Burning Rope - Genesis

Lyrics:- 'You must blaze a trail of your own' - Banks

Song Choice:- Yikes, it's 39 years since I saw the mighty Genesis 'Bandwagon' at Knebworth on Midsummer's Day, way back in 1978. Huge, on-stage, mirrors reflected a row of Boeing 747 landing lights into the night and took my appreciation of the band way past 'Eleven'. From their 'And then there were three' album, the lyrics of 'Burning Rope' have always projected a vivid image of an escapologist dangling by a thread as the flames eat away at his 'lifeline'.

I'm therefore not too sure how much of a 'Dare-Devil' I really am, as it's something I would never, ever consider undertaking and yet I'm encountering more and more people who live life with the same level of 'Risk Factor' as Houdini.

Sure there's 'Risk' associated with everything we do, and being an avid 'Googler' I tried to check out how many people had died dangling from a 'Burning Rope' in the UK last year... 

Ok, it's a bit macabre but I was actually side-tracked and astonished when I saw the '% Cause of Death as men's ages increases. The stats are shocking and a real eye-opener...

It would appear that if we are lucky enough to get to your teens and early 20's then we are more likely to kill ourselves in accidents or by our own hand and failing that, in middle age all of our poor past behaviour will come back and haunt us with major cardiac problems and finish us off in our 50's-70's. Pass 80, and then you'll most likely have Alzheimer’s and won't give a shit about much anyway, which made me think even harder about making sure I get the most out of the life whilst I still have my health and my marbles.

You see, it's just as easy to be 'Awesome' than 'Average' at anything. It doesn't necessarily have to take any more time than it does already, you just have to do it better - and increase your desire for Awesomeness.

I'm lucky, I meet lots of 'Awesome People' and my task now I feel is to keep them being 'Awesome' rather than let the flames burn through their 'Rope of Averageness'...it's going to be one hell of a journey - for them AND me...

So please start the process off and have a Great Monday and give it all you've got eh? No one cares who came second you know...

Rory Coleman - 995 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,572 Days' Alcohol Free - 421 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales