Since we’ve had such great participation in the Tour de Summer so far, with runners from around the country, so we thought we’d profile a few. If you’d like to register for Stage 5 of the Tour, please do so HERE. Also, please see our last set of profiles HERE and HERE.
Jennifer Dimascio-Donohue (@jenniferdimascio)
PRs: 1:25:19 Half Marathon, 3:08:10 Full Marathon, 5:26 Mile
Favorite Race: My favorite race is the half because it’s long enough to establish a steady pace, but short enough to get really gritty and aggressive with pushing said pace in the second half!
Fun Fact: I’ve run the same Cape Cod 5K on July 4th for 16 of my 24 years! This year, I ran the course virtually for Tour de Summer.
If you could do an easy jog with anyone, who would it be and why: I’d kill to run with Deena Kastor! I just finished her book, “Let Your Mind Run”, and was inspired by her approach to pushing tough boundaries while still emphasizing the importance of positivity and having compassion for yourself.
How long have you been a Whippet? I have been part of the team for a year and a half.
David Niquille (@da_niq)
PRs: Half Marathon: 1:18:42 Staten Island, NY 2019; Marathon: 2:44:57 Sugarloaf, MA 2019
Favorite Race: Boston Marathon even though I haven’t actually raced it yet. Moving here from Switzerland in 2018, qualifying for and running Boston was an obvious goal. Initially, I was a bit disappointed that very little of the marathon is actually in Boston. However, the route started to grow on me during training, in particular the Newton hills. Training and qualifying for the race gave me a reason to go to many incredible small marathons across New England (in particular Sugarloaf & Green River) and improved my running a lot. My DWRT team mate convinced me to start my Boston legacy with the virtual run this year but I hope to get the first full experience in 2021.
Favorite running movie / running scene in a movie: Forrest Gump. I started running during an exchange semester in Western Australia. We lived on a remote farm and there was not much to do there but plenty of long and empty roads. That started a constant cycle of setting an arbitrary time goal for an arbitrary distance, reaching it, and setting a next goal. Going out for long runs, i often think of that scene in Forrest Gump and wonder if one day I wake up and think that’s it. I doubt it.
If you could do an easy jog with anyone, who would it be and why: My family. It would be great to have them join for some of the many miles I run per week. This will still require a lot of convincing on my part though.
How long have you been a Whippet? I joined the Boston chapter in September 2019 as part of my marathon preparation.
Denise Ibarra (@deniseibarra)
PRs: 5k: 17:29 (college!) and half-marathon: (1:28:53)
Favorite Race: Utica Boilermaker, love the fun distance and atmosphere. This race makes summer running all worth it.
Favorite running movie / running scene in a movie: My favorite running movie is McFarland USA (Disney)! When Danny Diaz has the kick of his lifetime to score for his teammates, that moment brings me so much running motivation!!
If you could do an easy jog with anyone, who would it be and why: I would go for a run with Colleen Quigley because she is my idol since we were both steeplechasers in college! Her work ethic is amazing and she has great input into the cross-training world.
How long have you been a Whippet? I am not yet a Whippet due to not finishing school in Upstate NY quite yet, but I plan to join once I move to NYC
Joseph Lipari
PRs: My Masters PR for 5k is 18:14.
Favorite Race: Probably the Brookhaven Trail Half Marathon. It is a fairly tough course (with a long stretch of sand) and you have to contend with late fall/early winter weather. I’ve never done particularly well but I enjoy those conditions and the race director is a real pro. For selfish reasons, I’m ambivalent about even mentioning this race. It is arguably like telling everyone that Tom Waits and T Bone Burnett are appearing at a 55 person venue in Poughkeepsie and the password is “Johannesburg”.
Favorite running movie / running scene in a movie: The final scene in “The Jericho Mile” and the final scene in “Gallipoli.”
If you could do an easy jog with anyone, who would it be and why: My daughters. They are great company and it is pretty gratifying to watch when they push themselves to run through discomfort in order to finish a park loop or a hilly course.
How long have you been a Whippet?Almost 4 years.
PRs: Mile: 4:58, 3k: 9:59, 5k: 17:24, Marathon: 2:53:36
Favorite Race: My favorite race is the 5th ave mile because it is so unique and the mile is the best race distance. There aren’t many chances to sprint down the middle of the street and the crowds make it a fun environment to race in. Plus the pros are all there! Jenny Simpson even gave me a pep talk when I bought the new NB flats the day before the race last year.
Favorite running movie / running scene in a movie:McFarland
If you could do an easy jog with anyone, who would it be and why: If I could jog with anyone, it would be Taylor Swift because I love her and her surprise new album saved my quarantine. I have enough questions to last us many miles and we would definitely bond over stories of love and loss.
How long have you been a Whippet? I’ve been a Whippet just over 3 years (Dec 2016 or Jan 2017?)