Depeche Mode - ULTRA

Kinda Beautiful...

Album Choice:- Well, as I'm in the 'Final Countdown' to marathon #1000 I thought it only right to choose some of the albums that have accompanied me over all my years of running. Any album, I'm sure you'll agree, titled 'ULTRA' should easily make any runners' shortlist but this Depeche Mode, (post Dave Gahan Melt-Down) album has a really dark sound that's great to run along to. Have a listen here to the track 'It's no good' and see what you think.

'I'm going to take my time, I have all the time in the world' - Gore

I love that line and we DO have ALL the time in the world.

Anyway. I thought 'ULTRA' was a good fit as it's 22 years' ago TODAY that I did my first ULTRA at the 33.94 mile Grantham Canal Race from Notts Forest Football Ground to Grantham on 27th August' 1995 along the disused Grantham Canal. I ran it hard as I remember too in 5hrs and 2mins including vaulting endless five bar gates and limboing under some very low road bridges.

It had a profound effect on me too as there were a couple of runners who had completed the Two Bridges Ultra in Scotland the previous day to much applause at the start. I was most impressed by that and little did I know that one day I would go on to run hundreds of Marathons and ULTRAs back-to-back and head to Nottingham some twenty-two years and 984 marathons later, to create my own piece of running history in the same City.

You see anything is possible, you just have to go and make it happen. The feat started all the way back in 1994 when the Telford Marathon caught my eye in Runner's World and I decided to send off my £10 for the entry fee to start my marathon journey. Yes' the rest might be history but it started with a spark and a simple decision to go and run the classic 26.2 mile distance, the one that was going to define my life it's worked out.

I always say making a choice is 'Simple'. Sticking to it much harder only if you do you'll enjoy the freedom that's accompanies the journey and in my case has been the best decision I've ever made,  for a million reasons .

Maybe it's time for you to make a similar decision today and then stick to your goals come what may. I mean you have 'all the time in the world'.

Amen.

Rory Coleman - 998 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,635 Days' Alcohol Free - 483 Days' post GBS

Location: Cardiff, Wales.