The week started in that classic “train like normal, live like you’ve got three jobs” sort of way. A couple of nights away for work meant I was grabbing windows wherever I could.

I wasn’t sure if waking up at 0100 to watch Netflix was a good idea, but it was Alex Honnold free solo climbing a skyscraper—this was not your normal binge. And my two younger kids wanted to watch as well. (I was a little unsure about that… if there’d been one slip.)

Photograph credit: Chong Kok-yew/Netflix

This website has been something of a journal;  an account of why I want to race the monster that is Badwater 135.  I’ve shared insights into my training. I’ve talked about the races I’ve done – as both a means to prepare, and also as qualifiers.   And now, the application is submitted.   I will find out my fate in February.   I will either race Badwater 135 in July, or I will apply again in 2027.

In this conversation, Ben and Fletch discuss their personal updates as they kick off 2026, focusing on training strategies for endurance sports, particularly in preparation for the Badwater 135 Ultra Marathon.

Well that was bloody brilliant. Just finished my Saturday session and felt compelled to scribe.

So here we are again, a few weeks have passed since crossing the finish line at Nove Colli Run (NCR) for the second time and it's time to reflect: what happened, what went well, what didn't and what's next.

A year ago today I woke slightly bleary-eyed, it was Monday morning and we’d had some friends round for lunch on the Sunday.