4 x 4 x 48 by Steve Brown

3:50 Sunday morning – I’m standing in the spare room looking down at my running gear spread out on the floor, some of it still damp from 3 hours ago. I’ve just had 2 hours sleep and woken up confused. Why am I doing this? What is the point? That bed looks so tempting! Would anyone care if I quit? Autopilot kicks in. 4am on the dot I head off down towards Otley – 1 mile out and back – and then out the other way – 1 mile out and back – a mix of running and walking. 4:50am – I’m back in bed – damp running gear strewn across the floor. 7 down – 5 to go.

4 x 4 x 48… run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours.

It’s a challenge dreamt up by David Goggins, an American ultramarathon runner. This year the challenge started at 8pm PST on 4th March – so 4am Saturday morning here. It can be done anywhere – for charity if you like – no signing up – just do it.

Rewind 24 hours – 3:55 Saturday morning – I’m standing by the side of the road, staring at my watch, waiting for 4am – birds singing – water flowing off the Chevin – air cool and still. 50 minutes later – 4 miles done – how hard can this be?

8am – Debbie heads off up to the Chevin (RD this week) – I run up, grab a volunteer vest and head off to Stone Age Steve. 2 down.

12-noon – a steady run zig zagging down to the river with Debbie and then back.

4pm – down to Otley – across the river and then back. 4 down – 16 miles done – not feeling too tired.

Up until now I haven’t gone public with what I am doing (apart from what people can see on Strava). I’m not doing it for charity – purely as a personal challenge. I didn’t want to announce it in advance only to then sleep in or quit after a couple of runs. Knowing that the next few runs would be tough I decide to post something on HPH members and friends – saying what I am attempting and asking if anyone fancies running with me at WHM tomorrow at 12-noon. Positive replies from Toby and Chloe. I can’t quit now!

Why am I doing it?

Three years ago I signed up for Rat Race’s The Wall 2020 – 70 miles from Carlisle to Newcastle/Gateshead over two days. It was cancelled in 2020. I then deferred from 2021 to 2022 only to discover that it is now a 1 day event – setting off Saturday morning – 26 hours to complete it. 70 miles – one day – gulp!! While the fastest runner completes that in under 10 hours, realistically I am going to be on the move all day, into the night and finishing in Gateshead in daylight the next day. How do you train for that? Increased weekly mileage and time on legs mainly, but how do you simulate the fatigue and the running on dead legs without running/walking 60 miles? 4 x 4 x 48 – run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours.

Saturday 8pm – dark again – Dyneley Arms crossroads – out and back. 9pm – bed.

11:50pm – wake up – tired. Quietly slip out of the house – no contact lenses in – head torch on. 4 miles – same route as 4am this morning. 12:50 bed. Despair is kicking in. This time tomorrow I’ll only just have finished. If I feel this bad now…

4am – yesterday’s morning route again – in reverse.

6:30am – Winnie wakes up early. If I can just get through the 8am run, I then have WHM to look forward to. I need to not think about 4pm, 8pm and midnight. I make the tactical call to put normal clothes on and walk the 8am 4 miles. It’s a lovely Sunday morning – blue sky – still – frosty. I try to justify my walk by saying it is too icy to run.

12-noon – WHM – start off with Chloe (who’s just done a 20 miler) – later joined by Jonathan and Toby (after their HPH Sunday 28km long run) and then finally by chance by Nicola (new shoes!). Debbie off for a walk with Winnie and Danni. My legs feel strong – slow but strong. That was a pleasant surprise. Tea and cake – Coffee on the Crescent – with Danni and Toby after. 9 down (36 miles) – 3 to go. p.s. Chloe tells me about her races this year – 130 miles – 38 hours no sleep – I am in awe.

4pm – another run with Debbie – this time down through Otley – along to Gallows Hill nature reserve and back. 2 to go.

8pm – dark again. Serious tiredness has now kicked in. Just had 3 hours waiting to run again. A couple of naps. Tea – stir fry. We do this one as a walk with Winnie – down into Otley – 1 mile out and back – I then do another 1 mile out and back the other way. 1 to go – the end is so close.

I’ve got work tomorrow and need a good night’s sleep. Going to bed at 1am is not an option. I decide to ‘cheat’ and pull my final run forward to 11pm. That way I am in bed by midnight. My legs suddenly feel strong again. Down into Otley – three laps around the Cambridge estate – 5k in a time would have been satisfied with at parkrun just a few years ago – 1 mile walk back up to home. 48 miles done! Challenge over.

I was ready to quit many times. Debbie had to talk sense into me each time. Debbie also kept me well fed – pasta, chicken, butter/salted potatoes, hot cross buns.

It wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy.

Would I recommend it? Yes – if you have a reason to do it, want the challenge or to raise money for charity and you can do it safely. Safety is paramount – not everyone can safely run alone at 4am in the morning.

Would I do it again? Er – No!

p.s. Monday – after 8 hours sleep I managed a day at work – tired and with DOMS. Caffeine and lots of food helps.