I completed this challenge January 6th, 2019.
Badass Navy Seal David Goggins aka “The Toughest Man Alive” came up with the mentally grueling 4 x 4 x 48 challenge.
What is it? It’s running 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. As someone who likes to add my own twist to challenges, I added 4.4 miles; might as well hit two marathons in two days!
Follow along to see how it goes:
Preparation
Woke up with sore hamstrings from a sprint workout 3 days ago and a slight hangover to start the day – all in all not too bad. I had work from 9-5pm and forced myself to eat oatmeal and almonds for breakfast, a bagel for lunch, pomegranate white tea for an energy boost, and guzzled a gallon of water throughout the day. I finished up my preparation with mobility and checked my weight – 167.0lbs (checked at 7:10PM). Really expecting that number to go down 3-4lbs by Sunday night. Time for the first run!
Start Time: January 4th 9PM – 4.59/52.4 miles completed in 37:48mins
Started the run off at a fiery pace, but quickly scaled back – it is 2 marathons after all. I noticed I was starving after the first 2 miles so I’m about to go Chef Lasty on some chicken and veggies. Hoping some home cooking and stretching has my tummy, lower back, and legs firing on all cylinders for the next run at 1:00AM.
Start Time: January 5th 1AM – 8.59/52.4 miles completed in 32:09mins
Had a date with my arch nemesis the treadmill…she made my traps and knees pay. Overall, felt better than the first run minus a few side cramps from overeating. Time to catch some zzzz’s and get ready for this run at 5:00 AM.
Start Time: January 5th 5AM – 12.73/52.4 miles completed in 35:41mins
Turns out 1.5 hours of sleep isn’t conducive to an easy run! I thought I was close to done, checked the treadmill, and was only at 2.31 miles; nearly went down a negative rabbit hole, but made the quick decision to zone out and keep running. Looking forward to more adversity! Time for another power nap.
Start Time: January 5th 9AM – 16.73/52.4 miles completed in 35:51mins
Somehow got 2 hours of sleep and my hamstrings were miraculously healed! Can’t say the same about my right achilles tendon…thing was stiffer than a marble pillar. Given that, I was a bit worried I’d have to limp-run the next 4 miles, but some brief pre-workout mobility saved the day. Time to refuel and prevent these chronic side cramps.
Start Time: January 5th 1PM – 20.73/52.4 miles completed in 34:09mins
Couldn’t pass up a nice outdoor run under the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Williamsburg Bridges. Finally ran without cramps and clocked in at a faster pace than I did on the treadmill runs. Only complaint is my itchy head; time to take these braids out and refuel.
Start Time: January 5th 5PM – 25.03/52.4 miles completed in 41:16mins
Taking my braids out took a solid 1.5 hours, but was 100% worth it; welcome back curly hair! I even had a chance to sneak in an hour nap so I can’t complain. Regarding this run, I was able to zone out and numb my mind quicker than every other. This will be crucial for the next half of the challenge.
Start Time: January 5th 9PM – 30.55/52.4 miles completed in 52:52mins
Decided to run 5.5 miles since we all felt pretty good. My achilles pain is remaining constant and not worsening so praying it stays that way. We’re hoping we can sneak in a nap before this next run at 1AM. 22 miles left!
Start Time: January 6th 1AM – 35.55/52.4 miles completed in 48:13mins
Not much to say…that’s the best I’ve felt this entire challenge. Time for a power nap before the next run at 5AM.
Start Time: January 6th 5AM – 39.75/52.4 miles completed in 41:31mins
Note to self: DO NOT eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and run on little to no sleep; heartburn and jelly legs do not go well together. On the bright side, that was the final treadmill workout! Only 3 more outdoors runs to callous the mind.
Start Time: January 6th 9AM – 44.48/52.4 miles completed in 45:10mins
Got a solid 2 hours of sleep before this run, but felt groggier than a college student post-finals. Luckily, the cold is nature’s caffeine. I finished off the extra 4.4 miles that I added to the original 48 miles, so we only have 2 4 mile runs left.
Start Time: January 6th 9AM – 48.51/52.4 miles completed in 34:57mins
Somehow got a second wind and absolutely crushed that run. Time to refuel and watch a David Goggins video for some last minute motivation (it’s only fitting).
Start Time: January 6th 5PM – 52.52/52.4 miles completed in 32:18mins
We refueled well, watched a sermon, and a David Goggins video to boost morale and crush the final run. My last 4 miles were my fastest clocking in at 32:18 minutes. Final weight was 162.8 (starting 167). Looking forward to the next challenge!
Stats
Takeaways
- The body will crumble, but don’t let your mind.
- Each run is a series of mini decisions. One poor decision may break you – stay strong.
- Everyone has their own struggles even through the same experience. Learned that going through this with my two roommates.
- Little things make a big difference down the stretch: mobility before and after each run, rehydrating, eating after each run, replenishing sodium, and catching zzzz’s when you can.
- Your stomach will shrink significantly; adjust your eating accordingly.
- Overall, this was an awesome experience with my two roommates and close friends. Nothing strengthens a bond more than tough times.
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