We did it!
Thirteen runs, four miles, every four hours for 48 hours: one extra run this time because of the clock change. It was my second Goggins Challenge, and Neil’s first full one (but he’d already ran 8 out of 12 runs with me back in May so he knew what he was getting in).
Compared to the one in May, this one was colder, darker, muddier, and mentally harder. Nine of the thirteen runs were in the dark, and the temperature dropped to around 2 to 3°C overnight. The first two runs were in pouring rain.
But it was also one of the most memorable weekends, thanks to the people who joined, the community that cheered us on, and the cause we ran for.
💜 Running for Hope
Neil and I organised and completed this challenge as a self-supported fundraiser in aid of The Lily Foundation, which supports families affected by mitochondrial disease, who are facing challenges most of us will never fully understand. We ran it for #TeamHope. In honour of Hope, our friend Caroline’s daughter, and for all the children like her living with this rare condition.
Together, so far we’ve raised £957, double our combined targets. The generosity and encouragement from friends, family, and fellow runners was overwhelming (in a good way).
We even got a mention in the Swindon Link Magazine and the Seven Fields parkrun report, which felt like a lovely nod to everyone involved.
The runs
Friday
6:00pm – Run 1
10:00pm – Run 2
Saturday
2:00am – Run 3
6:00am – Run 4
The exception: 9:00am – Run 5 (@ Seven Fields parkrun + 1 mile)
2:00pm – Run 6
6:00pm – Run 7
10:00pm – Run 8
Sunday
2:00am – Run 9
2:00am – Run 10
6:00am – Run 11
10:00am – Run 12
2:00pm – Run 13
The route
Apart from the 09:00 Saturday run which was Seven Fields parkrun, we started from the Orbital shopping park and did the same 4 mile route all weekend.
🏃♀️ The Stats
Here’s what 48 hours of running looked like for me:
- 13 runs completed
- Total distance (each): 85.73 km / 53.27 miles
- Average run duration: 50 minutes (all run lasted between 44 and 54 minutes)
- Average heart rate: 134 bpm
- Total calories burned: 6,082 kcal
- Sleep: about 8h50 in total, spread across nine naps
- Recovery: six yoga or stretch sessions between runs
💬 Most asked questions
🗓 How do you prepare for it?
I planned all the elements I could control.
Knowing the start times, I planned when to eat, when to stretch and when to rest. Then adapt.
I had to adapt for example after the 18:00 run on Saturday as my eldest child needed a lift to a friend’s house 14 miles away. I didn’t stretch nor sleep after that run, but I made a protein smoothie to have on the way to get my recovery fuel in.
My tip? Make it a routine: each run followed the same rhythm: run, stretch, refuel, wash, nap, repeat.
The only exception was the 02:00 runs (BST + GMT) where we ran back to back so no time to stretch or go home to refuel. For nutrition, a gel did the job in between runs.
🧺 Laundry
One of the most recurring questions I get is how do you cope with your running kit? Do you have to have a lot ready?
I had 4 main running outfits. I used a simple “wear one, wash and dry two” kit rotation that worked perfectly for keeping me fresh(ish) through the weekend.
The hard part is when it rains or overnight with humidity, having to dry gloves and hat. Thankfully I also have a shoe drier for my running shoes which I’d only tried twice before. That worked well and helped between the first couple of runs. I used my trail running shoes on one of the runs and again at the SevenFields parkrun.
🧘 Recovery and movement
I added short yoga/mobility/foam rolling sessions between runs. I did 6 of them as sometimes I ended up prioritising sleep instead, usually lasting 7–16 minutes. Those little moments of stretching, breathing, and resetting helped enormously.
My legs stayed tight but functional, and it made the whole challenge feel more sustainable.
I only took painkiller (paracetamol) once, on Sunday morning before the 10am run and that was mostly because of the chaffing pain.
On Sunday evening after the challenge I went for a sauna session where I alternated cold baths and sauna for just over 1h. That really helps my recovery.
I was able to move without too much tightness on Monday morning, even up and down stairs.
I also had booked a sports massage with Cheryl from EH Sports Therapy and Massage for Monday lunchtime as Kev was on holiday. Cheryl was great! Highly recommended if you ever attempt this sort of madness!
🍲 Food and fuel
Another recurring question is “what do you eat”? and “do you have time to cook?”
Meal prep made everything easier. I kept things simple:
- Rice and veg pots, overnight oats, or toast with peanut butter and banana for pre-run meals
- Protein smoothies with banana, pesto pasta with chicken, or scrambled eggs on toast for recovery
- Hydration with a lot of water and plenty of herbal tea
- I didn’t have any coffee
It wasn’t gourmet cuisine, but it worked.
🧠 The Hard bits
The 02:00 runs were the worst. When you’re exhausted, it’s cold and dark, and your brain is trying to convince you to stop, you really find out what mental toughness means. Having company and distraction for those early hours made all the difference.
