Training for Badwater AND Western States 100 + The Biggest Lessons From My Current Block | Q&A Episode

Feb 18, 2026

Dual A-race prep for Western States and Badwater, with a deep dive into the five pillars that shape ultra performance. Conversation covers balancing durability and top-end aerobic speed, why flat speed work helps on hilly courses, and when to add race-specific vertical. Practical tips on pacing, reintroducing speed, and small recovery habits that add up. Final segment answers training timelines, strength work, and fueling for heat and humidity.

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INSIGHT

Five Pillars Define Your Limiter

Joe Corcione defines five pillars of ultrarunning performance: durability, aerobic fitness, nutrition/hydration, mindset, and execution.
Identify your primary limiter among these pillars and prioritize training to target that weakness.

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ADVICE

Periodize Speed Work Correctly

Do structured VO2 max and lactate threshold phases to build top-end speed and sustained pace.
Plan VO2 blocks ~2–5 weeks and threshold blocks ~4–8 weeks within your training cycle.

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INSIGHT

Flat Speed Helps Mountain Running

Fast flat intervals restore leg turnover and running economy even for mountainous races.
Speed on flat ground transfers to climbing performance when legs aren't the limiter.

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Season goals and dual A-races revealed

02:18 • 3min

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Five pillars of ultrarunning performance

05:19 • 3min

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Durability vs aerobic fitness tradeoff

08:40 • 2min

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Structuring VO2 max and threshold phases

11:09 • 2min

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Use flat speed work for hilly runnable races

12:53 • 5min

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Practical pacing for interval surfaces

17:24 • 4min

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When to add race-specific vertical

21:54 • 2min

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Be patient: delayed fitness adaptations

23:35 • 6min

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Waking the body to tempo and threshold work

29:45 • 4min

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How to reintroduce speed safely

Sleep, supplements, and small recovery wins

36:15 • 9min

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Recent training metrics and load

45:32 • 40sec

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Q&A: Keep strength training during mileage builds

46:12 • 3min

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Q&A: Racing while sick—don't rush it

49:39 • 7min

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Q&A: Timeline for a first 100K

56:32 • 7min

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Q&A: Fueling in heat and humidity

• Mentioned in 98 episodes

Born to Run

Cathy Freeman

This book recounts Cathy Freeman's journey from a little girl who loved to run to a world champion athlete. It includes her experiences growing up in a loving family, her relationship with her severely disabled sister who inspired her, and her rise to the top in athletics. The book also touches on the challenges she faced, including racism and personal losses, and how she overcame them through hard work, self-belief, and the support of her family. The narrative is honest and simple, making it relatable to young readers. The book is accompanied by black and white photos, some of which are family shots, adding a personal touch to the story.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Ultra Podcast, I’m pulling back the curtain on my current training as I prepare for both Western States 100 and Badwater 135 in the same year—plus answering some of your biggest ultrarunning questions.

I break down the key lessons I’m learning right now inside this training block, including how to identify your true performance limiter, why speed work still matters for mountainous races, how patience actually drives fitness gains, and the small recovery habits that are making the biggest difference.

Then we dive into a Q&A covering strength training during mileage builds, racing while sick, training timelines for your first 100K, and how to fuel properly in hot and humid ultras.

If you want to train smarter, avoid common mistakes, and understand what really moves the needle in ultrarunning performance—this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

The 5 pillars of ultrarunning performance—and how to identify your true limiter
Why flat speed work can make you faster on hilly race courses
The real timeline of fitness adaptation (and why patience is everything)
How sleep, mobility, and small recovery habits stack into big performance gains
Whether you should keep strength training while increasing mileage
What to do if you get sick before a race
How long it actually takes to prepare for your first 100K
The best strategy to fuel in heat and humidity

SHOW LINKS:

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