Manika Gamble – Racing 155-Mile Desert Ultras & Chasing Bold Adventures

In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we meet Manika Gamble — an Atlanta-based trail runner who thrives on testing her limits in some of the world's toughest ultra races. Manika's running journey started with casual neighbourhood runs, but soon she found herself racing 155-mile desert ultras in Africa, tackling Mongolia's Gobi March, and pushing through multi-stage, extreme endurance events. She shares the highs, the lows, and the mental grit it takes to keep moving when every muscle is screaming. We dive into: Training by feel, without a watch or GPS Fueling, hydration, and surviving the desert heat Coping with pain, blisters, and fatigue without relying on painkillers Recovery strategies, sleep, and balancing life with training The mental challenges of multi-day ultra races Staying motivated and tackling new adventures outside your comfort zone Manika's message is simple: don't let fear hold you back. Find what excites you, lean in, and see what you're capable of. ***  New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.  Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.  Your support makes a difference.  Thank you x *** Show notes Who is Manika Being based out of Atlanta, USA  Trail Runner Currently training for a race our in Morocco Running every since she was a child but being new to long distance running Always being an active child  Going out for the track team and how it became her whole life Focusing on 100 m and 400 m hurdles Wanting to run further Dreaming of the day she would be able to run casually  Starting with 20 min runs throughout the neighbourhood  Signing up for more and more races from 5k, up to Marathon distance  Deciding to take on an ultra race  Seeing a YouTube video of a man running in Namibia, Africa  Signing up for the race and giving herself a 1 year time line to train for  The running logistics and what her training looked like  Being a laidback person when it comes to a training schedule  Not running with a watch or gps tracking device  Training based on feel and time  Leaning about fuelling and nutrition and how to manage herself in the desert Carrying everything she needed on her back for 7 days while running through the desert Learning how to hydrate probably  What worked well nutrition wise while racing  Using Tailwind Powder  The mental and emotional side of the challenge Why it was so tough  Why it was such a beautiful race  Issues with her feet and dealing with blisters  Dealing with pain and not being able to block it out  Not being able to take pain medication - due to the heat and potential damage to organs  Telling herself - you're not going to stop  Trying to divert her mind from the pain  Camp life  Finishing the race and the thoughts running through her head  Never Again…. Sprinting V Longer Races What does recovery look like? Incorporating creatine into her diet, resting more, prioritising sleep and taking on less races  Taking 5g of creatine in the morning, and 5g in the evening Taking other supplements, Magnesium, potassium and starting to take athletic green in the future  Trying to have a well rounded diet based on feel with a focus on protein, fibre and carbs Trying the carnivore diet but not having the energy to run Waking at 4am - but staying in bed till 6am  Not napping during the day   Heading over to Mongolia to race the Gobi March (250km across the desert) Racing the Planet  Racing on green trails through the Mongolian Desert  Getting very tired of eating the same food day after day  How things changed mentally having done the Nambia Race previously  Getting bored of the green pastures - being ready for it to be over  Feeling mentally drained on her 2nd Ultra  Too much too soon? Racing in Mongolia only 6 weeks after Nambia  Racing the Planet - Grand Slam Challenge  Trying to raise funds to race an ultra in Antarctica ($14,100) Fitting training into her life and work  Having a pretty flexible schedule and stating to work with brand Using running as work  Stone Everest, Atlanta Challenge (May 16th & 17th)   Races for 2026 Training for a team relay 100k challenge  Running a Marathon in Morocco Running a 3 day stage race through Utah  How to connect with Manika on social media  Advice and top tips for other women who want to take on new challenges Outside of just do it  Don't allow fear to rule you Find something that intrigues you and go with that    Social Media Instagram: @manikaruns  Youtube: @ManikaRuns