Watcher of the Skies - Genesis

Lyric:- 'He whom life can no longer surprise' - Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett & Rutherford

Song Choice:- Well, it's becoming a bit of a Genesis week if I'm being honest and I picked 'Watcher of the Skies' partly, as it's such an iconic prog rock anthem, but also as it contains the above lyric which reflects my mood today, just perfectly.

You see, what would life be like, if there was no longer any surprise in anyone's world?

Well it'd be pretty dull wouldn't it...I'm sure you'll agree but actually will you?

How much do we actually engage with the process of change? Do you even desire change? Are you prepared to stand by your principles and demand change?

Or do you just do the same things day in, day out, year in, year out...or even decade in, decade out. I find it mystifying how much of our lives we live on automatic pilot just watching the hands on the clock turn and the seasons blend from one into another.

OMG, I sound so bloody glum in just writing this...but as human's we should demand surprise, spontaneity, passion, excellence, commitment and desire.

Without them, we are simply dust and just wasting a golden opportunity - my advice is to surprise yourself. No-one will do that for you in reality and make your mark on this planet so you will be remembered for being a something, rather than a nothing.

Rory Coleman
973 Marathons - 240 Ultra-Marathons - 9 Guinness World Records - 12 Marathon des Sables - 8121 Days' Dry

Stagnation - Genesis

Genesis in 1971

Lyric:- 'Wash away the past' - Gabriel

Song Choice:- They say if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. And that's been the depth of my 'Stagnation' for about a week or so now following seven days of a tremendous weight-loss and negativity bug surrounding a bout of infant induced gastric flu. It's a tricky condition to be in for me as I just don't do illness and am well noted for battling on through, no matter what but I was f*cking miserable I can tell you.

Hitting this particular wall, this close to MdS is a bit of a choker if I'm being honest but following a personal pistol whipping, I'm now back in the room and firing on nearly all 12 cylinders (c'mon I was never going to write 4, 6 or 8 there was I!)...

Anyway, I'm feeling more like my old self, hooray you say, and I'm back putting out fires and revving up those around me to do more with their time on this planet of ours, Gabriel sings 'Wash away the past', well he did 46 years ago anyway and it's a good mantra for today and the next 10 days as I pack and ready myself for my thirteenth Marathon des Sables Adventure...

Rory Coleman - 973 Marathons - 240 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8120 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Caerdydd

Tomorrow Never Knows - The Beatles

Lyric:- 'But listen to the colour of your dreams' - Lennon

Song Choice:- Well it's been a psychedelic week, so I thought I'd choose a psychedelic track to accompany it.

It's actually been a week recovering from a bug that nearly finished me off if I'm being honest and I was forced to tell myself to 'Man the F@@@ Up Coleman' on more than one occasion to get me through my extreme man-flu.

Anyway, no-one really cares and yes, there is well-place sympathy abound but you still have to deliver the goods - I'm sure running hundreds of marathons, alcohol addiction and a mother, kicked out of the Gestapo for being too tough, making me go to school with Russian Flu in 1979 has only fuelled my resilience (Ta Mum x).

But that's the thing, it was tough, in today's news I see teachers are not allowed to mark in red ink anymore, in case it's seen as being aggressive - yikes my secondary school teachers just battered you whether you were right OR wrong and it was all part of growing up. Don't even get me started on non-competitive sports days and walking children around in Hi-Vis Jackets on school trips.

I reckon we need to look back at 1966 sometimes, Relax and Float down stream a bit more often and listen to the colour of our dreams and get on with life without thinking that we are upsetting people's feelings.

Life's too short!

Rory Coleman - www.RoryColeman.co.uk

972 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8117 Days' Dry

Supremacy - Muse

Lyric:- 'Wake to see, Your true emancipation is a fantasy'...

Song Choice:- Taken from the latest Bond picture Spectre which probably encompasses the whole White Western Supremacy thing, that some extremist folk around the globe want to protest against, highlighted with today's catastrophic results.

