Welcome back to my Trails and Tribulations Blog. If this is your first visit to the Blog, then I would recommend you start from the home page and check out the first two blogs. For those returning, apologies for the delay in getting this one out. With the easing of restrictions I found myself venturing out more and not finding the time to get this written down. Hopefully it will be worth the wait! Enjoy!
Remind me why we signed up for this again? ….. This is what me and my good friend Duke Durham were asking each other at 3:55am on a cold, frosty saturday morning, as we were about to embark on The 4x4x48 Challenge.
The challenge was the brainchild of the ex-navy SEAL and now “ultra-marathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, and author” David Goggins. To put it another way, the man is a machine. The challenge he set was simple. Run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours.

But how did I end up getting reigned in to doing this? It was initially started by a tongue in cheek comment on Instagram, sent by Duke, tagging me in the post detailing the challenge on David Goggins’ page. “Fancy it?” Duke posted. Now, I appreciate, most “normal” people at this stage would think “good one Duke, not a chance I’m doing that voluntarily” especially as it’s only in two weeks time. But, sadly I don’t always think like a “normal” person. Therefore, my careless and reckless response was “yeah go one then”, which I think took Duke by surprise, not that he let on at the time. But, with neither of us willing to concede that this was a stupid idea, over the following week we agreed that we were definitely going to do it. Although my four weeks of “proper” training would no doubt help me for this challenge, it was still far from ideal preparation. However, it was certainly better preparation than Duke had, with his last run taking place over 6 months prior in August. Nevertheless the date was set, and there was no turning back, especially as we decided, rather last minute, that it would be a great opportunity to raise money for OCD Action (more on this later). Therefore, by not attempting the challenge, not only would we be letting ourselves down, but also the number of kind donators who had already parted-with their hard earned cash and were wishing us good luck.
Now as you may know by now, I love stats. Therefore, to give the challenge some further context, it would start at 8pm Pacific Time on Friday 5th March, which sadly translated in to a start time of 4am (GMT) on Saturday 6th March for me and Duke. The challenge would require us to run 48 miles (77km) in total, via 12 individual runs starting every 4 hours, with our last run being at midnight on Monday 8th March.
As the days leading up to the start ticked by, it was starting to feel more and more of a stupid idea. But we had motivation (coupled with stupidity) on our side, made better by the number of kind donations already flooding in, and the fact that Duke and I were safe in the knowledge that at least we were about to suffer for 48 hours together and not alone.
Here goes nothing….
The time had come. After a rather restless and unsettled 3/4 hours sleep, I finally mustered up the courage to roll out of bed at 3:30am in preparation for the first (of many) runs. Head torch at the ready and a banana down the hatch, 4am soon arrived and I set off in to the cold and frosty darkness (after a brief phonecall with Duke to make sure he was awake).
My plan for the first run was to take it easy but keep it brisk while sticking to the floodlit road and streets. Bish bash bosh, get it done and get back to bed. Sadly that’s not how it panned out. Disaster (well that’s what it felt like at the time) struck almost immediately. The dodgy knee, which had been making nice steady progress over the past few weeks, decided it didn’t fancy the 4am run, and every step was uncomfortable. Although the pain I was experiencing wasn’t debilitating, it was very frustrating and resulted in a wave of negative thoughts crossing my sleepy mind. “How am I going to manage the 48 miles, when my knee is giving me this much grief after barely doing one” and “why am I even doing this, no one is making me do it”. Now, I knew the challenge was going to be a toughy, but I didn’t expect to have these thoughts this early on in the challenge. But then after another mile or so I settled down and convinced myself that this was just my mind playing tricks on me and purely my pre-run anxiety about my whether my knee would “hold up” for the challenge manifesting itself here on the first run. Thankfully, the first 4 miles ticked by and I was done, straight in the shower and straight back in to bed before 5am. But sadly, my head was buzzing as if I had just chained 3 double espresso’s, hence sleep wasn’t easy to come by. But eventually I did nod off, and I got a “glorious” 1.5/2hours sleep before the next alarm went off. Here we go again!
