Can I play with Madness - Iron Maiden

Lyrics:- 'Give me a sense of wonder' - Dickenson, Harris & Smith

Song Choice:- I've seen Maiden live and I can't say I was overly impressed so I'm currently exploring their back catalogue to see if I get their music a bit more and I'm enjoying some of their better know tracks. This got to #10 in 1988, and I mean, any song with 'Play' and 'Madness' in the title strikes me as being a perfect 'Blog-Song' accompaniment. This track from their platinum selling 1988 album 'Seventh Son of a Seventh Son' and is well worth another listen.

I thought about this track a lot as I 'Played with Madness' during yesterday's Bath Running Festival's Marathon - my 996th marathon outing and possibly one of the hardest and probably the wettest.

You see, I should have known better than to take on anything that's as super hilly as this one, during the middle of the 'British Summer'. All those reducing parkrun times and thoughts of returning to fitness had lured me into a 'False Sense of Awesomeness' you see. They were soon kicked into touch though as the heavens opened just before the start. It rained all day with one downpour being so heavy that the descents, especially off Solsbury Hill became ravines and extremely treacherous. It was easier to ski in places rather than try to walk or run.

I'm not bleating, however it did make me wonder though why they made the course so hard, especially the 14.5 miles in three hours cutoff which I beat by a mere 36 seconds - many didn't. Pushing hard to beat that meant that for the rest of the race I was in recovery mode.

I did run the last vertical mile to earning a couple of scalps, but it shows me that I'm still not as fit as I thought I was. Marathon #997 is a welcome lapping of the Enigma Lake where I'll hopefully get a better gauge of my recovery on the flat, and see my actual progress since my last outing there in February.

Am I downhearted, nah... Little Charlie is one this week and the year has flown by. I watched him come into the world from a wheelchair, so I only have a 'sense of wonder' at what I've achieved in less than 365 days. This time last year I would have done anything to be out running in the rain, let alone walking.

Grab life while you can folks and enjoy the week ahead... Maybe 'Play with Madness' a bit eh?

Amen.

Rory Coleman - 996 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables
9 Guinness World Records - 8,601 Days' Alcohol Free - 449 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir

Location: Caersydd, Cymru