here is what I learned from Vancouver’s Historic Half Marathon.
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Jackass 31K @ Javelina – Race Recap – Alone in the dark 🔦
I treated this trip like an adventure. I didn’t have an exact time or place goal. I just wanted to have fun. And despite all the darkness of the race, there was a whole lot of adventure light. Here is my race recap of my 4th place finish at Javelina Jackass 31K!
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Weekly Newsletter – Constructing your 2026 Racing Calendar
As 2025 comes to a close, many of you have already given your racing plans for 2026 some significant and serious thought. After making sure you’ve taken enough time to celebrate the season that was, here is what you should keep in mind when constructing your 2026 racing calendar!
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Weekly Newsletter – The biggest lesson I learned each year on the trails
As another year of training racing starts to approach its end, I reflect on the biggest lessons I’ve learned in each of my years in the sport of trail running so far!
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Weekly Newsletter – Post-Race Blahs & Blues
After the high of a race, it’s inevitable that you may experience a low. Here is everything you need to consider to avoid falling into the trap of the post-race blahs and blues!
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Weekly Newsletter – The best reflective exercise I do before every race
This exercise works in written form for those that enjoy writing or journaling like me, but it can also simply be done as a visualization exercise.
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My unsolicited takes on elite trail running culture & racing in Canada – 2025 Edition
Here’s an article no one asked for, and perhaps one that could spark debate and maybe even hate! But I’ve seen a lot of stuff this year that gives me pause, and none of it could make for an entire article on its own. So here are my top takes in the elite trail running…
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Lessons from my latest race – Harricana 28K
After competing in three 30K’s this year and trying to find a rhythm with them, I feel like I finally nailed one last weekend at the Harricana 28K. Here are some of my reflections post-race and what I will take with me moving forward into future races.
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My recipe for a good race
Last year, I arrived at the UTHC 42K Classique with a nagging knee injury, but in one of the most pressure-free states of my adult life. It was one of my best races ever. I now reflect upon how I can produce more races like this in the future, including my return to Harricana this…
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Shorter, faster, stronger: Why I’m going down in distance on the trails
When I decided to take up ultra running as a passion project in 2023, I had long seen myself as someone who would always be better going long. Long, and potentially, eventually, longer. But instead of going longer, I now have a burning desire to do something else. Go faster and shorter, and become stronger…
Rhys Desmond 