In stark contrast to the 4 miles at 4am, the 8am run was a doddle and thankfully no noticeable knee pain this time around. Pesky mind games ay ;). The sun was shining, I was well fuelled with coffee and malt loaf and most of all I was back on the trails! All of these elements changed the game and my mood had quickly changed to a much more positive one.
4am run (day 1) Salmon Leaps 8am run (day 1) Refuelling Soaking salts Resting in the toe socks
With the second run done and dusted, I got back, chugged down a recovery protein shake and hopped in the bath with some Epsom Salts (other brands available). This was followed up with a quick blast under a cold shower and a few hours of rest and heavy consumption (more of this later). This was my strategy for the challenge. Run – Eat – Rest – Repeat. Then chuck in the odd soak in the epsom salts every two or three runs. Simple right?
The next two runs at 12pm and 4pm were a “delight” with the legs feeling relatively fresh throughout. Especially as I had some company. The 12pm round saw me meet up with Duke (my fellow challenger) who was valiantly powering through, off the back of no specific training and had been battling with some tasty blisters straight off the bat. It was also hugely energising to be joined by a host of other runners and supporters including my long suffering support staff/fiancee Amy, as well as Pete, Ben (x2), Evie and Rach. This challenge ain’t so bad ay? Apart from the blip at 4am so far so good.
Me and Duke pre 12pm run (day 1) Ben W and Duke getting it done
However, as the night drew in and the dark returned, sadly the enthusiasm and motivation started to waver. The aches and pains which I was managing to avoid for the first four runs was starting to set in. This coupled with eating too much pizza made the thought of heading back out for the 8pm 4 miles as appealing as a slap to the face. But with a challenge like this you have to have a gluten for punishment. So, running kit back on, head torch ready for action and off I go. To avoid the ‘blip’ I had at 4am, this time I decided to stick with my trusty companion, “the trails”, and avoided roads and concrete like the plague (or is Covid more prevalent these days?). My plan for the upcoming overnight runs was to follow the same looped route, predominately around “the common”, where in previous years I would spend my time playing rugby. For this challenge instead of trying to avoid 15 blokes on the rugby field, I was trying to avoid the lumps, bumps and holes in the uneven terrain around the common with my only light source coming from the trusty head torch. After another 35 minutes or so of stumbling and tripping around the common the 8pm run was done. Although you may think running off-road through the night is a recipe for disaster, it was a risk I willing to take in pursuit of preserving my knees.
A quick check in over the phone with Duke, and unfortunately he wasn’t faring so well. A combination of the horrific blisters and the arrival of a debilitating knee injury (pesky knees), had meant Duke’s runs had now become walks. The main problem with this, is that instead of the 35-40 mins it was taking to run, it was now taking Duke over an hour. This meant more time grinding out the miles in the dark and cold, and less time to recover in the warmth in between each run. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Duke is made of stern stuff and giving up never even an option. We go again!
With the “graveyard shift” on the horizon, my plan was to sneak in an hour or so of kip on the sofa before setting out on the midnight run. Thankfully I fell asleep easily this time, with the previous five runs now taking its toll. But unfortunately instead of feeling refreshed and re-energised after the nap, I woke up at 11:40pm feeling as if I had had a night on the lash followed by a kebab from Dorothy’s (anyone from Cardiff will know about the post lash feeding frenzy from “Chippy Lane”). It felt like the hangover from hell, without taking a sip of alcohol. That coupled with my legs now feeling like slabs of concrete and the pizza still sitting heavy on my stomach, it’s fair to say I wasn’t keen for the next few runs. But run we did. This time the frost had set in thick onto the grassy paths I was running along, making some nice crunching noises with every step. At least I was hoping it was the frost and not my weary bones making the noises.
