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.
 

It's the people you meet

I'm often asked what I enjoy the most about running in the mountains and the answer is always the same.  What makes it so special, other than the scenery, is the people you meet.  Complete strangers smile and say hello.  If you are in trouble they help and if you've stopped they will have a "natter" with you.  They will offer tips about the route or even some food.  Nothing surprises me these days and I always come away uplifted.
Yesterday was a good example.  Due to time constraints and being on my own, I decided to go locally to Tinto hill as I had done the weekend before.  This time I was going to do 3 repeats and see how my knee stood up to the downhill running.  I set off at 6.20am from the car park and half way up met two guys who I'd managed to catch up with.  One of them told me that I "was him 12 months ago" and that he used to be able to get up and down in 50 mins.  That's quicker than me but he'd obviously had some health issues, but was on his way back.  I wished him luck and passed him on the way down.  When I met him on my next ascent he offered me words of encouragement and looked like he was enjoying being back on the hill.  I also met a father and son, aged 6, and a mountain biker descending fast - I wouldn't fancy pushing a mountain buke up that hill for a speedy descent.
As I left the summit for the second time I met a running pal Laura MacDonald.  She was actually running up the steep section at the top as she is preparing for the Ben Nevis race in September!  It was lovely to catch up and we first met in a 50km trail race where we were doing the same pace for 40km and got chatting.  I blew up in the last 10 km but she went on to finish 2nd woman.
When you are doing reps people notice and start to ask you why.  One such persons friend had completed the UTMB and had also come second in the West Highland Way race that I am preparing for.  Another lady was being dragged down the hill by two very big dogs but she still smiled and complimented my descending.
After I finished it was off to the Tinto Tea Room for a cooked breakfast, cake and coffee.  An 82 year old gentleman started chatting and it turns out he was a Munro bagger until his quadruple heart by-pass.  As the conversation went on, at the next table there was a father and son who were serious cyclists.  Turns out they came from the same area as the older gentleman and the four of us had a wonderful chat.  They had so many mutual connections but had never met before.  He finished off by saying to me what a pleasure it was to have shared stories with us.  Much better than sitting next to someone on their iPhone he said.  We all left the hill or the tea room uplifted by our conversations.
I'm sure our friends that have been running in the London Marathon today will have tails to tell of the people they met - well done guys.  It helps we are all like minded in our passion but it's just nice to strike up a conversation with another human being you've never met before.  It's uplifting and reinforces my faith in people.  Next time you're on the hill or a trail run, strike up a conversation and see where it leads.  There's nothing to lose as you can always move on if the chemistry isn't working.  Oh and I almost forgot, my knee survived the downhill reps so progress on that front.

It's a fine balance

69 days to go before the West Highland Way race.  Anyone who has done the race before would point out that my training isn't what you'd normally be doing to be successful (i.e. finishing) this race but as they say, if someone throws lemons at you, make lemonade!  Consider this an "experiment" in approaching training for such a long race in a different way and only on 23 June will we know if it's worked.  In my head, which is important, unless there is a physical failure then I'm up for it.
What I've lacked in miles, and time on the WHW, I have made up for with gym rehab/strengthening work and yoga.  My knee wasn't happy with some downhill steps at the end of 21km at Chatelherault but fortunately I had an appointment with my sports therapist the next day.  On Saturday I did some speed work intervals on the treadmill and some strength work.  But the test was today.  Repeats of Tinto hill (711m).
Stu and I set off at 8.30am and with all the rain we've had, the bottom track was treacherous.  I said on the way up, "we'll need to be very careful on the way down".  As usual despite some blue sky the summit was clagged in so poor visibility, the wind was howling and it was very cold.  Heading down my knee let me know it wasn't happy, but it wasn't sore.  I suggested to Stu that rather than go all the way to the car park we should turn back up where it starts to get wet and muddy.  After all, we just wanted the elevation - Stu is doing the Highland Fling (53 miles on the WHW in 2 weeks time).  We summited for the second time and I decided not to do a third summit as I'd rather finish with no knee pain.
Everything was going well till we hit the wet muddy trail.  Stu & I both slipped at the same time.  I immediately felt my knee and tried to stop - suddenly both feet were off the ground overtaking my head that was accelerating towards the ground.  I instinctively spread my arms to help with the impact.  It happened so fast but the collision with the ground set off my Garmin Incident Alert and I couldn't stop it from sending messages to three of my contacts.  Two came back to me immediately which was reassuring, but a bit embarrassing.  My back and bum were covered in mud but I was lucky there were no rocks there.  Stu and I took it easy in the final section but even in the last 10m we slipped but didn't fall.  Normally I'd have been running with poles and would have caught myself but the WHW doesn't allow them so I'm training with out them.
It was a reminder of how easy it is to take a fall when running, especially on trails.  Every foot step is a potential ankle turn and the WHW has some rough sections.  The good thing about my strength training is that it helps my core which is so essential, especially on uneven ground.
My training has been dictated by circumstances and it's a fine balance.  I need to do sufficient running to get me to the start line but not "cram in the miles" as I will risk further injury which would rule me out of my "A race".  I know this is a problem for lots of runners and with the race season about to take off, Boston Marathon tomorrow, London Marathon next week and The Fling in two weeks time, take care and don't push it too hard. 
This weeks message is to get the balance right based on how you are feeling.  If you can't do the miles do some other form of training to keep your fitness and strength up.  And here's to you avoiding a "soggy bottom"!