Virginia is for Lovers 14K

Distance: 8.7 Miles
Overall Time: 1:36:36
Pace: 11:19/mi

This run was one I'd had on the books for a while, and although I knew I wouldn't be running at 100 percent, I was still excited for it. So far, all the J & A Racing events have been a lot of fun, and have had fast and fun-costumed runners to enjoy it with. The Virginia Beach area had recently seen about 4 inches of snow, however, so the ground was soft and slushy for race time. The course was extremely slick from the melted snow mixed with low temps, but this wouldn't have bothered me much if I was running by the beach. Unfortunately, the course was change last-minute, and it was not as scenic as the Virginia Beach courses I was used to.



I was in a lot of pain after about mile 2, and with my recent diagnosis of heel spurs in both feet, I wasn't surprised but I was disappointed. I alternated running and walking, something I've never been good at, and by the 8th mile I was stiff and sore.  Truly, the photos tell the story:



Photo credit: Tri Duo Sports Photography

 I tried to push through, but my time was the worst I'd had in quite some time for an 8+ mile run. I was pretty happy to see the finish line after such a brutal hour and a half. It was a downer for sure, but I still hope to heal enough to get a decent time for Shamrock next month.