STRENGTH TRAINING ROUTINES
“Le Fun” – Rhys’s Strength & Mobility Routines
This strength and mobility routine is designed for runners looking for the most bang for their buck when it comes to strength and mobility.
“Le Duh” – Rhys’s Strength & Mobility Routines
This strength and mobility routine is designed to target the areas most in need of priming when it comes to trail running.
“Mountain Mama” – Rhys’s Strength & Mobility Routines
This strength and mobility routine is designed to target the areas most in need of priming when it comes to mountain running, better preparing you for technical terrain, and all the ascending/descending that goes into big mountain races.
“Look Good Feel Good” – Rhys’s Strength & Mobility Routines
This strength and mobility routine is designed to give you the confidence to strut your stuff on the trails – looking good and feeling good in the process.
STRENGTH RELATED ARTICLES
Weekly Newsletter – Listening to your body
As runners, we’ve always got something going on! This is where the ability to discern whether something is an injury or just tightness/soreness becomes imperative. But even if something is only tightness, what do we do next? How do we help it subside? Here is my newsletter for athletes!
Pre-race checklist #3 – Recovery from training
What signs has your body given you in the past few weeks that you haven’t paid enough attention to? What areas of the body are most likely to take a hit on race day? Is there still time to work on making sure those areas are ready to go on race day? (e.g. strength work,…
My top tricks for getting rid of plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common running injuries. Having had the lengthy spell on the sidelines where I tried everything to rid myself of the injury, I knew exactly how to manage it my second time around, and stopped it from becoming a serous issue. And while plantar fasciitis can be an injury…
Weekly Newsletter – How much vert do you actually need for mountain races?
This weekend marked the anniversary of one of my favourite races – Sulphur Springs. It’s the fastest and most competitive trail race in Ontario, and with its runnable terrain and modest elevation, provides the opportunity for trail and road runners to intertwine.
In Ontario, you don’t get that much high-quality, runnable trails, as they’re…
The importance of mobility work for trail runners & injury-prone athletes
As I’ve continued to endure injuries even despite the diligent attention to this piece of the puzzle, I’ve reflected on how I can make sure my mobility is properly attended to as much as my runs. Here are my best tips for prioritizing mobility, and why it’s so essential for trail runners and injury-prone athletes…
The changes to my training in 2025
2025 has been a year of growth so far as I recover from an injury. It’s also been a year of newness, as I train in new trails in a new province under the guidance of a new coach.
We’ve focused more on running efficiency – touching more roads already in April than all…
My best mistake was plantar fasciitis
As much as the past three months have been somewhat brutal from both a physical and mental perspective (I even thought I’d have to retire at one point!), plantar fasciitis has been one of the greatest learning experiences I could have asked for in my running journey. I now feel like I’m setting myself up…
What I’ve learned through five weeks of injury rehab
The past five weeks have been mentally exhausting, but also incredibly rewarding as I’ve undergone my injury rehabilitation from plantar fasciitis. I’ve spent a significant amount of time learning about ultramarathon running as a sport, but also about injury prevention and healing, ensuring that when I come back to running, I’ll be in it for…
Trail Running – Coaching
80$ CAD per month! – The best price in 🍁
I work with runners of all abilities, helping you take your potential to the next level, while enjoying your time on the trails in the process.
I come from a decade of coaching experience, and two decades of running experience at the high-end of the sport. I’m a part-time professional trail runner for XACT Nutrition, competing in the top 1% globally.
I care about your development not only as an athlete, but as a person. I understand that running is one of only many things going on in your life and work to help you put the puzzle together.
This includes…
✅ An adaptive training plan based on what actually happens in your life and the specific needs of YOUR body.
✅ Feedback and open dialogue on every single training run and race.
✅ All-in-one strength, mobility and run coaching.
✅ Expert insights and advice into nutrition, recovery, and racing, for all levels.
WEEKLY TRAINING PLAN, DAILY FEEDBACK
Get a weekly training plan that can change based on the demands of your busy life, while receiving actionable coaching feedback after every training run. Grow into your ultimate potential as a trail runner while enjoying the process along the way!
I WORK WITH…
✅ Professional and elite trail runners competing for podium finishes and national team places.
✅ Busy moms and dads with demanding schedules that still want to show up strong and reinforce their love of running.
✅ Post-collegiate athletes making the transition into road running or trail running careers.
✅ Athletes working toward their first 50K, marathon, or trail race.
Reach out to Rhys!
Think I can help? Reach out for a free 45-minute consultation call.
You can also follow me and my work on social media:
Why Rhys?
I come from a decade of coaching experience, and two decades of running experience at the high-end of the sport. I’m a part-time professional trail runner for XACT Nutrition, competing in the biggest races in Canada.
I have also worked with professional athletes, coaches and clubs through my sports performance consultation on TheMastermindSite.com, and love helping people improve their craft.
MENTAL SKILLS
Specializing in…
-> Positive psychology
-> Perfectionism
-> Confidence
-> Life outside of running
SPORTS PERFORMANCE
-> Speed development
-> Trail-specific development
-> Optimal training and optimal recovery strategies for your unique make-up
Do you want to?
-> Gain expert insights into fuelling, pacing, training and the mental side of performance?
-> Have a training plan tailored to your body and the specifics of your next race?
-> Become a SMARTER and faster runner on the trails?
-> Improve your strength and injury resilience, while prioritizing your long-term development?
-> Take your untapped potential to the next level?
Current Location: North Vancouver, BC
Brand: XACT Nutrition
Distances: Short-Trail / 50K / Sub-Ultra
Strava: Rhys Desmond | Profile
UltraSignup: Results
ITRA: Results
2025
4️⃣ Javelina Jackass 31K
4️⃣ Trail Coureur des Bois de Duchesnay 34K
6️⃣ Ultra-Trail Harricana 28K
🔟 Gorge Waterfalls 30K
☑️ Quebec Mega Trail 50K – National Championships
2024
🥇 Sulphur Springs 20K
🥈 Ultra-Trail Harricana 42K Classique
7️⃣ Quebec Mega Trail 50K
9️⃣ Gorge Waterfalls 50K
⏸️ Squamish 50K – National Championships
2023
🥇 The Bad Thing 50K
🥈 Falling Water Trail Marathon 42K
🥉 Sulphur Springs 50K
UTMB: UTMB Index
2026 Racing Plan:
⏭️ Run Ridge Run 25K
⏭️ Vancouver Sun Run 10K
⏭️ Trail des Collines 16K
⏭️ Sulphur Springs 20K
⏭️ Whistler Half Marathon 21K
⏭️ Squamish 23K
⏭️ UTHC 30K
⏭️ Canadian Championships – Vertical 7K & Classic Mountain 10.5K
Race-Day Mantra:
✅ Be smart.
✅ Work hard.
✅ Have fun.
Weekly Newsletter
Sign up to my weekly email newsletter and get actionable insights every week to help you become a more complete runner.
My weekly newsletter features behind the scenes insights into my life as an elite athlete & coach, conversations about trail running culture more broadly, and why being imperfect is always better than being perfect. Subscribe for just 2$ per month.
Rhys Desmond 