diff --git a/code/configs/combined.py b/code/configs/combined.py
index 7a8545b..524169c 100644
--- a/code/configs/combined.py
+++ b/code/configs/combined.py
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ run_configuration = {
                 },
             },
             {
+                "batch_size": 64,
                 "model_parameters": {
                     "cnn_channels": 64,
                     "kernel_size": 3,
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ run_configuration = {
                 },
             },
             {
-                "batch_size": 128,
+                "batch_size": 64,
                 "model_parameters": {
                     "cnn_channels": 128,
                     "kernel_size": 5,
diff --git a/code/slurm_start.sh b/code/slurm_start.sh
index 7124805..4d2f6bf 100755
--- a/code/slurm_start.sh
+++ b/code/slurm_start.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # Parameter check
-if [[ $# -ne 5 ]]; then
-    echo "Usage: $0 <run_config_module> <partition> <gpu_type> <num_gpus> <num_cpus_per_gpu>"
+if [[ $# -ne 7 ]]; then
+    echo "Usage: $0 <run_config_module> <partition> <gpu_type> <num_gpus> <num_cpus_per_gpu> <item_limit> <time_limit>"
     exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -12,10 +12,47 @@ partition=$2
 gpu_type=$3
 num_gpus=$4
 num_cpus_per_gpu=$5
+item_limit=$6
+time_limit=$7
+
+# Validate parameters
+if [[ ! -f "$run_config" ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Run configuration file '$run_config' does not exist."
+    exit 1
+fi
+if [[ ! "$partition" =~ ^(clara|paula)$ ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Invalid partition '$partition'. Must be 'clara' or 'paula'."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+valid_gpus=("a30" "v100" "rtx2080ti")
+if [[ ! " ${valid_gpus[@]} " =~ " $gpu_type " ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Invalid GPU type '$gpu_type'. Must be one of: ${valid_gpus[*]}."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! [[ "$num_gpus" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || ! [[ "$num_cpus_per_gpu" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Number of GPUs and CPUs per GPU must be positive integers."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# item limit must be an integer, either positive or -1
+if ! [[ "$item_limit" =~ ^-?[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Item limit must be an integer."
+    exit 1
+fi
+if [[ "$item_limit" -lt -1 ]]; then
+    echo "Error: Item limit must be -1 or a positive integer."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 
 # Derive run name
 run_name=$(basename "$run_config")
 run_name="${run_name%.*}"
+ram_per_gpu=16
+num_cpus=$(($num_gpus * $num_cpus_per_gpu))
+ram=$(($num_gpus * $ram_per_gpu))
 
 # Confirm inputs
 echo "Starting run with configuration: $run_config"
@@ -23,26 +60,26 @@ echo "Partition: $partition"
 echo "GPU type: $gpu_type"
 echo "Number of GPUs: $num_gpus"
 echo "Number of CPUs per GPU: $num_cpus_per_gpu"
+echo "Total CPUs: $num_cpus"
+echo "Total RAM: $ram GB"
+echo "Item limit: $item_limit"
 
 # Set paths
 current_dir_path=$(dirname "$(realpath "$0")")
 venv_path=$(realpath "$current_dir_path/../../venv/bin/activate")
 
-# Create log directory
-log_dir="/work/rr41qemu-MA/logs/${run_name}_$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)"
-mkdir -p "$log_dir"
-echo "Logging to $log_dir"
-
 # Submit job
 sbatch <<EOF
 #!/bin/bash
 #SBATCH --job-name=$run_name
-#SBATCH --output=$log_dir/log.out
-#SBATCH --error=$log_dir/log.err
-#SBATCH --time=48:00:00
+#SBATCH --output=/work/rr41qemu-MA/logs/%j.out
+#SBATCH --error=/work/rr41qemu-MA/logs/%j.err
+#SBATCH --time=$time_limit
 #SBATCH --ntasks=1
-#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=$(($num_gpus * $num_cpus_per_gpu))
-#SBATCH --mem=32G
+#SBATCH --nodes=1
+#SBATCH --ntasks-per-node=1
+#SBATCH --cpus-per-task=$num_cpus
+#SBATCH --mem=${ram}G
 #SBATCH --partition=$partition
 #SBATCH --gpus=$gpu_type:$num_gpus
 
@@ -52,7 +89,12 @@ source $venv_path
 echo "Loading python 3.10..."
 module load Python/3.10.4-GCCcore-11.3.0
 
+# create log directory
+#log_dir="/work/rr41qemu-MA/logs/${SLURM_JOB_ID}_$(date +%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S)"
+#mkdir -p "$log_dir"
+#echo "Logging to $log_dir"
+
 cd $current_dir_path
 
-torchrun --nproc_per_node=$num_gpus training_wrapper.py $run_config --item_limit -1
+torchrun --nproc_per_node=$num_gpus training_wrapper.py $run_config --item_limit $item_limit
 EOF
diff --git a/code/training_wrapper.py b/code/training_wrapper.py
index f47e670..314bffe 100644
--- a/code/training_wrapper.py
+++ b/code/training_wrapper.py
@@ -182,9 +182,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         raise ValueError(
             "No results directory specified. Please set the RESULTS_ROOT_DIR environment variable or provide a results_dir argument.")
 
-    if not os.path.exists(results_dir):
-        os.makedirs(results_dir)
-
     if not args.lmdb_root_dir:
         if "base_lmdb_root_dir" not in run_configuration:
             lmdb_root_dir = os.getenv("LMDB_ROOT_DIR")
@@ -197,9 +194,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         raise ValueError(
             "No LMDB root directory specified. Please set the LMDB_ROOT_DIR environment variable or provide a lmdb_root_dir argument.")
 
