Skip to content
COHORT 2 IS OPEN8 hours left
APPLY

RACE WEEK · 1 WEEKS OUT

BADLANDS — 1 WEEKS OUT

Don't do anything clever. Eat, sleep, show up. Built around the 800km / 16,000m profile of the Badlands in Spain.

800 km·16,000 m climbing·60-120 hours·September

THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW

DON'T DO ANYTHING CLEVER.

Race week is about arriving at the start line fresh, hydrated, and calm. The training is done. Hard sessions now cost you more than they give you. Every hour of good sleep in the final 72 hours does more than any workout could.

THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION

RACE MORNING OPENERS

20 minutes on the bike, morning of the event or day before, with 3x30sec at race pace. Wakes legs up without draining anything. That's it.

THE WEEK

A TYPICAL WEEK, 1 WEEKS OUT

Monday

45MIN Z1 + OPENERS (3X1MIN RACE PACE)

Legs awake, fatigue low.

Tuesday

REST OR 30MIN EASY

Focus on hydration + sleep.

Wednesday

60MIN WITH 4X30SEC RACE PACE

Final primer — nothing heroic.

Thursday

REST

Start carb-loading today.

Friday

30MIN EASY SPIN + OPENERS

Race check. Kit lay-out. Route review.

Saturday (race day -1)

20-30MIN VERY EASY

Or rest. Whichever calms nerves.

Race Day

EVENT

Pace it. Fuel it. Enjoy it.

DON'T DO THIS

Race-week mistakes are always additive — an extra hard session, extra volume, an unfamiliar food. Do less. The last week cannot make you fitter. It can absolutely make you slower.

EVENT INTEL

WHAT THE BADLANDS ACTUALLY DEMANDS

Badlands is one of the hardest self-supported ultras in the world — 800km across Andalusia and the Tabernas Desert (Europe's only true desert) with 16,000m of climbing. Mixed gravel/road, 40°C+ daytime heat, freezing desert nights. The race that made Lachlan Morton famous on the Roadman Podcast.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

  • ✓Self-supported format — resupply only at open shops + fountains
  • ✓Tabernas Desert crossing: 40°C+ daytime, freezing at night
  • ✓16,000m climbing across 800km averages 20m/km — relentless
  • ✓Sleep strategy is part of the race (2-6 hours/day at best)
  • ✓Mix of road + gravel + rough dirt — tyre choice is a gamble

COMMON MISTAKES

  • ✕Underestimating the night desert cold — riders treat 'Spain in September' as warm, it isn't at 2am
  • ✕Treating it like a long sportive — Badlands breaks people who haven't done shorter ultras first
  • ✕Poor tyre pressure — either too light (punctures) or too firm (fatigue)

PACING

Don't race the start. Badlands has a 4-5 day finishing window for most riders and the leaderboard means almost nothing if you DNF at km 400. Sustainable pace — roughly 60% of your 8-hour FTP as an all-day ceiling. Sleep plan written in advance: where, how long, triggered by which km.

FUELLING

No aid stations. You carry or you resupply from shops. 80-100g carbs/hour on the bike minimum. Calories eaten at shops count. Salt + electrolytes critical in the desert crossing. Cafés and gas stations become your crew.

KIT

Ultra-endurance bikepacking setup: dynamo hub, frame bag, saddle bag, bar bag. 40-45mm gravel tyres with good sidewalls (Challenge Getaway, Pirelli Cinturato, Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite). Bivvy bag + emergency blanket for forced sleep stops.

WANT THIS BUILT AROUND YOUR FTP?

COACHED FOR YOUR EVENT.

Not Done Yet is the coached five-pillar system built around your actual event date. Personalised TrainingPeaks plan, weekly calls, expert masterclasses. 7-day free trial.

Apply for Not Done YetHow Coaching Works

$195/month · 7-day free trial · Cancel anytime

FAQ

COMMON QUESTIONS AT 1 WEEKS OUT

Is 1 weeks enough to train for the Badlands?+

Race week is about showing up fresh. No new fitness gains possible in a week. Focus on sleep, hydration, carb loading 48-72 hours out, and mental prep. Any hard session this week costs you more than it gives.

What's the hardest part of the Badlands?+

Self-supported format — resupply only at open shops + fountains. underestimating the night desert cold — riders treat 'Spain in September' as warm, it isn't at 2am — so pacing discipline is the single biggest lever most amateurs miss. Don't race the start.

How many hours a week should I train at 1 weeks out from the Badlands?+

Drop to 6-8 hours with minimal intensity. The taper protects the fitness you've built rather than growing more. Short, sharp openers to keep legs awake. Nothing aerobically challenging.

Do I need a coach to train for the Badlands?+

You don't need a coach to finish. You do need structure. If you're new to sportives, have a target finish time, have a plateau you can't break, or have a history of peaking wrong, a coached plan pays for itself. Inside Not Done Yet the plan is built backwards from your event date — base, build, peak, taper timed to the week the Badlands runs. 7-day free trial, $195/mo.

What gearing should I run for the Badlands?+

Ultra-endurance bikepacking setup: dynamo hub, frame bag, saddle bag, bar bag. 40-45mm gravel tyres with good sidewalls (Challenge Getaway, Pirelli Cinturato, Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite). Bivvy bag + emergency blanket for forced sleep stops.

OTHER PHASES FOR THE BADLANDS

Earlier phase ← 2 weeks out

TAPER