The future's so bright I've got to wear shades - Timbuk3

Back on the Malvern's

Lyrics:- 'I'm doing alright' - MacDonald

Song Choice:- I wanted a song that reflected my thoughts on the year that's gone by and what lies in store as we head into the second part of 2017 and beyond.

You see today was a great day as our 'Annual Lady Coleman's Birthday Pilgrimage to the Beacon at Great Malvern' celebrations were re-instated after last year's non occurrence due to my being ill.

Malvern is a special place for us as we both have great childhood memories of happy times on the hills above the town.

It was a proper little family event too, made even more special by Jack (2) walking all the way to the top and Charlie (1) being the youngest person to be pushed to the summit all day i would imagine.

The other factor, apart from our Birthday Girl enjoying her walk, was that it was somewhere this time last year, that I never thought I'd never be able to see again - without some special help and a very powerful wheelchair anyway...

If you remember, I had a few bottom lip quivers out in Morocco at the MdS earlier this year but the interesting thing today was that I felt a real calm about being at the top 425m high summit with my brood.

You see, I feel like I've moved on from thinking about the past and really I'm now only thinking of what lies ahead and how bright the future really is, now that I'm returning to somewhere near my old level of health and wellness.

I often quote the line 'The future's bright etc.' and this time I really mean it as whatever's in the past has gone and if you need to be liberated, there's always time to go and run up a mountain to find out that you are glad to be alive, with the whole bright future ahead of you.

Amen...

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,595 Days' Alcohol Free - 443 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Great Malvern, Worcestershire

Push it - Salt N Pepa

Lyrics:- 'How to become number one in a hot party show' - Azor, Brito, Davies, Giles, Green, James, Jones & Thomas. 

Song Choice:- 'I've always loved this 1987 classic which incidentally was co-written by Sir Ray Davies of 'The Kinks' - Yikes, he really 'Got me' with that one.

Anyway, if like me you were at a parkrun this morning, I wonder how competitively you 'Pushed it'? For the 'Family Coleman' it was there as an intended gentle Saturday jog-round with us starting absolutely last out of a field of 675 people armed with a double-buggy, loaded up with our two small boys. I'll hasten to add here that I wasn't the one pushing...

Anyway, it started out as a light-hearted affair as it took well over a minute to cross the start line and well over 10 minutes to slowly dodge through the running-traffic until we hit the open fields where Lady C said the 'Red-Rag-To-A-Bull' comment, 'You are not going for a sub-30 today then?'

Hmm... and you know, I did try to resist but after a slow start, which made for a good warm up, it didn't feel right just to chug around as this time last year, I couldn't even walk. Not 'Pushing-it' would therefore have been a crime, well that's what I told myself as I lurched past at least 10 people as I went into my normal parkrun running speed.

Our miles went 10:17, 9:00 & 8:26 with the last 0.11 of a mile at 7:51 pace - it felt bloody brilliant! - Oh we did 29:38 if you are interested and overtook 269 people.

That sub-25 with a flying start is now well on the cards or even quicker if I train hard. My 'Run hard or go home' will now be my parkrun mantra, even when we are out jogging as a family, as Jenny can do 24 minutes with the buggy on a hilly course. She's the one to really beat (With the Pushchair of course)!

How hard did you 'Push it' today?

Amen.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,591 Days' Alcohol Free - 437 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

Undo - Grey's Anatomy

'There's no 'Undo' button. There's only hoping we can learn, we can change. Right? We can do better'. - Meredith Grey

Today's Choice:- I find some great 'Soundbites for Life' in the strangest of places sometimes. Grey's Anatomy has been a firm favourite boxed set in the Coleman Household for 13 seasons now. Over the years, it's creator, Shonda Rhimes has conveyed a complete spectrum of medical and ethical scenarios and has deliberately heavily featured characters regardless of race or sex that can convey the messages and life-lessons  her audience can easily engage with. If you've never seen the show, it's well worth a look and most heartwarming at times.

