With or Without You - U2

Without Clayton or Mullen it seems...

Lyrics:- 'Nothing to win and nothing left to lose' - Clayton, Evans, Hewson & Mullen Jr.

Song Choice:- A weird one perhaps for my 55th Birthday but as I'm working chronologically through 'The Joshua Tree' album, I'll try and make some sense out of what was at the time U2's biggest selling single. I remember playing it on the way home from the Maternity Hospital the night my eldest daughter was born some 29 years ago. That puts it firmly in a time and place for me back in March 1988 and a mental trigger every time I hear it.

Which is simply 'YEARS AGO' and I did laugh at Richard Davies comment on my FB earlier of 'Fuck me you're old'... and so right he is too. But then we all have to go through the ageing process and hopefully with it, comes wisdom. He'll know sooner than later as he's not far behind me and I look a lot younger...

Anyway, I felt more 90 than 55 this morning and I wished that my butt muscles would have woken up with me but it took them most of the day to get my legs moving in the right direction. Not since the 'South Downs 80' in 1997 have my legs been so battered I'd but then I only have myself to blame. It doesn't matter anyway as I'm only too glad that 'Foxy Bayley' allowed me to gate-crash his marathon around the lake to make my 981st marathon completion. Learning a slower pace management and having a realistic goal time of sub 5:45hrs helped keep my focus and didn't stop me from running past another runner with just 5 metres to go before the finish.

Well, you can't take the run out of the runner can you! After all, I've got nothing to win and (certainly) nothing to lose. It's taken me some time to recognise this tand I believe it will lead onto much greater and far different horizons.

More tomorrow...

Rory Coleman - 981 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables 

9 Guinness World Records - 8,433 Days' Alcohol Free.

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location: Caerdydd, Cardiff