High Hopes - Pink Floyd

Lyric:- Encumbered forever by desire and ambition - Gilmour

Song Choice:- One of the best and probably my fav guitar solo of Mr Gimours and High Hopes reflects well some of my most recent requests.

We live in an instant world. You see it, you want it, you get it...same day if you are an on demand Amazon Customer. Only it's not like that in the world of Mega-Distance Ultra-Marathon running.

Don't get me wrong, you can knock out as many marathons as you like, dead slow and if anything you'll be fitter at the end than when you started but say you want to run a 100 miler and that's RUN not walk and you are a complete novice, it ain't going to happen this side of Christmas.

So why do folk think it will?

Yep, you can trudge out the MdS as there's a method you can follow, my coaching method works and if you follow it you'll get the medal.

A Sub-9:30 Comrades however needs some serious training and TIME. Time to improve and serve your ULTRA-apprenticeship.

My advice is to take your time, move up the distances slowly and enjoy the experience.

You don't become a mega-distance runner overnight...it took me about four years! And 22 years later I'm still learning...

Rory Coleman - 919 Marathons - 235 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 21 Years' Alcohol Free.

Location:Pembroke Road,Cardiff,United Kingdom

Listening Wind - Talking Heads

Lyric:- Drive them away - Byrne

Song Choice:- 1980 classic just right for today's topic of NOT listening.

I'd love to know why folk, when knowing someone is dieting, coming off cigarettes or quitting alcohol they bait-post on Facebook that they are doing all three - it really pisses me off.

It's hard enough without these people adding their negativity into the mix.

The thing is, if my people can get their lives in gear they can enjoy a 42.2km run on a warm and wonderful sunny day in Wales, injury free just loving life.

So leave them alone PLEASE!

Rory Coleman - 919 Marathons - 235 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 21 Years' Alcohol Free.

Rory Coleman - The UK's Leading ULTRAmarathon Coach

Wings (Acoustic) - Birdy

Lyric:- If these wings could fly...

Song Choice:- Sometimes even a bank has a good idea for an advert and this is one Lloyds are currently using. And it's great - a bit Florence and the Machine but it's better than her IMO.

Following on from yesterday's blog, this song seems most apt. I'm coming to the end of 5 marathons in 10 days and a couple of solid weeks of getting some fledgling runners to spread their wings and fly.

I remember doing just that and have enjoyed 22 years of soaring around my running heaven.

Sometimes you don't think you can and then you do, are you reading Nadine!

Breathe in, trust me and FLY!

Rory Coleman - 918 Marathons - 235 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 21 Years' Alcohol Free.

Location:Cardiff

ELO - Wild West Hero

Lyric:- 'I wish I was' - Lynne

Song Choice:- Well, the subject of music cropped up on a 42.2km run in the sand down at Merthyr Mawr today with one of my MdS Clients and the delights of the 'Out of the Blue', ELO Album were exchanged. It was a huge album back in 1978 (which drove me a bit potty at the time) but with time I've got to quite like.

Anyway the rather pompous and melodramatic Wild West Hero is probably my pick especially as it has the 'I wish I was' line.

I hear it over and over and over again...every day.

'I wish I was' more assertive, motivated, dedicated, stronger, resilient, thinner, fitter' etc. (You could insert your own word here) or 'I wish I was' on holiday, in a different job etc. Yet there's no action being undertaken to make the 'Wish' come true.

Funny thing is, 'Wishes' can and do come true to those that REALLY want them to. What we tend to do is just keep on wishing, hoping by some kind of miracle or good fortune that your 'Wish' will crystallise.

Luckily your 'I Wish' Lottery of Life ticket has better odds that the normal Lottery one which only seems to bring misery and a new set of problems. So the next time you say 'I wish', instead of dreaming on do something about it as you can make it happen.

The only person stopping it is YOU.

More tomorrow.

New Religion - Duran Duran

Rather a camp looking Le Bon...

Lyric:- 'I might just believe this time' - Le Bon, Rhodes & Taylor x 3.

Song Choice:- From the brilliant 'Rio' Album of course and the height of New Romanticism. Ok it's dated but the Brummies made some good tunes and this track is noteworthy simply for its pure quantity of words alone but take a listen and if you have it on vinyl, dust it off and play it loud!

Anyway, it's the 'New Religion' bit that I find interesting as I nurture more folk daily in my lifestyle cult of being leaner, fitter and healthier.

On a day where it's in the news that the 2012 Olympic legacy of getting more folk into sport has failed (but we all knew it would fail, well I knew it would anyway), hopefully some influential celebrity types, politicians or even royalty will make fitness look really cool and life's kryptonite of sugar and lethargy look pants.

Maybe the supermarkets that provide our nations food and influence our eating desires will stop selling cheap booze, cigarettes and hi-energy drinks as well as Ribena!

In 1986 we 'Ran the World' in a time when there were a whole lot less obese folk. Our world wasn't perfect but if you look at the Duran Duran Guys, they looked great, took pride and sang out for 'A New Religion'.

We need something as the one's we have now aren't working. Maybe we all need to take stock on our own lives and make some New Commandments and stick too them. One's that are relevant and that we can keep so we can live long, happy and peaceful lives.

It would be a start eh? What's your New Religion going to be today?

Rory Coleman - 917 Marathons - 235 Ultras

12 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 21 Years' Alcohol Free.

Location:Cardiff

Revolution - The Cult

Lyric:- Joy or Sorrow, what does Revolution mean to you?

Song Choice:- A great song from The Cult's 1985 album 'Love'...I remember it so fondly as I was just taking my first steps into the heady world of print and we played this album to death. Still sounding fresh some 30+ years on I loved hearing it again today.

The Revolution part rings so true for me as I come into contact with so many people experiencing a 'Personal Revolution' of one kind or another. The Joy or Sorrow part possibly describing the type of Revolution being experienced perhaps...

Maybe we don't Revolutionise ourselves because it's too frightening and being scared makes our opportunity of radical change virtually zero. Now I do get it that not everyone wants to change BUT the majority of folk I meet DO. They just need a Revolutionist... 

The Cult go on to sing 'To say today's like wishing in the wind', is SO right. We can talk about it forever but sometimes a good shake up can make it happen for you. Listen here.

It's time for a Revolution Folks - and Time for Action.

Your Action.

Beat it - Michael Jackson

Lyric:- 'You're playin' with your life' - Jackson

Song Choice:- I was watching a Jacko Documentary yesterday and this song really stood out to me. It has one fo the most memorable guitar solos and it's from the wonderful Thriller Album now some 32 years old.

The above line sadly played out for Jackson and it's one we all need to take on board. I was asked yesterday by one of my MdS Clients if my knees were shot or if my hips were worn out...it was a fair question and I gave a really honest (and it is really, really honest I can assure you) answer that my body is still in great shape considering the 916 marathons and hundreds of thousands of miles I've run over the last 22 years.

OK, 'I'm playin' with my life' but then we ALL are. Life IS a ticking time-bomb especially as we do some crazy one-off things that endanger it in a moment with dramatic effect and we top that up that danger with the do-it-now-and-pay-later lifestyle of diet and sedentary lifestyle. Add in Alcohol, Cigarettes and Modern Day Living it's no wonder that some folk don't make my comparatively young age of 53.

The thing is, I don't think folk take this on board and I wonder how long it will be before people wake up to the fact that modern day life is corroding our lives quicker than we might think. 

We just hope it won't. Jackson goes on to ask 'How strong our fight is'...

I wonder what your answer to him might be?

More tomorrow...