Runner + Lifestyle Influencer

Sara Gomer

RUNNER | IG: @RUN4LIFE1989

 

Running for life means so much to our featured runner. Sara has been running since the Spring of 2010. Her first race was RiverRun 5K, a local competition in Iowa City. Sara started training with a group of runners provided by the race. That spring, she made a conscious decision to face her fears. One of the many ways we can live our lives every day. After completing her first race in April 2010, she fell in love with running. She ran more races. She ran races for causes, which was very humbling for her. Sara ran because she was making healthier choices, and that's when she began to Run 4 Life.

 

One of the most challenging races to complete is a marathon. That's because it's 26.2 miles long. It took until 1967 for the first woman to ever run the Boston Marathon because people thought women weren't physiologically able to run that long. This distance is even called a marathon because Pheidippides ran from the city Marathon to Athens and died of exhaustion. He was running until he lost his life.

 

In January 2016, Sara ran her first marathon for her favorite cause, the University of Iowa Dance Marathon. She ran every mile for a child affected by cancer and raised more than 1,000 dollars. The simple message of the marathon program was that running for the kids was less painful than going through chemotherapy, cancer diagnosis, and treatment. This message: for the kids was her mantra that got her through the miles. Each step towards the finish line showed her the meaning of how running for life could transcend her.  Running for someone that had their life taken by cancer was heart-wrenching and honorable, remembering those that inspired her to live her life to its fullest. Finishing her first marathon was the beginning of the Run 4 Life movement. That marathon tested Sara because she broke bones, hurt, walked, and ran, but ultimately finished. The injuries made her reflect. She wanted to love long-distance running, but her training methods weren't sustainable. After healing, Sara once again started running a shorter long distance. She ran half marathons, and a few more injuries occurred, but she persevered. She needed to figure out how to run to sustain her life and fulfill her life running. 

 

The transition from running her long-distance races for a cause to running for her life felt selfish and different. However, if Sara kept training the way she had been, she wouldn't be able to sustain her training for the lifestyle choices she wanted. She knew that every time she laced up her shoes in the morning and went on a run in the morning, she felt free and alive. In the summer of 2018, she decided she once again wanted to start training for a long-distance race, differently this time. She wanted to train with: the intentions of eating healthy, mindfulness, and yoga, but with the overarching idea that she would enjoy running. She started making the most out of her runs through photography and enjoying nature. At first, she started with the most accessible photos- selfies. However, she wanted to show people how they could run the world and enjoy every minute. She changed her photography style and focused on capturing the places she ran and the little things that made runs enjoyable, whether a mantra, shirt, or National Taco Day. She was Running 4 life!

 

Sara is still grateful for the friends and the cause that helped her push through her first marathon, but today she enjoys running so much more because she has a great coach and great friends by her side, motivating her to do her best. Currently, she is training for her fifth marathon- the NYC Marathon as a support runner for Maria Gomer. Instead of reaching the finish line, she's running to enjoy the ups and downs of the mile she's in and the process of the end goal. She's excited to share her story as she runs for her life stronger than ever! 

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