Reflecting on the Week - 15th Feb

Distance: 82.5 km
Time: 8:18
Elevation: 447 m
Fastest pace: 3:53/km
Max HR: 181 bpm

Badwater is now official. The place is confirmed and it feels very different seeing “I am in” written down rather than just nudging an application form around. The timing lined up with a solid training week too, which helps. It is one thing to dream about Death Valley, quite another to hit “submit” and then have to go out and run. I’ve written in depth about how I’m feeling: Badwater - I’m in.

The clear highlight was Saturday’s 30 km negative split session. First 15 km steady, joined by Basil, then gradually pressing on. Each 5km faster by 15s/km - it’s a great session (a piece about this session) I am pleased to have nailed this week after the previous Saturday, where lack of sleep impacted the session. It is the kind of long, focussed effort that builds confidence as much as fitness. For Badwater, I need that ability to run strong late, not just survive, so we are leaning into these longer structured runs.

Either side of that were some honest, bread and butter days. The “Shit got serious” 11.5 km loop and the 20 km “Run of two halves” from home both kept the volume creeping up without turning the week into a death march. Dad’s Dawn Dawdle Double with Paul, Si and Tom added a bit of community to the mix.

Training is the theme at the moment. Not the glamorous bits, just the process. A couple of strength and Pilates sessions went in quietly around the runs, which is exactly how I want it: no single hero workout, just layers of work. With Badwater now real, the focus is on building a body that can handle the load, not proving anything in February. One week at a time, do the session in front of me, and let the race look after itself later.