Backstory
Back in 2008 when I was at college my key skills tutor once asked the class what job would we like to have when we are older. We then had to plot out how we would make it happen. I knew even back then that getting an indoor skate park so me and my mates could skate all year round would be amazing and it's been a goal in the back of my mind ever since. I set up Let's Go Skate in 2016 to help encourage more people to start skateboarding and in 2022 set up Scenic Skate Shop to also help skaters be able to buy skate gear. As proud as I am of setting them businesses up I still dream of opening an indoor skate park, the one thing that would benefit our community more than anything.
Every year as I taught lessons for LGS I would get postponed lessons due to bad weather which would cause me financial hardship and frustration at not having my own place where I could teach and skate myself all year long. I would always tell customers that one day when the time is right I'll make a big push to fundraise for that facility. Well the time is finally here.....
Back in October 2023 it was brought to my attention that SkateboardGB had teamed up with Crowdfunder to help get more skate parks built in the UK. Over the winter I did research by checking out other projects and learnt that it was possible to get match funding from places like Sport England. This motivated me in to deciding that now is the time to make a real push towards achieving this goal of mine. £20,000 is the main target but Crowdfunder lets users fundraise on behalf of a project which is what has spurred me on to attempting the 4x4x48 challenge. I aim to lead by example with my own personal fundraising efforts and hope to raise at least 10% of the goal by finishing this challenge (which is £2,000).
Why I Started Running
Before I explain what the 4x4x48 challenge is I feel compelled to explain why I've chosen a running challenge as a means to fundraise towards an indoor skate park. I've been skateboarding for 20 years now and realised a couple years back that although I could still skate to a good level my recovery time was getting slower and the amount of hours I could participate in one go was reducing. I'd start to get cramp when trying tricks and ache more over the following days than I ever had before. It took me a while to conclude on doing this but in 2023 I started to take running seriously as a means to combat the way my body was heading.
Although my cardio from skateboarding is good the truth is I've not been able to skate enough due to the weather and lack of an indoor skate park. I could go out and run even when the floor was wet which meant my physical activity levels increased over the year and I was buzzing to set faster times and complete marathons. By the end of 2023 I had run a total of 1000 miles and felt a lot better in my body and as a result my longevity on a skateboard has increased. I hope that this change alongside better eating habits and resistance training will help ensure I can stay on my skateboard for many years to come.
The 4x4x48 Challenge
This challenge was created by David Goggins a few years back. An ex marine who's well known for his accomplishments believes conquering this challenge will help people face adversity in the future much better than they had otherwise. Basically the mindset needed to overcome this gruelling feat will make things that life throws at you simpler in comparison.
To complete this challenge you need to run a 4 mile run every 4 hours over the space of 48 hours. When tallied up this totals just shy of running 2 marathons in 2 days. I have run a couple of marathons now but I always needed a lot of recovery time afterwards. Now I'm not going to be able to rest as I'll be running every 4 hours without any real break. If you hadn't realised this challenge doesn't pause during night time, it really is every 4 hours no matter what. I'll therefore be on broken sleep and cranky as I aim to make it through each of the 12 runs. I've also worked out that I should burn around 6,000 calories over the 48 hours so I'll be sure to fuel myself up on lots of snacks!
When Am I Doing The 4x4x48 Challenge
I will be taking part in the 4x4x48 challenge from 6pm on Friday 1st of March until 2pm on Sunday 3rd of March. I will be doing this alongside my long time friend Dave Hayes who will be doing this challenge for his third consecutive year in a row.
Come Join in With Us!
Me and Dave are encouraging as many people as possible to come join in and do one of the runs with us. Remember the full challenge is to do all 12 runs but we'd appreciate having friends/family come over even if it is to run just 1 of them. 4 miles is just under 6.5km so if you fancy doing one of these with us then feel free to just turn up and give it a go. We will be meeting at the Co-Op in Little Paxton at the start times which can be seen below.
- Run 1 - 18:00pm - 1st March
- Run 2 - 22:00pm - 1st March
- Run 3 - 2:00am - 2nd March
- Run 4 - 6:00am - 2nd March
- Run 5 - 10:00am - 2nd March
- Run 6 - 14:00pm - 2nd March
- Run 7 - 18:00pm - 2nd March
- Run 8 - 22:00pm - 2nd March
- Run 9 - 2:00am - 3rd March
- Run 10 - 6:00am - 3rdMarch
- Run 11 - 10:00am - 3rd March
- Run 12 - 14:00pm - 3rd March
You can let me or Dave know in advance if you plan on coming to a run or feel free to just turn up spur of the moment.
Final Thoughts
For so long I've wanted to get an indoor skate park for our area. I strongly believe it will benefit the community in so many different ways. Whether you find me attempting this feat impressive or if you think I'm a mad man, I'd still ask for you to donate to help towards this cause. Here's hoping I can complete the challenge in one piece!