Category: Races
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Gorge Waterfalls 30K Race Recap – Penguins 🐧
I wasn’t meant to be in this race. I mean, to the extent where my bib still said ’50K’ on the day. While 30K might not ever be my race distance of choice, I felt fortunate to even make it to the start-line. Seven months of dealing with this injury on and off has taught…
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ITRA Rankings are so silly silly
I woke up to an email this morning. A ‘congratulations!!’ email. Not one where I won a trip. In fact, not one where I won anything at all. But it WAS a congratulations email. A congratulations email where I was ranked 16th in Canada for 2024 based on ITRA’s metrics. That is to say, via…
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How I fuel for training and races with XACT Nutrition
In the puzzle to become the best trail runner that I can be, I’m often running through the numbers and experimenting with nutrition to identify what works best for my body. High-carb fuelling has been something I’ve experimented with through diligent practice across the past two years, and essential to both my training and recovery…
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The smartest runner always wins
In trail running, it’s not always the fastest, fittest runner that wins. Quite often, it’s the smartest runner. The one that knows how to use a course to serve their own strengths. Here is why Elhousine Elazzaoui remains the front runner to win the Golden Trail World Series this year, and why smarts often outwit…
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Ending my year in September
I’ve long been an advocate that the year should start in September. But this time around, I am ending my year in September. No Bromont for me and no Defi des Couleurs for me.
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Post-race recovery periods
Since my first race of the season all the way back in April, I haven’t had a single period of more than six weeks without a race. Is it over-racing? Le Duh. Is it fun? Le Fun. If you’re an elite runner wanting to do your best, while also thoroughly enjoying your experience – which…
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UTHC 42K Classique Recap – Controlled Crushing
Let me tell you a story about the 42K race that almost never happened. Far too dramatic, I know. Most likely untrue, I know. But (get ready for my here’s the thing moment!) here’s the thing: I recently posted that one of the best ways to approach downhills is with a sense of reckless abandonment.…
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Hidden Gem #3 – UTMB Indexes are so freaking weird
Out of all the ranking and scoring systems in our sport, UTMB’s somehow happens to be the best. I say somehow, as there is so much that still doesn’t make sense about it. Not to mention the fact that UTMB is fraught with controversy. But for all intents and purposes, it’s the best. What a…
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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…
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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…
Rhys Desmond 