The 4 x 4 x 48 consists on running four miles, every four hours, for forty-eight hours. Running four miles is not a big deal one may think. But running four miles while sleep deprived could feel like a marathon.
I first heard of this challenge on Joe Rogan’s podcast with Jesse Itzler. Jesse wrote a book about his experiences while having David Goggins as a guest in his house for a month. Among many crazy things, Goggins pushed Jesse to do a 4 x 4 x48.
The challenge is rather minimalist. There are no drop-bags, gear or routes to plan. You can do it in your neighborhood any time of the year.
I started the challenge at 3:00 am on a Thursday. Waking up on time for the first run was a challenge on its own. The weather was cold and dry.
The first three runs went by easily. By the fourth run, my legs were sore and I could feel the discomfort building up. By the sixth run, the thought hit me: why are you doing this? I had reached that moment while running, when your mind puts you through an intervention.
The following runs were mentally tough. It took patience and many alarm clocks to get the last run.
Here are some tips that helped me:
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Have your clothes ready for every run. This helps you avoid being late for the following runs.
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Clear your schedule. In the three hours you may have free between runs, try to eat/chill/sleep.
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Bring a friend along. As always, having friends to run with motivates you to go through with the challenge.
After all, the sense of accomplishment is worth the grind.
