First Marathon Story: "You Don't Have to Put a Period at the End of the Sentence": From Trauma to Trail Ultras w/ Mikaela Gomez

Taylor Sayles
Jun 22
3 min read

Podcast guest Maggie is interviewed by host Taylor Sayles

Mikaela is a mom of three toddlers and a Navy veteran. She lost herself after having three kids back-to-back, moving from Georgia to Colorado, and taking care of her family - she forgot to take care of herself. And in 2020, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that attacked her body, and worried that she would never be able to walk again.

She found ultra running through a creator on TikTok (Ghost Runner, @maddy_runs), and credits her with changing her life. The content inspired Mikaela to start moving again. She headed to Fleet Feet, and got a pair of running shoes, and went out the door.

Dealing with Trauma

Mikaela was inspired by how Maddy had learned to handle her trauma. Mikaela had dealt with her own, including losing her father and an uncle to suicide. Her father passed away when she was nine months pregnant, in Arizona, and she wasn't able to go out and help close out his affairs.

Nobody knew she was going through some of the heaviest times of her life. Maddy inspired Mikaela to tell her story, raise money for suicide awareness, and keep going.

Running the trails alone (dodging the occasional snake or deer) became Mikaela's peace. Time and pace didn't matter. But crossing the finish line of her first 10K completely blew her away. She hadn't been sure she could do it, but she was stronger than she thought she was.

Mikaela started a running challenge with Nerds Clusters for suicide awareness. Through that, she met a friend, Noelle, who invited her to run a 40-mile race in Arizona.

Healing Through 40 Miles

Mikaela had two months to prepare for 40 miles. At the beginning of March, she had also had breast reduction surgery, which cut down her training time to about six weeks. She had run a six hour trail marathon by herself before, but 40 miles was uncharted territory.

Mikaela committed to one long run per week, but was only able to get up to eight miles. But she was committed to finishing, even if she had to walk. Her goal was to show people that even when you're busy, exhausted, you've lost people in your life - it is not the end. Life is worth living.

Mikaela traveled by herself to the race. It was the longest she had ever left her children. It was supposed to be a 12-hour drive, but in the electric car she rented, it took 18 with charging. She arrived around 11 p.m., with a one-day buffer before the race, driving there the day that Rachel Entrekin crossed the finish line as the overall winner of the Cocodona 250.

Mikaela ran the first ten miles. She was determined to finish the race no matter what; so she pulled out her hiking poles and hiked the last 30 miles. Every step was painful, she was so tired, but the process was healing for her. Through the doubt, through the tears, through the pain, she thought of her dad. During the last ten miles, she called her mom, and talked to her through much of the last part of the race.

Coming out of the woods, the people of Flagstaff filled the streets, cheering her on. It was exactly what she needed to hear. Crossing the finish line was a party. People who didn't even know her were screaming and celebrating for her. It was an incredible experience (but she did immediately go to the aid tent for the many, many blisters on her feet).

Lessons Learned