Tag: Races
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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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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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Ultra-Trail Harricana 28K Recap – I don’t hold hands
When it comes to trail running, I don’t hold hands. It sounds lovely and sportsmanlike, and all. But I much prefer to fight to the death. And I had so much fun doing so this weekend at the Ultra-Trail Harricana 28K!
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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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It’s more fun if you sing along
I can’t quite pinpoint it, but I just know that I’ve not been having fun so far with my races. I’ve been having fun in training. But maybe because training’s been going so well, I’ve started to put more pressure on myself to punch above my old belief systems. So in the second half of…
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Weekly Newsletter – Making races more fun!
So as we all build toward our next races together, I encourage you to think of ways that you can make racing more fun!
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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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Constructing your racing calendar
With so many options at the touch of a registration button, it can be difficult for athletes to not overdo it when selecting their races. For many of us, myself included, racing is like nothing else in the sport. It is the #1 thing that can keep us motivated, curious, excited, and just feeling our…
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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 either…
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Trail du Coureur des Bois de Duchesnay 34K Race Recap – Mud Wars & Water Slides
If you combined all of the mud and water on every single one of my trail races so far and tripled the number, it wouldn’t compare to Trail de Duchesnay on Sunday. And I’ve run on some super muddy courses. Falling Water was torn apart and super slippery; The Bad Thing rained throughout, turning bridges…
Rhys Desmond 