4x4x48 Challenge: Is it worth it?

It’s kind of nothing. Just an arbitrary challenge. Sure there is a slightly less sleep aspect, but it is not remarkable either way. It might require a couple days to recover and get back on schedule, but shouldn’t be bad. At the same time, not much benefit. Flip a coin. Do it if you want.

This falls into the category of not very physically strenuous, but more mentally strenuous. The hardest part isn't even the sleep depravation, its living the rest of your life around this weird 4-hour running schedule. So if you are in college/high school, this should be entirely doable.

Its probably a good thing to do. You will learn a lot about yourself and how you react to various situations. This is exactly what I think running should be, a mechanism to do some wacky stuff and have fun.

If you are only going to cover 48 miles, might as well do 4x1x12. Then you can be done in 12 hours and go to bed like normal. 4 hours is too long of a break.

ultra thin max wrote:

If you are only going to cover 48 miles, might as well do 4x1x12. Then you can be done in 12 hours and go to bed like normal. 4 hours is too long of a break.

You're completely missing the whole purpose of it. The point is not to run 48 miles. The point is to spend 48 hours being forced to conform to an uncomfortable schedule. Not to mention it's absurd to assume that anyone who can successfully cover 48 miles in 48 hours is also capable of covering 48 miles in 12 hours.

Yea I agree the numbers are wonky.

The other way I figured is you could also accomplish the same end game by doing 4 10 milers and one 8 miler.

I think 4 12 mile runs in two days is also justifiably uncomfortable.

I just did a similar one, but it mile at the top of each hour (x:00) for 24 hours. The run wasn't bad, but as others have noted, the toughest part was the entire day revolved around this challenge. If I had to run an errand or do something around the house, I also had to plan it around the hourly run. The time between runs seemed to fly by and it was a constant cycle of running cooling down and then getting moving again near the end of each hour. I think the 'challenge' part of it is more mental than physical for sure.

I don't think the effort/toll on your body is the same as a marathon. My legs were sore yesterday, but today feel like I have a little more bounce in them (the run was Saturday into Sunday morning).

Do it and have fun with it!

Stupid but really fun wrote:

This falls into the category of not very physically strenuous

Yeah... 48 miles over two days... not very physically strenuous ???

Just run slow... a friend of mine did the 4x4x48 challenge back in February and he turned out fine. Ran at an easy pace for every run, and took 2 or 3 days off once he was finished. It’s more mentally challenging than physically.

Lame unless you mix in some donuts, beer, and self gratification.

The question is...why does your post start out "Since track season is cancelled..."? Why does the absence of an organized structure invite these types of endurance challenges? That's just replacing something aimed at a goal, with something pointless. Why not pivot to another goal? It's fun to come up with the idea, not to actually do the thing. I'm not even sure this falls into the "Type II fun" category - I'd feel dumb recounting the story. There are other ways to impress people ya know, and most people won't even know whether to be impressed by this or not.

At least this does sound challenging. Pointless and potentially damaging, sure, but that's how these types of challenges work. Do this uncomfortable thing that no one would normally want to do unless paid for it. Your reward: you are now "allowed" to squeeze it awkwardly into conversations, and have people go "oh sheeesh, I could NEVER do that!" before returning to the original topic of conversation.

My advice: if you're gonna do something wacky because why-the-hell-not, come up with a challenge that is more fun to participate in or spectate. Think of something like an Appalachian Trail thru-hike (at a smaller scale) - it's fun and challenging, and people will be impressed, and better yet they might actually want to chat with you about it because they can wrap their heads around it. Those are the challenges that get you the most bang-for-your-buck.

This is basically an ultra event. If you're just doing it for the hell of it, keep the pace as easy as easy can be. Sounds like you're in high school and with the current environment, all you have is time on your hands. Go for it. Be smart, take a few days off afterwards to catch up on sleep/rest/recovery.

Challenges wrote:

I'd feel dumb recounting the story. There are other ways to impress people ya know, and most people won't even know whether to be impressed by this or not.

Your reward: you are now "allowed" to squeeze it awkwardly into conversations, and have people go "oh sheeesh, I could NEVER do that!" before returning to the original topic of conversation.

Think of something like an Appalachian Trail thru-hike (at a smaller scale) - it's fun and challenging, and people will be impressed, and better yet they might actually want to chat with you about it because they can wrap their heads around it. Those are the challenges that get you the most bang-for-your-buck.

There are other reasons to do things besides impressing other people. I plan to do the 4x4x48 challenge someday, and when I do, I may never bring it up in conversation at all. When I do it, it will be because I want to challenge myself and I want the experience of overcoming a challenge. I don't give a single f**k whether anyone else is impressed by it or not.

Didn't mean to rain on your parade. Doing something for personal satisfaction is admirable.

I still question...why this particular challenge. It seems doable but awful. For me, this challenge is like locking myself in a car trunk for 2 days - I figure I can do it, so what's the point in seeing what it feels like?

Again, I didn't mean to suggest that you'd only do it to impress people. I guess I doubted the utility of the thing, when weighed against its drawbacks.

wth do you mean? I'm doing this because I want to. Yeah, I'm doing it with my dad, but he decided to join me when I had planned on going it alone. I just want to think, "I did this" and have the pride of accomplishment, before heading on to the next hardest thing. It's called ambition, and it's a healthy part of life.

Yeah if you whole track season is canceled then why not. Just take a rest for a while at least a few days or a week or two after so your body can recover.

This! Lemme guess, you. Are. An. Ironman.!!?