1 step beyond

My apologies for the "radio silence" but I was so tired this weekend I didn't get a chance to write my blog and this week has been manic.  I'm easing my way back into training.  I'm going for prehab rather than rehab and am doing yoga 5 days a week in addition to my gym work and running.  The yoga is tough but I feel so good after it, which makes it easier to roll my mat out at 6am.
The highlight of my week however was supporting my pal Stuart Auld as he took part in the inaugural Highlander Last One Standing Event.  A 6.7km loop of Blair Castle and you have an hour to do it.  If you do it in 30 mins then you have a 30 min rest before the next loop. If you are not at the start line at the hour mark, you're disqualified and it's the last one standing that wins. 
Stuart had Beth & I supporting him, plus two excited dogs, and we headed up early to set up the gazebo, and have all the food laid out for his race plus medical kit and spare running clothes.  There were a lot of logistics involved with hours of planning.  I even took up my massage gun as I knew the pain he'd be suffering later on.
The atmosphere was amazing and the runners all had their own race strategies.  The fast runners didn't want to go too slow as they'd probably injure themselves and some runners took it really easy so they came in with 5 minutes to spare before they went out again.  But as the laps went on and the tiredness set in it became not just physical, but more of a mental race - in more ways than one.  My pal Rosie Bell was running for Team Scotland so we were able to cheer her on as well - she's an amazing runner.
Beth and I were kept busy feeding Stuart and after 5 laps he needed the massage gun on his hip flexors which were tightening up - it wouldn't be the last time he needed it and even Rosie borrowed it for her legs.  The weather turned and the rain came on just to add to the challenge.  Stuarts target was 10 laps, 67 km and he looked injured and bust on lap 10 but decided to go for 1 more lap.  Unfortunately he was timed out but still completed 11 laps.  He was totally exhausted and had never pushed himself so hard or ran so far.  But it's not just the distance.  It's the stopping and starting and now they were running with head torches on, it was raining and the midgies were out in force!
We said farewell to Rosie as she headed out for lap 12 and got Stuart down the road - he was completely out on his feet and he needed home and into his bed!  What an amazing achievement from which he can build for longer races.
Rosie completed 22 laps before her DNF - she'd been suffering from stomach problems early on and I know what that feels like.  But she'd still ran 147.4km!  We were sorry not have been there through the night as there was a real party atmosphere and it built up as the hour approached and people were just making the cut off just to be sent straight back out.  The race had started on the Saturday at 12 noon but the winner, the last one standing, completed 39 laps - that's an astonishing 261.3 km in 39 hours of stop/start running.  
This is a very different format and it was good to see it as part of a support team.  The mental strength you need for this event is off the chart and I'd love to do one, but earlier in the season as it's too close to URR 2023.  It's defiantly 1 step beyond any race I've ever seen or been in before and if I remember rightly, it was Madness that sang that song!  Quite appropriate really. 
Back home and running 5km every other day and my pace is coming back and no ankle issues.  I'll build the distance back slowly and continue with the strength work to protect my body from the punishment of the running.  Hopefully I'll get into the mountains this week and report back to you on Sunday.  Thank you all for your continued support.  It means everything to me to know you're behind me.