Training in Jacksonville, NC

I would really appreciate some help with this.

You're probably going to be the fastest one in town. Despite being a city of 70,000, don't expect jacksonville to have too many runners. There is a marine base or something nearby, but you'll be amazed at how chubby military personnel can be. Most of these guys consider 2 miles a long distance and 5 miles a long run. Jacksonville isn't too far from the beach, running on the beach at low tide can be fun for a few miles. Here's a map of nearby croatan national forest which may be suitable for long runs.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5403940.pdf

Never been there, so some of this may be inaccurate .

this will get you off the roads but it's paved:

http://www.traillink.com/trail/jacksonville-camp-lejeune-rail-to-trails.aspx

maybe you can run on the grass on the side?

I was stationed at Camp Lejuene from 1993 to 1994. Although 20 years ago, I bet not too many things have changed. You first need to get on the base. I did many, many long runs along the roadside there, in the grass just alongside the road the Marines would cut about once a week. From the main gate toward the track, there is about a four mile stretch where there is a nice dirt / packed sand path that paralleled the main road. It was nice, with just lots of little roller coaster hills. There is a tartan track there that I hope is still there. It has exaggerated drainage allowances, so the track feels a bit funny. There are a ton of great tank trails to run on, but they can be muddy. From the main gym, there was a paved running path that everyone would run out and back about six miles. It was quite an ego boost to continually pass people mile after mile even just running 6:15's.

There used to be a marathon on the base in the spring and a half marathon in the fall. There is also a great big grass field near the track that is about 1400 meters per lap. Great training on that field and the grass was always kept short, but it would get muddy whenever it rained. Off the base, the running is really tough because the shoulders on the roads are narrow. The other poster who said that you'd be the fastest guy in town may be right. However, when I was there, I was five years out of college, there would always seem to be some kid straight out of high school who ran sub 4:20 / 9:20. So don't get too comfortable - some eighteen year old kid may surprise you.

Greg Hill wrote:

I was stationed at Camp Lejuene from 1993 to 1994. Although 20 years ago, I bet not too many things have changed. You first need to get on the base.

Thanks! I'm staying closer to New River, a sub-base of Lejeune. The Marine I'm staying with is at MCAS New River however his brother is at Lejeune so I'll look into getting access to the base.

I'm not looking to be the fastest, just looking to get some solid training in while my boyfriend is working, but maybe I'll be that nineteen year old that surprises everyone!

Thank you for your service, sir.