A dancer for many years, Virginia was totally inexperienced on the ways of running when she was first introduced to it fourteen years ago. After her CFO at work signed her up for the Corporate Challenge, she figured she better go out and practice before race day arrived. Her first outing on a pleasant summer day found her bundled up in her typical dance attire, leg warmers and sweats (as she learned in dance that to maintain maximum flexibility you had to keep the muscles warm). Well, not that warm! Auburn-haired Virginia describes herself looking like a thermometer with the mercury ready to explode by the time she finished.

Since swapping her leg warmers for Coolmax, Virginia has become quite the seasoned runner. She currently logs over thirty miles a week, many of which are recorded during her weekend long run. She also manages to sprinkle in some hills and treadmill running throughout the week. Although she would like to run forty miles a week, time constraints do not make that possible. But according to Virginia, "That is the beauty of running. Whatever life affords you can fold it into your schedule."

Virginia has recorded some impressive times not only in her age-group, but for any age-group. She has raced many distances but prefers the 5K. "I have a love-hate relationship with the 5K and it is the one I have done the most. To me, it is the purest test of distance and speed, but boy do they hurt!" Hurt as they may, she sure shows her talent when racing them. She set her 5K pr at age 44 in the Dick’s 5K in Binghamton in a time of 19:46. Last year she ran two 20:57 5K’s both at the Willow Bay 5K for Women and the Festival of Races. Even with the rugged, challenging terrain of A Midsummers Night’s Dream Race this year, she still crossed the line in 22:50, finishing in the top ten women. Quite impressive considering that seven of the top ten times were also in the 22 minute range.

Besides all her 5K’s, Virginia has run two marathons, the Marine Corps Marathon in 1991 and the LaSalle Banks Marathon in 1998, where she completed the course in 3:49. She thinks she might do another marathon someday but is presently setting her sights on attempting a triathlon, if she can "dredge up the courage." She finds triathletes to be incredibly fit and admires anyone who can do one. She is off to a good start in realizing this goal. She already has the running down and does some cross-training on the bike. The one obstacle as she sees it (and is often the case for others considering a first triathlon) is the swim. Her friend Nancy Smith has offered to help her polish up on her swimming though, so who knows, she may turn up at Green Lakes or Cazenovia in 2003.

Even though she runs fast, running is not all about time to Virginia. She feels she has done that and now she just wants to enjoy it and be in it for the long haul. She loves all that running offers including health benefits and the many friends and acquaintances she has made along the way. Most rewarding to her is how it keeps her connected to her faith, by being out running among nature and the beauty that surrounds us.

Residing in Manlius with her husband Thinus who she describes as an awesome athlete and tennis player, she enjoys her free time cooking, reading and watching tennis. She has a grown daughter Brigitte and two ‘rescued’ dogs. Virginia loves animals and is always finding dogs and then reuniting them with their families or placing them in new homes. Along with her many activities, she also enjoys a career selling air (well, air time that is) for WSTM/WSPX.

September, 2002