Jingle out the year!

Saturday was the Jolly Elf Trail Run in Bond Park in Cary.  December of 2011 this is the same place I set my current 5k PR (21:58 bitches) and this year it was the last race I'm doing in the Grand Prix series.  My goal was to finish without crying.  Running a 5k a week after a 40 miler might have just been poor scheduling on their part. 

I started close to the middle/back on purpose. The legs were feeling ok but not really great yet.  I wanted to just take it easy, not push anything and keep the heart rate low.  I started out and passed a bunch of people anyway.  This is a really fun trail course made of three loops.  The first loop is first, then the second loop, then you run the first loop again.  And yes, the first and second loops are different trails.  At the end of the first loop is the one mile marker, and you can see the finish line clock as you run past.  Last year I hit it at 6:31, this year it was 6:45.  Good thing I slowed down.

I was actually able to keep my heart rate down.  Saw my friend Troy out there in the second mile.  Also my right foot started hurting pretty good.  That loop had a pretty steep hill in it too. 

The repeat of the first loop was completely uneventful.  I ran it, the foot hurt, and then we had the finish line.  This is a really fun course.  Great trail and a really popular and well organized race. 

I finished in 23:03, a full 1:05 slower than last year.  I guess that's taking it easy.  7:26 pace.
96/503 overall
12/20 M35-39

and so completes all of the races I ran in 2012.  All 27 of them.  Bring on the year end reviews!