Joe Cowlin

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in August 2020

PRs: 

1500m: 3:58, Mile: 4:17, 3k: 8:24, 5k: 14:49, 8k: 24:00, 10k (track): 31:17, 10k (road): 32:07, 10M: 51:17, Half Marathon: 1:09:54, Marathon: 2:29:01

Social Handles:

IG: joecowlin, Strava: Joe Cowlin

Long-Term Running Goals:

1. Wipe most if not all of my personal bests off the board
2. Run an Olympic Trials Qualifying time in the marathon
3. Stay healthy for a long and rewarding running career

Most Memorable Run:

My most memorable run was a long run during cross country camp in Galena, IL, late summer one year while running for the University of Illinois. My teammate Alex and I were the only two who were going 20 miles that day, and our coach had laid out an out n' back that was fairly flat up until mile 9 when everyone else turned around besides us two. We continued on and quickly discovered that mile 10 was straight downhill (big hills in Galena were mountains compared to anything we encountered in Champaign). Since mile 10 was straight down hill, mile 11 was straight uphill. It was a heck of a shock to hit the turnaround and stare right back at the huge hill we'd just come down. When we got back to the start and told the rest of the team about the dreadful mile 11, everyone assumed we were exaggerating and laughed us off. I'll always remember the feeling of impending doom as we kept descending mile 10 knowing we were about to turn around and run up a “mountain”.

Fun Facts:

• Outside of running, I love to camp, fish, and cook

• I work as an IT system auditor for KPMG

• I hold the Fastest Known Time of the Chicago Lakefront Trail, covering 36.33 miles in 3:51:18

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Afternoon

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Julia Buford

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in January 2019

PRs: 

5k: 17:20, 8k: 29:19, 10 mile: 59:07, Half Marathon: 1:19:32, Marathon: 2:44:19; Olympic Trials Qualifier

Social Handles:

IG: juliacoolia3

Long-Term Running Goals:

Qualify for Olympic Trials again in 2024, run all 6 majors, and stay healthy to continue running for life

Most Memorable Race:

The 2015 Chicago Marathon, my first marathon. I knew I'd like marathons since I always loved running longer, but I was still terrified going into it. I never expected the elation I felt running through my hometown with those crowds, the music, and the energy of everyone racing around me.

Fun Facts:

• Half of my time on runs is spent running and the other half is spent taking pictures of trees

• I'm passionate about cheese and Ben & Jerry's ice cream

• I've hallucinated twice in my life - once in Antarctica from an overdose of a seasick patch, and then after the 2017 Boston Marathon from a heat stroke

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo, so that I don't hold people up with my tree-picture-taking!

Summer or Winter?:

Winter

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Paul Erickson

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in September 2017

(Post-45) PRs: 

800m: 2:07, 1500m: 4:28, Mile: 4:53, 5k: 16:47, 10k: 35:44, 10M: 59:05, Half Marathon: 1:17:48, Marathon: 2:45:41, R2R2R: 13:15

Social Handles:

IG: facshusrunner

Long-Term Running Goals:

break 2:40

Most Memorable Run:

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim unsupported. The majesty of nature and the solitude. Middle 28 miles on the north side of the river had no human contact.

Fun Facts:

• Ordained minister

• Pull a check riding bulls in a rodeo

• Once drank more beers than I ran miles in a marathon, and still am the oldest person to sub 3 that race.

Track or Trails?:

Track

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Winter

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Adrienne Eynon

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in September 2018

PRs: 

5k: 18:56, Half Marathon: 1:25:44, Marathon: 2:56:46, 50k: 3:45:46, 50M: 6:52:54

Long-Term Running Goals:

Be a competitive Master’s Runner

Most Memorable Race:

Indy Monumental 2019 - PR at age of 39

Fun Facts:

• Lived in New Zealand for a year

• 1 husband, 3 daughters, 1 dog and 1 cat

• “YO ADRIENNE” was a common cheer during races growing up

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

Fall

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Charlie Legac

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in August 2020

PRs: 

8k: 30:31, Half Marathon: 1:25, Marathon: 3:11, 50k: 4:32

Long-Term Running Goals:

Break three hours for the road marathon and start running some more ultras in the mountains!