At the start of each episode, there's a narration usually by lead character, Meredith Grey. The 'Undo' comment above is in one such narration that really caught my attention when I saw the show..

You see, if like me you design your own newsletters and website content, have you ever considered during that creative process just how many times you hit the 'Control + Z' keys? Without the 'Undo' facility it would be virtually impossible and the occasional 'Control + S' keeps what we've designed safe as there's nothing worse than things crashing unexpectedly.

Without those commands, the whole process would be a nightmare, just like it is in real life where the 'Control + Z' simply doesn't exist.

I mean,what things would you 'Undo' if you had the chance. Not the big ones, the massive life bloopers we all have rattling away in our cupboards or the accidents that by no fault of our own gave us the fright of our lives at one stage or another. Yikes, I can remember a couple of bicycle fails that really smashed me up at the time which I would have instantly 'Undone' - Then again forty years on, you'll never see me on a bike so I must have learned something from hitting the front of that Austin Maxi!

Therefore, perhaps have to 'Learn' rather then 'Undo' and Meredith finishes this episode by saying 'What's done is done. But the future is ours to choose.' 

So choose wisely folks...

Amen.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,590 Days' Alcohol Free - 436 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

Head Full of Dreams - Coldplay

Lyrics:- 'You can see the change you want, to be what you want to be' - Berryman, Buckland, Champion & Martin

Song Choice:- Well Coldplay surpassed all of my expectations and probably those of the all the 70,000 people crammed into every inch of the ‘Principality Stadium’ in Cardiff I’d say, last night. Yikes, how concerts have moved on in the last few years and this easily overshadowed my hallowed memories of seeing INXS and U2 in the 90's as the sound, lights and colours were so electric, as was lead-man Chris Martin – He simply gave it 100% and his enthusiasm throughout was totally infectious.

This being the last concert in the UK, (for ‘some time’ he said on a couple of occasions), did make it feel like a 'Chapter' was being closed for the band and a ‘New Dream’ was possibly being developed as the performance and stage-management would be hard to surpass - it's as bigger show as you'd now ever get. The whole flashing wristband that co-ordinated with the songs lit up the stands in a way I’d never seen before in any arena.

So how one would go about changing at that level? Well I’ll never know but maybe every change process jumps through a similar number of hoops when we want to make things happen.

In my experience, I like to get things straight in my mind first. Get some real clarity about what I’m trying to do and how I’m going to do it. Having a clear mental picture of me completing the task in hand makes a huge incentive.  With perfect 20-20 vision on where I’m going, I find I can get my foot hard to the floor and drive-on ‘Goal-Bound’ free of distraction at speed. The only drawback with my method is that it takes a lot of time and patience to get things perfectly lined up, ready for action.

Seeing ‘The CHANGE you want’ through ‘The Fog of Life’, well there’s the rub but isn't so hard perhaps once you get to grips with where you are going next, once you know where that is.

At the end of the day – It’s your life and your journey, no one else’s... So 'Live' the Dream don't just leave them in your head eh?

Amen.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,590 Days' Alcohol Free - 436 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

One Vision - Queen

Dan minus 31kgs

Lyric:- 'One flesh, one bone, one true religion. One voice, one hope, one real decision' - Taylor

Song Choice:- On 'Weigh-in-Tuesday' it seems only right to choose a track that reflects what's really necessary to make things happen for anyone chasing their dream - namely 'One Vision'. This Queen track released all the way back in 1985 has Freddie at his 'Hammer to Fall' best IMO and I love this live performance at Wembley Stadium on July 12th 1986.

Yikes, 31 years on and how about giving it some thought today about what your 'One Vision' is. The one that's driving you on? You know the must 'Do or Die thing' that's occupying your every waking moment.

Talking to Dan Mullin this morning, I know exactly what his is and where he's going. The funny thing is after losing a whopping 31kgs (68lbs) of excess body-weight since March 1st, he is still 'overweight' at 100.1kgs and is now only really starting his journey of fitness and ULTRAmarathon glory he's set his heart on. Hopefully the 'Energy-Vampires' that are already saying 'Enough is enough' will change their tune as he heads onto a more healthy 85kgs and claims his 'One Vision' and hail him, like me as a 'Winner'.

