Even Deb Anderson is amazed at what Zach Miller has accomplished as a distance runner.

The former Gilbert cross country coach said she knew Miller, a Gilbert High School graduate, loved running, but 50- and 100-mile races?

"I did not see him running 50- and 100-mile marathons, but he was certainly a person that loved running," Anderson said. "He has twin daughters, and I guess he puts them in a little burley and runs with them. He was certainly a person that loved running."

Miller graduated from Gilbert in 1994. His greatest accomplishment as a high school runner was winning the 3,200-meter run at the state track meet as a senior. His time was 9 minutes, 46.15 seconds.

"He was strong, determined, motivated to do his best," Anderson said. "He was a good leader and a member of the team. He always kept his guys fired up and ready to run their best."

Following high school, Miller attended Luther College in Decorah and although he said he did "pretty well," is career was hampered by injuries, and he left the sport for a few years. He's back now and running long, long distances.

"I always enjoyed doing it, just the training and not so much the competition," said Miller, who is working toward his doctorate at the University of Michigan. "I was just getting out and seeing how far I could go before my body would kick out on me."

Miller spent some time in Utah, working for a lot of different universities and doing a lot of different jobs. While there, he got the urge to run again.

"Trails out west are a lot longer than they are in McFarland Park so I was able to get a lot further away from home and run a lot further, and I just started running these longer races," Miller said.

The longer races Miller runs are known as ultra-marathons.

"Anything that is longer than a marathon is an ultra-marathon," Miller said. "Usually that's 60K (31 miles), but there are 60-mile races, 100K (62 miles) races and then 100-mile races are the typical lengths. The races are usually run on trails as opposed to roadways used for regular marathons.

"The other thing that got me into it is the trails being a lot easier on the legs and are usually well-marked trails. I could run and not get injured. The people who run the races do a lot of work so you're not running one step extra. When you're running 50 miles, you don't want to do even an extra quarter mile."

Miller said a distance runner's body gradually adapts to the longer distance races and that mentally he had to get used to running on tired legs.

"I'll go out and run for three to five hours at a time every few weeks or once a week," Miller said. "If you eat and drink a lot while you're running, you can sort of stave of that tired feeling, and I'll usually just drink and try not to eat anything.

"Mentally and physically, it's more challenging in a shorter amount of time so when I get to a race, and I'm eating I feel a ton better and it seems to work."

Miller's first ultra-marathon was theMidnight Mountain 50K in Preston, Idaho, in 2001. He won the race and set a new course record in the process. He since has competed in 10 ultra-marathons, winning seven and placing second in three others.

One of his most recent victories came at the Mountain Masochist Trail Run 50 miler in Lynchburg, Va. As a result of his victory, he was featured on the cover of the January-February issue of Ultramarathon Magazine.

"They're pretty competitive," Miller said of the races. "A lot of people who were competitive in college and ran a few marathons, did well and are looking for the next challenge.

"It's certainly a physical challenge, but also a psychological and mental challenge. It's a real nice group of people, lot of college professors and well-educated folks.

"A big challenge is that it's a mental challenge to keep your body functioning well and learning what you need to do to keep running at a good pace, keeping hydrated and keeping the calories up is a big part of that. I'll take a bottle and try to refill it.

The prizes for winning ultra-marathons aren't what they for those who win nationally-known marathons. Miller's prizes have included engraved gold mining pens, a giant clock with an airbrushed wolf on it and a giant block of granite with a metal runner affixed to the top.

"Ultra-marathons tend to attract eccentric people and are run by eccentric people, so the trophies are often eccentric," Miller said, adding that the monetary prize for winning is often less than $500.

Miller seldom runs more than two or three ultra-marathons a year, but he is hoping to run three this spring, culminating in a 100-mile event in California in June. The race caps a series of races put on by a shoe company and a couple of outdoor companies.

A victory in California would earn Miller national recognition as one of the top ultra-marathon runners in the country.

"I've beaten a lot of the guys who have won it in the past at individual races, so I want to try to give it a shot before I get too old," Miller said, adding that the monetary prize is around $2,500.

While in Utah, Miller said he decided he needed to do something with his life. As a result, he is now at the University of Michigan studying ecology and the evolution of plant disease and how play diseases evolve. He hopes to eventually become a college professor.

And, of course, he plans to continue running ultra-marathons as long as he can.

Miller and his wife, Amanda, whom he met in Washington, D.C., are the parents of twin daughters, Sylvia and Elsa. His family usually accompanies him to races and provides him with water bottles at various distances during the race.

"My wife is out there handing me bottles of water and enjoying the races and dragging our twin girls along," Miller said.

Dick Kelly can be reached at 232-2161, Ext. 355, or dkelly@amestrib.com.