Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

Lyrics:- 'There has got to be a way' - Byrne, Franz, Harrison & Weymouth

Song Choice:- I've been a fan of Talking Heads for 40 years now and bought 'Take me to the River' as a 'Double-Single' way back in 1978. Vocalist David Byrne has to be one of the most influential musicians of the 'American-Post-Punk-Arthouse' period and I love the video that accompanies this track. Take a look here and see what you think.

The Video medium really helped Byrne visualise his thoughts on 'Projecting' one person’s identity onto another and got me thinking about how I endeavour to 'Project' my Life-Coaching ideals and Standards onto others. Added to that I then noticed that, 'Burning Down the House' is featured on their 'Stop Making Sense' live album and that got my brain working in overdrive about how we see ourselves and how we can make 'SENSE' of our own 'Projections'.

You see, it appears to me that there is a certain 'Blind Spot' where many folk are totally unaware of what is going on around them. Take a trip around your local Supermarket Car Park and you are taking your life in your hands. Negotiating a safe path in and out of my local Tesco in Cardiff is like dicing with death as there are so many out-of-control single-minded folk driving that have simply no common sense at all.

I believe that Common 'SENSE' is something that is slowly being eroded by technology from our minds. Driving aimlessly bearing left or right at TomTom's will means we don't know how to get anywhere nowadays. Talking about satellites, how many times have you run past your house to notch up another 0.1 to get your Garmin saying 6 instead of 5.9? What dopes... In the old days we used a Road Atlas to get around if we couldn't remember where places were or measured our runs with a piece of string as that was good enough.

Don't even get me going about using the internet as research for 'Ultra-marathons', 'Medical Conditions' or 'Expert Advice' from Blogs as most of what's written is a total load of old tosh... and will only 'Burn down your House', even quicker if followed.

The 'I read' or 'I heard' comment followed by the useless information I hear just grates...

Best is to meet and listen closely to those that 'have' and then do your own research. Find out the 'truth' and follow your own intuition as 'YOU' are the best judge of 'YOU' and 'START MAKING SENSE' - Please...

Rory Coleman - 991 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,547 Days' Alcohol Free - 396 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Off to watch UNITED...

Lyrics:- 'A point is all you can score' - Gill, Johnson & O'Toole

Song Choice:- I'm really interested in 'Tribalism' and how folk feel it necessary to belong to groups, clubs or wear a 'Uniform of Belonging' when they are even outside of taking part in their belief or pastime. It's an interesting ideal that FG2H illustrate quite nicely in their 1984 multi-platinum selling #1 produced by Trevor 'Buggles' Horn.

You see, I totally get why folk want to do it...

I mean, Football has a huge amount of 'Tribes' wearing their teams colours and shirts for all to see their allegiance, in a choice of all three strips in some extreme cases. Being such a visual thing, it tells folk who they are, where they've came from, what they believe in. It shows a sense of belonging and the merging into the crowd gives some with less of a voice unity, volume, strength and power.

It's the same on social media where a 'status', 'like' or 'comment' will enable us to be accepted into a different kind of virtual 'Tribe'. It's fascinating how folk fish for acceptance and will even go along with the unacceptable behaviour of trolling when they know what is being posted is incorrect and deliberately upsetting for the individual. Being trolled myself I know how this feels, and it was interesting how some members of a certain 'Tribe' contacted me months later to apologise for their outrageous behaviour and that now they were no longer 'Tribe' members and disliked their former 'Freinds'.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong in belonging to a 'Tribe' - The only problem is when 'Two Tribes' are intolerant of each other's beliefs or get caught up in someone else's war..

My 'Tribe' has one member - 'Me' - I'm an individual. 

If you want to worship your God, avidly watch folk kick a ball or swap stamps with friends - It's fine by me, as it's your business and not mine. All I ask is that you enjoy 'Life' - Your OWN - and don't worry about what anyone else does eh?

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,546 Days' Alcohol Free - 395 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

Dont' look any further - M People

A great way of wasting your time...

Lyrics:- 'Stop where you standin' - Golde, Lambert & Hitchings

Song Choice:- Yikes it's nearly 25 years since 'M People' hit the charts with this cover version of the original 1984 Temptations single, which peaked in the UK charts at #9 in February 1994.

The above lyric illustrates exactly how I feel today in respect to how where I believe we should be looking this weekend. Primarily introspectively at ourselves and not at others and what they might be up to in their lives. You see, it's far too easy to get caught up in other folk’s worlds and achievements and just become 'Life Spectators'.

Have a think about how much time you waste keeping up with what might be going on elsewhere...

Look at the Bank Holiday weekend ahead. In the world of Ultras, there is the 'Grand Union Canal Race' & the LDWA 100. On a wider scale of sport, there's the FA Cup Final (Arsenal v Chelsea - I had to look on the BBC Sport website - Yawn), Test Match Cricket (BIG Yawn) and the Monaco Grand Prix (even BIGGER YAWN ZZZZzzzz).

The thing is I really don't give a toss what everyone else is up to? I would if I was taking part but I'm certainly not interested in watching other people play at sport. The international sporting events are simply a great way of wasting time indoors when for once it's not going to be the usual washout over the next three days and there's a whole world of fun out there to enjoy and be part of.

So, go out on a run of your design, kick a ball perhaps and instead of going all the way to the south of France to watch paint dry in Monaco - go and treat yourself to a track day driving some wickedly fast cars, I have, it's brilliant fun.

Just do whatever floats YOUR boat and not someone else's. If you do, you'll stop being a 'Life Spectator' perhaps.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,541 Days' Alcohol Free - 390 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Blood of Eden - Sir Peter of Gabriel

Lyric:- 'I caught sight of my reflection, I caught it in the window

I saw the darkness in my heart, I saw the signs of my undoing' – Gabriel

Song Choice:- I never need and excuse to choose a Peter Gabriel song for my blog and I was listening to his brilliant 1992 'live' album 'Secret World' as I ran around Cardiff earlier on today. The uncanny thing was just as I was listening to the above lyrics, I did catch my reflection in a bus shelter window as I was running past. I didn't look too bad either, as it looked like I was was running, rather than the strange trotting walk which has been my enforced gait these past months.

I believe it's the part of my recovery that's been missing and the past couple of days of ' 'running' has really moved me on from being mentally caught in the 'dark' for a while now.  

As Gabriel sings I'm sure 'the darkness still has work to do' and 'the knotted chords' will still need some 'untying' but maybe I've negotiated yet another GBS hurdle on my road to recovery. It really does fuck with your brain...

You see, the gains are now only marginal and unlike the some of the weekly milestones of last year, it's easy to feel becalmed and start believing that how I am now, is as good asI'm going to get. I know it's not, but sometimes it takes some harsh talking to one's inner self not to get down into the trap.

I'm aware of course that things will continue to get better over the next 12 months especially as maybe now I'm running tout of the darkness and into the light - and I'll share my progress with you as ever as I continue this 'Ultra-marathon of Recovery'.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,541 Days' Alcohol Free - 390 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Inflection Points - Thomas Newman

Song Choice:- I love the 'Adjustment Bureau' soundtrack and the track 'Inflection Points' is one I love listening to when I need to reflect on my life. An Inflection Point btw is a mathematical term for how a curve changes from being convex to concave - just as life twists and turns or goes through it's highs and lows. In the Adjustment Bureau movie, David Norris (Matt Damon) learns that he is facing the powerful agents of 'Fate' itself, and glimpsing the future laid out for him, must either accept a predetermined path that does not include Elise (Emily Blunt) or else defy 'Fate' to be with her. Wow it's a good film and see what I mean about the 'Inflection Points'?

It makes me wonder whether I would like to see my own 'Inflection Points' and adjust my path accordingly or remain happy not knowing how things were going to unfold ahead of me. You see, I meet a lot of people that need to know the full plot before they can take the first step on any journey. For them a 'Jigsaw Puzzle' without a picture to follow on the box would be mind-blowing. I take that option away from them as it's good to breakout and go with some new 'Inflection Points' that are not of one's own making I believe. The results are most interesting.

Sure a 'Big Picture Approach' is great but the 'Uncertainty of Spontaneity' can be not only refreshing but exciting as the only fear, is fear itself - and why be worried about something that's out of one's control.

It's a worth a think over the next few days and see where your 'Inflection Points' take you.

It might not be to with Emily Blunt and live happily ever after, but It could take you to a whole new dimension.

You never know - You might just enjoy it..

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,540 Days' Alcohol Free - 389 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

The Voice - John Farnham

Lyrics:- 'We have the chance to turn the pages over' - Reid et Al

Song Choice:- Hmm, it's a yet another bad day in the UK as we wake up to more atrocity following the Manchester Bombing of last night. The modern world is hard enough without innocent parents and children getting caught up in someone else's war.

Cynically, I know this isn't the last of such happenings and we as a nation will have to rely on our Government, Police and Intelligence Agencies to try and make such happenings as few as possible so that we and our loved ones can continue to live as safely as possible in this fantastic country we are so privileged to inhabit.

What can I do to help? Well I'm not too sure, I understand why it happens and I can be alert in my surroundings living in a Capital city and I can also have 'Hope'. 

'Hope we can find a solution'.

As without that, we're doomed...

We live in an energised world, with some amazingly clever people. These are the folk that we need to get together and become 'The Voice of Reason' somehow. Everyone is so busy out there fighting their own battles each day where these bad happenings soon get forgotten, until the next time it happens and the vicious circle begins again.

I'm not a politician and I'm not a political activist, I just love life and living in the peace.

I do hope that whomever gets elected can make a difference to our world and make it a safer place for us and our children to live in as I'm sure that's what we all want today. 

You see, the beauty is 'We have the chance to turn the pages over' and start again.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,539 Days' Alcohol Free - 388 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Underdog - Kasabian

Nothing better than seeing an Underdog win...