The Guy's a Superstar and if you are struggling doing that last 15 minutes on the treadmill or salivating over a 'Finger of Fudge' in a queue. Take heed from our Dan as neither of them are on his agenda.

As there's only one way to become a winner at the 'Game of Life'...

'ONE VISION' - Amen

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,586 Days' Alcohol Free - 434 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

Lyrics:- 'Those days are gone forever' - Henley & Campbell

Song Choice:- Yikes, I've gone back to 1984 for today's aptly named track 'The Boys of Summer'. It's well worth a listen if you've forgotten just how good the song was at the time or if you have never heard of Don Henley or 'The Eagles' in fact, the Group he famously drummed and sang lead vocals for all those years ago.

You see, for me there is no better time, certainly down here in Wales, than the Summer months. Walking across Llandaff Fields yesterday, the scorched grass reminded me of the long, hot summer of 1976.

My those Summer Days' were long... They went on forever, well into September actually, without a single drop of rain. Reservoirs dried up, hose-pipes were banned and the roads simply melted - Happy Days eh?

They were happy though. Perhaps happier for some than they are now, as there was SO much more time and far fewer distractions - our lives were just - emptier. The internet hadn't been invented and good old Apple Corporation, (without whom modern life simply wouldn't or couldn't exist) had only just been created.

Sure, things weren't all rosy and the brown nylon, transistorised world luckily blew out as we headed into the 80's and the digital world took over but is it just me that thinks there was something magical about those days? Temperatures peaked at 35.9°c (96.6°c) in Cheltenham on July 3rd 1976, and 23.65 billion Ladybirds swarmed in to feed on a plague of Aphids, that as I remember, were simply everywhere - Everyday the weather rulebooks were rewritten.

That year will always be remembered even though 1995, '97, '01, '03 and '06 had hotter specific Summer months - funny how Folklore is created.

For me, the one I'll remember the most is the Summer of 2016 as it's the one I missed out on. I spent all of it in hospital missing out on the light evenings, running through golden cornfields and feeling the warm Summer Sun on my skin. Therefore I'm making up for it this year and enjoying every single moment of it.

Are you? And what will you remember this Summer for I wonder? I'd love to know...

Amen.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,584 Days' Alcohol Free - 432 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru

Ship to Wreck - Florence and the Machine

Lyrics:- 'Did I drink too much, am I losing touch?' - Welch & Hull

Song Choice:- Now I'm not the biggest 'Florence and the Machine' fan BUT this is an awesome opening track from her 2015 album, 'How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful'. There's a great 'Live' performance that goes with it too if you are interested - how she didn't get electrocuted I'll never know.

It's a great tune though and you see, it's easy one for me to connect to on listening to the songs lyrics, as I see other folks daily actions and reactions arising from the 'Kryptonite' that daily drinking and weekend binging brings to their lives.

Now I'm not one to stand and preach about the pros and cons of alcohol - it's just that I personally didn't know where the 'Off-Switch' was where drinking was concerned and felt  I'd be better off without it in my life or I'd be simply DEAD if it was. What other people do with their lives? Well that's their business and it's their choice of course.

However, I get a really interesting reaction when I ask my clients as part of their journey's with me, if they could abstain from drinking booze for just 12 weeks to see if they are better without it.

Nearly always they say 'Yes'... Some with a qualifying 'I've wanted to quit/cut down for ages', or 'this will be good for me' and 'if it's part of the plan, of course'. It would appear that 'Wrecking your Ship' when you have someone to report to, is a whole lot harder to do as ' Failure with me isn't an option'.

So why's it an option when you are out there battling the world on your own?' - I've always wondered at that one...

Anyway, if you are thinking about going AF for a day, a week, a while, a weekend, 12-weeks or for LIFE. I'm always here to help and totally get how hard it is etc. BUT I totally get how bloody brilliant it is not to have been  'Wrecking my Ship' in over 23 years.