Most Memorable Race:

2016 Chicago Marathon. It was a beautiful day and my first road marathon. I felt good throughout the entire race and absolutely loved the experience. My family was there to cheer me on and celebrate with some beers after!

Fun Facts:

• My hometown is Chattanooga, TN.

• I met Rob Krar at a local race and got a picture with him!

• My favorite movie is Pulp Fiction.

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Both! I love running solo but also really enjoy running with a friend or a group of runners.

Summer or Winter?:

Fall

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Stacy Nigrelli

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in September 2015

PRs: 

5k: 20:41, 10k: 44:32, Half Marathon: 1:33:24, Marathon: 3:18:37

Most Memorable Race:

After training with Dan for a year and a half, 2016 was a breakthrough year culminating in a 7 minute PR and age group course record (at age 62) at the 2016 California International Marathon. Dan believed in me (more than I in myself) and coached, trained and inspired me to run faster than I ever imagined.

Running Start:

A milestone 50th birthday converged with a need for speed to compete with my dog in canine agility. “Image” was a big, independent and powerful Kuvasz who was leaving me in her dust. I needed to find a way to keep up so when I saw an ad to train for a half marathon I thought, why not? With no previous running experience, I had no idea what I was in for or where it would ultimately lead.

Fun Fact:

Of the three longest running major American sporting events, I’ve participated in two . . . the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (with “Image”) and the Boston Marathon. The third is the Kentucky Derby . . . no horse on the horizon so it will remain two out of three.

Track or Trails?:

Track

Morning or Afternoon?:

Whenever life allows. There is beauty in a sunrise or a sunset.

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Spring and Fall

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Brian Robertson

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in May 2017

PRs: 

800m (split): 1:54.9, Mile: 4:25, 5k: 16:32, 10k: 35:59, 10M: 58:09, Half Marathon: 1:17:38, Marathon: 2:49:24

Social Handles:

IG: brdman2013

Long-Term Running Goals:

I would like to beat my high school self in the mile and also PR in the 5k and half marathon before I turn 40.

Most Memorable Race:

Hard to pick, but the most recent one would be the 2018 Boston Marathon. I only had about 3 weeks of running after my calf strain to get ready and the weather was supposed to be terrible, so it was less than ideal. Dan and I threw expectations out the window and I focused on feeling relaxed and determined rather than on my lack of preparation.

I ran patiently and throughout the race felt myself feeding on the wind, rain, cold, and hills rather than being deflated by them. I gained momentum in the back half and somehow still ran a PR at the time, despite the circumstances. It was such a great experience for my first Boston to triumph over the elements and to get to share the experience with my DWR teammates!

Fun Facts:

• I'm a travel physician so I actually spend about half my time on the road covering at various hospitals and clinics.

• Injury history: 4 stress fractures, 3 calf strains, 2 severe bouts of plantar fasciitis, and a left quadriceps tendon partial tear (to the tune of Partridge in a Pear Tree)

• I minored in music in college and enjoy writing and playing parody songs

Track or Trails?:

Track

Morning or Afternoon?:

Afternoon

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Pat Quateman

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in August 2020

PRs: 

Half Marathon: 1:26:40, Marathon: 3:05:00

Social Handles:

IG: pquateman

Long-Term Running Goals:

All the Chicago Marathons I've done - I love my city more than anything, so all these runs have a special place in my heart. Boston Marathon is a close second though b/c well it's Boston.

Running Start:

Truly believe running + the routines / work ethic it instills is one of the paths to becoming a better person, which is where my journey started in my late 20s.

Fun Facts:

• Coming off a half-decade plus immersion into the world of long-course triathlons to focus on running again (where it all started if you will).

• I love craft beer and am a self-professed beer snob.

