New Members: The Pandemic Class

It has been close to six months since the pandemic was declared and we’re at the stage of slowly holding in-person events again. During this time, new members have joined us (who you may or may not have seen at one of our group runs or virtual monthly meetings).   

While our new members will have to wait until we’re back at Da Nonna Rosa to experience the ravioli pizza and join the debate of whether ravioli should be a pizza topping, you can read on to learn more about some of them.

Simon Rasin

I've been living and running in Brooklyn for quite some time, and I am looking to be more involved in a running community as I get closer to my 40s!

Before Covid, my favorite running thing to do was to pace races for the NYRR pacing team, which I got to do once or twice a year. I also love racing 5 miles to the half, though I have done six marathons.

I'm a bigger runner (right now I'm 230 lbs), so I am very interested in body positivity and welcoming bigger runners to the sport. Looking forward to getting in the mix!

Laura Elliott

My name is Laura, and I moved to Crown Heights in 2019 from Washington Heights. I joined Prospect Park Track Club because I had seen y'all at all of the New York Road Runners races, and was looking to find a community to challenge me to grow stronger in my running and to socialize with.

Since joining, I've been a HUGE fan of the strength training classes. I was also super impressed by your commitment to give back to the Brooklyn and running community (i.e. through your grants program). I am a Theater producer and work at a nonprofit, so I'm really interested in getting involved.

Brendan Donohoe

Work has been hectic so unfortunately, I have not engaged with the group yet. I am a COO for a NYC hospitality group. I have kept up with the Facebook group, and I have also started doing solo runs regularly during the week. I'm very excited to meet everyone.

A little bit about me as a runner: My most recent marathon was Berlin last October 2019, running for NYRR TFK. I ran a PB of 3:24. I’m originally from Ireland, and I got back into running about five years ago. I moved to Park Slope with my Partner in July of this year.

I'll keep an eye out for the sign-up sheet for the group runs, but otherwise, I'm look forward to the next monthly meeting.

Erica Lynch

I've been running since 2011 when I moved to Brooklyn from New Orleans, where I'd been teaching for a couple of years.

When I arrived, a bunch of friends from Kent State had been living in the city and running races, so I joined in. I remember the first time I reached the yellow duck prints in Prospect Park and got a huge side cramp at about mile two.

Since then, I've completed several half marathons, and am currently training for my first marathon, the NYC Virtual. Today I ran 14 miles, which is the farthest I've ever gone and it felt great to do it during a pandemic (and with a mask on!)

I joined PPTC in January because most of my runner friends have since stopped running (or moved away from the city), and I genuinely like running with others, whether we're chatting or silent. I recently won the recipe contest, and was super stoked!

I'd love to be a part of more group runs, events and committees to connect with more members.

Maureen Keleher

Hello! I'm Maureen, and I joined Prospect Park Track Club earlier this year.

After riding the PPTC NYC Marathon Bus a couple times and joining a few of the social runs as a non-member, I decided it was time to be a part of the fun!

So far, I've participated in this summer's pastry exchange (shoutout to Alexis Gordon's thumbprint cookies!), signed up to run in the virtual Womxn Run the Vote Relay, and will be joining in some of the group runs later this month.

I live in Crown Heights with my husband and best run spectator Andrew, cat Osiris, and a number of houseplants.

I'm a mid to back of the pack runner who has been running regularly since 2015. I've run 4 marathons (2x NYC, Marine Corps, and Chicago), and several NYRR races. I'm considering training for a sprint triathlon in the near future: I'm new to biking, and have been enjoying the additional cross training.

I would also love to run a race in a National Park someday, and dip my toes into trail running, which is a long term goal as things start to open back up.

Most importantly, I'm looking forward to getting to know more PPTC members and getting involved! See you in the park and/or on Strava, and stay safe and healthy!

Lydia Roberts

Hi! I'm Lydia and am excited to be a new member of PPTC!

I've lived in Brooklyn in the past but just moved to Prospect Lefferts Gardens after being outside the city. I just started graduate school in clinical psychology, and I'm looking forward to learning some new running routes around the city! I ran cross country and track in high school and have done a couple half marathons. Trails are my favorite terrain (especially Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx), but lately I've just been doing the park loop since I'm getting settled into my new neighborhood.

I also love to cook, and have been doing a lot of that during quarantine. That said, if anyone knows good takeout spots in PLG, let me know!

