Training and Preparation

Rest day, and I’m twitchy. Last Monday kicked off with a nasty 3 × 5 km session..

Thought I’d try something new and drop a quick ramble instead of one of my epic race reports. Call it a Monday-morning postcard from the pain cave.

I have been plagued by issues since I stopped rowing years ago, in fact it’s the reason I stopped. Twenty something year later and I might me emerging from what has been a quite challenging episode at times. With Badwater135 now (hopefully) looming on my calendar, getting this back issue truly solved is no longer optional – it is the difference between starting Death Valley with confidence or not starting at all.

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.

On a Wednesday, I typically have two runs - two interval sessions. I like it. It’s a big day, and I enjoy the somewhat contrary take on “hump day.” Why not make the middle of the week a bit more brutal?

It’s the 10th December and for the second year running I’m doing the “advent accumulator” - the premise is simple, run the number of kilometres of the day of the month up until Christmas Eve. It’s a bit of fun as a concept, but it’s harder than you think.

Strava was once celebrated as the epitome of a community-centered app. It wasn’t just about tracking runs or rides; it was about connection - a digital space where athletes of all levels came together to celebrate, compete and share. But as Strava matures into a corporate behemoth, the very community it fostered now finds itself questioning whether the platform is shifting away from its roots.

I met Fletch in Farnham, where the OneTrack Running HQ is, a small studio office and gym. The gym is kitted out with a a state-of-the-art running machine (obvs) and a rather serious looking squat rack, alongside a splattering of extras. It’s not a gym for workouts, one for assessments. Next to the running machine a sharps bit for all those lactate testing ear prick lances and a few gadgets lying about.

Nick, Graham and myself all jumped in a taxi to head to the start. Nick has joined me on many a challenge, but this was the first time I’d met Graham, a mate of Nick’s - what better way to get to know someone than over the course of 100km of meandering towpath.