It's difficult to know what to write or what to say about the bombings this morning or of any acts of terrorism for that matter. It's difficult as it doesn't affect my world, or hasn't yet, and it's not my fight and yet someone this morning is prepared to blow themselves and lots of innocent people up, going about their busy lives, into the next world.

My word the world has gone mad...wtf is going on?

Is there really that much evil in the world? I'd really like to think not. I'd really like to think there's good in everyone. I'd really like to think that a stranger would help me in the street if I was in need, just like I'd help them - as I have, lots of times, whilst other folk have just walked by.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not all goody goody, I don't want to be everyone's friend - I just want to be left to get on with things in my world knowing that it's a safe place to play as right now - it doesn't feel like it.

I'm not sure if the Supremacy that folk seem to want or hate is worth the cost of so many lives, when our world is such a wonderful place to live in.

More tomorrow...

Rory Coleman - 971 Marathons - 240 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8112 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location:Caerdydd

A Design for Life - Manic Street Preachers

Lyric:- 'As we are told that this is the end' - Wire

Song Choice - Well, I keep bumping into James Dean Bradfield at Cafe Castan in Pontcanna, and this track was one of my favourites way back in 1996 (yes, April 1996 in fact) just around the time of my marathon peak and my 3.24.21 pb.

It's the 'Design for Life' lyric of course that resonates with me and if life only came with your own bespoke handbook or blueprint to follow, maybe we'd make a better fist of building it. You see the thing is, I reckon a lot of the time, we follow lots of other people's ideas and instructions instead of our own.

I'd love to know, for instance, whom the 'They' are that people always seem to refer to, you know the 'They say it's going to rain' or the people whom come across as experts on subjects so people then say 'I've read that'...

Make up your own mind and what you read on websites, by so called experts, take with a pinch of salt as there's no such thing as FREE advice as there's no guarantee from those that are dishing it out.

I wonder what the Manic's really meant with their lyrics...oh yes I get the Gaudi quote on the album cover and yes he (that's Gaudi) certainly rewrote the rule book on design and architecture - so I'm going to take that on board. Not too difficult for me as I really don't like following the rules but no so easy for those that do.

What I'd say is 'Don't believe a word anyone says, especially if you are told that this is the end' - just go with your heart, f*ck what people anyone thinks and find the beginning of whatever it is that you want to do.

As everyone will point out to you where it will all end...

More tomorrow...

Rory Coleman

971 Marathons, 240 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records, 12 Marathon des Sables

8110 Days' Dry

Adventure of a Lifetime - Coldplay

Lyric:- 'Turn your magic on’ - Martin

Song Choice:- I listened to this track as I travelled away from my Breakfast Meeting Presentation at the fdu Group to a group of their key clients. It encompasses a lot of my ideals about being ‘Elite' and belief that everyone should value their own experience and use it in the workplace to it’s maximum effect.

You see, I wonder how much people actually ‘Turn their magic on’ each day…It wasn’t an issue for the people I presented to at fdu as they were all extremely successful within their own business environment but there was an interesting moment when I asked them how ‘Elite’ they felt were, both at Work, at Home and in their Leisure Pursuits. It’s always and interesting question to ask as most people put themselves in at a more ‘average’, and certainly not an ‘Elite’ level.

Now that might a very conservatively ‘English’ way of thinking so as not to look ‘Over-Confident’ and blend into the crowd but who really wants to be ‘Average’? I certainly don’t…I want to be as ‘Elite’ as I can possibly be and since I’ve put a 'value’ on my experience and monetised it, it’s paid dividends. I believe 100% in my own value and values.

Lyric:- 'And we are legends every day’ - Martin

The interesting thing is, I believe everyone has a ‘Legend’ in them and it’s empowering them to realise that where I believe I really make a difference to how they see themselves, their colleagues, their prospects and their loved ones. There’s nothing worse than spending a large proportion of ones week in an environment where you are undervalued and then you in turn, act in an undervalued and negative way. The Average2Awesome Business Coaching Programme cross platforms the workplace. People across the business get to interact closely together as a team for twelve weeks, resulting in greater colleague understanding, company positivity and physical well-being. It’s a real win-win and I love winning!

Lyric:- 'Everything you want's a dream away' - Martin

I’m not sure I believed this before my own transformation back in 1994 but I’m more than ever convinced now as I witness this transformation in the people I coach. Having a vision, a career plan and some new values and rules to live by leads ordinary ‘Average' people on to be the ‘Awesome' people they’ve always threatened to be. As Coldplay’s Chris Martin goes on to sing ‘We are Diamonds’ which I believe we all are. Finding the right place and when to shine, that’s the key.

Lyric:- ‘If we’ve only got this life' - Martin

'Well, why not do your best you can with the time you have on this planet then'. That’s what I say, in every aspect of your life and become the person you’ve always wanted to be. 

• Ask yourself just how ‘Elite’ you feel you really are?
• Ask yourself am I giving this my best shot?
• Ask yourself do I need to raise my standards?
• Ask yourself have a got a good work/home life balance?
• Ask yourself am I Average or am I Awesome?

Of course, only you will know those answers to those questions, but just in writing them I’ve asked myself the same and will reconsider my own performance and reassess my own ‘Eliteness’.

Hopefully you will too…

Rory Coleman

969 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8017 - Days' Dry

Tighten Up - Electronic

Lyric:- 'I used to run away but I can't no more, 'cause I feel that I can beat it' - Marr & Sumner

Song Choice:- I bought this when it cam out in 1991 yet only recently listened to it again. It was actually a really good pairing of music and lyrics and it’s a shame I’d lost it. See for yourself here.

Anyway, on the eve of me recounting my story to the fdu Group at their Breakfast Event tomorrow morning in London, the above line seemed most apt for my blog. Also on my part and for some of my clients, running away is always feels  a much better option that just tightening up feeling that you can beat it. Whatever your 'IT' may be.

Maybe you are in the running away stage yourself right now and need to expose the GIANT ELEPHANT in the room that everyone in your situation can see but no-one dares to mention.

It's change, confrontation and fear of failure that underlies most stalemate situations, you know the ones where endless procrastination literally leads to a lifetime of mediocrity and misery.

Not overcoming those fears, makes any day-to-day living an extremely negative experience and actually inflates that elephant just that little bit more, increasing the pressure, meaning eventually, there's no room left to live in. Until then it’s head in sand time…I know, I’ve done it.

We are a funny old breed...If only we had a more courageous approach to problems, we'd save ourselves a huge amount of stress and heartache. What’s to lose as everyone can see your Elephant...

How big's your Elephant getting?

Rory Coleman - www.RoryColeman.co.uk

969 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8106 Days' Dry

Voyageur (Club Remix) - Enigma

Je t'attends, je t'attends, viens voyageur (Come with me, come with me, traveller) - Cretu

I listened to this track on my way to my first #Average2Awesome day of coaching with a new intake of this year's Dixons Carphone Staff training for the Brilliant 100km Race to the Stones in July.

The idea of Voyaging in this track only added to my feeling tonight back in Cardiff, that this group, like ALL previous Average2Awesome Groups are going on a magical roundabout trip of emotions with people whom though they don't know very well or even at all yet. It's a great thing to be part of and witness.

The wonderful thing is that in just a few short weeks they will all be lifelong friends.

The Magic of the Average2Awesome Programme will not only help deliver them to the finish line of the Race to the Stones, it will also enrich their lives and lead them onto greater life achievements and a longer, happier and healthier lifestyle.

It was bloody brilliant...Ok you had to be there to see how already these guys pushed themselves this morning but as ever, I have high hopes, so please watch this space.

Are you average or AWESOME?

More tomorrow...

