Personal Training. Fitness and Nutrition. Meal Planning. Lifestyle Coaching. Why feel good when you could feel great?
18/04/2026
Take care of yourself so you can take care of the people that mean the most to you.
When Kelly had our daughter Olivia I spent the whole night staring at her bassinet. I couldn’t believe she was ours.
Since that day something shifted in me forever. It wasn’t all about me anymore. I had a much bigger purpose in life.
I suggest you harness this and make into a super power and you never lack motivation again ❤️
Running into the unknown!!
Much like many people I started running to lose weight and get healthy. I also found it helped my mental health tremendously.
It sucked at the beginning and I was not very good at it. I was slow, overweight and out of shape. My anxiety was out of control and I had a drinking problem that I was not willing to admit yet.
When I quit drinking almost 14 years ago I needed something to fill the void. I had built an identity around being the fun party guy then it turned into something ugly and embarrassing but I was so far in I didn’t know how to get out.
I had a rock bottom moment and had to decide my family or my addiction. Fortunately I made the hard right decision ❤️
Running, training and coaching have filled that void more than I could have ever imagined. You might say while you just traded addictions. Trust me this one is way better for me and my family.
I don’t want to harp on winning Fatdog backyard ultra but I’m still reflecting and can’t believe me and my team made it happen.
Winning this event feels like another turning point in my life. The amount of feedback and celebration I’m getting from people I didn’t know we’re paying attention has been incredible.
What I want you to take from this is you can completely change your life at any moment. It just takes one decision. You will need a good support system and it will be long and hard but it’s possible.
Onwards and upwards 🤙
Can you stay calm in the eye of the storm??
This is 33 hours or 244kms into a race where you have no idea where the finish line is.
I’ve worked so hard for so long to make this look easy. I promise you it’s not.
Most important part of the message is to just have fun 🤩
06/04/2026
Great article in the Merritt Herald about my recent win at the backyard ultra!!
Still buzzing off the experience!! Take a minute to check out the article:
https://r.pebmac.ca/https://www.merrittherald.com/merritt-ultrarunner-the-last-one-standing/
Ps. Updated race schedule coming soon 🪓🪓🇨🇦
#
30/03/2026
Testimonial post!!
reached out to me because he wanted to take his running and health to another level.
Like many people I talk to he was already an accomplished runner but had be doing all of his planning and programming on his own.
I use to program his weeks. Sunday night I put all of his workouts for the week. This includes running and strength training. This removes the guess work and worrying on his part. He has an app on his phone that shows what to do for the day.
Training on feel or what you read on the internet will only get you so far. I made this same mistake when I started out and hit a plateau.
Brock is so easy to work with and just a great guy. I program it and he does it exactly the way it’s meant to be. He asks questions when things don’t make sense and we collaborate it’s perfect 👌
He’s also one of the 4 founders of what is the best run club I’ve ever seen .rc
Reach out to me if you want to start getting real results for all your hard work 🪓🪓
Ps. He was the ambassador for Kamloops before me and his damn picture is still in the wall haha 😂
Testimonial
“I have been working with Mark for about six weeks now in preparation for a big year of both trail and road racing events. I have been running for years and have been in the mindset of thinking that a coach is unnecessary since I know how to train for races and am already a more than consistent runner. The progress I’ve made in the six weeks of working with Mark has been monumental. I am stronger, faster, recovering more quickly, and most importantly, a smarter runner. I look forward to the coming months of training and can’t wait to crush my PRs under Mark’s plan.”
From 5th ➡️ 1st 🥇How did we do that??
The final delusional moments of Backyard Ultra! After running for 50 hours (340km’s)your mind and body slow down to only necessary functions. Apparently thinking is not one of them lol.
My first backyard was this same race in 2025 where I got 28 yards. I made a ton of mistakes and gritted out 5th place. One of the big mistakes I made was to say I wanted to be top 5. As soon as we got down to 5 my body and mind started shutting down and I couldn’t stop it.
This year the goal was to go until I couldn’t go anymore. We got 22 more yards than last year and had more in the tank 🧠
I promised myself I would come back this year to showcase what I learned from the first time around. I trained my ass off. Lots of weeks doing 10 sessions a week while still working full time and all my other commitments. That’s 6 runs and 4 lifts a week.
