Happiest Days of Our Lives - The Pink Floyd

Lyrics:- 'By pouring their derision upon anything we did, exposing every weakness' - Waters

Song Choice:- Oh my, it's amazing just how much negativity some of you lot seem to encounter sometimes whilst striving for your fitness dreams.

For example, how's this for encouragement, word for word that one of my clients received. 

'Mate I'm not knocking it, but you know most people gain weight after losing it'...'Just being realistic...I've a pic of you from 5 years ago. You were as trim as now.

Also.. 

'I had a fat friend who is now thin and nowhere near as nice' and 'I thought you were ill cos you've gone so gaunt'.

Just how demotivating can you get? Luckily, these so-called 'friends' were duly 'un-friended' 'tout-suite' as they simply didn't believe the person concerned had the will-power to maintain their new lifestyle. A simple 'Well-done' would have been far more appropriate than the 'I know you'll mess up and revert to type soon as I've always known you as being overweight'.

But then that's the style of the 'Preying Mantis Energy Vampire'. We all have them in our families, friendship groups and at work. You know, folk that just like to spray a little (or a lot in the above case) 'Kryptonite' on our efforts.

Folk pointing that kinda stuff out to us, just ain't constructive.

So, this weekend when you are out of your work routine, seeing friends, enjoying Wimbledon or family time make sure you take your 'Kryptonite Kevlar-plated Armour' with you. Some trusty replies to throw back at the 'Energy Vampires' will help too - and will help you blow away the tempting 'Just the One glass' or one just one little 'Freddo Bar' that will come your way from folk or from the 'Energy VAmpire' that lives inside your own head...

Have a great weekend and don't pour derision on your own efforts... PLEASE :-)

Amen.

Rory Coleman - 995 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables
9 Guinness World Records - 8,583 Days' Alcohol Free - 431 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

Shine on you Crazy Diamond (Parts I to V) - The Pink Floyd

Lyrics:- 'Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun'.

Song Choice:- Probably one of The Pink Floyd's better known tracks and one of my all time favourites. I've listened to it thousands of times on Cassette, Vinyl, CD & MP3 and over the years in ever-increasing levels of musical clarity - Back in the 70's, who'd have thought that music would ever sound so good, it's amazing how good this 'Re-Mastered Version' sounds. No hiss, no wow-and-flutter and no skipping - it's pure magic...

It's really important to me too as the track is a tribute to the band's former member Syd Barrett and the 'Shine On' early concept was performed on their 1974 French tour and then finally recorded for the 1975 concept album 'Wish You Were Here'.

Lyrics:- 'You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon'.

I'm sure we all know our own versions of 'Syd' - You know, the people that we grew up with that burned really bright but sadly burned out well before their 'Sell by date'. I'll freely admit that I've 'Reached out', 'Tried too hard' and been 'Out of Control' along my path to today - but I've have always been able to pull out of the 'Personal Nose-Dive' just before hitting the ground - I'm a very lucky man...

You see, I'm adaptable to change and 'a Raver, and a Seer of Visions' - Plus I'm still 'Shining' - are you?

Rory Coleman - 994 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,563 Days' Alcohol Free - 412 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Round and Around - The Pink Floyd

Song Choice:- Taken from Pink Floyd's 1987 album 'A Momentary Lapse of Reason' this 1.33 minute track usually preceded 'Sorrow' at their live shows and it's a wonderfully haunting piece of 'Floyd Magical Music' IMO. It's well worth listening to it on their 'Delicate Sound of Thunder' album - but you'll need to play it very loudly with a good sub to get the full effect - make sure the neighbours are out or like mine are deaf!

You see it's the 'Sorrow' in the music itself that I find interesting. Googling, the noun 'Sorrow' means 'a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others'. To me it just means 'Failure'... and I'd love to know what I find so abhorrent about 'Failing' as it's been one of my limiting 'Life-Factors' I believe.

Is it a result of growing up in an male only school-environment in the very Non-PC 70's - where one slip could cause a school life-time of distress and ridicule? I'd love to know. My non-tolerance of folk giving up is legendary and my 'non-failure focus at any cost' has enabled me to be incredibly driven and achieve but hasn't helped me make friends in certain circles it would appear.

Then again, well into my sixth decade, I'm not sure whether it's something I should worry about or change especially after last year's 'Life-is-too-short' realisation. I do feel 'Sorrow' though, but I believe that's more about looking at life in the rear-view mirror a bit especially as I'm getting older at some of the things I didn't do along the way to today. 

