THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW
BUILD THE ENGINE.
Sixteen weeks out, your job is volume. Forget intervals. Forget Strava. Build the aerobic engine that every later phase sits on top of. 80% of your time should be in Zone 2 — conversational pace, nose-breathing territory. If your base phase feels easy, you're doing it right.
THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION
THE LONG Z2 RIDE
One 3-4 hour steady Zone 2 ride per week. Flat to rolling route. Cadence 85-95rpm. Heart rate below first ventilatory threshold the whole way. This is where your mitochondrial density grows.
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?
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OTHER PHASES FOR THE BADLANDS