by Hillary Saunders
A little backstory on me — I’ve always been an athlete. I’m a retired equestrian who rode for 26 years and competed professionally for most of them. I attended a private college for pre-veterinary medicine, and due to those student loans and deciding not to go to Vet School, I also joined the Army. I’m a combat veteran and was the first female in both my unit and my particular job.
Today, I work in one of the most rewarding fields possible: as an EMT helping those in my community. Soon, I’ll be attending paramedic school. I’m no stranger to hard work, dedication, and finding ways to adapt, overcome, and succeed — no matter what life throws at me.
I ran a lot in the Army and did half marathons often, even qualifying for the Fort Sill Army Ten-Miler Team (though I couldn’t go due to deployment). After getting out in 2020, I stopped running and riding competitively to heal from my injuries.
Earlier this year, I decided it was time to get back into running and joined Team FTC after meeting Coach Enoch on New Year’s Day at the Frank Shorter Mile. I scheduled a phone consult and signed up. When Enoch asked if I had any injuries, I said, “It would be less time-consuming to tell you what still works on me.” I’m not easy to coach and require adjustments due to my injuries. One of the many things that makes Coach Enoch the best coach in the world is that he has never doubted my ability to succeed, treats me like any other runner, and trusts my judgment on workouts and how far I can push myself — even if it makes him nervous.
In June of this year, I had a major health event that set me back. I was originally approached to write about that journey but decided, as a healthcare professional, that I didn’t want to risk misconstruing any ideas about pushing through medical issues. You should always listen to your body and your doctors — and never compare yourself to someone else’s experience. Because of that, I’m intentionally being vague here.
Not running or working out for that long made me severely depressed, especially after falling in love with running again and then learning that my return to speed work was highly unlikely. I messaged Enoch, quitting the team with an open invitation to return anytime in any capacity. At that point, I could barely walk across my house. I thought, “This is it. My life is no longer worth living. This is a horrible quality of life.” And it was — for someone who has always been an athlete.
Somehow, I stayed resilient. After a month and a half, I got the green light to return to activity at my own pace — but with restrictions and no speed work. I let Coach Enoch know the good news, but I couldn’t bring myself to do anything. I was too deep in my head. I worked and slept. That was my life inside the well of depression.
Enoch recognized this and told me to try walking a mile. I walked the mile. Then he said, “Do this every day for 10 days. If you get to 10, try for 100.” I thought, “This is stupid.” I was angry. I wanted to pick back up where I left off. All my progress, all my hard work — gone.
I wanted to quit so many times, but as the days went on, I felt more pressure not to. It would’ve been so easy to skip a day because of weather, exhaustion, or vacation. I’m often annoyed by my own resiliency.
It’s now been over 100 days since Enoch told me to walk a mile. If you follow me on Strava, you can see each day labeled Day __/100 = (workout). If you’re interested, I encourage you to go look at my progress and see how my attitude in the program changed over time. It never mattered how I got the mile — as long as I did. I’ve not only walked but also run, cycled, hiked, paddleboarded, and more. Doing at least a mile a day has become a habit I look forward to.
In October, I was cleared to return to speed work, rejoined the team, and am now training for my first ultramarathon — a 50K in December.
We are all a sum of our experiences. If we choose to quit because things get hard or complicated, we’ll never know what we’re capable of. In this season of gratitude, I’m so thankful for Coach Enoch — for believing in me and knowing, even after only a few months, that giving me a goal was exactly what I needed. He knew I couldn’t have a goal and not give it my all.
To quote a recent conversation about my fear of getting a DNF in my first ultra, Enoch said:
“And if not, what’s the worst case? DNF? Can you live with that? I can. Hard goals are fun, and we can learn to ‘fail’ while giving our best. That’s a win 100% of the time in my book.”
What a way to rein in the Holiday Season! The Tom Walker Half Marathon/5K Edition
by Luis Sordo Vieira
Our Tom Walker Half Marathon was a wild success! 339 runners laced up their shoes for the Half Marathon Distance and 97 runners ran the 5k on November 9th,
- Jestyn Roberts (Gainesville, Fl) won the male 13.1 miles category clocking in at 1:13:59. Cheyenne Leatham (Gainesville, Fl) won the 13.1 miles female category clocking in at 1:20:35. Enrisco Moresco (Gainesville, Fl) won the male 5K clocking in at 19:53 and Anuska Narayanan took the female 5K Category at 22:50. Despite a warm start, all runners had a chance to cool off with a finishing drink from First Mag! Now, if you dare, join us for the Mary Andrews Marathon/Half Marathon on January 17th, 2026!
Upcoming Events
FTC Jingle Belll 5k and Holiday Join us on December 20th this holiday season for a family-friendly 5k jog around Haile Plantation! It’ll be followed by food, socializing, and some reindeer games.
FTC Frank Shorter and Kid’s Mile Mustache Run Ring in the New Year on January 1st with a fast mile! Our traditional Frank Shorter mile will kick off your new year and fire up your competitive drive. We’ll be at Westside Park in front of the pool. 1001 NW 31 Dr, Gainesville, FL 32605
🚨🚨🚨🚨 🚨🚨🚨🚨
FTC Mary Andrews Marathon 26.2 and 13.1 Miles We’re just about 6 weeks away from one of the Florida Track Club’s major races — and we’d love to see you on the starting line! Our marathon and half marathon feature a unique 2- or 4-loop out-and-back course. That means:
- Water stations nearly every mile
- Multiple opportunities to see your friends and family cheer you on
- A fun, supportive atmosphere from start to finish
Runners will enjoy great swag, awards, jackets, and a delicious post-race spread.We’re currently at 120 registered runners and will be capping the field at 200 — so don’t wait! Secure your spot in this fantastic race and be part of the excitement.
Sign up now and let’s make it an unforgettable day!
Thanks to our race sponsors:
McCall Griggs Realtor
Earthwise Pet Jonesville
Renaissance Printing
Dr Kim Kazimour
🚨🚨🚨🚨 🚨🚨🚨🚨 Board nominations
It’s that time of year again that we need to have our elections for Board members. We will have 4 spots available for the 2026/2027 term. We will take nominations until December 12, 2025 and then we will have the official election. Also, the President and Vice President must run for their positions each year. The current nominations are as follows:
President Kenny Vogel (incumbent)
Vice President Katie Avery (incumbent)
Board Member- Incumbents Jim O’Sullivan and Harlie Bassitt and new nominees Matt Veretto and Josh Browning
Email the Florida Track Club or reply to this newsletter if you have a nomination.
🚨🚨🚨🚨 🚨🚨🚨🚨 Volunteering opportunities
🚨🚨🚨🚨 The FTC Mary Andrews Marathon is one of our three biggest races of the year. Having volunteers like you at the race is of utmost importance. Sign up here to volunteer. 🚨🚨🚨🚨
Call for Newsletter Stories
Ran your first mile? Finished your first 5K? Completed your first run after injury? Do you have a story to share with other FTC members? Reply to this email if you are interested in sharing a story with the FTC community. Select stories will be featured in upcoming newsletters.