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Afternoon

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

FALL!

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

William Biancucci

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in July 2015

PRs: 

400m: 0:56, 800m: 2:06, 1600m: 4:43, 5k: 17:40, 4M: 23:41, 8k: 30:48, 10k: 39:12, 10M: 1:07:10, Half Marathon: 1:22:30, Marathon: 2:58:39

Social Handles:

IG: wbiancucci

Long-Term Running Goals:

BQ and run Boston in the marathon. Beat each of my HS track PRs, and continue improving my times from 5k to marathon. I have plenty of work to do.

Most Memorable Race:

Running NYC marathon with Aquiles tendinitis on my right foot. It hurt like hell especially after mile 23, but I had been trying to run it since 2012 and an injured Achilles wasn't about to stop me from finally running the big apple. I ran sub 3:30 somehow even though that was only my 4th run after running Chicago in 3:04 (10-min PR) two weeks prior. Needless to say my foot was swollen after and I didn't run for a month after that, but it was worth it. The crowd energy was incredible. Hope to re-run it injury-free some day.

Fun Facts:

• I'm a polyglot (fluent in Spanish, Italian, and Portugues), and I'm distantly related to Lionel Messi, yes the famous Argentinian soccer player. He has two first cousins on his mother's side with the last name Biancucchi (misspelled) but we all come from a small town in Italy called Frosinone. No, I haven't actually met him. He's difficult to reach as you can imagine.

• I have lived in 3 countries outside of the US (Venezuela, Italy, Brazil) and visited about 30. I have family scattered across the world in the aforementioned countries in addition to France and China.

• I once ran into Bastian Swansteiger (famous German soccer player, World Cup/European Champion) while on a morning run in Lincoln Park. He let me take a selfie with him. I went from watching him and his team on TV winning the World Cup and playing FIFA with this him on my team to literally running into him while running! I also had dinner close to Willem DeFoe, Spiderman's green Goblin, at local trattoria while visiting Rome. This was also super random, and I did not ask for a photo.

Track or Trails?:

Track

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

I enjoy both. I prefer doing speedwork and running long runs with friends, but don't mind doing easy runs on my own

Summer or Winter?:

Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter. In that order

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Varun Praveen

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in December 2018

PRs: 

Mile: 5:30, 5k: 18:50, 8k: 31:05, 10k: 39:41, 10M: 1:06:04, Half Marathon: 1:27:11, Marathon: 3:15:01

Most Memorable Race:

2019 Indianapolis half marathon: I hurt my left glute in August, and I took a month's break from running, and I was in China for three weeks. When I returned to Chicago, I had one month left to regain my fitness. I remember Dan telling me this on race day: you are here, and that's all that matters. I was surprised to beat my PR by 6 to 7 minutes with the only expectation of enjoying the race.

Running Start:

I started running after I moved to Gainesville, Florida in June 2015. I was new to the town and I was trying to find an outlet to kill time and burn calories and I found running solo to be very relaxing. The runners in Gainesville and Florida Track Club gave me additional joy and friends as I explored running within the area.

Fun Facts:

• I am a Cat Dad

• I crack many jokes with a 30% success rate, but you have to know me well to even appreciate or get it

• I love spicing up rum with Indian spices (and it tastes really good when consumed as a cocktail)

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo on the weekdays and with friends on the weekends :)

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Trevor Marsteller

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in October 2019

PRs: 

5k: 17:55, 8k: 30:12, 10M: 1:03:53, Half Marathon: 1:23:27, Marathon: 3:00:19

Most Memorable Race:

Jersey Marathon. It was my second marathon and Britt and I were running together. My first did not go well as I struggled to a 4:45 and never thought I’d run one again. But Britt convinced me and we ran the race together until she dropped me at mile 22. I finished in 3:24 and while crossing the finish line remembering thinking that I’ll try one of these marathon things again.

Running Role Model:

My wife because what’s more motivating than watching your 8 month pregnant better half push a 3 year old in a jogging stroller.