I looked into joining PPTC because I love running with other people: Accountability to show up is key! I'm also hoping I can learn new routes and swap training tips. I tend to run 7-9 minute mile paces, depending on distance and how the legs are feeling that day. I try to avoid frequent long runs (8+ miles) due to lingering knee/hip issues. I hope to meet some of you soon!

Jenn Cefalu

I'm Jenn! I moved to Brooklyn at the start of the pandemic (quite literally when the stay-at-home order was issued), and I currently live in Boerum Hill.

I've been a runner since 2008 (plus two very entertaining seasons of high school track). I've done 12 half marathons and one marathon.

My dream is to run the NYC Marathon one day, but every year I register, I end up getting injured (or a pandemic hits like this year), so here's hoping for 2021!

I'm looking forward to meeting new people through PPTC and running as much of Brooklyn as possible!

Outside of running, I spend a lot of time writing, cooking, baking and hiking, as well as exploring the city.

I run a NYC bucket list blog, and am studying for my tour guide license. I also have a senior dachshund named Cookie. I'm obsessed with NYC history!

Lexi Nastos

I'm excited to be a member of PPTC!

I joined the club to improve my running and meet new people. I recently moved to the area, so it's great to get to know the community more. Went on my first group run last week— can't wait for the next one!

Christopher Patrick

I'm 29 and moved to Brooklyn from San Francisco in August as my wife got into Medical School at SUNY Downstate: She was accepted the day before classes started, so we had less than a week to pack up and completely uproot our west-coast lives to come here.

Moving on a time crunch during a pandemic to a city we've never been was…stressful to say the least! In August I ran a grand total of four miles, compared to 150+ in the months prior.

While I was in San Francisco I was heavily involved with the Back on My Feet volunteer running organization and took advantage of the year-round ideal weather to run commute and explore the amazing scenery of the Bay.

I mainly run to keep up with my Dad—my photo is of us doing Revel Big Bear half marathon last November. I also enjoy exploring new areas, to prove to myself what is possible.

I'm not the fastest runner—someday I'll crack the 20 minute 5k!—but I love getting in the groove on a long run and settling in for a few hours.

I'm looking forward to meeting people in our new home and getting back to my ~40mpw routine. As a data junkie (my day job is data analytics in the asset management space), I love Strava, and look forward to connecting with everyone in the future.

Liza Henowitz

Hi everyone! My name is Liza, I am 25 years old and I am originally from Connecticut, but currently live in Brooklyn.

I have been running since high school, but really got into it during college when I started to enjoy it in my free time (and I still do!)

I love using running to explore places while traveling, as well as new areas of NYC.

Outside of running, I work in the beauty industry, and love all things cosmetics. I also really enjoy trying new bars, innovative cocktails, and coffee.

I am excited to join PPTC and hope to meet you all soon!

Daniel Mainz

I’ve been meaning to join for quite a while, indeed I had mistakenly thought I did last summer when I registered for the 2019 Turkey Trot.

I live in Prospect Heights, run in and around the park often, and see the telltale red gear all the time. So I figured, why not join the fun runs, help with races, community outreach, and more?

I just turned 50 but only started running in 2017, and still think I have a great deal to learn about form, recovery, nutrition, life, the universe, and everything.

My very first race was the 2017 NYRR Jingle Bell jog, and I was ecstatic to do it at slightly under a 10 minute/mile pace.

I ran my first marathon (NYC) last November in about 4:06, and was planning to do the NYC and Chicago marathons this fall. Alas.

Sometimes I get too competitive and am hard on myself, but wearing a mask this year has forced me to lower my expectations and enjoy sightseeing a bit more at a slower pace.

In real life, I’m a computational chemist who works at a company called Schrödinger in midtown. I enjoy reading, mostly non-fiction; learning German, French, and a little Japanese; and yin yoga. I don’t enjoy political/social injustice/ecological doomscrolling, but do it anyway. Help.

I look forward to meeting others in PPTC. In person, I can be very reserved and distanced. Give me a little time to warm up, or just say hi and ignore my awkwardness. People say I’m nice and I haven’t bitten anybody. Yet.

Daniel (@dtmainz on Twitter, only sporadically on FB, and absent from IG, Tiktok, and a bunch of media I’ve never heard of.)

PS. Pic is from my Strava profile, when I stupidly did a full Central Park loop one 90 degree evening in 2018 and had to give into a tourist trap ice cream truck’s $6 soft serve cone.

Member Bios and images: Each member as noted
Edited by: Linda Chan & Alison Kotch
Produced by: Linda Chan & Alison Kotch