A Beginner’s Guide to Running Marathons

So you want to run a marathon. Maybe you’ve been running for a while, and want to set a new goal for yourself. Or maybe you’ve never run more than a few feet at a time, and are looking for a challenge. Whatever your reason for wanting to run a marathon, we fully support it. But before you lace up your shoes and hit the ground running, there are a few things you should know about how to get started. To best prepare yourself, we asked marathoner and Ultra runner Jeremy Miller to share his top tips on how he went from hating running to running a 52-mile ultramarathon and qualifying for the Boston Marathon. 

Don’t Be Afraid to be a Beginner

Just like with anything new – whether it’s a new hobby, exercise routine, or diet – everybody is a beginner at one point or another. Even marathoners like Miller started out with just one mile.

“I played sports growing up but always hated running. It was always used for punishment, so I naturally had a negative outlook on it,” Miller says of where his path to running began. 

“One random day while I was riding the Honolulu city bus to the University of Hawaii campus, I put on a Joe Rogan podcast episode with this guy named David Goggins. I had never heard of him before, but after I heard his voice and heard his story, I was instantly hooked. I binged every podcast and YouTube video I could find that featured Goggins. His story of running 100 miles with no training was so inspiring, and made me wonder what I was capable of,” Miller continues. 

“So I started running every day. Just one mile. I would run a half mile from my apartment as hard and as fast as I could. Then I would turn around and come back. I would try to set a new personal best in the mile every single day. After I inevitably hit a plateau doing this, I realized if I wanted to run farther and faster, I needed a new strategy.” 

Learn & Experiment 

After realizing that his daily one-mile sprints weren’t going to be enough, Miller began “soaking in as much running information and content as possible, just trying to learn.” 

While this article is a great place to start, if you’re serious about becoming a marathoner or Ultra runner, you’re going to want to spend some time learning how to create an effective training plan and properly fuel your body. 

Miller says that he “attribute[s] a lot of my running success to strength training. I strength train 4-5 times per week with very intentional exercises that directly improve my running. Lots of single-leg exercises that promote stability and balance. I also train legs on the days that I have a big speed workout or long run, to help build muscular endurance.” 

In terms of diet, Miller “will stick to a low-carb, animal-based diet” when he’s not training for a marathon. His diet consists of “mostly meat, eggs, dairy, and fruit. This helps my body become fat-adapted, and efficient at running off fat stores,” he explains. 

When he is training, Miller “incorporates more carbs through things like sourdough bread, sweet potatoes, pasta, and dried fruit. The carbs are essential for shorter, faster distances like a half marathon or marathon, as opposed to an ultra. Because I train my body to be more fat-adapted in between races, when I do add in the carbs, it sort of acts like a turbo.” 

While this is what works for Miller, your body might be different. “I think people should experiment on their own. Everyone is unique and we all have different preferences, so just find what works best for you,” Miller says regarding nutrition. However, if you’d rather skip the research and get straight into it, you can also work with Miller, who will help create workout and nutrition strategies tailored to your needs. 

Get Your Mind Right 

Running is an intensely physical sport, but there’s also a large mental piece that goes along with running long distances like marathons and ultras. 

“I find that the longer the distance, the more mentally challenging it is,” Miller says. “A 50-mile race lasts roughly 12 hours, so you have to be present and focused for 12 hours straight.” 

To prepare himself and get into the right mindset, Miller “writes a prompt down in my journal. I ask myself: when it inevitably gets hard, and I want to quit, what will I tell myself?” 

The marathoner also says that he “finds that the reason a lot of people (myself included) quit races is because they don’t plan ahead for when that moment inevitably comes. If you can do some forward thinking and have an answer for yourself for those dark moments, I truly think we can get through anything. If there’s a will, there’s a way.” 

Another helpful tool that you can use at home is the cold plunge, which Miller uses daily. “I find that a cold plunge triggers the same fight-or-flight response that happens during a hard race. If I can be patient for just 2-3 minutes and endure an unbearable cold plunge, then I can endure a hard race. It’s all about patience and knowing that the discomfort isn’t going to last forever. At some point, it will end.” 

Equip Yourself with the Right Gear 

Just like with any sport or hobby, the right equipment can make (or break) your performance. From the right shoes to the right supplements, it’s important to make sure your gear is designed to help you succeed. 

While everyone is going to have a different preference, here are a few essential items that you should consider when picking out your running gear: 

• Running shoes
• Portable water bottles
• All-natural electrolyte mixes
• Running shorts

Running a marathon is a sizable goal, but one that’s easily achievable with the right equipment, training, and preparation. With Miller’s advice and a little bit of perseverance, you’ll be crushing those 26.2 miles (or even more!) in no time. 

Want more from Jeremy Miller? Follow him @jeremymille.r or work with him here. You can also listen to his podcast, check out his vlogs, or shop his favorite gear. 

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