Tag: Races
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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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Squamish 50K Recap – Front row seat
For the past two weeks, I had two main concerns: Not starting. Not finishing. I just did both. & had the most fun I’ve ever managed to do when racing on the trails. Here is my recap of the Squamish 50K – including my front row seat to the battle for first in the women’s…
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Quebec Mega Trail 50K Recap – We all fall down
QMT 50K this year was a rough one. Raining all morning – the course was as slippery as can be, especially in the already incredibly difficult Mestachibo.
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Sulphur Springs 20K Recap: Cruise Control
“Going for the podium?” This was the question on everyone’s minds. My friends Rob and Paul had won the 50K and 100K respectively the day before. Last year, we were 3rd, 4th and 5th in the 50K. Could the three of us sweep the most competitive distances at the 2024 event?
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Gorge Watefalls 50K Recap: The art of recalibration
It wasn’t the day I wanted. But it was definitely the day I needed. Here is why recalibration is so important, and my race recap of Gorge Waterfalls 50K
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The Bad Thing 50K – Race Recap – Racing Smarter, Not Harder
I almost quit running altogether. From 2009 to 2018, I did well in school. But I struggled to be smart when it came to running. After hitting the final straw with a torn hamstring in 2018, I took four years to fall back in love with the sport. Normally love like this would be doomed…
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Falling Water Trail Marathon – Race Recap – “Rocks!”
It’s the first year of trail for the both of us, we’re both mid-twenties, and we’re both podium finishers at two of Ontario’s craziest trail races now. I think Dylan will be a great training partner to have in the coming months, and I’m so pumped now for The Bad Thing in October, knowing that…
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The power of reframing negative thoughts
As the self-conscious individuals that we are, it’s impossible to go an entire day with zero negative thoughts entering the mind. Despite the difficulty of that task, I used to subscribe to a ‘no-negativity’ mindset. It’s incredibly important to always think on the bright side and come up with the positives in any situation, but…
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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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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 