Wow, there are some things I wish I should have done and now never will..

Maybe I'll be more forward focussed following the three day 'Bank-Holiday Cease-Fire'. It is a time though where thoughts go 'Round and Around' again and a couple of marathons will get me fired up and feeling super-positive again.

How's your Bank Holiday shaping up?

Rory Coleman - 990 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,545 Days' Alcohol Free - 394 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Time - The Pink Floyd

Lyrics:- 'Waiting for someone or something to show you the way' - Gilmour, Mason, Waters & Wright

Song Choice:- Taken from the 1973 Album, 'The Dark Side of the Moon', probably one of the greatest 'Rock Albums' of all 'Time', this is one of Pink Floyd's most recognisable tunes and one where Richard Wright's lead vocals gets my hair standing on end every 'Time' I hear it.

I've used the song many 'Times' in my blogs as 'Time' is a very interesting concept. It's interesting how it was Roger Waters' own realisation of 'Time' that life is not about preparing yourself for what happens next, but about grabbing control of one's own destiny became the theme to this amazing track that showcases everything that is Pink Floyd.

Lady C would call it 'depressing' but it's a track I can really connect with and is simply awesome IMO as it always gets me thinking...

They say for instance that 'Time' is a great healer - and I for one know that for a fact, and you have to give 'Time', 'Time' I've found. It's interesting how much we try to compress the whole 'Time' passing process especially if we are recovering from illness, addiction or injury and I believe life isn't necessarily about the events we pin our year's activities on, it's also about the 'Time' in between where even bigger gains can be made.

This 'Time' last year, I didn't think once about missing out on going for a run, I just enjoyed a 'Time' out and looked at the bigger picture and gave myself 'Time' to think. It did me the world of good too, especially after the first 'Time' I did parkrun post GBS on September 3rd in a whopping 58.06mins finishing 729/731 - (which included Lady C and Des the Sweeper Runner) following me round, so I was LAST really.

Yes, at the 'Time' is was amazing to be back running but I was also really pissed off with my 'Time'. Six months on and I'm slowly getting there and getting closer and closer to a sub-27 minute 'Time' with a 27.33 mins (285/622) today and feeling that I'm running a bit like I used to.

Now I'm back in the zone, I must say that I'm looking forward to my next chance to chip away at a few more seconds off that post GBS-run 'Time'. Long gone are my 'Times' of heading off on 145 miles down the Grand Union Canal on a May Bank Holiday but I've done that one (3 'Times' and I must have been totally mad) and luckily know more about life than I did twenty years ago knowing that I don't need 'Something or someone to show me the way' - as this 'Time' I know where I'm going.

Do you? Or do you need more 'Time', 'Time' to recover or 'Time' out...

Rory Coleman - 990 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,543 Days' Alcohol Free - 392 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

I wouldn't want to be like you - The Alan Parsons Project

Lyrics:- 'If I had a mind to, I wouldn't wanna think like you, I don't care what you do, I wouldn't want to be like you' - Parsons & Woolfson

Song Choice:- This is the first track from Alan Parsons' 1976 album 'I Robot' - if you've never heard of him before, he was the sound engineer on Pink Floyd's album 'Dark Side of the Moon' where he famously created the money and clocks effects. Yes, that Alan Parsons, and take a listen here...

Anyway, it's the 'Robot' bit that I'm interested in for today's blog as I believe that a lot of the time, if we are not careful, we exist in this world as nothing more than - 'Robots'. A day in London underlined that for me a couple of weeks ago and it's something I've become more aware of since then, and see in so many of the folk I meet.

I mean, just how much 'Freewill' have you enjoyed so far, this week? Not much? Any at all?

Think on... You see, it's too easy to get caught up in the daily treadmill of life and end up in a 24/7 production line acting out someone else's demands, with little sign of parole. It's a trap we all fall into from time to time and luckily no two days in my life are ever the same. The thought of the same job at the same company doing the same thing every day for my entire working career would drive me potty for sure. I'm not saying go and jack in your job right now but for heaven's sake, take some time out for yourself.

I always wonder why folk spend so much of their life at the same desk?

Is it because it's the safe option? Are they afraid of change? How many times have you said to yourself 'If only I'd'.

I'd hate to be part of the 'If only I'd Gang' or any 'Gang' if I'm being honest as like Parsons' lyrics say 'I wouldn't like to be like you' or anyone else actually as I'm not a 'Robot'...

Are you?

Rory Coleman - 990 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,526 Days' Alcohol Free

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.