4x4x48 challenge

It all began with a text from a friend- both of us having completed a 30K that day- who suggested this be my next challenge.  I had no idea what she was talking about and googling "David Goggins"  didn't provide immediate answers; but when I saw it I knew: the 4x4x48 challenge!

48 miles in two days?  This 4x4x48challenge was asking me to run 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours total.  12 runs totaling 48 miles in just 2 days- with interrupted sleep?  yikes!  My body was sore from a big run and all of the miles I'd put in over the last month.  My mileage has been building back up after a few low mileage months abroad, yet I certainly wasn't running much more than 48 miles in a week, let alone 2 days! But as time stretches under the haze of coronavirus, in just two short days I was not just contemplating the challenge, I as planning it.  If I wanted to finishing before the weekend, I would have to start soon.  And if I wanted to finish the challenge with a reasonable time (evening run rather than middle of the night) then I would need to get going.  On Tuesday night I was lightheartedly texting with friends at 9:30pm, securing the support of my husband at 10pm and getting ready at 10:30pm to run at 11PM!

I chose the 11/3/7 times- so 11am, 3pm, 7pm, 11pm, 3am, 7am, twiceover- because it seemed best for our family.  Kid bedtime is 8pm, so that's not a good time to run; online school starts at 9:30am so that rules out the 9am and 10am intervals.  This schedule seemed like it would work.

I started the challenge with a run around the neighborhood at 11pm- actually just 8 hours after my normal Tuesday run of 6 miles.  When I headed out for a recovery run on Tuesday afternoon, I had no idea I was about to start this big challenge so I just got normal miles in on a hot afternoon, hours before committing to the most mileage I would do in years.  My first run was uneventful, easy and exciting.  I was nervous about how my body would respond to the next few days, what nigglies might creep up, what existing hot spots might become full injuries if I wasn't careful.

Nope, I think I will turn instead

My second run came quickly at 3am.  I remember my alarm going off and thinking that this challenge wasn't even officially happening yet, so I could turn it off and go back to sleep.  Then I remembered that I had already posted to Instagram! No going back now.  ;)  So I got up and get dressed, drank some water and headed out the door.  All was fine, until about mile 2: a car sped through the neighborhood and suddenly pulled up next to me, driving really slow.  It was not cool!  I took my first opportunity to turn down a side street and hoped that was the most eventful thing to happen tonight.  I live in a safe neighborhood and run at odd hours; surely this was an anomaly.  Unfortunately, within the next mile a similar thing occurred with a car speeding past and then cutting to the curb to park near the sidewalk I was going to run by shortly.  I cut my headlamp and backtracked to a side street, then picked up the pace.  Admittedly, I was scared and feeling very vulnerable;  I did not like this at all.  I finished out the run with another mile and was happy to be home.

The next few runs blur a bit.  I ran a lot of 8th street- a dirt road paralleling the trails which have been incredibly busy since the coronavirus hit Boise.  It feels easier to secure a safe distance from others on the road than the trails, while still enjoying the soft surface and wilderness feel.  I changed clothes with each run, showered with soap and shampoo after every 2 runs, rinsed after most, and always applied a lot of deodorant.


For fueling I stuck to small snack size meals, avoided dairy and tried to stay on top of the water and electrolytes.  The first day was unseasonably warm with temps pushing into the high 80s.  I found hydration difficult to keep up with, despite my best efforts. By the end of the first day I was developing a sour stomach.  This is not my normal achilles heel- usually I can eat anything on my way out the door or on a run, and keep it rolling, but I suppose it was the cumulative effect of running multiple times in the heat that was getting to me.  I chose smoothies made with bananas and hemp seed milk for most of my calories coupled with Scratch Labs hydration mix for electrolyte balance and simple carbs.    Still by the time I was getting ready for my 7pm run, both my stomach and my anxiety about night running were getting to me.

I ran through the rolodex of friends who might join me for a late night run.  In this time of social distancing, I haven't seen many people and I certainly haven't been exercising with anyone.  But tonight I needed an escort, willing to get up and hang with me at 3:00am; biking was preferable to another runner to keep an easy 6' distance; preferably male.  I have a lot of friends, but this was a big ask!  The first 3 guys who came to mind where either living a little too far away or certain not to embrace the awesomeness of a 3am ride.  I continued thinking through the friends that get up early, live nearby, and enjoy and appreciate exercise goals enough to sacrifice sleep for lil' ol' me.  I settled on one unlikely candidate and sent out the text request.  After a few exchanges, he agreed!  I was shocked.

I ran the 11pm run on my own and all was fine, in spite of the sour stomach.  I was now entering the second day of running and was amazed by how good my body felt!  Whereas I had run conservatively in the first half, I began to explore the idea of picking up the pace a little bit.  At 3am, I met my friend on the road and we headed out.  My directions were terrible (left, no this left...), but I was able to choose different roads than I'd run for this challenge yet, thanks to having someone with me.  Nothing happened- no creeps, no speeding cars, nothing at all, I don't think I even saw another sign of life- but it was just nice to feel safe.  And to be honest, it was fun to talk to someone.  How long has it been since you talked to someone, in person, outside of your immediate family?  Running with a cyclist also proved beneficial for my average pace; unknowingly, he "quick-stepped" me on the bike which encouraged me to keep a better pace than I had yet.  7:11 average pace at 3am?  Not bad, and it felt great too!

