President’s Corner
Organizing 12 races a year is no small task. We rely heavily on our board members to serve as race
directors, and they do an incredible job with the support of fellow Board members and our dedicated volunteers. Directing a race requires leadership and organizational skills. It involves handling
all the pre-race logistics—securing permits, race insurance, a timer, food, porta-
potties, awards, and course layout. On race day, the director coordinates
volunteers, oversees setup, manages registration, and troubleshoots any issues
that arise. Afterward, there’s cleanup and a post-race recap for the newsletter.
I bring this up because I’d love to see more club members—beyond just the
Board—step up to direct some of our races. I love racing, but I’ve reached a point
where running every race is too much for me. When I’m not racing, I’m always
happy to direct or volunteer, and I know there are other Florida Track Club
members who might feel the same way.
If you’ve ever thought about getting more involved, directing a race is a great
opportunity. We’re here to help and will provide all the guidance you need. If
you’re interested, let us know—we’d love to have more members take the lead
and help keep our races going strong!
Kenny Vogel, FTC President 🍊🍊
by Matt Stamey, [edited by Luis Sordo Vieira]
For a hat or for fun? That was the question. I had heard a lot of good things about the Gate River Run in Jacksonville and decided to register. I had never run it before and a bunch of my running friends signed up. So I figured it would be a fun way to do a long run then grab brunch somewhere in Jax before heading home. A nice little Saturday.
One thing you need to know about me, I’m a sucker for free swag. I have way too many shirts and pens and things, yet I can’t pass up free swag. So when I learned that those who finish in the top 10 percent get a hat, a switch flipped in my brain telling me I had to get that rare swag. (I once signed up for a credit card just to get a free t-shirt, so you get the idea.)
It had been a few years since I had run times/pace needed to potentially earn the hat. But I knew it was doable on the perfect day. So now it became a quest and no longer a fun Saturday run with friends. The race was still a month away, but I found myself getting stressed if I didn’t go to bed on time. Or if I missed a workout. I became obsessed over a free hat.
So that brings up the question, how do you decide between running a race for glory or for fun? How do you decide if you want to break your personal best in a race or take a jello shots every mile along the route? How do you decide between running a race for a hat or running it because it’s a fun way to spend a Saturday with friends? For me, any reason to not go for the hat just sounded like a lazy excuse in my head. I really had to take a step back at one point and tell myself to settle down and think about my why. Why do I run?
I don’t do new year’s resolutions. I do new year’s themes. And my theme for 2025 is to explore my edge physically. Meaning during the year, I’ll try to push myself harder than I think I can go. Both in the gym and in my running shoes. Two years ago, cancer took a lot of my strength away, so my edge was a lot shorter. Last year was spent tip-toeing to my edge to see how my body would react. This year my goal is to run full-steam toward my edge and see where it takes me. And being okay knowing I have no idea where it’ll take me.
The night before the race, a good friend called to wish me luck. He reminded me how lucky we are to get to run. And how lucky we are to feel those butterflies at the starting line. And how lucky we are to come face to face with that voice in your head telling you to stop. And how lucky we are to ignore that voice and push through. And how lucky we are to feel the emotions bubble up as you think about who and what motivates you to run. And how lucky we are to celebrate accomplishments with friends. So that was my mindset at the starting line. Push myself to my edge, tell that voice to shut up, and really observe what I’m feeling in the moment. And whatever happens, happens.
I was true to my theme for the year as there wasn’t a point in the race I could have pushed any harder. I high-fived a few folks in the crowd, took in the scenery from the top of the green monster and celebrated as I crossed the finish line. I finished in 1:18, ten minutes past the hat cutoff. But I didn’t care. I had fun, found my edge and still walked away with a shirt and medal to add to my swag collection. Besides, I now have one year to decide between shaving 10 minutes off my time or saying yes every time I’m offered a shot on the course. Either way, I’m lucky to have that choice.
Photos by Doug Engle and Cory Perrine of the Florida Times-Union
Bringing it back to Archer Braid Trail
by Luis Sordo Vieira
We headed to Southwest Alachua County. On March 8th, it was a beautiful chilly morning to run a 5K or 10K at the Archer Braid Trail. John Biffar from Fort Myers won the Men’s category 5K with a chip time of 17:17 with Grace Kelly from Gainesville winning the Women’s category and finishing third overall with a chip time of 19:17. Josh Browning from New Orleans won the Men’s category 10K with a chip time of 36:36 and Abby Uehling from Gainesville won the Female’s category with a chip time of 43:19. Forty eight runners competed in the 5K and 62 runners competed in the 10K. Oh, and what a beautiful, fun morning it was.
Photos by Matt Stamey
Upcoming Events
Tobacco Road 5K and Brunch We’re heading back to Tobacco Road! Join us at Squirrel Ridge Park on April 12 at 8 a.m. The course will be flat and fast, with most of the course on the iconic Tobacco Road. Then enjoy some brunch and brag about your awesome run. Sign up here. This race is free to FTC members and $20 for non-members.
FTC Summer Track Meet It’s time to head to the track. Get your Summer started off fast with our Summer Track Meet! We’ll have multiple events, including a Donut Mile for runners 16 and older (yes, it’s exactly what you think it is). This is an All- You-Can-Race event, compete in as many events as you’d like! This race is FREE for Florida Track Club Members and and children under 18. It’s $15 for non- members.
Volunteering opportunities
Volunteer at our next FTC race Without volunteers like you, we would not be able to put our races together. The next FTC volunteering opportunity is for our Tobacco Road 5K on April 12th. Sign up here.