Interview with Zoila Gomez

By Pat Goodwin

On July 27, Zoila Gomez, 29, will make her second appearance at the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE. Since she last ran on the streets of New York City, she was a member of the U.S. women’s marathon team at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka. In January, she placed ninth at the USA Half-Marathon Championships in Houston in a personal best time of 1:13:11. And then on April 20, in the most memorable race of her career so far, Gomez finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon in Boston in another personal best time of 2:33:53. The Trials was her fifth marathon.

Gomez was born in Mexico and lived in Charcas at altitude (2000 meters) in San Luis Potosi. One of 16 children, she came to the U.S. at age 16 to attend high school in Costa Mesa, CA. She attended Orange Coast Community College in CA, before transferring to Adams State in Alamosa, CO. At Adams State, Gomez was an 11-time All-American and a six-time NCAA Division II national champion at distances ranging from the indoor mile to the outdoor 10,000 meters.

Still training in Alamosa with her college coach, Damon Martin, Gomez became a U.S. citizen in 2005. She made her 26.2-mile debut at the ING New York City Marathon in 2005; she placed third in the U.S. Women’s Marathon Championship at Twin Cities in 2006; and ran Boston in 2007. She plans to run her sixth marathon this fall.

New York Road Runners: What brings you back to the NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE?
Zoila Gomez: In general, the whole event is amazing. Last year from the very moment I stepped into the hotel I sensed this very positive vibe in the air. My roommate was also an athlete from Mexico, Madai Perez. We really got along well. We were goofing around the whole weekend like we knew each other for years.

NYRR: What did you think about the international field at the race last year?
ZG: It was a really nice international field. All the athletes were extremely humble and grateful for their talents. They were all generally positive and on top of it all, they run fast. Some of the best athletes in the world compete at the NYC Half. Even though it is a half-marathon distance, it doesn’t feel like it because it goes by so fast.

NYRR: You had a great race at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon in April, running a personal best of 2:33:53 and placing fourth. But was it disappointing to be so close to making the Olympic team?
ZG: Right after the race I was extremely happy and grateful that I was so close to being in the top three. I had such a great race. Then it hit me at the banquet when I saw the picture of the three who made the team that I was almost there. At the same time when I thought that, I did think it was okay. I was able to enjoy the moment of what I had accomplished. It was a huge step for me. You learn from each race and I will be aiming to make the marathon team in 2012.

NYRR: What was your strategy at the Trials?
ZG: My strategy was to stay with the biggest group of runners. My coach and I thought there were going to be three groups but it turned out there was only one. I was going to stay with the second group and be more conservative. I always thought that if there was a first group, that at least one or two would come back. That didn’t happen and I just stayed with the main group. The pace was slow but I remembered what happened at the Boston Marathon [where she left the pack at mile two and ran by herself] and I said to myself ‘I am staying here with this group.’ I was able to evaluate everything that was happening. I remember that I carried my water bottle with me for one-half mile after one of the water stations. I thought, the more liquids I could drink, the more energy I would have in the last two miles.

NYRR: The race developed differently than you had thought, yet you were able to respond to the developments quite well. Can you describe what you were thinking during the race?
ZG: In real life, you make decisions every day, whether it is a good decision or a bad one. During the marathon I was very conscious about the outcome of the decisions I was making. The things that I have learned in the past during my marathons allowed me to execute and make good decisions throughout the race. But there’s one thing I still need to work on?that’s my blisters. I haven’t been able to control those.

NYRR: Did you develop blisters during the Trials marathon?
ZG: Yes, I got a blister at about mile 20 and some hot spots. And I thought, ‘Now you have to make a decision ?either you focus on the hot spots and blisters, or keep pounding and see what happens.’ I decided to move on, so I was able to get the blisters out of my mind. My focus was on the race and on moving up. It was by far the best marathon that I have run in terms of making decisions and putting everything together.

NYRR: You moved up to the marathon shortly after you finished your eligibility at Adams State. What made you decide that the marathon would be a good distance for you?
ZG: I came to Alamosa as a transfer student, but I had four full seasons of indoor track eligibility because my junior college didn't have an indoor track team. My last season ended in June 2004, and when I finished up my eligibility I began to prepare for a marathon. I had improved so much in the shorter distances and in 2003, my coach and I had noticed how much I really enjoyed the long runs. We actually had the first talk about doing a marathon in the fall of 2003. My coach said, ‘It will be so much fun. Just explore the marathon and see what you find.’

NYRR: You made your debut in the marathon at the ING New York City Marathon 2005. How did that go for you?
ZG: My coach told me it was a difficult course. So to prepare, on Wednesdays I would drive to the mountains for a workout because I needed to do hills, and I live in a totally flat valley. When I got to New York, I was extremely happy and overwhelmed by the amount of people who were there, and by the way New York Road Runners treat professional athletes. I had trained hard and put in a lot of miles so I was very confident. But I ran it all by myself. During the race you don’t think about it and you focus on every mile; you don’t analyze what is going on. Afterwards, I thought, ‘I cannot believe I ran 26.2 miles by myself.’ It was a hard course and I missed my water at mile 16, which played a role in how I did. I wanted to finish the race and I did in 2:41:43.

NYRR: Tell me about your training environment.
ZG: I train at altitude. Alamosa is at 7,500 feet. When I go to sea level, I feel the opposite of what people feel when they come up to altitude. I feel sluggish for a day or two. When I’m in Alamosa, most of the time I train by myself. When the Adams State team is here, I try to run with them and meet up with them whenever the schedule allows it. On long runs, I hang out with the boys. My coach was Joe Vigil’s assistant when Vigil was coaching at Adams State. They are still in touch.

NYRR: I read that you were pursuing your master’s degree in counselor education at Adams State. Are you just about finished?
ZG: I’m glad you asked that. Actually I had to stop work on my master’s degree. I loved the counseling program but I really wanted to be a good runner. I could notice in my break after my first marathon in New York how much my work improved in school. I only did a semester and then had to make a decision about what I wanted, and it was either one or the other. When I told my professors that I needed to put my master’s program on hold, I was in tears. I plan to go back to it. It is one of my future goals.

NYRR: You come from a very large family of 16 children. Do you see them very often?
ZG: Two of my sisters are in Alamosa and we are roommates. Then I have four siblings in California, one in Texas, and the rest are in Mexico along with my mom. The last time I went to Mexico it was after Boston in April. I have been trying to make my way there after a marathon because that is when I have a break. I am planning on going this year after my fall marathon.

NYRR: What do you like to do besides running?
ZG: I love talking to my mom on the phone, and I like to read inspirational books and motivational stories. I also do speaking engagements. I am part of an organization where our goal is to reach as many young kids as we can. I go into the schools.

NYRR: So the plan is to aim for the marathon Trials in 2012?
ZG: Yes. In 2009, I think I will go back to shorter distances and get my speed back and try to improve. I want to make sure that when the next Olympic Trials comes around, I will be ready.

Interview conducted July 18, 2008, and posted on July 23, 2008.