A salute to "the Fling"

Yesterday was the 16th Highland Fling took place organised by the amazing "Johnny Fling".  This event is so special in the ultra calendar and I have had the privilege of running in the relay once and twice in the full event.  It has always been a well organised event and based on the numerous ultra's I have run, it's one of the friendliest events ever.  It requires a massive number of volunteers to cover the 53 miles in some unforgiving terrain.  But they all take their role very seriously and always have a smile on their face, which for a competitor is so encouraging.  I even witnessed volunteers at the end of the race running to the main road to keep the public service bus from leaving for competitors who were limping along trying to get the bus home.
I was there in a support role for Beth & Stu.  We arrived at the start at 5.15am and it was below zero degrees.  The atmosphere was great and people had travelled from all over the world to compete in this race.  The competitors set off and I headed to the first check point which was 19 miles away - the route makes observing difficult.  When I got there the volunteers were like ants busily getting ready for the runners.  I headed up Conic Hill with my dog Poppy and we got to see the leader and eventual winner come flying down the steps.  I also got to spend time with the amazing volunteers who were all so friendly.  I met my pal Graham Kelly (Beardy) and brilliant runner who was there to catch up with friends.  What a lovely community around this race.
After Beth & Stu came through I headed to the finish line and then went out on the West Highland Way to recce part of the course for my race in 55 days time.  I met loads of people, from Germany, USA, Canada and Ireland, walking the full 96 miles and the weather was kind to them.
Back to the finish line to watch my pals come in, and chat to numerous friends who were there, and what an effort they had put in.  It's a tough route and when I do my race, at this stage I'll have another 43 miles to go with some big climbs and descents. 
Watching the race not only motivated me but has made me realise I will need to have a good race plan to survive the race.  Mental disciple will be essential because moving (note I didn't say running) for 30 hours will involve some dark moments to overcome.
Today I headed out for 21km of tarmac running and it was a struggle as I was tired from the 19 hour day.  My Garmin said I now need to rest for 58 hours which explains how bad I felt but I didn't run the Fling.  Beth has been doing yoga a foam rolling as part of her recovery plus eating a lot to replace the calories burned.  She now has to focus on getting ready for the Edinburgh Marathon in 4 weeks time.
The Fling has given me a kick up the arse I needed as I try and get to the start line without injury.  The volunteers also motivated me as I know in the WHW, being a much smaller race, they will be equally enthusiastic and will cajole me when I am in a dark place.  Beth & Stu are my support team and at certain stages will be running with me for safety reasons - hallucinations can put you at risk as I experienced in the Tahoe 200 Ultra .  I now need to get planning as the logistics can mean the difference between success and failure.  I also need to recce other parts of the route to help me in my race and test my feeding strategy.
So the Fling is over for another year and congratulations to those that made the start line.  There was a high drop out rate due to the warm weather but DNF means Did Nothing Fatal.  They will come back and try again.  Well done to all the finishers and I hope your aches and pains disappear in the next 2-3 days.  As for the organisers and the volunteers, I salute you in your commitment to putting on such an excellent event.  If you haven't completed an Ultra, get this race on your list.