Season 3 Episode 5 of the Running for Beginners podcast from the 22resolutionists, hosted by me Mike Fleming.
Episode Description:
What Is It Really Like to Run 135 Miles Through Death Valley?
Most runners think a marathon is a long way.
Now imagine running 135 miles through Death Valley in extreme heat, climbing mountains, battling exhaustion, managing nutrition and hydration, and continuing forward long after your body starts telling you to stop.
That’s the Badwater 135.
In this special episode of the Running for Beginners podcast, Mike sits down with Vanessa Kline of Beast Pacing, shortly after she completed the Badwater 135, to talk about what it’s actually like to take on one of the world’s most challenging ultramarathons.
Vanessa takes us inside the race—from preparation and expectations to the realities of running through extreme heat and managing the physical and mental demands of a 135-mile race.
We talk about:
- What drew Vanessa to the Badwater 135
- Preparing for a 135-mile ultramarathon
- Running through Death Valley’s extreme heat
- Nutrition, hydration and fueling over an ultra-distance race
- How fatigue changes your decision-making
- The mental battle that comes with running for hours and hours
- The moments when quitting becomes tempting
- How runners deal with pain, exhaustion and doubt
- What happens after you’ve gone far beyond marathon distance
- Vanessa’s biggest lessons from Badwater
- What she would tell someone considering their first ultra
You don’t have to be an ultrarunner to appreciate this conversation.
At its heart, Badwater is a story about how far we can push ourselves when we decide we’re not finished yet.
Whether you’re working toward your first 5K, training for a marathon, or dreaming about an ultra someday, Vanessa’s experience offers lessons that apply to every runner.
Listen now and go inside the Badwater 135.
Links & Resources
• Running for Beginners Website: running-for-beginners
• Follow us on Instagram: @Running4Beginners
• Connect with Vanessa Kline: @vanessajkline
🔗 Learn more about Beast Pacing, & Vanessa: @Beast Pacing
🎧 Subscribe for more educational running conversations: If you’re a beginner or intermediate runner looking to improve your training, have fun, avoid injury, and stay consistent, make sure to subscribe and follow along each month.
🏃 Keywords
Badwater 135, Badwater 135 ultramarathon, Badwater Ultramarathon, ultramarathon, ultrarunning, ultra running, ultra marathon training, 135 mile race, Death Valley running, Death Valley ultramarathon, Vanessa Kline, Beast Pacing, ultra running coach, ultramarathon training, endurance running, extreme endurance, long distance running, mental toughness running, running motivation, running podcast, Running for Beginners, beginner running, marathon training, trail running, endurance athlete, fueling for ultramarathons, hydration for runners
👍 If You Enjoyed This Episode
- Like the video
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- Share with a friend training for their first race
Mike is also an Ambassador for Still I Run, a mental health support community working to end the stigma around mental illness through running and connection. As well as St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital where children get the best care available and the parents don’t have to worry about payment.
Whether you’re a runner struggling with anxiety, stress, or relationships—or simply curious about how movement affects mental health—I have multiple episodes that offer grounded, professional insight you can trust.
Resources & Links:
- Still I Run: https://stillirun.org
- St. Jude Childrens Hospital: http://heroes.stjude.org/RunningforBeginners
- Rone Supercharged Honey packs: https://www.ronenutrition.com/RUNWITHMIKE
- Ucan Energy Gels: https://ucan.co/RUNNINGFORBEGINNERS
- Caffeine Bullet chews: https://performancebullet.com/RUNNINGFORBEGINNERS
🎧 Watch the full video interview of the newest episode of Running for Beginners on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/Running4Beginners – featuring Vanessa Kline, and learn how to take your running to the next level!
The video interview was conducted using Riverside.fm a website/app for creators everywhere. Check them out here: https://riverside.sjv.io/2aoeLM
I also have a listener discount code for Rone Super Charged Honey Packets at ronenutrition.com with code RUNWITHMIKE as well as Caffeine Bullet at Caffeinebullet.com for 20% off your cart purchase with code RUNNING4BEGGINERS, and UCAN Energy Gels, Bars and more & get 30% off when you use my code https://ucan.co/RUNNINGFORBEGINNERS at the respective check outs. [disclaimer, i do receive a commission from any sales; even on Riverside]
Any videos of my interviews will be posted on Patreon@Running4Beginners. Thanks for listening; I hope you can find value in the podcast. If you do enjoy, I hope you follow us on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify or your favorite podcast service, give us a rating and some comments and of course hit the subscribe button.
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