Rory Coleman - www.RoryColeman.co.uk

969 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8104 Days' Dry.

Back in NYC - Genesis

'Right, hands up for Red Club Vests'...

Lyric:- 'Is that what you heard?' - Gabriel

Song Choice - Well it's from the best concept album ever and it has the brilliant line above in its lyrics which always makes my eyebrows raise when I hear it. Nothing worse than the line 'I've heard that...'

It should be 'Is that why you HERD' really. You see as humans we have this terrible herding instinct. The one where you are the only car in the car park and some booze parks an inch away...I always say something!

Anyway, it's that herding instinct I believe that leads us to joining Clubs. This theory is  been underlined by 100 Marathon Club. A Club designed for the joy of running 100  marathons, only they fall out a lot so much so their Committee imploded over the weekend, 21 years on, just what is a marathon? Anyway,  I also saw one of the worst organised running races ever with like minded 'Club Vested' Runners just following the leader off on the wrong course. Even the back-marker marshal followed the last lady in front off of her until I shepherded them back to the race route proper on the Red Dragon (Billed as being well-organised) 10km. What a shambles for all 'Club' minded folk...

It all made me wonder why do we need 'Clubs'? - I'm a member of two and never go to either, I would never wear the vest or want to. Clubs must be a primeval tribal thing where people need a leader and need to be identified to be part if a group so they can participate, collect or get recognition. Maybe that's why the dreaded 'Ironman' just doesn't float my wetsuit!

Don't get me wrong, if it's your thing - well there's worse stuff you can do. But don't just herd...

Have you ever noticed the Runner/Ironman/MdS Costume - all that gear. You don't need any really - Now, I was accused of being behind the times recently by a newly 100 MC Member. Hmm, I believe I'm 20 years ahead of him myself as I make my living running my marathons and have achieve more than most from my running experiences - not just paying to run round lakes and along coastal paths in laps like the herd, paying money to clock the numbers up, with like-minded folk that can't agree just to run 26.2 miles and simply love the experience of freedom and satisfaction it brings.

I learned that many, many years ago and running is all about YOU, no-one else and you don't need a Club Vest or Institution to make you feel like you belong - you just belong and enjoy your very own Solo Club as then you can always have the casting vote.

The Power is With-IN and you are better With-OUT.

Rory Coleman - www.RoryColeman.co.uk 

969 Marathons - 240 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8103 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location:Caerdydd

Dark and Long - Underworld

Lyric:- I want to smash it up. I want to break it down. I want a wall of tears...to wash away.

Song Choice:- This song matches my mood tonight after running yet another marathon in the leg-sapping sand dunes of Merthyr Mawr.

This time was different though to my previous circumnavigations as I really smashed the miles out and ran long and hard, very hard in fact loving every minute of the relentless sandy route.

Thing is, I'm finally getting better at getting my 80kgs to glide over rather than plough through the sand. How it copes with the 55 degrees Celsius again at the Marathon des Sables in just four weeks, well who knows but hey, I'm training like a good 'un here...

Are you?

Rory Coleman - www.RoryColeman.co.uk

969 Marathons - 240 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8103 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Caerdydd

Age of Loneliness - Enigma

The REAL Enigma Machine

Lyrics:- 'Life is crazy, Life is mad, Don't be afraid, Carly Don't be sad, That's your destiny, The only chance, Take it, take it in your hands'

Song Choice:- I'm new to Enigma and I wish I had been aware of them for many years now as the first couple of tracks on their Platinum Collection Album are outstanding, as well as this one here.

The other reason I chose this particular artist is that over 35 years ago, I was described as being an 'Enigma' by one of my then college lecturers (Yikes his lectures were drab, I used to fall asleep). I didn't take to kindly to this at the time, but I deserved it and it must have hit home as I can remember it being said to me really clearly and now I whole-heartedly agree with his comment.

