Winter Beach Run Jacksonville Beach

Much as the triathlon bug has me by the toe I just can not afford to sign up for my pool membership right now so I've been sticking to running and cycling. My first and thus far only "A" race planned for this year is the Gate River Run in Jacksonville on March 10th. So, for the most part I've been using a Hal Higdon intermediate 15k training schedule and riding the bike as cross training. I haven't really decided on any triathlons yet but it most likely won't begin until April 21 in St. Augustine.

Really the most important part of my training at this point in the year is getting my weight down. I've so far last 3 of the 17 I'm trying to be rid of before the 10th. I can really feel the extra weight in my running its depressing but I've been getting faster little by little and the weight is gradually coming off.

This Sunday I participated in the 5 mile Winter Beach Run in Jacksonville. I've had some sort of respiratory illness or virus for over a week so running has been uncomfortable...I know below the neck I should be resting but I already shelled out the money and I don't plan on doing all that many races this year so I'm doing it. I figured I was just going to take it easy and finish sometime around 45 minutes to an hour. Found someone doing the 10 miler at a pace I thought I could hold and kept up with him the whole way ..... couldn't have done 10 at this pace ...yet.... but I sucked it up and went under 40 at 39:17. That's a 7:51 mile. Better than my 8:15 pace on a 5K last weekend. I would love to be in the 7:30 range for the 15k but we'll see. Least I've got a target pace.