Fun Facts:

• Nothing beats Cowboys football after a long run.

• I try and take advantage of my wife being pregnant by beating our PRs (I know not cool but what’s a guy to do).

• A Song of Ice and Fire is the best book series

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Winter

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Bri Rohne

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in December 2015

PRs: 

Marathon: 3:02:59, 50k: 4:36:25, 50M: 8:15:12

Social Handles:

IG: brirunsbig

Long-Term Running Goals:

To run in as many mountains as I can!

Most Memorable Race:

Jungfrau marathon- stunning scenery and humbling vertical. What more could you ask for?

Fun Facts:

• I prefer running really early in the morning.

• I like dogs more than people.

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Jeannie Sullivan

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in October 2018

PRs: 

5k: 17:32, Half Marathon: 1:23:04, Marathon 2:49:48

Social Handles:

IG: sully_jeannie

Long-Term Running Goals:

Become faster as a Masters runner!

Most Memorable Race:

The Chicago Marathon 2018 - it was such a great day for me despite being rainy - it’s the race where I nabbed my marathon PR and really proved to me that I can be competitive in this chapter in my life and don’t have to give up on PRs after having kids!

Fun Facts:

• I have 4 kids ages 6-2 (soon to be 6-13, lord help us) so my life is a cluster of kid activity scheduling nightmares

• I ran XC and track at the University of Michigan 💛💙

• I’m on the Tailwind Core Team and am obsessed!

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Afternoon but I also really enjoy a summer evening run - just wash all the bugs off ASAP after

Solo or With Friends?:

I like a good solo effort to sort out my thoughts and just be alone (there is not a lot of solitude in a house with 4 kids!) but I love chatting with friends for a fun long run

Summer or Winter?:

Summer but no one likes extremes! I hate running in a ton of layers though.

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Ryan Jaskiewicz

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in December 2017

PRs: 

Mile: 4:27, 3000m: 8:56, 5k: 15:07, 8k: 24:42, 10k: 31:47, 10M: 52:56, Half Marathon: 1:09:18, Marathon: 2:26:42

Social Handles:

Strava & Twitter: rrjaskie

Long-Term Running Goals:

I would love to qualify for the next Olympic Trials!

Most Memorable Race:

My most memorable race is running Indy in 2017 after blowing up a few weeks earlier at the Chicago Marathon. In the weeks in between, I was introduced to Damon King and we decided to work together in the race. This was a huge PR and the way I was introduced to DWRunning. The rest is history!

Fun Facts:

• I’ve worn the Olympic Gold medal for the men’s 1500.

• I only read non-fiction books and my wife says that’s boring.

• My favorite podcast is Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell. I could listen to him read a phone book.

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Afternoon

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Nakul Girdhar

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in June 2019

PRs: 

Mile: 5:33, 5k: 19:14, 8k: 31:58, 10k: 40:15, 10M: 1:08:25, Half Marathon: 1:27:55, Marathon: 3:01:34

Social Handles:

IG: nakul_girdhar245

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run a sub3 marathon

Running Start:

It was summer of 2017 when I ran 4-5 miles on lakefront & I got addicted very quickly. I wanted to stay fit in my 30s.

Fun Facts:

• I played cricket in school & college.

• Once, I raced a 100m in my school days.

• I finished (jogged, walked, crawled) a 100M race in little less than 30hrs.

Track or Trails?:

Track

Morning or Afternoon?:

Evening

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Blake Renaud

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in April 2018

PRs: 

10M: 1:03, Half Marathon: 1:22:23, Marathon: 2:48:15, Moab 240: 3 days, 18 hours, 29 minutes

Social Handles:

IG: brrenaud

Long-Term Running Goals:

Having completed the Moab 240, I am now looking towards the Tor des Géants as the next race that scares me enough to attempt.

Most Memorable Race:

The 2020 Moab 240. I set out to accomplish this race when a doctor told me I couldn't run. I thought to myself, "What is the hardest race that I can think of" and that race seemed to make the most sense. Between the scenery, the weather, and the demands of running 240 miles, this race was truly something special.

