President’s Corner
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of Dexter. For those unfamiliar, Dexter is a serial
killer—but with a “Code.” He only targets dangerous people who’ve killed or
harmed others and have gotten away with it. Twisted, yes—but also oddly
structured.
That got me thinking about long runs. We know the long weekend miles can be a
mental and physical grind, and over time, I’ve come up with my own set of rules,
“My Long Run Code”. It’s not quite as dramatic as Dexter’s, but it does help me
survive (and even enjoy) those long run miles.
- Always run with at least one extrovert.
Long runs can get eerily quiet if everyone in the group is introverted. Especially
now—with fewer sports during the summer—conversations can dry up fast. An
extrovert keeps the energy up and the miles rolling by. - Don’t talk about food until the final mile or two.
If someone starts talking about waffles or breakfast burritos too early, the growling
stomach makes those middle miles feel so much longer. Hold off until closer to the
finish. - Run with someone slower than you.
This one’s survival instinct: if a bear, gator, dog, or rogue squirrel shows up—you
want to be the one out front. (Kidding… kind of.) - Slow it down.
Long runs should generally be about 1–2 minutes slower than your marathon
pace. And if you’re training through a Florida summer, go even slower. Heat and
humidity change the game—be smart, not stubborn. - Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
I have talked about this in recent messages. Drink the day before, the morning of,
during, and after your long run. And don’t forget to fuel up—whether it’s amino
acids, a banana, or gels—your body needs the energy to perform and recover.
This is my “Long Run Code”— that helps me “kill” the weekend long run. Find your
“Code”, follow it, and keep running happy.
Kenny Vogel
FTC President
by Emily Davey-Osuch
There was one question I got repeatedly during my training for Grandma’s Marathon – why Minnesota? To those who have never heard of Grandma’s Marathon before, Duluth, MN seems like a very random place to run a marathon in. I was looking for a marathon to do in the spring/early summer and wanted a larger race with a good amount of crowd support. I had heard fantastic things about Grandma’s Marathon – how it had lots of spectators and was even the 10th largest marathon in the U.S. (in 2024) – so I had a feeling it would be a great race to choose. Now after finishing the race, I can report back that it was indeed an excellent choice!
We arrived in Minneapolis mid-day on Thursday, ahead of the race on Saturday. We spent one night in Minneapolis before making the drive up to Duluth on Friday morning. Shortly after arriving in Duluth, we made our way over to the expo to pick up my race packet and bib and then headed back to the hotel to rest my legs for the remainder of the day. On Friday evening Grandma’s Marathon hosts an all- you-can-eat spaghetti dinner, so that’s an easy option for dinner the night before the race depending on what your pre-race dinner preferences are. While I didn’t attend this myself, I’ve heard great things about it, and it’s conveniently located in the convention center where the expo is held.
After having dinner on Friday night, I laid out and prepared everything for the next morning and got to bed early to get a good night’s rest before the race. During the night and into the early morning there were some pretty bad thunderstorms with tornadoes and hail as well. While the storms would be cleared up before the race was supposed to start, the race organizers needed enough time to be able to get everything set up after the storms without putting the volunteers in danger, so they decided to delay the race by 30 minutes. The bright side of this was that it meant I was able to take my time getting ready that morning, but the downside was that it would be hotter than expected at the race start, with the temps rising throughout the race. In the days leading up to the race, the weather was looking great – around mid 50s at the start.
However, with a heat wave rolling in that weekend the temperatures ended up being a bit warmer than originally expected. Luckily, because Duluth sits right on Lake Superior this makes Duluth and the surrounding areas much cooler. There were even a few times during the race that I could feel a nice cool breeze coming up the lake, which felt great! While I didn’t check the temperatures before the race started, I suspect it was probably above 60 at the start and likely in the mid to upper 70s by the finish. Having trained in the brutal Florida heat definitely proved to be beneficial for this race. Per Coach Enoch’s advice I started dumping water on my head early on during the race to stay cool, dumping 1-2 cups of water on my head at every aid station starting at mile 5. There were also many spectators along the course who had set up sprinklers or misters, which I gladly ran through each chance I had. I also made sure to drink plenty of Powerade (the on-course hydration) along the course, taking cups at each aid station.
Grandma’s Marathon is a point-to-point course that starts in Two Harbors and runs along Scenic Highway 61 down into Duluth. The views of Lake Superior were absolutely beautiful! I tried to take it all in and enjoy the scenery as often as I could along the way. I was quite worried about the hills going into the race (the course is typically described as having gentle rolling hills) knowing that my definition of a “hill” having grown up in Florida is probably quite different than someone from Minnesota. However, I actually really enjoyed the versatility of the hills as opposed to running on a pancake flat course. It was nice to have the downhills to look forward to after running an uphill segment. There is one big hill on the course (Lemon Drop Hill) that I luckily was mentally prepared for, as I will admit it was a bit daunting seeing it off in the distance as I was approaching it. I think the hardest parts of Lemon Drop Hill are the fact that it’s around mile 22 and that when you think you’ve finished the hill you actually have a second small part of the hill to go. Once you conquer Lemon Drop Hill, however, the course is mostly all downhill from there, which was definitely something I used to motivate myself while going up the hill! There are also lots of spectators at this point on (starting around mile 19 or 20
I think is when there were consistently large crowds of spectators) which was super motivating and really helps when it’s starting to get tough. The last mile or two of the course is difficult because there is a lot of winding around to bring you into the finish line, which means you can’t see the finish line until right before the end and makes that last mile feel like forever! Luckily there are tons of spectators cheering you on at this point which helps you to cross that finish line feeling strong! I am super happy with the race I ran, and I am extremely grateful to Coach Enoch and Team FTC for the fantastic coaching and support that made it possible for me to meet my goal and achieve a new PR! Marathon training is definitely a long and challenging process but having teammates who will run extra with you so you don’t have to finish your long run by yourself, encourage you along the way, and push you to reach new limits make all the difference! And finally, I am also forever grateful to my husband for biking alongside me on all the early morning runs and for being my biggest cheerleader who is always there to support me!