Lyrics:- 'You've got the money and the power' - Pizzorno

Song Choice:- I'm not the biggest of Kasabian fan's and they live in my hit-and-miss category along with Primal Scream and the Charlatans. 'Underdog' was a hit with me, yet only got to #32 in the UK Charts in 2009 - talk about living up to your name eh?

Anyway, its the 'Underdog' connection I'm interested in for today's blog as we all love a 'David' beating a 'Goliath' it seems. Kasabian were extremely vocal in heralding Leicester City's Premier League success of last year, coming from Leicester themselves - not to mention Mr. Linekar's gloating - (Oh dear, I just did). And they were amazing, yet it doesn't necessarily guarantee continued success as 12 months on, Leicester City are back mid-table and Claudio Ranieri, the Manager that took them to that 'Underdog' success, has been successfully sacked.

I makes me wonder why the 'Underdog's Victory' is so short lived?

Is it that so much more energy is needed to make a successful follow-up album?

It's not that we don't want them to. I mean, we still call such victors 'Giant-Killers' well over 3,000 years on from David hurling that well aimed stone and a year on from Leicester's Premier League win. It must be that we get tired of the same folk winning all the time. Personally I really dislike the mismatched contest of a F1 Race parade - Just how dull is a Lewis Hamilton win nowadays? And wouldn't it be good if they swapped the cars around so someone else might win for once or they started the grid with the places back to front. Luckily, 'Every Dog has it's day' and that dominance won't last forever.

And whether you are on the 'Up' or 'Down' - there's one thing for sure - it won't last forever as you don't have to be your own 'Underdog', but don't think you can buy success - You have to earn it and 'Slow and steady wins the day' - it's one of my mottoes. 'Make a plan, keep it simple' is another and a dead cert to continued 'Topdog' success.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,537 Days' Alcohol Free - 386 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Once upon a Time - Simple Minds

Apollo 17 - 1972

Lyrics:- 'And hope, long live hope' - Burchill, Kerr & MacNeil

Song Choice:- It took me ages to find a suitable anthem for today's blog but this Simple Minds track, from the 1985 album of the same title, is one that I normally skip over to get to my favourite of theirs 'Don't you forget about me'. 

The good thong but hearing it again was it really got me thinking.

You see, I can remember at primary school being given 'Once upon a Time', as the first line of a story which we could continue on and write ourselves, literally about anything we wanted. Maybe it was a test to see what fired our imaginations rather than being a literary masterpiece - and don't ask me what I wrote about, as I can't remember but here's the rub.

I wonder how the 10-year-old's screen play for the next 45 years would have said. I'm sure it would be a fascinating read as I would imagine it to be rather vague. I mean, what idea can a young boy have about his future back in the analogue days of 1972, incidentally the year of the last lunar landings and four years before Concorde's first commercial flight whose 'supersonic' travel in that time has come and gone, like a lot if things it seems.

It's funny how ideas, fashions and folk can change with age. I've obviously changed a lot and grown up marginally but one thing that has remained the same is 'Hope' and I love the above line form the song.

Let's hope it continues to 'Live' on as without it, we're all a bit buggered...

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,536 Days' Alcohol Free - 385 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales

Undertow - Genesis

Don't look so sad Guys - you've got 40 years ahead of you...

Lyrics:- 'If this were the last day of your life, my friend
Tell me, what do you think you would do then?

Stand up to the blow that fate has struck upon you
Make the most of all you still have coming to you.
Lay down on the ground and let the tears run from youCrying to the grass and trees and heaven finally on your knees' - Banks

Song Choice:- This track is taken from the 1978 album 'And then there were three' and is my good friend Kevin Webber's favourite song. If you were watching BBC2 last night he was featured on the TV show 'A Time to Live' as he has terminal Prostate Cancer and it showed his amazing outlook on life and him running at the Marathon des Sables.

I think know Kevin pretty well as I've shared two MdS tents with him and had many conversations over the past couple of years about a multitude of different subjects, including his impending death. 

They haven't been doom and gloom jobs either, which is most interesting and definitely heart-warming.

You see, I've been critically ill but not dying and Kevin doesn't look ill at all but has a limited amount of time left before he's critically ill - how ironic is that! Life's so fucking cruel sometimes.

Listening to him last night on TV was actually a good kick up my tired legs backside and I ran hard today listening to 'Undertow' thinking that if this was going to be the last run of my life, then I may as well give it everything I'd got.

OMG it worked too as it got me an extra 1.3 miles on an hours out-and-back and only strengthened my foundations against the 'Undertow' that life can erode away at a lot of the time.

I dearly hope Kevin makes his third MdS as he looked so 'Alive' at the race this year - then again, it would be a good place to clock out, if it was the last day of your life my friend... wouldn't it.

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

9 Guinness World Records - 8,534 Days' Alcohol Free - 382 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Boscastle, Cornwall