Ultra-runner: Westfield man first in state to try to complete 600-plus mile run

0

If all goes as planned, on Sept. 13 Jeremy Miller will have completed two-thirds of a Triple Crown, which totals 645.8 miles of running. For ultra-running, participants have 100 hours to complete 205-mile runs. Miller will attempt to complete three of these runs.

Miller’s first race was Aug. 11-15, when he ran 205 miles during the Bigfoot 200 Endurance Run in Washington. He’s now competing in the Tahoe 200 Endurance Run, which also is 205 miles. It starts and ends in Homewood, Calif.

Miller’s last run in the Triple Crown is the Moab 200 Endurance Run, which begins and ends in Moab, Utah. It is 235 miles.

If he completes each event, Miller said he will be the first Indiana resident to attempt and complete a Triple Crown.

“A lot can happen in 200 miles,” said Miller, a 47-year-old Westfield resident. “It is a long process. You almost experience your lifetime in one day. You go through every emotion you can think of – the ups and downs, periods where you’re like, ‘Should I be here?’ and ‘What was I thinking?’ So turning that into a 100-hour event compounds that immensely, and now you’ve got to work on having sleep, fuel has to be there, your feet get messed up.”

Miller said during his first leg of the Triple Crown, he averaged approximately 1-1/2 hours of sleep a day. He finished the race with only two hours left.

Prior to the 200-mile runs, Miller competed in a 100-mile run, where he made the cut-off time,  and another 100-mile run where he completed the race but missed the cut-off.

“Everything is kind of a blur after awhile,” he said of the races. “It’s interesting. You really have to find out if you really want to complete it or not, because if you don’t really want to there’s many reasons why you could quit.”

Miller’s biggest obstacle prior to each race is training. He owns multiple companies, so finding time during the week to put in extensive training mileage is difficult.

“The most I did in one week (of training) was 140 miles. Every other week was 50 or 70 miles. I tried to hit the stairs whenever I could because there’s a lot of elevation gain (during the runs),  so (you’re) climbing up the trails of the mountains all the time,” Miller said. “On these runs, they’re called runs, but there’s a lot of hiking involved, and unless you’re an elite runner, then you can run it all. But it’s very tough for somebody who doesn’t do it all the time. There’s a fair amount of hiking that happens, for sure.”

The program putting on the 200-mile-plus trifecta is Destination Trails, directed by Candice Burt. Current in Westfield was unable to reach Burt because she is working onsite the Tahoe 200.

To track Miller’s process during his current race, visit tahoe200.com. To track him during his Oct. 13-17 race, visit moab200.com.

Meet Jeremy Miller

Lives: Westfield

Age: 47

Works: Miller served in two war zones – Somalia in 1993 and Afghanistan in 2009 with the United States Army Special Forces. He co-owns Appeal Taxes Now, is a real estate broker and more.

Nonprofit: Founded Vets in Houses this year, which helps provide housing for in-need, homeless veterans.

“I want to show them (my daughters) it doesn’t matter how old you are, you should go after everything you want and give it everything you’ve got, and I hope they get that out of this,” Miller said.


Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Share.

Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact