THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW
BUILD THE INTENSITY.
Eight weeks out, the build phase kicks in. One threshold session, one VO2 max session, and the long ride all in a week. Volume stays high, but now intensity layers on top. This is where your FTP should start climbing — if it doesn't, distribution is wrong, not effort.
THIS WEEK'S ANCHOR SESSION
2X20MIN THRESHOLD
Warm up 15min. 2x20min at 91-105% FTP with 5min recovery between. Cool down. Hit the target power both reps — if you fade the second, you started too hard. This is your bread-and-butter threshold session.
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. A bucket-list race for the ultra-endurance community and a recurring topic 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 means every carbohydrate and fluid range depends on mapped shop access. Rehearse the highest intake your gut tolerates, audit sweat loss in representative heat and carry contingency capacity between resupplies. Sodium should be planned from the whole diet, products and repeated observations rather than treated as a universal desert dose.
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