Tour of Fife Day 2 - Loch Loopy Trail Race

The 2nd race of the tour was 6.5 miles, two laps of what I presume was Loch Ore at Lochore Meadows Country Park. I set off on a rather ambitious warm up, realising 2 miles into it that there was still another mile til I got back to the start. Doh! For some reason I'd been thinking it was 2 miles round the loch. So I was warmed up - in fact - sweating profusely - just before the start.

I had a couple of bad omens on the way to the race. A car with registration plate DNF looked at me in a funny way, and I don't know, the birds were flying backwards over the bridge maybe.

I felt pretty good for the first couple of miles of the race, being very well warmed up and loose, and I moved fairly constantly forwards through the racers. For mile three I about held my position but it was starting to feel pretty grim, and I was hearing some breathing on my right shoulder that I suspected was Ruth, and a peek back and to the right revealed a pair of pink shorts just behind me and confirmed my suspicions.

The sight of the sports centre at half-way provided the strongest temptation to drop out I've felt in a while, rather than head off back out onto the first and windiest section of the course. That DNF car was still with me.

At this point I had to rationalise and I knew really that in order to stay in the series all I had to do was drop my pace for a while and I'd feel okay soon, so that's what I did. A power of people went past me and then I was running on my own, which was quite nice, and I was feeling better, but then another couple of folk came past and I thought enough is enough and gave chase. The woman (carrying a pink bottle) was strong and although I hung onto her for a while she gradually pulled away into the distance. The man, an Anster Haddies, sounded more and more uncomfortable, eventually gave out a huge sigh to which I responded "I know what you mean", without intending to speak. He dropped away behind me and I was on my own again. Ahead I could see Ruth powering away in her pink shorts having stolen Anster Haddies George, who was my friend yesterday and running with a gaggle of Fifers and others...

Into the trees I could no longer see them. One other person came past - it must have been Pamela Cruikshanks. I recovered a bit  not long after and went past again, and we stayed like this to the line.
The DNF car drove away into the distance, off to trouble someone else.

Julia had had a harsh run being overtaken by "Wee Buns", Portobello's own Amanda Henderson. Julia's just coming back from injury and Amanda seems to be getting stronger and stronger so there was no shame in it. Julia had what Shelagh McLeish likes to call "The Dry Boak".

Andrew came over the line looking chipper and strong having enjoyed his run.

Peter's run is well documented here . Adele and Christina came in shortly after.

Tonight's run is a hill one and I find that, perversely, I'm looking forwards to it. Tomorrow is a "rest" day, so I signed up for a shift at work. Boo! What's work?