Frostbite Trail Race Series (Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb - same route)

Today I headed to my home from home in Falkland, Fife for a 5k..ish, 2 laps, trail race, over a few streams, through a fairy glen and back to the cricket club where we started. I'm usually flying solo on these events, but I had the company of Frances today, making a return visit after the devils burdens earlier in the year.
There was no parking in the estate so we parked at the village hall and made the usual stroll through the time warped village streets. It was perfect running conditions, sunny, no wind, and a bit of a chill to save you overheating. With the knowledge that we were going to get wet at some point, the decision was shorts no matter what, but keep the hats and gloves on.
I was a bit reluctant to do a warm up with being injured for so long and not wanting risk aggravating it before the race. But not wanting to ever argue with a woman, never mind the club president, I decided to shut up and just do it. Ended up doing a full lap and saw that we needed to cross a stream twice each lap (there's a bridge 10 meters away, but they always like to make it harder for you).
Anyway, the race starts with one lap of the cricket pitch, and in spite of my plan to take the first lap easy, I'm off with the usual pack. Not for long though, as the lack of fitness and being out of the comfort zone sees them pull away as we hit the tarmac pathway. Frances seemed to have ran a more even pace, but was a bit traumatized afterwards when she discovered that she had ran the first mile in 7.15.
We are on the path for maybe three quarters of a mile which ends in a good steep downhill. Then we're into the woods and hit the first stream (after the race Frances declared that there was no sightings of fairies, but with her being just behind me, she certainly heard one!!). Your feet are a bit squelchy in the short journey between streams, but as long as there's mesh on your trainers, you soon dry out.
There's then a bit of a climb back out of the woods to the cricket pitch with the knowledge that we have to do it all again.
I knew Frances wasn't far behind and managed to keep going right to the end in 26.55 (34th) for 3.4 miles as it turned out, with Frances 27.25 (39th)...2nd vet!
All and all, a good we course of mixed terrain, good to be racing again and good to beat Frances!
There was a photographer at each stream, so some action shots to come. Full video of the race including the club present crossing the burn in style here.
George