Amen

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,582 Days' Alcohol Free - 430 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Crystal - New Order

Lyrics:- 'We're like Crystal' - Gilbert, Hook, Morris & Sumner

Song Choice:- Wow, I've been blogging for over 13 years now - and on this site, with over 1,000 posts covering my thoughts, feelings and exploits for the last five years. 

For those of you new to my world, the idea of the music accompaniments came about from a) that I simply love music and it's been a real theme 'For Life' since I was a teenager and b) a track that I'd listened on that particular day that was relevant to what had occurred in 'Coleman-World'. Back in 2004 when in I started blogging, on the way from London to Lisbon, Tears for Fears was a real favourite and looking back over the months it's interesting for me to see how my tastes and phases have changed.

I'm not sure if I've ever chosen 'Crystal' by New Order before - I know I've chosen other tracks of theirs but this is probably their best offering post 'Blue Monday'. The Album version is a cool 6.51 minutes and here it is from 'Glastonbury' in 2005 with a very low slung Peter Hook Bass which is simply 'Awesome'...

Anyway, the idea is that you might blow the dust off the track yourself, take a re-listen and enjoy some of the same feelings I get from listening to this kinda music when I'm out and about.

You see, after a long day out with our new #Average2Average Group at Stepnell in Rugby, I was pounding the streets and Lady C was hammering the exercise bike making sure we practice what we preach at 10.30pm. Cardiff at that time of night, especially in Canton where we live, is really quiet and there are only a few people out getting some late night supplies from the nearby Tesco Mini-Market, (some in a relative state of unsteadiness and some a looking a bit angry). I must say, it did make me feel a little intimidated, as you never know who's who out there and Lady C was better off on the exercise bike at home. 

And that's where 'Crystal' hit my ears drums and made me realise how like Crystal we are and no matter how 'Strong' we can appear and just how 'Fragile' we all really are. I did then wonder what I was frightened of as I could have easily out-run anyone I met so that felt good especially as at this time last year I was waiting to go back into hospital in a state of 'unsteadiness' myself!

So be strong today in whatever you are undertaking and be safe about it too. Enjoy 'Crystal' as it's a great track to build your day on and in my case 'My Blog'.

Amen.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,582 Days' Alcohol Free - 430 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Let there be Love - Simple Minds

Building 'Love'...

Lyrics:- 'It heals and it hurts' - Kerr & Burchill

Song Choice:- Released in 1991 this is a great track from Simple Minds and is typical of their stadium years. I'd say that they were a much better band at the time than U2 but some how they went into a decline soon after this track, whereas U2 weathered the storm and went onto even greater chart and album success - it's a real shame IMO. Then again, I'm sure Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill won't be losing much sleep over it tonight as they would certainly have made their fortune well before this release.

Anyway, I love the lyrics... and perfect for today as I LOVE Tuesday's.  They are always full of fun in my world as I get so many 'Messages of Success' from clients announcing their 'Weight-loss' and 'Power-Hour Triumphs' on Messenger, Facebook, What’s App and Text. My iPhone was red-hot this morning and that's without a fresh set of 12 #Average2Awesome clients from Stepnell Ltd, starting their journey with us at the Peak Performance Gym in Rugby.

'The Stepnell Dozen'

The first session is always a lot of fun as we start to get to know folk. What we really noticed about this group today was how much CARED about each other which triggered me into thinking about the above track.

You see, it's ok to get pushed to reach your goals by me or by the people around you, but along the way you'll need a lot of 'Love'. Mostly from yourself - as it's easy to be your own worst critic if you're not careful and the training is tough enough without giving yourself a good kicking too.

So with that thought in mind, how about a week of accountability all round where we stick to our goals, stay away from the cookie jar and get on with what we do best - Yes, 'Stretching our Horizons' and that way maybe, our own 'Love' can help heal us and take away some of 'The Hurt Pain of Life' perhaps.

Amen.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,581 Days' Alcohol Free - 429 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales