Go from Couch to Marathon (& Beyond) in 6 Months

Don’t buy a course or a coach. Just read below

Everyone can & should run an ultra at least once. 2024 is your shot

In August of 2018 I was 260 pounds. 5 months later I was 200, but still out of shape, so I started running

‍

‍

4 months later I ran my first race ever, a marathon in 3:51.

1 month later I ran an ultra marathon, finishing in the top 20%.

2 months after that I won my first ultramarathon, a 9 hour summer race at night. The most 3.2 mile trail laps in 9 hours wins. I did 15.

‍

I went on to run 12 more, setting course records and winning 3 of them.

I also set fastest known time records on 3 more trails ranging from 42 to 139 miles.

If my formerly fat self can do it, you can do it, so let’s cut the chit chat and get to the meat of it.

‍

First off, I wrestled in high school and that’s it. I made it to states and then bombed.

That’s my whole athletic “career.” I’m built more like an offensive lineman or tight end than a runner. I just don't quit.

‍

Step 1:

Lose the excess weight. Ounces = pounds and pounds = pain. How did I lose weight? Strict keto.

There’s only one way to do it right, and it works gloriously. I'll save you many many hours of research, trial and error.

- Under 20g of net carbs per day

- Track EVERYTHING in an app called Cronometer

- No processed crap. If it comes in plastic and/or has the word keto on it, you don’t want it. Eat real foods as much as possible.

‍

In the beginning anything you eat will cause you to lose weight, but not so fast my friend. If you eat processed keto foods it’s only a matter of time before your progress stalls.

- Here’s what you eat:

Eggs
Almonds
Cheese
Avocados
Butter
Meat
Big salads with homemade vinaigrette

‍

Forget the keto tortillas and keto bread. All of it. Whole foods only.

No diet sodas either.

Most sweeteners are as bad if not worse than sugar and trigger an insulin response and knock you out of ketosis.

‍

Oh, I almost forgot; Ketosis = keto = your body burns stored fat for fuel instead of carbs. Pretty cool, huh?

Measure and track the lettuce, the lemon, the tomatoes, everything.

Almost everything has carbs, even eggs. Don’t assume it doesn’t.

Cheat day? Once a month at MOST, or never. Or you are the all or nothing type, then never.

‍

The first few days will be hard.

The next few weeks will also be hard.

Once your body is used to running on fat for fuel it gets much, much, much easier.

In fact it feels like a cheat code. You are always full and have amazing energy and mental clarity.

‍

DON’T SKIP YOUR ELECTROLYTES.

‍

Buy some Mio water flavoring and Lite Salt and make your own Ketoade mixture. That should be the only processed thing you ingest.

Those electrolytes will help you feel good and have energy. If you feel like crap, that’s probably why.

You just gotta get over that hump first.

Yeah you can work out, but you will struggle with energy at first. Diets are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

Working out is for step 2.

‍

Step 2:

Start running/walking with a low heart rate.

Google the phrase “want speed slow down” and read that top article 3x. That’s your bible. Do exactly that guide with a smart watch. Phil Maffetone is your coach.

Take your age and subtract from 180 and that’s your max heart rate while running.

‍

At first you will only be walking and feel like an idiot. That’s ok. Pride is the enemy to weight loss so set it aside. Make your Strava private.

You’ll slowly cover more ground in the same amount of time with the same effort. It’s amazing.

‍

Also, you might even start to like it. If you don’t, that’s ok, because we want to do things we hate.

Also google “Hal Higdon novice marathon training plan” and follow that to a T.

‍

Don’t worry about your time, ONLY worry about your heart rate.

That article completely changed the game for me. It’s another cheat code. Low heart rate running will:

- Make you love running
- Prevent injury
- Help you go much further

‍

Find a half or a full marathon 4 months out and pay for it.

Now you are pot committed. You’re going to either run or walk it, but you’re gonna do it.

‍

Step 3:

Learn what to eat during long runs.

You MUST pound electrolytes

Sodium
Potassium
Magnesium

‍

And you MUST eat calories before and during long runs or you’ll bonk. You’ll hit the wall. You’ll feel like crap.

What should you eat? It doesn’t really matter, but you have to test a bunch to see what works for you.

‍

When the furnace burns hot it doesn’t care what you throw in it.

You wanna eat all the crap you avoided during your diet. Gummy bears, Coke and Pringles are my go-tos.

‍

Here's me crushing Pringles mid-race. No stopping necessary.

‍

It’s ok, I’m ready for the hate in the comments. This stuff worked for me, but not for everyone. I tried all the healthy stuff too.

There’s a reason all the aid stations have M&Ms, quesadillas and chips.

You can buy the Gu packets to feel cool, but it’s just processed garbage too. Except it makes you want to puke.

