Ultrabirch

Yes, that’s right I want you to FAIL, but here is WHY!👇🏻

Failure has been labelled as this inherently bad thing as far back as I can remember, even as a little boy 👦🏼

Attaching self-worth and value based on something working out, went well or you won…

I am here to tell you it is all bu****it 🐂 💩

There is no such thing as failure…

At least in the way we have all been taught to perceive and fear it!

Failure is feedback
Failure is information

The past can only influence the future if you let it dictate what happens next.

What happened, happened, now choose what happens.

It is that simple.

Here are ✨ FIVE things I know to be true about failure when it comes to my lived experience through career, life and sport:

1. When you ‘fail’ your mind lives in the past, awareness is the cue that can bring you back to the place you get to actually fix things…the present.

2. You don’t just stop thinking about a failure, you do however get to replace the thought with the next play, sentence, action or behaviour.

3. Stop placing judgement of self on top of the perceived failure, learn to see it as it is, a mistake, a missed shot or a bad moment. You are not it, it is not you.

4. You get to control the effort 100% of the time, what you can’t control is the outcome, that is the symptom of the effort.

5. Criticizing yourself post failure or the inability to complete something shuts down the neural connections to the learning centres in your brain, so don’t flip your lid, get curious rather than judgmental

So YES I want you to fail! I want you to fail often and chase big scary things that seem impossible, so when you do fail, you get back up and go again and again with an undeniable amount of curiosity in what is possible for you.

Failure is a gift to your future self should you choose to:

Accept it
Learn from it
Embrace it

Then choose the next best step each and every time.

So much more than a Wife, Step-Mom, Friend, Kickboxer… These are only small pieces of who she truly is.

This is Cassie, my person. The one who chooses me and our girls 👧🏼 👧🏼 each and every day.

A strong, independent Woman that commands any room, space or opportunity that comes her way.

Her beauty, her wit and her grace are, but a few things that I am lucky to witness through all of our days together.

The smile that could turn any frown upside down and light up even the darkest room. I am truly, madly and deeply in love with her ( yes you )

To my two daughters, Rio and Mia. You have shown me what it is to love unconditionally and how to show up as a father for you. The women you are becoming through everything that you do is a gift to witness and experience alongside you.

Never lose that light that shines so brightly from each of you, and if someone try’s to dim it or take it… I have no doubt that you won’t back down without a fight 🥋

To all the women in my life (including my Mom 😉) who I have connected with or even shared a brief moment with.

Thank you.

Thank you for continuing to show up, take up space and be the role models and voices my girls will one day aspire to be, as they navigate this ever-changing and sometimes cruel world that they will inherit. Their hopes and dreams are built on the legacies and women that come before them.

🐕 Nova (SuperNova), and I are excited to see you at the TELUS Spark Science Centre this weekend! Alongside the Extreme Sports - Beyond Human Limits Exhibit running now until April 12, 2026

We will be screening 🎥 SuperNova: The 100 Mile Dog 🐕 Documentary on the inspiration stage!

February 14th-16th
12:30pm and 2:30pm each day.

We will follow the screening up with a Q&A, meet and greet, along with photos 📸 and giveaways.

Nova had some stickers made of herself too that she is very excited to hand out and also printed some coloring pages to take home!

🐕 “Come say HI and give me a pet! “ 🐾

Having been to the opening night of the Extreme Sports Exhibit in December, we are stoked to be back with Nova (SuperNova) to screen our film and meet everyone in attendance this weekend. The screenings are included in your ticket price too!

Thank you we are grateful to have the opportunity to share this with the Calgary community and bring a local legend in Nova 🐕 to the Inspiration Stage this weekend.

⬇️Drop us a 🐾 if you will be there this weekend ⬇️

🎥: SuperNova Film By

SuperNova is a film about Nova, a 7 year-old Hungarian Vizsla, her ultra-running Dad, Evan Birch and her crew chief Mom, Cassie Hawrysh. A story about trust, instinct, and the magic of moving together. It goes far beyond any start or finish line; it is a love letter to how impactful our dogs are to us.

Since Nova was a puppy, her and Evan have been inseparable on the trails and they are finally ready to take on something big; The Orcas Island 100 Miler in February of 2025. The Orcas Island 100 has 8200 meters of elevation over four gruelling 25-mile loops. Late winter and early spring conditions meant rain, fog, wind, mud, and long hours of darkness overnight.

This was the perfect stage to attempt what may seem impossible by most standards and see just how far he and Nova can go together before she settles down and becomes the “couch dog.”

dogs

Closing loops 🔁 🧠 has created a level of freedom in me that I didn’t know existed. Not in the way of chasing outcomes or setting a resolution to rid myself of habits, instead in the way of being present and not continuing to let old stories drive my actions.

January has been an interesting time for me the last 4 years as I healed, grew, changed and overcame the challenges that PTSD, depression and anxiety brought to my doorstep in 2022.