The moral of the story is it’s ok to fail or come short. The important part is to learn reassess and come back stronger 🪓🪓
Ps. I’ve only done 2 backyard ultras. We’re just getting started 🫡
25/03/2026
I had my first staff meeting with the team at Kamloops and had an opportunity to share our stories and connect with the team!
The Kamloops team is such a welcoming, fun and exciting group and I can’t wait to work with them for the next 2 years.
I remember many years ago I had a pair of button up lululemon shorts 🩳 I put them on and the button kept popping open. I tried to blame my wife for shrinking my shorts. Some fabrics don’t shrink but some body parts grow. 😬 My favourite shorts not fitting was actually part of my turning point.
My message to the team and on here is always keep evolving. If you don’t like something about your life, take steps to acknowledge what it is and have a hard look at what you can do differently. Don’t blame others or situations, just start chipping away and move forward. 🙌
Backyard Ultra Race Recap 🪓🪓
First off so much gratitude for the support I received from the people I love to compete strangers ❤️
I knew I had 28 hours for sure. Everything after that was new territory for me. The pre race prep worked. I intentionally lost 15lbs that I was carrying around. I’ve been coaching nutrition for over 10 years so I did it in a safe and sustainable way.
My crew said I was the most positive person on the course. I’ve been contemplating why??
A couple things come to mind. I’ve been through a lot in my life. Addiction, anxiety, trauma all of the things and I’ve worked very hard to overcome all of them. (Still working).
Secondly I prepared my mind and body to go to WAR. I hit all my training sessions leading up to the race. The hard part is the prep. The race is for fun 🤩
Potentially making team Canada 🇨🇦 for backyard ultra would be a dream come true. I will do whatever is necessary to make that happen.
Your potential is unlimited you just have to believe in yourself. I’ve been doubted and left behind for years BUT I never stopped believing in myself ❤️
Ps. I wore for the whole race top to bottom. We’re coming for the ultra running world 🌎
22/03/2026
I had the pleasure of teaching a kettlebell clinic at last week
Kettlebells are a great tool for full body training. Injury prevention. Building strength and making your body more durable.
I’ve been using kettlebells for over 10 years and haven’t had an injury. Start light and slowly build.
My most recent race backyard ultra I ran for 50 hours straight at 48 years old and my legs felt strong the whole way through and had plenty left in the tank.
I attribute this ability to the combination of both running and strength training 🏋️♀️🏃♂️
If you personally or you own a gym and want me to teach your team to start becoming stronger for life comment strong or shoot me a message 💪
Ps. You don’t have to be an ultra runner to want to be strong. It’s important for everyone.
What a weekend!! 50 hours, 50 laps, & 340km at the Fatdog Backyard Ultra in Abbotsford.
It’s hard to explain how much this accomplishment means to me. When I ran the event last year for the first time, my goal was top 5, which is what I achieved. Going for it again this year meant being the last one standing until the end and it took a long time to get there! For me, it’s not so much about the win or beating anyone else. It’s about never giving up on myself, even in the hardest moments.
Some of the best feedback that I heard was that I inspired a lot of people. If I inspired you please tell me why. Not because I need an ego boost but I want you to use this inspiration to start building towards your own personal goals, which will inevitably inspire others. That’s how we build a brighter world.
I cannot say enough about my crew and Leslie Barata. I know that this result wouldn’t have happened without them. Kevin spent 50 hours with me and never wavered once in his commitment and belief. As last year’s BYU champ, he knew what I needed to do and wouldn’t let me quit at lap 45 and 48 when I was drifting. His words, his intensity, and his belief in me kept me out there. Leslie’s knowledge and expertise was a pillar through the entire process. The Baratas are the greatest people and everyone out there knew that.
And never last, but having .christina.d and kids out on the course felt so good. They know better than anyone that this isn’t just one weekend of adventuring. The amount of training it takes to get a result like this requires a commitment from all of us and they always support me even when I’m annoying haha. At the end of the day, we share this win and the message of what’s possible if you’re brave enough to write your own story.
Thanks to Erik Bird and Marina and all of the team for putting on another great event. These events have literally changed my life.
Thanks again for all the love and support ❤️