There was a near-miss when I nodded off on the sofa before a run, without an alarm…thankfully I woke up in time!
Not a “hard bit” but a little-known fact: you can’t set alarms between 01:00 and 02:00 during the clock change from BST to GMT. They automatically shift forward by an hour…
On Saturday afternoon, Gem asked me to look after her car key…and I forgot and took it home! Her phone battery had run out so I couldn’t get in touch. Thankfully Neil drove the key back to Gem and all was fine! Phew.
That’s what happen when your brain is not working – don’t trust me 24h into a challenge!
The only real mishap was mine of the challenge… promising my work colleagues I’d wear a Wonder Woman outfit if I reached £500 in donations. I did… and soon regretted it when the shorts caused painful chafing from the 14:00 Saturday run onwards.
Every run after that hurt( a lot). Lesson learned!
📣 Special mentions
First of all I want to thank all who kindly donated to the Lily foundation on our fundraising pages. Such kindness and support was incredible!
Special-special mentions:
I wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t for Neil! This one was his idea, at a parkrun while chatting a few months ago…then I got onto planning mode.
Neil had just run a marathon the previous weekend and absolutely smashed this challenge – I seriously don’t know how he does it. After the challenge, as I went off to relax in a sauna and do nothing, Neil went off for a driving lesson with his girlfriend.
No rest – just grit. And he has a Half Marathon to run on Sunday!
Across the weekend, 29 people joined different runs. Seeing familiar faces appear at all hours gave every run its own spark of energy.
Gabriel ran 9 runs with us, but he also ran extra and his own runs when he couldn’t join so he’s completed the challenge too. Very impressed by his stamina and doing this with a young family and newborn makes it especially hard: Well done Gabriel!
A huge shoutout to Dennis, who we didn’t know before the weekend but who joined the challenge via Strava, and completed nine runs, completely solo, in horrible weather in Swansea. Absolute superstar 🌟
Next shoutout is for Caroline, who joined 9 of our runs. She’s incredible and I have learned a lot from Caroline – she kept us going with jeffing on the last runs too. I think she deserves an Allstars Allstar award!
Now I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone (if so, message me – my brain wasn’t always functioning and I relied on photos to remember some of this)…
James did 4 laps with us before going on holidays – fab support! Then Claire J, Iain, Julie and Thoko each did 3 runs with us. That’s 12 miles!
Andy, Davina, Jade, Jess, Sean, Vicky joined us for two runs each, and Claire H, Dionne, Gem, Gill, Hannah, Lorraine, Mark, Michelle, Nish, Rachel D, Tim, Vi and Yvette all joined us for a run. Thanks so much all!
And of course, a nod to our four-legged supporters: Mabel and Milo who joined a run each, and Percy at the start of at least 5 runs, bringing smiles on our faces every single time 🐾
Special prizes
The “reporter prize” goes to Gem and Jade for their brilliant photos and updates : they made our weekend look far more glamorous than it felt! Special thanks also to Andy and Claire J, who captured great moments along the way. My own photos were pretty dreadful, so I’m very grateful for theirs.
The “spy prize”, taking photos and videos when we didn’t expect them to even be there: Francesca & Lucia and then Andy B on Saturday night.
A “hug prize” goes to Rachel and George, who gave us much-needed warmth and energy before our last run of the challenge, having both completed a half marathon earlier that day and both got PBs.
And a heartfelt thank you to Claire H, Nicky S, Andrea, Danny, Umesh, Sam, Caroline, Nigel, Dionne, Davina, Kev and others who kept messaging encouragement through the tough hours; those small check-ins meant more than you can imagine.
💡 Lessons and takeaways
We learned (or confirmed) how important planning is, not just for logistics, but for peace of mind. Having meals prepped, sleep windows mapped out, and kit ready meant one less thing to think about when exhaustion set in.
Another tip is just company – whether is for cheering on, distraction from the discomfort, or someone to be there because our brain isn’t quite working…friends are the best!
The biggest learning this time was Jeffing (run/walk intervals). Caroline used (and then lent me) her Gymboss timer and suggested we try it, and honestly, it saved the day on Sunday. It helped maintain pace while managing fatigue, and I’ll definitely experiment with it more in training.
❤️ Gratitude and recovery
The support throughout the weekend (hugs, messages, surprise visits, running buddies, and donations) meant the world to both of us.
After the final run, five of us headed to the pub for a much-deserved hot chocolate, and I followed that by an outdoor sauna recovery session. It was the perfect way to end a cold, slightly sleep-deprived but deeply satisfying 48 hours.
We’ll probably need a few more days to fully recover, but our hearts (and legs) are full.
Clock Change Goggins Challenge: completed.
For Hope, for The Lily Foundation, and for everyone who helped us through the darker miles. Big love to all💗💜