Potatoes are great. Bananas are great. Just make sure you like the taste, it’s processed and it's carby.

You can do real, whole foods while running, I just didn't.

‍

Step 4:

Run the race.

Here are two ultrarunning secrets:

‍

1. There’s a lot of walking

2. A half marathon (13 miles) is about as hard as a 50k (31 miles)

‍

Don’t be afraid to walk a little.

After 10, 13, 20 miles it all kinda hurts. For 31 miles it just hurts longer.

And the difference between 31 and 100 miles? Yeah, it’s all about the same, just a few more hours on your feet.

It’s like a frog in a pot of boiling water. It’s a different kind of pain. There’s cut your finger with a knife pain, and then there’s the long, drawn out torture of an ultra marathon.

‍

Oh, you’ll probably want really squishy shoes. I love VaporFlys and Hokas. My feet always hurt more than anything else.

Go run and/or run/walk your half or full marathon and be sure to finish.

Unless you can see a bone sticking out or you start peeing brown, you should probably finish. Also, if you aren’t peeing, keep drinking.

‍

Step 5:

Register for an ultra, preferably a 50k on trail, the shortest ultra distance.

This is the same deal as the race before. The most important part is:

Your mind
Your nutrition

Not even your training.

‍

Yes, you need a mileage base built. Yes, you need your heart rate to be trained.

But I ran 100 milers on 25 miles/week of training and performed even better than 100 milers that I trained 50 miles/week on.

Once your mind and nutrition is dialed in and your base is built, you can tackle anything.

You know how they say “It’s 90% mental.” Well, because it is.

Ultra runners that place 1st often average an 11-15 minute pace over 50-100 miles. That’s not very fast. You just have to keep moving.

‍

Tips for finishing strong:

Lie to yourself while you run. You heard me, lie to yourself.

Know what I tell myself when I’m hurting?

“You’re fine. You feel great. Everything is fine. It’s almost done. You’ve got this.”

Once your mind goes negative your body will follow.

‍

An ultra is amazing because you’ll feel terrible at mile 42 but amazing at mile 94.

And vice versa. It’s a rollercoaster. Just because it hurts at mile 37 doesn’t mean it’ll only keep hurting worse until the end.

Eat before you’re hungry and drink before you’re thirsty. That’s the big secret.

‍

Walk the uphills and run the downhills. Alternate on the flats based on how you feel.

Don’t stop. The longer you stop and rest the harder it is to keep going.

Take less than a minute at aid stations.

‍

JUST. KEEP. MOVING. And you’ll pass people. Even if you’re walking a ton. It feels amazing.

Run on trails whenever possible. Cement is 50x harder than trails. It hurts.

When mountain biking you never want your eyes to wander off the trail, because that's where your front tire will go. That’s how you hit a tree.

‍

The same is true with your thoughts.

Your thoughts control your body and how you feel.

Don’t dwell on the pain. Think happy thoughts. Tell yourself you’re fine, because you are.

Your mind will want to tell your body to stop and to quit, that you might be injured.

If you’re taking in your calories and electrolytes, you are fine.

‍

Yes, don't be stupid. Yes, listen to your body. But also know your body will lie to you. Learn to tell the difference. You can do this.

I’ve never quit a race I started.

‍

You will be so freaking proud of yourself when you’re done. You’ll realize that you are only tapping into 3% of your potential. You’ll tell yourself at the finish line that you’ll never do it again, but 24 hours you’ll be looking up races.

‍

You’ll become a better parent, business owner or employee.

You’ll do the dishes more. You’ll work harder. You’ll be happier. It will change your life.

You don’t need a life coach, weed or a vacation, you need to do something really freaking hard that seems impossible.

‍

Ultra Running completely changed my life, and it can change yours, too.

There will be commenters below that disagree with some of this advice, but that’s ok. They’ll say if you hurt then stop and drop out.

But they’re saying that because it’s what they did and they don't want to feel regret.

‍

This is just what I did, and we teach what we’ve experienced, right?

‍

I’ve never heard of anyone that caused irreversible harm by finishing an ultra that they should have dropped out of, but I’ve met many, many runners that regret quitting a race early.

‍

Don’t do it.

‍

This is my experience, but it’s not for everyone. You may find a different path, but this worked for me.

I will never be a fitness influencer, but I am a fan of watching people accomplish awesome feats.

If you want more running content, I’m probably not your guy. Ultra running stories and life lessons will pop up very occasionally.

‍

But if you want startup content, I am your guy - @mhp_guy

Thanks for reading and happy trails.

Here's a picture of a horse I took on mile 132, after 34 hours of straight running when I was hallucinating pretty bad.

I took the picture to see later if it were real or not.

‍

Also, my wife has run 3 ultras, including two 100ks, and she's never played a sport in here life. She's just tough.

You can do it, too.

‍

‍