In this "ultra-coded" episode, Thomas is joined by American ultra-distance gravel racer and writer Chris Mehlman to break down his 3rd place finish at the Badlands race in Southern Spain and to talk about his "The Dark Side of Ultra Racing [https://chrismehlman.substack.com/p/the-dark-side-of-ultra-racing?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fdark%2520side%2520ultra&utm_medium=reader2]" piece. Chris shares his approach to preparing for one of the most brutal 780-kilometer ultra-races on the calendar, detailing the mental battle of pushing through extreme heat and two sleepless nights in the unforgiving Gorafe Desert. It's a deep dive into the meticulously planned logistics and fierce competitive spirit required to stand on the podium alongside the toughest racers in the world. Topics in this Episode: * The Meticulous Prep: How Chris mapped out every single potential food and water refill point—down to fountains and convenience stores—kilometre by kilometre to survive the long, unsupported stretches in the desert. * No Sleep, No Tracker: Chris shares why he never looked at the race tracker during the race to manage stress, and why missing sleep for 40 hours was a necessity to stay competitive in the 780 km event. * Littering and Drugs: Chris wrote about littering issues and a pack of Tramadol found on the Badlands course. We talk about "the Dark Side of Ultra" * Tour of Detours: After Badlands, Chris went straight to the UK for a multi-day, 1,500 km bikepacking trip covering England and Wales. Featured in this Episode: * Chris Mehlman: Ultra-Endurance Cyclist and writer. Read his work on his Substack [https://chrismehlman.substack.com/] and follow his journey on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/the_mehlman_delivers/]. * Thomas Euler: Host of the Gracing Podcast and author of the The Gravel Stack Newsletter [https://thegravelstack.substack.com/]. Follow Thomas on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thegravelstack] Don't forget to subscribe! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to Gracing and leave us a rating. And for Thomas's weekly gravel analysis, subscribe to The Gravel Stack newsletter!