Tag: Race Day
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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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Quebec Mega Trail 50K – 2025 – We survived…
It seemed like everything conspired against me to hit me like a muddy brick wall when I went to Duchesnay, and I wanted to do everything in my power to make sure I had a more pleasant experience the second time around in Quebec this year – at the National Championships for 50K. But it ended…
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The 15 questions every trail runner should be asking themselves before their next race
There are many reasons why I love trail running over any other type of running. The main one is because of its varying levels of complexity. The puzzle that must come together. The sheer amount of things that you need to get right to have a successful race and accomplish what you want. So with…
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Pre-race checklist #4 – Mental preparation
Preparation goes beyond just looking at a map! Here are all the things you should prepare in the lead-up to your next ultra or trail race!
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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,…
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Pre-race checklist #2 – Race-Day Specifics
This is one of the most important facets to training, especially in the three to six weeks before an event. Making it more race-specific is usually best, especially in a couple of key training sessions per week. This goes with practicing your nutrition at race pace/effort, getting on terrain that is similar enough (or maybe…
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Pre-race checklist #1 – Fuelling & Nutrition
A – Have you figured out what fuelling options work best for you in training? Have you tested your carb and sodium levels to see what works best for your body? And at similar enough lengths to your event? I ask every question you need to consider about fuelling and nutrition prior to your next…
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My theory on race stimulation: 2x race practices
For every short distance run I’ve done over the years, I’ve always held onto a critical rule of thumb. Sometime in training, usually with three and then two weeks to go until race day, I practice my race distance at tempo pace. The point of these runs is not to actually test the intended race…
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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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What I’d want in an ultramarathon crew
As I’ve battled with injury the past few weeks, I’ve familiarized myself with several ultramarathon running documentaries. One thing that’s stood out to me across the board is watching how different runners approach the parts of the race in which they are no longer running, when the focus turns instead to those around them. This…
Rhys Desmond 