Got papped during the evening nap Noticeably less impressed this time (featuring the trusty head torch and energy gels)
If I’m honest, my recollection of both the 12am and 4am runs is hazy at best and they kind of blurred in to one. But needless to say, both times started with little to no motivation, fighting with myself and my sleepiness just to leave the house. Once running, all I could think about for the first mile or so was how cold my hands were. The following miles were then characterised by a weird sense of sleepy delirium. I would find myself drifting off, before coming back around, to the realisation that I was belting out a classic rock anthem or similar as I ran along in the dark . For anyone who may have been out late that night/early that morning, I can only apologise. For an innocent bystander, all you would have been able to see was the bouncing light from my head torch accompanied by my monotone voice signing “I bless the rains down in Aaaffrriicaaa” (FYI that’s Toto – Africa. Absolute tune, get it on the running playlist).
These graveyard night shifts, were fairly brutal and mentally taxing, not made any easier by the -2 Celsius temperatures. However, miraculously my body seemed to be holding up, the knees felt ok, muscles were sore but not cramping which meant I was still able to keep up a half decent pace and get both runs done in under the 35 minute mark each time. Ironically one my fastest runs of the entire challenge was the one at midnight. I was obviously very keen and motivated to get back to bed!
Finishing the 4am run came with a huge sense of relief. That was the one I was least looking forward to and completing it also signified I was over the half way point which was a massive psychological boost. Furthermore, I knew daylight would return for the next for the next three runs, two of which I would have some company for which was a nice boost. Also it was hugely inspiring to hear that Duke had managed to battle through the two overnighters too, even if they had taken him longer than planned.
The next three runs, were tough but manageable largely thanks to the great company I had, including some repeat “offenders” from the day before and some new faces such as my brother in-law Chris, who joined me for the 8am run. I am usually happy in my own company while running, and have no problem heading out on long, multi-hour runs in solitude. However, the repetitive nature of this challenge was making each run feel like horrible DΓ©jΓ vu. Therefore, by having somebody alongside to chat to helped to break up the monotony of the whole ordeal, and helped me to forget (for a brief moment) about the aches and pains in my feet, calves and knees. The amazing free coffee provided by The First Sip Coffee Roasters was a Brucey bonus too. Side note – If you’re passing through Dinas, make sure you stop by for a coffee and a bake, you will not be dissappointed!
8am run (day 2) The great (but cold) weather continued More refuelling
With the end now in sight, we were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 10 out of 12 runs were done and 40 miles (64 km) covered. All that was left, was two, four mile runs. But sadly the dark had returned and unsurprisingly there was no offers from my running companions to join for the final two in the dark (I don’t blame them!). Now it will sound very cliche, but the final two runs were really mind over matter. This was even more pertinent for the ongoing battle that Duke had been facing throughout the challenge, with his feet quite literally in pieces and his knee causing him a world of pain. Duke, however, was heroically defying the odds and still going, with minimal opportunity for rest between each stint.
My final two runs at 8pm and 12pm were far from pretty and were characterised by dreadful running technique and frustrating stomach cramps. Now this could have be the result of over-consumption, under-consumption, dehydration or just plain fatigue, but either way it wasn’t making the final runs an enjoyable experience. However a combination of some well timed snacks, upbeat songs and the huge motivation I had gained from all the kind donations we had been receiving meant I was able to finish strong and get the challenge done! 12 runs, covering 48 miles (77 km) over 48 hours – Complete.
Day one runs Day two runs
With my final run finishing at around 12:35am on a cold and frosty Sunday night/Monday morning in Covid restricted Wales, it was no surprise that the final few metres were rather underwhelming. Frankly it was a bit of an anti-climax and not quite the grandstand finish you would envisage. However, I did have the ever supportive Amy on the doorstep, clapping me into the house, which was a surprise as she is normally asleep on the sofa by 9pm. For the whole 48 hours, I had been looking forward to the huge sense of achievement and relief I would feel to have completed the challenge. But in the moment, all I could really think of was getting straight to bed, with thought of work in the morning looming.
