Un cuarto de milla con Central Park Track Club

This Saturday, it’s the NYRR Team Championships, so for this edition of A Quarter-Mile With, we’re featuring a club that is always highly ranked in the club standings. And representing Central Park Track Club is Jenny Donnelly, who won this year's NYRR 1 for You 1 for Youth 5K. 

Name: Jenny Donnelly

Club: Central Park Track Club

Fartlek or tempo? Tempo. Preferably in a long run as it makes the miles fly by.

Favorite NYRR race? The TCS New York City Marathon. It’s the race that made me fall in love with running again.

Favorite race distance? I used to say marathon, but I've been finding the half-marathon (13.1 miles) more and more fun.

Favorite distance to run? 16 miles. It is a solid long run, but it doesn't require immobilization the rest of the day.

Running hero? I have three. Deena Kastor. Her book helped me overcome a history of race anxiety. Another is my mom, who just finished her fifth consecutive Boston Marathon. And Stephanie Bruce, who I admire for her grit and her two young kids.

Post-race meal? Grilled octopus and ice cream (not on the same plate).

Cold-weather or warm-weather running? Warm. I could run in 80-degree weather every day.

Treadmills: yay or nay? Yay if it's Mile High Run Club, otherwise nay.

Most exotic place you’ve run? Aitutaki, which is an island in the middle of the South Pacific and home to fewer than 2,000 people.

Race-day inspiration quote? Put yourself in a position to fight. Also: Don't panic, this is fun.

Toughest race course, in your opinion? RacingThePlanet New Zealand, which is a 150 mile, five-day self-supported stage race.

Song that makes you want to go faster? Anything by Eminem, while I rap along.

You can run alongside any three people in the world: Who are they? There are so many, but I'm going to say Georgia Hardstark, Karen Kilgariff, and Steven Ray Morris from the My Favorite Murder podcast. All 182 episodes of that show have helped me through many, many miles so I may as well have them with me live.

Best non-running account you follow on Instagram? Chris Burkard. Amazing photography of incredible places around the world. That or lipsyncbattle.

Your club, in five words or less? Gritty, supportive, believers, hilarious, family.