-    if not os.path.exists(lmdb_root_dir):
-        os.makedirs(lmdb_root_dir)
-
     if not args.log_dir:
         if "base_log_dir" not in run_configuration:
             log_dir = os.getenv("LOG_DIR")
@@ -210,8 +204,6 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     if log_dir is None:
         raise ValueError(
             "No log directory specified. Please set the LOG_DIR environment variable or provide a log_dir argument.")
-    if not os.path.exists(log_dir):
-        os.makedirs(log_dir)
 
     try:
         item_limit = args.item_limit if args.item_limit else run_configuration["item_limit"]
@@ -226,6 +218,10 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     # set up run_id on rank 0
     if local_rank == 0:
         run_id = f"{run_name}_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d_%H%M%S')}"
+        if not os.path.exists(log_dir):
+            os.makedirs(log_dir)
+        if not os.path.exists(results_dir):
+            os.makedirs(results_dir)
     else:
         run_id = None
 
diff --git a/code/utils/training.py b/code/utils/training.py
index d6d4b6e..9d6ff2d 100644
--- a/code/utils/training.py
+++ b/code/utils/training.py
@@ -132,12 +132,12 @@ def train_model(model: nn.Module,
         all_train_ids = train_dataset.lmdb_keys
         train_subsets = [get_ranked_ids(all_train_ids, i, local_rank, world_size) for i in range(num_epochs)]
         # calc total number of steps for gpu, as it is dependent on subsets
-        local_steps = [train_dataset.get_length_of_data_subset(subset) for subset in train_subsets]
-        total_train_steps = sum(local_steps)
+        local_train_steps = [train_dataset.get_length_of_data_subset(subset) for subset in train_subsets]
+        total_train_steps = sum(local_train_steps)
 
         all_val_ids = val_dataset.lmdb_keys
         val_subsets = [get_ranked_ids(all_val_ids, i, local_rank, world_size) for i in range(num_epochs)]
-        val_subset_lengths = [len(subset) for subset in val_subsets]
+        local_val_steps = [val_dataset.get_length_of_data_subset(subset) for subset in val_subsets]
 
         def get_synced_values(local_values):
             """
@@ -156,16 +156,16 @@ def train_model(model: nn.Module,
             return gathered_values
 
         # sync lengths of subsets and adjust to minimum length for equal sized training lengths
-        global_lengths = get_synced_values(local_steps)
-        global_lengths = [x.cpu().numpy() for x in global_lengths]
+        global_train_lengths = get_synced_values(local_train_steps)
+        global_train_lengths = [x.cpu().numpy() for x in global_train_lengths]
         train_epoch_lengths = list()
-        for i in range(len(global_lengths[0])):
-            current_epoch_lengths = [x[i] for x in global_lengths]
+        for i in range(len(global_train_lengths[0])):
+            current_epoch_lengths = [x[i] for x in global_train_lengths]
             train_epoch_lengths.append(int(min(current_epoch_lengths)))
-        print(f"Rank {local_rank}: Global lengths: {global_lengths} cut to {train_epoch_lengths}")
+        print(f"Rank {local_rank}: Global lengths: {global_train_lengths} cut to {train_epoch_lengths}")
 
         # also sync the val subsets
-        global_val_lengths = get_synced_values(val_subset_lengths)
+        global_val_lengths = get_synced_values(local_val_steps)
         global_val_lengths = [x.cpu().numpy() for x in global_val_lengths]
         val_epoch_lengths = list()
         for i in range(len(global_val_lengths[0])):
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ def train_model(model: nn.Module,
                 num_workers=num_dataloader_workers,
                 # set multiprocessing start method to spawn
                 # multiprocessing_context="forkserver",
+                multiprocessing_context="spawn",
             )
             train_length = train_epoch_lengths[epoch - 1]
             val_dataloader = DataLoader(
@@ -257,6 +258,7 @@ def train_model(model: nn.Module,
                 num_workers=num_dataloader_workers,
                 # set multiprocessing start method to spawn
                 # multiprocessing_context="forkserver",
+                multiprocessing_context="spawn",
             )
             val_length = val_epoch_lengths[epoch - 1]
 
@@ -270,13 +272,8 @@ def train_model(model: nn.Module,
                                      model_configuration)
             except StopIteration:
                 # if the iterator is exhausted, reset it
-                logger.info(f"Rank {local_rank}: Iterator exhausted, resetting it.")
-                iterator = iter(train_dataloader)
-                loss = batch_loss_fn(model,
-                                     iterator,
-                                     loss_functions,
-                                     device,
-                                     model_configuration)
+                logger.info(f"Rank {local_rank}: Iterator exhausted, continuing to next epoch.")
+                break
 
             optimizer.zero_grad()
             loss.backward()
@@ -317,13 +314,8 @@ def train_model(model: nn.Module,
                                          model_configuration)
                 except StopIteration:
                     # if the iterator is exhausted, reset it
-                    logger.info(f"Rank {local_rank}: Iterator exhausted, resetting it.")
-                    val_iter = iter(val_dataloader)
-                    loss = batch_loss_fn(model,
-                                         val_iter,
-                                         loss_functions,
-                                         device,
-                                         model_configuration)
+                    logger.info(f"Rank {local_rank}: Iterator exhausted, continuing to next epoch.")
+                    break
 
                 total_val_loss += loss.item()