However, on reflection in the days and weeks after, the sense of achievement did arrive and was made better in the knowledge that, thanks to the generosity and kindness of others, Duke and I had raised in excess of Β£1,600 for OCD action smashing our rather measly target of Β£250. This will sounds cringey and cliche, but the challenge had been a proper eye opener, showing me the true capability of my mind and body. This challenge reiterated that when you really don’t feel like going for a run, the thought of going is far worse than actually doing it (I always end up enjoying it really). And although it was a painful and gruelling 48 hours which I would prefer to not to do again, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and relished the opportunity to break away from the ‘norm’ and push me out of my comfort zone. This has given me a renewed hunger to keep on training and progressing to see how far I can go (both physically and metaphorically) and hopefully continue to enjoy the experience as I go along.
For more information on why we were raising money for OCD action check out the Just Giving Page via the following link….. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/4x4x48-sam-and-duke
Stats, Thoughts and Recommendations of the Week
One of the biggest factors of the challenge for me was FOOD. Thankfully, this challenge gave me the licence to eat copious amounts of pretty much anything. Over the 48 hour period I burned a total of 11,500 calories, which meant it was actually becoming a challenge to eat enough food. My consumption included vast amounts of “good food” including mountains of porridge, bananas, strawberries, protein shakes, avocados, eggs, nuts etc. It also involved eating a lot of “not so good food” including pizza, chips, chocolate, croissants, custard tarts and the list goes on. But really for this challenge, calories were king. Anything I could do to keep the energy levels up. Therefore, it’s apt that this week, my “recommendation of the week” is food based. And oh man it’s a good one!
1) Snack of the week – Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter
This little discovery quickly became the MVP of the snack cupboard during the challenge and for the weeks that would follow (and still is…). Available as a bag of snack sized bites or as a bar, this was the perfect pre, mid and post-run snack and provided the little sugar boost and protein hit I needed to keep me going. If you like peanut butter and chocolate, then go get yourself a few bags of these little bad boys!

2) Song of the Week – Defy Gravity by Duke Al Durham
Yes, that is the same Duke Durham referenced in the blog above. My life-long friend and co-challenger is a man of many talents, one of which is song-writing and rapping/singing. This banger has become a favourite of mine on the running playlist with the inspiring lyrics, providing me with the motivation to keep on pushing. Go check it out via Apple Music, Spotify etc!!
3) Stats
Unsurprisingly the challenge will somewhat skew the usual running stats with a big spike in volume, followed by a big drop off for recovery the week after. Racking up the miles now which is encouraging.
- March 1st to 7th
- Total distance (running only): 113.93 km (70.81miles)
- Total time: 10 hours 1 minute
- Total Elevation Gain: 1478 m (4,849 ft)
- March 8th to 14th
- Total distance (running only): 25.06 km (15.6 miles)
- Total time: 2 hours 8 minutes
- Total Elevation Gain: 441 m (1,446 ft)
- Total Accumulative Running Stats (Between 1st February and 14th March 2021):
- Total distance (running only): 374.63 km (232.83 miles)
- Total time: 32 hours 20 minutes
- Total Elevation Gain: 5,243 m (17,201 ft)
Thanks again for reading, it’s hugely appreciated. The next post will hopefully be ready sooner this time and will return back to the “normal” and may even include a marathon ;). Keep updated via my Instagram page.
Follow my progress via the Instagram and Strava Links below!
Well done Sammy boy πͺ for both the challenge and the money raised! Outstanding!
Cheers Dai mate!! Appreciate it!
Just finished reading your blog number 3 Sam!!! Really enjoyed it once again! Interesting, funny and I loved the photos!! Well done!!! Happy birthday by the way!! πππΎπ
Thanks Lynd!!! Glad you enjoyed again!
Well done Samo! Enjoyed your blog and what an achievement! Not sure if itβs insanity or inspirational, but it was a fantastic cause which is often underestimated .
Thanks Pa, lets hope it’s more inspirational than insanity ay hah (maybe a bit of both).
Impressive work guys! That takes a lot of guts and determination. Proud of you both β¨ππ»β¨
Thanks Derek, it’s much appreciated! I hope you’re doing well?