#4x4x48challenge

So I just did this thing…I ran miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. That’s a total of 48 miles. Just to clarify, that means I ran 4 miles at 4am, 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm and midnight, twice! I finished at midnight last night, on top of Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh.

Here’s my roundup of the experience; how I felt, highlights and low points and some reflections post challenge!

Friday night, 5th March

Tossing and turning, I tried not to imagine how this might negatively affect the challenge I was about to undertake. I checked the time…many times, the minutes ticked by slowly, so I knew I hadn’t slept basically at all. At about 3am I quit, got up and started to get myself ready for the first run at 4am. I was excited; my belly was troubling me but I knew I was ready to go…

Saturday 6th 4am

Birds were singing despite the complete darkness and I saw a couple, apparently just out for a walk, who greeted me…and one other runner - I wondered if he was also doing the goggins challenge. Back in, I tried to sleep but still no luck; at least it was daylight for the next run. It was super busy round the park and I found it hard to keep myself steady with other runners pounding the road, perhaps on a PB quest or just doing a 5k. It’s a great reminder not to judge other people exercising right? There might be a damn good reason why they are running so slowly (like they’ve been up all night and it’s their second run of 12…).

A good breakfast and a wee rest sorted me out for the 12pm and I felt good, treated myself to a different route with a bit of climbing for a change of scene during daylight. Half my runs would be in the dark and I didn’t want to wear out the same track day and night. Bright sunshine helped me out and I even found the energy to do and record and short yoga practice at the end. Knowing myself as a runner, I know 100% that hills give me energy rather than tire me out. Like pushing the ‘boost’ button on the old stereos to give you more bass, it somehow releases strength and inspiration which goes a long long way for me.

4pm is never my favourite time of day for exercise, never mind when it’s my 4th run of the day on no sleep. So, I decided to make it a ‘plogging’ run. ‘Picking up Litter Jogging’ is a Swedish invention (obviously) and is apparently taking off here too! You jog/run and pick up rubbish as you go. I thought that 4 miles of that might take quite a while so I ran about 2 miles normally then got my litter bag out and starting picking until I’d reached 4 miles. With more people out and about (good thing) there’s a LOT more litter around (not so good) and it saddens me to see that people either don’t care at all or simply don’t make a connection between all the environmental issues we’re facing globally and their own rubbish dropping. Either way, it makes me feel slightly better picking it up, so that’s the main reason I do it. Perhaps the more the general public sees normal folk, not people employed to do it, picking up litter, the more they might consider their disgusting habit of dropping it…

Still not really able to sleep between runs despite getting into bed and closing my eyes, I wonder how hard this is going to get. I’m not even half way through yet and while my legs feel fine, I just have to get some sleep! Is this even possible if you simply don’t sleep at all? The 8pm was a bit rough, but I warmed up and got it done. I couldn’t think about the rest of the challenge at all, it seemed too much, but when I just thought about each 4 miles, counting down the runs I felt ok. I think there’s a lot to be said for that technique - what’s the next thing you can do? The next step, the job at hand, the part that seems do-able right now?

“Want me to get to yours for midnight run?” read the message! What a great surprise, I wasn’t sure if K was going to make it and hadn’t heard anything. What a legend she turned out to be - not only joining me straight from her shift at the hospital but for most of the following runs. Very tired, I rallied with some on-run banter and the feeling of being cheered on. I’d had some lovely messages during the day from friends in other places but having in person company was just what I needed - especially from another running nutter ;) Finally, I managed to get in a short nap. Less than an hour but it felt amazing!!!

4am Sunday 7th

I checked my phone again - K checking that I’m going to be ok! “Why aren’t you asleep?” I replied. After some discussion about me taking my phone, I set out without it. Having had one stolen a few days previously, I wasn’t keen to tempt fate again. I’d keep an eye out for any dodgy types and I’m lucky to live in a very safe area, but knew I’d feel more comfortable without an expensive gadget on my person. I noticed how that idea of danger was much more present with me tho’ than on the first 4am, and how it really changes your perception. I worked hard on expanding my awareness out around me, keeping my breathing regular and not engaging with any scaremongering thoughts. I passed the parliament building, strangely lit up, almost festive in the midst of the deserted night. There was definitely something beautiful about the total emptiness, just a few cars passing through. My second, and last 4am, done.

I got in feeling shaky tho’ and tried to get my tired brain to analyse a bit - I decided it was calories first and asked my body what it wanted - crisps apparently. There’s a first for me - crisps and egg on toast at 5am, then, I slept… thank everything.