One of those loops I mentioned was the uncertainty and unknowns of navigating the WCB (Worker’s Compensation) system over 4 year’s. ( 📸 # 2)

This open loop finally closed on December 30, as I went for my final WCB assessment. I will tell the full story of that another time… (It is worth the wait)

This signified for me the closure of a 4 year loop that I never would have imagined ending up inside of 5 years ago.

Having now started my Master’s Degree in Disaster & Emergency Management at Royal Roads University in November, I have a new path that I am taking day by day with no thought of what comes next. Remaining present and focused on what is in-front of me with full intention.

Nothing we experience in our minds and bodies is without a purpose.
A chance to move past, move through or surrender to it is always there.
We are a collection of our choices, not a result of our circumstances.
You are always one decision away from a complete shift.
What you are not changing you are choosing.

Coming back to loops 🔁…

I am convinced that we burn out not because of the expectations placed on us, but because of the expectations we place on ourselves to do more, be more, make more. More, More, MORE!

This leaves open loops throughout our psyche and drags us further away from ourselves. Questioning if we are good enough, strong enough, smart enough, capable enough. Enough, Enough, ENOUGH!

This is why I chose the word — BELIEF — ( 📸 # 3) as my underlying driver for 2026. Belief in my self, my abilities, my character, my strength, my body, my mind, in others, in friendship, in life, in love and in laughter.

⤵️ Do you have a WORD for 2026? drop it in the comments below!!

📸 - Photo 1

What you see is a weight that represents 6 months of grit, sacrifice, pain and acceptance.

I accepted my hand 🃏 that I was dealt following my unceremonious exit from Tahoe 200 in June. The uphill battle I encountered after was like nothing I have experienced in sport.

The push and pull of recovery, setbacks and compensation injuries as I tried to dig 🪏 my way out of it all was like getting tossed around in a wave 🌊 out in the surf.

I gained 25-30 pounds during this time and it has toyed with my mental game that I have prided myself on. It is what took me through 300miles in the dessert and 200 miles in the mountains last year alone.

This was a new game, that I had never played before…

Stepping on the scale became a daily ritual that buried me further as I fixated on the number and shamed myself for still gorging on the same amount of food and calories I was eating when running 80-100km weeks. I have said things to myself that I am not proud of… for that I apologize.

That body I had at 160lbs as I endured the hardest period of my life taking PTSD, Depression and Anxiety head on. It may not have been the healthiest situation and I was mourning a body that no longer served who I have fought to become.

I now believe wholeheartedly that this 185lbs is not a burden, but indeed a strength. A sign that I am now working to support a body and mind that is stronger than ever.

This has been a shift that I owe myself to surrender to and accept, leaning into how I feel and using that number on the scale as a guide, not an absolute.

I want to thank a few people including my wife for the support they have shown me in this tumultuous state I have been living through.

Jason for always being an ear, friend and voice. That call today made my month. Ash for giving me the belief that I can build an unbreakable body through your strength training program. To who I will be connecting with to learn about nutrition and adapt to this new body.

Body dysmorphia as a male in endurance sports is real and I will be here for anyone who wants to share or talk.

I am finding my way, one box squat at a time.

SuperNova: The 100 Mile Dog is heading to Europe as an official selection of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival! 📍Kendal, UK

The film will screen on Nov. 21 at 9:30am and Nov. 23 at 2:45pm. The team behind the film will be at both screenings for a Q&A session beforehand. If you will be at the festival come and join us. Hope to see you there!

🐕 - SuperNova
🏃🏼‍♂️-
📷 🎥 -

Coaching for me is so much more than finish lines, data and podiums. Joy, self-love, mindset, consistency and calculated training are the cornerstones of my coaching philosophy. Everything else comes as a result of these pillars.

I have chosen to coach only 7 athletes as that is a sweet spot for me and how I want to continue showing up for my athletes.

From 5km to 500km+ - 100milers, 50km, backyard ultras, timed race formats and epic adventures. I can prepare you for them all.

I have a few openings for 1-on-1 coaching with athletes moving into the 2026 season as we head towards cooler temperatures, snow and darker days. The hills are still there and it is a time to build towards the you that you want to see in 2026. (not to mention race registrations are already beginning)

Please fill out my coaching inquiry form via my link in bio or shoot me a DM to chat 💬 more about what coaching looks like with me. I have been known to run with my own four-legged 🐕 friend SuperNova if you are also interested in getting your dog involved too, that is a bonus!

The athletes I choose to coach are driven, successful and motivated to show up as their best selves every day. I am invested in the process and want to see them succeed in whichever direction they are called towards.

I only work with highly motivated individuals so if that is you and you are looking for a new growth opportunity into ultras, adventures or pushing past a distance that has only been a dream in your mind, reach out and let’s have the conversation.

⭐️ POLL BELOW👇🏻 Do you currently have a coach?

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This is 40 🎈— There’s nothing more dangerous than a someone with nothing to prove.

Well… summer is going to look a little different than I imagined.