Some lessons I’ve learned on race logistics for those who may be interested in doing Grandma’s Marathon: 1) Sign up early because the race will fill up! 2) If you can’t get a bib before it fills up, not all hope is lost! This race allows participants to
transfer bibs, so lots of bibs become available right before the transfer deadline. 3) Book your lodging as early as possible! Lodging in Duluth or the surrounding area is limited and therefore very expensive for race weekend. However, several nearby universities offer housing in their dorm rooms at a much lower rate, so that can be a good option.
Overall, I think the race absolutely lives up to its name of a “world-class event with small-town charm.” It was super well organized, the crowd support was fantastic, and I loved the course. In fact, I think I’ve already set my mind on doing the race again next year, especially considering that it will be the 50th anniversary! So now the question is, who wants to join me next year?
Alachua County Youth Triathlon Club
The Alachua County Youth Triathlon Club (ACYTC) was founded in March of 2023 by Dīna Bandhu and Andrea Gardner of the Super Cool Racing Team (SCRT – a triathlon club based in Gainesville, FL) who wanted to share the great sport of triathlon with the next generation.
The club’s goal is to expose kids in and around Gainesville and Alachua County to the wonderful sport of triathlon, to help them build confidence, be physically active, make new friends, and have fun. We want to make sure the club is inclusive to kids of all backgrounds. ACYTC is USAT certified
The ACYTC aims to create a youth triathlon club for those 17 years old and younger of various backgrounds and athletic experience. We want to expose and teach kids about swimming, biking, and running in hopes of starting them off on a lifelong love of being active and endurance sports. We also want to be inclusive of kids from typically underserved areas and kids who may not have any experience with sports. The ACYTC also wants to encourage good nutrition and hydration which are key to continued athletic participation and a healthy lifestyle. The ACYTC wants to encourage good sportsmanship and a sense of community. Through these we want to help kids build confidence, independence, a love of the outdoors and physical activity, as well as a sense of togetherness.
If you are interested contact them at alachuacountyyouthtri@gmail.com
Race recap of FTC 47th Annual Melon Run
by Luis Sordo Vieira Yes, the fireworks are fun. Grilling and hot dogs are fun. But what could be more fun than lining up for a 3 mile race in the sweltering heat of Gainesville Florida. At the very least, a lot of our 299 runners found it a blast. Or maybe they just did it for the free watermelon…. Luke Tompkins (Newport News, VA) is the 2025 melon king with a chip time of 15:04. Audrey Dunn (Gainesville, FL) is our melon queen with a chip time of 17:41. And even though we fought a whole war to not have kings or queens in the United States of America, for a brief moment, all runners of FTC saluted the melon monarchy on July 4th, 2025. The monarchy had its moment, but we gotta keep it moving….
Team FTC Kids this Fall!
We’re excited to officially announce the launch of Team FTC Kids, a youth distance running program for kids in grades 2nd–8th, starting this fall in Gainesville!
Led by a USATF certified coach, Matt Veretto and his wife Brandi, and hosted at our local parks, this program welcomes all experience levels. This club will offer a fun and inclusive environment focused on growth, community, and confidence.
Practices begin August 11th, and pre-registration is now open at www.teamftckids.com!
Highlights: – Practice 1, 2, or 3 days/week, flexible scheduling – $35-$65/month depending on frequency – Skill-based training groups – Fall cross country races, spring track meets, and year-round fun runs – Practices held at Veterans Memorial Park and Kiwanis Challenge Park
For more details, see the flyer attached or visit our website.
Questions? Please reach out to us at ftckidsrun@gmail.com.
If you pre-register before the official launch, your next renewal will not occur until September 11th. Memberships are also offered year-round, but space is limited and some days may close as groups fill. Pre-registering is a great way to secure your preferred practice days in advance!
Upcoming Events
FTC Summer Social Too hot to race? Time to relax! Join us for the Florida Track Club Summer Social on Aug. 9 at Stoke Barn from 4 to 7 p.m. We’ll have a catered meal, cold drinks and plenty of good company from the Gainesville running community. No bibs, no finish line — just fun. Come hang out, cool off and celebrate summer the low-mileage way!
FTC Summer Short and Long Trail Race We’re heading back on September 13th to the San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park with two options to choose from. A 3.8 mile route and an 8.3 mile route!
Tom Walker Preview (5K & 10K) Get a leg up on the field by previewing part of the Tom Walker Half Marathon course on October 11th. This race is FREE for Florida Track Club Members and $20 for non-members. The race will start at Boulware Springs Park: 3300 SE 15th St, Gainesville, FL 3264.
Tom Walker Half Marathon & 5K The iconic and popular Tom Walker Half Marathon & 5k will return to the beautiful Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail on November 9th.
FTC Jingle Belll 5k and Holiday Join us on December 13th this holiday season for a family-friendly 5k jog around Haile Plantation! It’ll be followed by food, socializing, and some reindeer games.
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 FTC Summer Short and Long Trail run on September 13th. Sign up here.
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.
Sponsors
We thank UCAN for partnering with us to help runners with their fuel and hydration needs.