8am Sunday 7th

K and her dog, M, arrived just before 8am with supplies! “You need treats” she’d said last time, and had basically emptied her cupboard as no shops were open! There was also a surprise addition to our wee team waiting at the gate - A, another friend who I’d told about the challenge but didn’t know was coming :) This run was possibly my favourite, I was bouncing off the trees! Filled with energy, enjoying the cool morning and running chat once again, everything felt great! I’d taped up a twingy muscle but wasn’t worried that it would stop me as long as I took care of it. I knew I needed to keep up the recovery work - physio ball trigger points and massage on my legs and hips, some yoga flow to stop things stiffening up and even some conditioning work to keep my posture and muscle action on track. Having fun - oh yeah!

Even better, after a bowl of porridge and peanut butter and berries (breakfast of champions) I felt good enough to tidy up, listen to a couple of podcasts and check messages and emails. I got in a very short nap before the 12 when K was back (with crisps) for more! We took an alternative route which turned out to be more like 5 miles than 4…

The in between times were all blurring into one by now; eat, nap, cat wash or quick shower, change clothes, warm up, post on social media, next run…but one of them included a long phone call with a good friend. She’s currently struggling with the health of her spine and it made me so grateful that I could even be attempting this kind of crazy challenge. Being healthy enough to get out there and push myself, get out there and explore the world is so important to me. A reminder not only to value it but to continually seek to do more to maintain and improve it. One of my core beliefs is that we are responsible for our own health - not the NHS or the government or our families or employers. There’s so much we can do to stay in good overall shape; it does require effort and attention, maybe more than we’re used to giving - but for me, it’s worth it.

I get another message from P - she’s coming for the 4pm! It’s like a day of surprise meetups, I quite like it! The schedule is determined by the challenge and then we fill in the gaps. I do love this way of temporary living - the all-consuming nature of the task with space for some creativity in order to not only survive but enjoy it. We do a standard park loop which makes catching up easy, I have to go steady by now and I decline the invite to do a bit more (highly unusual for me) as I know despite being close to the end, somewhere deep inside, I’m really tired…

8pm Sunday

K is having a busy day, she’s been up and about, out for walks, had conversations and discussions, gone shopping for me and done most of the runs of day! And, she’s back again for the 8pm, and I admit I’m really happy to have company. I was nervous about this one, thinking it might be the hardest of all but in the end we smashed it! Another first - running with music in a backpack (not too loud!) felt very fun and the beats definitely gave me a boost. I wanted to pass by the lights of Parliament again and we ended up having a wee dance party!! I was on another high and K seemed to be there too…

I never run with music; partly because it seems like hassle to me but also because I like to be immersed in what’s around me, hear any nature sounds and let my mind run its course, which is hard with music filling my head. It’s probably also good for me to have that space of low level input and stimulation. Just the environment around me, much gentler than the world of human creation mostly. This was an exception - but it was bloody amazing!!!

I decided to try and stay up, waking up for the last run I felt like crap, so I thought maybe I could just tough it out. I showered, ate avocado/tofu toast with Marmite, finished the second bag of crisps and found another great pod to listen to. But my eyes were closing so I set my alarm and curled up on the sofa. Finally, my body was getting the hang of this napping thing… Despite the high of the last run and the excitement of finishing, this was a hard one. I could barely bring myself to warm up, my hamstrings were a little tense and my body was shutting down…

Midnight, Sunday 7th - last run!

I knew K was coming and had music again, so I just focused on getting ready in time. I didn’t know if I would make much sense in chat but I knew I was going to do it! We headed out and followed our plan, run the first part then hike up to the highest point - Arthur’s Seat to the cairn and 360 view of the city. The whole craziness of the thing spurred me on - I love a good bit of nutter activity ;) We hiked fast up hill, panting and laughing and I managed to run the last few meters to the top! Holding onto the cairn for dear life, we managed a photo, the sparklers K had brought wouldn’t light in the wind so we headed down, running the last leg between the cat-eyes of the road in a celebratory mood…

It’s still sinking in - I did it! 48 miles in 48 hours on power naps only, since Thursday night…

This challenge is organised by David Goggins, ex- navy Seal, ultra runner and world pull-up record owner. I actually think it is the perfect challenge. If you can’t run, you do something else for 4 miles, or at least do the equivalent time of working out. The challenge is a mind game more than anything, a test of determination, willpower or just game-on-ness! You don’t need to be super fit to do it but if you are it will still challenge you.

I loved it, I may do it again and I recommend it to anyone wanting to see what they are capable of. There’s a time and place for wrapping ourselves up and being gentle but if I’m honest, I think a lot of the developed world could use more challenge, harder physical work and less ‘treat yourself’ and fake self-care based on consumerism…

But I’ll get off my soap-box now ;) What’s next?! That’s an exciting thought - if I’m capable of 48 miles in 48 hours on no sleep without breaking down, then who knows what I can do? What about you - what would be a real challenge for you? What would make you feel superhuman if you did accomplish it? And what effect would that feeling have on your life?