You see, I didn't set out to be different or awkward or anything really, I did find art history really dull in 1980....it's just that I'm not that easy to fathom out a lot of the time and don't give out many visible signs or much verbal content about my inner-self. I do however just get on with things and don't need any kind of push or reminder on getting my 'Enigmered Arse into Gear.'

There's no need to give me a MTFU pill as you'll never know if I need it, and even if I did, I'd never ask for one.

But then I'm a bit odd, an Enigma...but that's ok as I only have myself to answer to and  blame for my own mistakes and riddles, and 35 years on, I'm quite happy being a bit different.

Are you?

Happy Days, Diolch :-)

Rory Coleman - www.RoryColeman.co.uk

968 Marathons - 240 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8101 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location:Caerdydd

Don't Leave Home - Dido

Lyric:- 'Everything is clear and everything is new' - Armstrong

Song Choice:- Whatever happened to Dido? - Although I bet she's not too bothered as the royalties must still be rolling in from her fantastic, Greatest Hits Album. Shame as it would be great to hear some more songs like the above and here it is, if you'd forgotten just how good it actually was.

Anyway, Dido's message of not leaving home always sounded like a bit of a warning to me.

You see staying at home is actually quite dangerous as over 6,000 people accidentally died at home last  year as a result of an accident or of their own mis-adventure, that's over 16 people a day! 11 more a day than died as a result of a Road Traffic Accident - which is  2.9:100,000 if you are interested.

Interesting or just bloody frightening? The stats say that it's safer to run a marathon as your chances of kicking the bucket are 0.8:100,000 and hopefully having run 968 of them I've acquired a lot of 'Living Air-Miles' during them and I'm looking forward to cashing them in over the next 150 years or so as there's a whole new world out there for me to discover and re-discover many times over still.

So my advice is don't listen to Dido's lyrics, apart from the your 'best friend is out there waiting to be discovered', where I promise 'Everything will become clear and everything will renew'.

More tomorrow...Gosh, I'm getting deep on these blogs!!!

Rory Coleman,

968 Marathons, 240 Ultras, 9 Guinness World Records, 12 Marathon des Sables

8100 Days' Dry.

Ship to Wreck - Florence and the Machine

Lyric:- 'Did I drink too much? Am I losing touch? Did I build a ship to wreck?' - Welch & Hull

Song Choice:- Well I'm not the biggest Flo'Machine addict but this might just entice me into a longer look into their back catalogue to see what I've been missing (sounds a bit like The Pretenders, if you remember them.) But then life's like that a lot of the time and it's amazing that we can find enjoyment in something that we might have previously found totally terrible. Don't worry UB40 and Denys Midnight Runners are two artists you'll never find me blogging over...well this week anyway but then again, well whom am I to say never.

I DO however just love the above lyric as I believe we all lose it during our lifetime's a bit, by building something marvellous and them monumentally f*cking it up. Yep, we are all 'Wreckers' in one way or another.

Just how many of your own ships have you ever wrecked?

If it's less than an average sized Navy, I'd be very surprised. Mine would include most of the world's aircraft carriers at least but then again, at least I'll own up to scuttling my fleet in times of self-desperation.

There is an upside though, as the best bit is we don't have to wait for anyone except ourselves to rebuild our ships and set sail again in deeper oceans, hopefully a bit wiser so we can voyage towards fresh horizons. 

My Horizons are set and I sailed 26.2 miles around the dunes at Merthyr Mawr today in my ship...Where did you sail to today?

Rory Coleman

968 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8098 Days Dry

One Vision - Queen

Lyric:- 'I had a dream when I was young, a dream of sweet illusion' - Roger Taylor

Song Choice:- Just to prove there are other GREAT Roger Taylor songs I thought I'd choose this one next. I can remember it shaking the walls of my first house on my Philips CD player. Wow that was power back in '86 but hey, it still shakes today and makes a wonderful backdrop to today's blog.

You see I love the 'One Vision, One Hope' bit etc. but actually whom has just one of their own or even shares one of them with anyone else?