Fun Facts:

• Spend most of my free time in the fall upland hunting with my dog Argo.

• Road runner by happenstance, trail runner at heart.

• A doctor once told me I couldn't be a runner. Trying to prove him wrong.

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Night

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

Winter

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Emily Keip

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in August 2020

PRs: 

Mile: 6:05, 5k: 20:46, 8k: 35:14, 10k: 42:07, Half Marathon: 1:33:52, Marathon 3:14:32

Most Memorable Race:

Chicago Marathon 2019 - The perfect cool weather and so much crowd energy that I negative split the race and PR'ed my half marathon in the second half. The unicorn of marathon performances!

Running Start:

I've run casually all of my adult life, but really started training hard and improving after my second child was born 7 years ago. It gives me goals that are all my own to work for; juggling the demands somehow gives me purpose and makes me more effective at my career (and a better mom to my family).

Fun Facts:

• I travel a lot for work, and my favorite way to explore a new place is to run through new neighborhoods; so I've done running tours of most major cities in the US (and some international).

• I'm an architect working in hospitality so my home has become a bit of a lab to try out new ideas and I love to change and evolve the design - drives my family crazy!

• On my 40th birthday my husband and I ran the "Highest Road Half Marathon on Planet Earth" in the mountains in Montana at 9,250 feet above sea level and we both won the master's age brackets.

Track or Trails?:

Road! I love to look at urban landscape and homes along my route.

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Both! I love running solo to work through tough problems or recharge, but I need some friend time at least once a week as well.

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Larry Kravets

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in July 2016

PRs: 

Mile: 5:54, 5k: 18:26, Half Marathon: 1:25:15, Marathon: 3:09:13

Long-Term Running Goals:

Getting better at the marathon and getting that 6th star!

Most Memorable Race:

During my marathon PR (2013 Chicago Marathon), I spied a $20 bill on the ground and stopped to pick it up.

Fun Facts:

• I grow my hair out to donate it.

• I love "bucket list" races.

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Evening

Solo or With Friends?:

With Friends

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Chris Porst

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in July 2018

PRs: 

Mile: 4:24, 5k: 15:03, 4M: 20:31, 8k: 25:08, 10k: 32:11, 10M: 52:16, Half Marathon: 1:09:53, Marathon: 2:29:22

Social Handles:

IG: cfporst

Long-Term Running Goals:

Continue improving my marathon time, Go under 15:00 for 5k, Qualify for the Olympic Trials

Most Memorable Run:

A long tempo at WFG during my first year with DWR. Coach gave me a pace I really wasn't sure I could keep and put me in a faster group than I had run with before. Right before we started, and without me voicing my uncertainty, he simply told me I could do it. I kept that in mind for the whole run and had by far the best tempo of my life to that date. Since then I've always run with that group and continued to do things I once thought impossible.

Fun Facts:

• I love playing basketball

• I have a Master of Science degree from MIT

• I like karaoke but am a terrible singer.

Track or Trails?:

Track

Morning or Afternoon?:

Morning

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

Summer

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.

Anthony Molinaro

DWRunning Tenure:

Joined in September 2017

PRs: 

Half Marathon: 1:24:15, Marathon: 2:59:53

Social Handles:

IG: music.and.movement

Most Memorable Run OR Race:

Breaking 3 hours for the first time at the 2020 Houston Marathon. Boston 2018 is a close 2nd!

Running Role Model:

My dad.

Fun Facts:

• I'm a concert pianist.

• I'm a Professor of Music at Loyola University

• In 2016, I knocked out 1,800 pull-ups in 5 hours (6 every min) while contemplating going after the 24-hour world record (I ultimately decided against it :-)

Track or Trails?:

Trails

Morning or Afternoon?:

Afternoon

Solo or With Friends?:

Solo

Summer or Winter?:

Winter

---

Bolded PRs are PRs run while training with DWRunning.