The Speed Force. The Speed Force not only gives the Flash his abilities, but it voids normal physics (eg takes care of friction). Thus, the Speed Force is the deux ex machina that is used by the comic writers to explain how the Flash can run at such high speeds without burning up / causing tremendous sonic booms / creating maelstroms of wind behind him etc. It’s also what’s used in comics to explain how he can carry other people at light speed without instantly killing them. The Speed Force.
If we kept the speed force enough to allow Flash his requisite speed, but removed it enough to still allow him to feel the effects of real world conditions, like air resistance, I’d be interested as to when the benefits of the speed start to lose out against the effort to reach and maintain the speed.
This Speed Force sounds very much like the Von Nagel Factor, or as it is often written, the “Finagle Factor”.
Von Nagel’s Constant is characterized as changing the universe to fit the equation.
X’ = Kf + X Where: X = result obtained
X’ = desired result
Kf = von Nagel’s Constant (which is infinitely variable)
This is also sometimes referred to as The Beugeurre Factor.