A man who's run 63 marathons shares the tips that got him his record time, from acupuncture to eating a fish-heavy diet

• Paul Sullivan, who has completed 63 marathons, achieved a personal best at the NYC marathon.
• Sullivan credits the help he got from Tom Brady's wellness program TB12 for his performance.

A veteran marathon runner achieved a personal record at the New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon in the span of three weeks, and credited instruction he got from Tom Brady's and Alex Guerrero's health and wellness program, TB12, for the achievement.

Sullivan said Brady even personally congratulated him after his record-breaking day in New York.

Paul Sullivan, who's completed 63 marathons since 1996, achieved his best career time at the NYC Marathon on November 3, completing the circuit in 3:15. This came just three weeks after Sullivan beat his personal record at the Boston Marathon on October 11 with a 3:20.

Sullivan shared some of his top tips with Insider, from diet to holistic treatments.

He tried Tom Brady's trick of using acupuncture before his big moment, and he says it paid off

This year, Sullivan changed up his routine by doing not one but two rounds of acupuncture one week before the marathon, per the instruction of his TB12 body coaches.

TB12, which was co-founded by Brady and his long-time body coach Alex Guerroro, is billed as a "holistic" lifestyle brand, which includes performance and recovery techniques like acupuncture and other types of natural theraputic recovery treatments like massage therapy, as well as stresses the importance for hydration, cognitive fitness, nutrition, and sleep.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical practice that involves inserting thin, solid, metallic needles into someone's back, and then activating them with electrical stimulation.

It's designed to stimulate the central nervous system, with the aim of releasing chemicals like endorphins, norepinephrine, and enkephalin into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. The release of those chemicals are believed to stimulate the body's natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.

"Things felt different from previous years," Sullivan told Insider. "Everything lined up, some days you got it and some days you don't. I had it in New York."

Sullivan said his heart rate didn't experience any of the usual spikes he has during the marathon — instead, it steadily increased as the marathon went on, which was his goal. He believes that was thanks to the extra acupuncture, which his coaches said would help regulate his blood flow for a "nearly perfect" performance.

Brady himself regularly uses acupuncture as part of his recovery routine from the physical toll of football — in his Facebook docuseries "Tom vs Time," he said acupuncture helped heal a gruesome hand wound in 2017 in time to lead the New England Patriots to Super Bowl 52.

Other former and current professional athletes have used acupuncture to treat pain and enhance recovery, including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Aaron Rodgers.

Like many runners, he eats lots of fish

Sullivan's diet is filled with nutrient-dense ingredients that are popular among runners for reducing inflammation and boosting the immune system.

For example, he eats plenty of Arctic Char, which has high levels of an antioxidant called astaxanthin, linked to lower levels of "bad" cholesterol. He also eats omega 3-rich salmon and haddock.

Sullivan pairs his protein with rice, for an energy boost, and iron-rich vegetables like spinach, beets, and peppers.

Sullivan takes his own steps to protect his body and maintain his longevity

In addition to TB12, Sullivan takes has practiced habits that maintain his body's condition and durability for marathons ever since he started.

Chafing is one of the more common complaints for men who run marathons. The friction that comes with clothes rubbing up and down against the skin for 23 miles can cause irritation and sometimes even blood wounds on the nipples and thighs.

Sullivan says he protects his body during every competition by using petroleum jelly.