I got the call from my Sports Medicine Physician at 8pm on Friday night. (Insert scary 👻 music 🎵 here)

Confirmed full thickness tear of the ATFL anterior talofibular ligament in my right ankle. (Photo 3)

I knew deep in my heart when that stick 🪵 rolled under my foot at 9.4km of Tahoe 200 that this wasn’t a walk it off situation.

Did running an additional 45km on the ankle cause a full tear? Did the roll cause the full tear? I made the best decision I could with the information I had at the time. I don’t regret the decision to continue. I know I have the tools to handle this outcome and it was worth going for it in the moment.

What does this mean now?

Non-weight bearing as much as possible 🩼, ankle brace, compression, ice 🧊 and rest 🛏️ with a follow-up scheduled in a couple weeks. I will need to strengthen everything around, above and below the ankle to get back to the trails and feeling confident.

I will face this head on, no different than what I have been through in the past. All of the chosen suffering is waiting in the well for me to pull from.

I am sad, yet grateful. I now deeply understand that both realities can exist at the same time and I get to move through this with the people who will support me with grace, consistency and love.

Slowing down and taking intentional actions towards healing is my focus.

I will be back soon but for now I know exactly what I need to do.

Reach out, check-in and if you’re up for a recovery walk with the dogs or a coffee ☕️ or tea 🫖 hit me up!

Thank you to the team at and Dr Hunter for the unbelievably fast diagnosis and plan through the Rapid Access Sport Injury Clinic. Wouldn’t trust my care to any other team. To who have supported my journey for over a decade I will see you in a couple weeks.

1. 📸

.canada

“Sometimes you need the rain 🌧️ to know you’ve missed the sun ☀️ “ 🏃🏼

I knew this day would come… behind all those smiles I am hurting for what never came to be 😢 and how it all ended so early in Tahoe.

The day where I allowed myself to feel the disappointment, sadness and begin bargaining with myself if something could or would have been different at Tahoe 200… 🥺

I have done so much internal healing and deep work over the last few years from decades of not feeling and stuffing it down to never want it to see the light of day.

I put on a brave face after my Tahoe 200 DNF… Inside I was screaming WHY, why me, why now, why, why, why.

I will never know why but I do know that focusing on it will bury me and I won’t allow that to overtake how far I have come as an individual beyond running and racing.

The truest of all the facts that I have learned to tell myself now is that I matter, I am enough and no outcome or finish will change that fact. How I respond is what matters.

These are the moments I coach my athletes on. That the outcomes don’t matter, the medals don’t matter. What matters is how you feel about yourself because of what happens not in spite of what happens.

I am feeling it all and sharing it all because I believe in not hiding these moments but celebrating my humanness the good, the bad and the ugly crying 😭

I am doing what I can to be present and be right where I am, exactly like I did in the race. Still learning that it is not about perfection, it’s about intention and action.

The action is underway and I will have the answers I need soon on the ankle, but the planning is already in motion.

You know us ultra runners! 😉

📸 photo 1 - Finish line with the bear and Cassie
🎥 video - Literally 1km right before I rolled my ankle
📸 photo 2 - Today finally breaking down 😢🥺
📸 photo 3 - Tears are strength not weakness

.canada

Sport is brutal. Sport is beautiful. The story of my Tahoe 200 DNF.

To start off, I am ok. I am safe. I am also oddly at peace with how it all went down too…

I decided to head out with the front pack on the first 2 miles of road to separate us all before the single track. Uphill pavement which I am no stranger to. I felt light, fast and found myself flying through the start line before the single track, sitting comfortably in the top 5. Right where I wanted to be to run my race my way.

As we made our way through the single track uphill things felt effortless, I kept trying to bring myself back to nasal breathing but the altitude was having none of it. As we flattened out around 8km in I took a video that you see here. Spirits were high and I was running my race.

THE BRUTAL

That’s until the stick that I still have visions of I stepped on parallel to my foot, it rolled under my foot and my ankle collapsed on itself. I instantly had to stop and I knew this wasn’t one I was going to just walk off. But man did I try, did I ever f$&king try. I regrouped and told myself don’t make any decisions until the aid station. I called Cassie and told her what happened and rather than mope or complain I got back to it. I ran/walked in the remaining 18km to the aid station, slowly, painfully and questioning what I was going to do now.

THE BEAUTIFUL

Walking in the last 2km I ran into a fellow Canadian he took the time to slow down and check on how I was doing. Arriving at Armstrong Pass I immediately asked for medical attention and David an incredible volunteer stepped in. We got my shoe and sock off, ice on, foot up and resting. I decided to test it out after 20min and there was no doubt it was bad. I made the decision to sports med tape my ankle like I learned back in high school. Now that I was taped up I told myself I would do the next 27km no matter what, even if it meant walking it in. I was not going to quit in the chair 🪑 it was too early.

The tape job was incredible and I began the climb out of Armstrong Pass and I ran into my friend who said she had a couple ibuprofen…

⬇️ continued in comments below… ⬇️