7am came too soon, but signified the last set of runs.  I ran into a number of friends on that run, again adding to the joy of the challenge and experience.  I came home and took up the usual duties of modern homeschooling, constant food prep and all of the other activities that keep us busy these days.  My 11am run also felt good as I honed in on the best songs to motivate me to get out the door, and the best route to get a full 4 miles in without too much elevation gain.  I was getting used to this way of life and I liked it!

As 3pm rolled around, the weather was changing and changing quickly.  Just minutes before I was supposed to run, I started to get texts from friends suggesting I either start early or hold off.  I thought about getting out the door but the storm came fast and furious.  The winds actually blew our trampoline over the fence, pulled the electric meter off the box and uprooted multiple trees in the neighborhood.  I was dressed to represent 10Barrel- my cycling team- but ended up out in the rain tying the trampoline to the cinder blocks a little tighter and hoping it wouldn't head for the busy road below.  By the time we buttoned down the hatches and the storm settled down I knew I'd have to adjust my run; I chose 3pm Pacific time (4pm our time) as my start time.  I headed out the door just as the sun began to peek through the storm clouds.  The trails were empty, the sky was beautiful and my 4mile music mix was nearly perfect.  I ran fast-ish, feeling so good and ready to pick up the pace to the end.

At last I was preparing for the 7pm run- the 12th and final run in the challenge and I was feeling great!  I put on my best Betties racing outfit, cued up the best songs and headed out the door.  The weather was nice- warm but refreshing after the storm.  I wanted to bring it home in this last 4mile set and got after the pace from the get-go.  I let Ryan Bingham guide me up the hill at a 7min pace (fast for this terrain) and ignored all of the onlookers and trail users.  I felt like a bit of a spectacle, but two ear buds up loud allowed me to block it out and pretend I was actually finishing an important marathon and not just running hard for no *real* reason.  Up and back, and down the road again.  I was into the last mile with a perfect song cued.  A mere 30seconds into the song and the phone decided to "butt-skip" that song.  Now we were into the Spotify universe of songs they think I would like- mostly slower and probably in a minor key (ugh).  Skip.  Skip. Skip   OK fine... back.back.back.back.    damn.  I finished strong but ever so slightly unhappy (haha).  ...and this is why I don't race with music- there is just too much that can go wrong!  Despite the 5 seconds the music cost me, I was psyched to have finished this big hairy audacious running goal!

The road home was all uphill,  so jogged slowly and was so surprised to see people at the house. Two Betties and my family were socially distancing in the street and cheered me in through the finish line. It was all so sweet, so cute, and so appreciated!  I found motivation in these friends and family from the get go, so it was fun to celebrate this accomplishment with them.

   

Overall my body feels good.  My SI joint, which has caused problems for months, if not years, feels better than it has since February.  Somehow, the more I run the better it feels, and this was the ultimate test of that theory.  On Thursday night I slept so well.  I've since done a TON of laundry and quickly settled back into my normal days.  My body took on some deep muscle soreness in the second day after the running commenced, but nothing concerning.  I feel like I got away with something... it just doesn't seem like my body should feel this good.

 

Why did I do it?  I like challenges.  I like pushing myself and since speed continues to elude me with age, I gravitate to the longer challenges.  I like sleep but I also like pushing myself at hours that others consider ungodly.  I can do this and it makes me feel tough; I like feeling tough.  Type 2 fun- that joy found in the uncomfortable- may actually be what I thrive on.  I felt silly and dramatic when I told my bike escort that I hadn't felt this alive in weeks, but later realized how much truth lay in that proclamation.  I had purpose, a schedule, a goal, and those cannot be understated; especially in these unusual times when our brains crave the familiar, however unfamiliar they are at their core.

The challenge was a fun way to show my children the joy in accomplishing athletic goals, and not just in winning races or achieving a race qualifying standard.  My entire family supported the endeavor even though dinners were a little less interesting, I was napping a little more often, and often distracted by what's next.  Biggest thanks to my awesome husband for enabling me, encouraging me and helping me motivate 12 times in 48 hours!  xoxo

To wrap it up my youngest child told me that I should do this every month.  "It’s a challenge, mommy!"  uhh...       My husband laughed but quickly gave me that raised eyebrow look of question and approval.  I laughed it off.  In an effort to gain support for the ridiculousness of the suggestion, I texted my reluctant bike buddy and jokingly asked if he was in (with a huge, all caps "JUST KIDDING" at the bottom) but even he said he would join me again so long as he wasn't working. Wait, what? You all know that I won't say no to a challenge, right?  Where are the adults in the room?  Who is going to say "No! That's crazy"?   Does this mean that I am going to create, and take on, the 4x4x4x48 challenge- that is to the do the challenge for 4 consecutive months?  Maybe.  Even likely?