News of the World - The Jam

Lyric:-'The truth is in what you see, not what you read' - Foxton

Song Choice:- I loved a bit of The Jam at the time and can't believe that's this track is nearly 40 years old now. 

Anyway, on a day of headlines that include a new nuclear power station being built by the French with Chinese investment at Hinkley Point just over the water from us here in Cardiff and 'Bake Off' going to Channel 4, I often wonder what we are supposed to believe in what we are told by our news sources. I mean, just who IS interested in baking some old cakes eh?

So a lot of the time, although I keep a keen eye on what's happening in the news, I tend not to worry too much about the things I can't control and concentrate on making my own headlines. They don't have to be earth shattering, hold the front page news-stories either - they can be simple no nonsense one liners.

Why not have a go yourself and see what headlines, you come up with about yourself today. Yesterday I would have reported on clocking up my first 30,000 step day since last April as a major headline but I'd also write that I'd helped a good friend become more comfortable about undertaking his first 100 mile race. Have a think?

Today's Front Page is there waiting for you and totally blank. It's just asking for your news.

What are you saying about yourself today?

Rory Coleman - 976 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8289 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Pembroke Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom

One Slip - The Pink Floyd

Lyric:- 'One slip and down the hole We fall - Gilmour & Manzanera

Song Choice:- Not one of your best known Floyd anthems but a brilliant offering from 'The Momentary Lapse of Reason Album of 1987 and one of my favourites too.

And it's that 'One Slip' that interested in for today's blog. You see we live our lives on a knife-edge I believe and although I wouldn't advocate permanently wearing a crash-helmet and never getting out of bed, I would like to point out here that hi-viz alone can't save anyone from a whole world of pain.

So 'Beware' I say...and let's face it, how on earth does anyone reach old age when there's so much danger in every single thing we do, I'll never know but if you go steady, you'll hopefully get there safely.

Maybe it's more of a 'Momentary Lapse of Concentration' that changes our respective worlds sometimes for the better as well as thee worse.

But then life's a bit of a lottery ain't it and its a whole lot better with a winning ticket?

Rory Coleman - 976 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8287 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Pembroke Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom

No More Heroes - The Stranglers

Scott Who?

Lyric:- 'Whatever happened to all the heroes?, All the Shakespearoes'.

Song Choice:- It's ages since I heard any of The Stranglers back catalogue and I'll admit to never buying any of their vinyl back in the day but No More Heroes is actually an iconic track of the 70's, well worth a listen, and ideal for today's blog.

I mean, who are your heroes? Have you ever met them in real life? If you did, did they match up to your expectations? Do we even need in our busy modern-day lives nowadays?

I'm really lucky to have met, trained and raced with one of mine, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Sadly though like some of my others like Neil Armstrong or Robert Falcon Scott, their names and deeds are slowly being forgotten, as time goes by. Why is that?

Is it our modern day celebrity throw away culture? Or is it that with the advent of YouTube and the Internet where anyone can be a hero and then possibly a zero again before they know it?

Whatever it is, we need our heroes. I've got a long list, of course, including hundreds of musicians, sports people and national treasures, like Ran.

Who are yours? I'd love to know.

Rory Coleman - 976 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8285 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Pembroke Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles

Lyrics:- 'I need to laugh, and when the sun is out, I've got something I can laugh about' - Lennon-McCartney

Song Choice:- 2.09 minutes of Summer Sunshine from the Fab Four. Have a listen to some 50 year old bottled sunshine here.

You see there's nothing quite like the feeling of the Sun on ones skin. I did a lot of that today down on the Pier at Penarth. It's one of my favourite places on Earth, yes really, and today's visit only enhanced my warm feelings of affection for this particular bit of Wales that I love so much.

Ok, emotions were high as it was the first time since June I'd been on the Pier, this time minus wheelchair and drugs, so it felt amazing to be walking on the wooden decking once again and yes, today was special.

There must be something magical about some of these old metal structures as I have similar feelings about the Old Severn Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, both of which I've run marathons on. It was the same during the Flora 1000 Mile Challenge in 2003 where I crossed over and under Tower Bridge twice-a-day.

Maybe it's part of the recovery process where I'm realising the world around me and I'm appreciating things I'd normally take for granted. Next time I'm in London, I'm definitely going to do some 'Running Tourism' around the sights, it's only right eh?

Unless, of course, you have some better ideas of more stunning scenery for me to run through or over?

Answers on a Postcard please...

Rory Coleman - 976 Marathons - 241 Ultras - 13 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8284 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Cardiff

Fight from the Inside - Taylor

Lyric:- 'You can't win with your hands tied' - Taylor

Song Choice:- My favourite track from Queen's 1977 'News of the World' album, that only peaked at number 4 in the charts, how about that? It's a Roger Taylor special, this one, with him writing, singing, drumming and playing guitars on the track. Take a listen here for yourself and see what you've been missing.

And it's the 'fight' that I'm interested in for today's blog as my question to you today is how you cope with situations you find yourself in every day of your life? You are probably aware of the 'Fight or Flight Response'. During the reaction, the intensity of emotion that is brought on by the stimulus will also determine the nature and intensity of the behavioural response. Individuals with higher levels of emotional reactivity may be prone to anxiety and aggression, and I'm sure we've all witnessed such 'Flight or Flight' occurrences in the past. 

Anyway, I believe there's a middle ground which is far more acceptable all round which is 'Acceptance' - a mental state that's so hard to find, yet so much more powerful that either 'Fight' or 'Flight' can ever be in my opinion. 'Acceptance' is truly powerful in fact, as I find  confrontation and surrender such negative emotions and a waste of my energy. How much time, energy and money could be saved if folk just used a little more common sense? 

Returning to the 'Morello Clinic' yesterday, scene of my own SIDP acceptance realisation, it just hammered the point home to me that a lot of the time if we know where we stand and are honest with ourselves, a far better outcome ensues. I'm living proof of that...

How many things are you fighting or running away from, right now?

Makes you think eh? Right from the inside...

Rory Coleman - 976 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8284 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Pembroke Road, Cardiff, United Kingdom