Even right at the top I'm sure Boris and Cameron share a vision...Yep, their own! Thinly disguised as a vision for the UK which will then deliver them, not the 62 million other people in what they believe will pinpoint their place in British Politics. And if you know me well, you'll know neither are part of my 'One Vision', but then again no-one is as its my perspective on my world that counts to me in the cold light of day.

It's kinda sad ain't it that I'm so selfish, but then again so are you. Everyone has a what's in it for me in them and it's tragic that we seldom like-minded find people to share our friendships with let alone our lives with.

I reckon Roger Taylor should have written about having a Bigger Vision that folk could share, he tries to in this song but it doesn't really work. It actually needs a sort of 3D two pairs looking together 4K version where things are clear to at least two people in the room about where the fuck they are going and what they should be looking out for along the way to their joint objective.

As they say 'Two pairs of eyes are better than one' and that's two different pairs not just a 'Double Vision' version solo version.

Do you need to go to Specsavers and get another prescription? I reckon I do a lot of the time...

More later...

Rory Coleman

967 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 12 Marathon des Sables - 1 Vision

www.RoryColeman.co.uk

Radio Ga Ga - Queen

Lyric:- 'So don't become some background noise' - Roger Taylor

Song Choice:- I ran with my good friend Mark Wynn today and thoroughly enjoyed our journey around Cardiff which included a trip to Whitmore Beach in Barbados. As usual our chatter turned to our loves of music and the subject of Queen.

The theme of our running day quickly became 'What's your favourite Queen track?'...bearing in mind that Mark had already given me a fantastic book titled '1001 songs you must hear before you die', on his arrival. (The Book's awesome by the way).

Anyway, not wishing to make a point his 'Brighton Rock' didn't make it and neither did my 'Hammer to Fall' but in hindsight I think 'Radio Ga Ga' (which did make the book) would  have been a much better choice. Especially looking back at some of the live cuts of them playing at Wembley in July 1986.

In our desperation to get some agreement, we turned to asking everyone we met what their choice would be. Amazingly Bohemian Rhapsody, the obvious choice, only cropped up once and it was the quieter later Freddie songs that had touched folk the most in our very random 'Queen Straw Poll'. Even the dreary Bowie, Under Pressure was mentioned...Yikes.

Now I'm sure you will have your own choice and you'll know immediately which track from their discography means the most to you in your own world. 

The thing is choice is a wonderful thing, debate a matter of opinion and friendship far greater than being 'some background noise' that only Roger Taylor could turn into my new favourite Queen track ever as my Hammer HAS Fallen today.

Diolch Mark...

Rory Coleman

967 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records

8094 Days' Dry

The Price of Love - Bryan Ferry

Lyric:- 'A debt you pay in tears and pain' - Everly & Everly

Song Choice:- Well I wanted a song with a money, cost or price in the lyrics and this oldie popped up - I'm glad it did as I'd forgotten just how good it was, but then it did chart in 1976. When a single cost a mere 49p, nigh on 10/- in old money.

That '10 Bob Note' got me thinking...

And that's the theme of my blog today as I remember being given such a 10/- note for my 7th or 8th Birthday just before they weren't legal tender any more, thinking it was a HUGE amount of money. My 11 year old daughter celebrated her birthday this week and her birthday card 10/- was now a big red £50 note! That's over £1 a year inflation...I wonder what else has escalated at that kind of rate...no doubt someone will tell me.

Anyway, hopefully her sentiment will match mine in that she will save it and save it for a considered purchase just as I did all those years ago. It did make me think about how I value things though.

You see it's really easy just to undervalue money, people and life itself. I coach folk about all of those values and try to get folk to treasure every 10/- they are dealt in life.

Look after them, like I try to, as you never know when you'll need to spend them on something you really want.

Rory Coleman

966 Marathons - 240 Ultras - 12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness Book of Records

8092 Days' Dry