When I met you - Banks

Lyric: - 'Everyone knows I'm right about one thing' - Banks

Song Choice:- This song goes perfectly with the 10th season of the hospital show Grey's Anatomy, which has some great characters and life lessons we could all learn from sometimes...The following quote from the script is a wonderful passage in itself and one well worth mulling over, maybe listen to the song as well if you have time here.

Quote:- 'We're all gonna die. We don't get much say on how or when, but we do get to decide how we are gonna live. Is this the life you want to live? Is this the best you can be? Can you be stronger? kinder? more compassionate? Decide. Breathe in...breathe out...and decide.' - Richard Webber - Grey's Anatomy Season 10 - Episode 1

And if you are one of my regular blog readers you'll know just how much I write about making your time here on this amazing planet just as good as you can make it.

On reading the quote, I'm sure we can all be stronger, kinder and more compassionate but what are we going to do about it? Go hell for leather and then end up feeling the venom of Banks lyrics as describes the hate for the person she once loved? What difference will it make to us? Will it make us richer, live longer, be happier?

Who knows…What I do know is that it’s important to follow the quotes most important part…’Decide how we are gonna live’. Well I think it is…It’s that part of ourselves that we reflect out to the rest of the people we meet, every single day of our lives. I’m told that I think too deeply about things but don’t we need to give our existence some deep consideration and think about what we do with our time as it’s such a precious possession. Something far more valuable than any house, car or bank balance.

I believe, as Banks sings that ‘Everyone knows I’m right about one thing’ - this thing called ‘Life’.

Don’t waste a drop of it and live it to the max folks as you never know when you might lose it…

More tomorrow and less Morbid - Promise.

You and Me - C41

Song Choice - From the film 'Last Night', a surprising good Keira Knightly effort, I just loved the way the music fitted the film and then how the film left the viewer to make their own ending for the film. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do as it's extremely provocative in it's comment on modern day busy couples.

Funnily enough, my version of the ending didn't follow my usual more cavalier approach to life and was far more conservative which even surprised me! I won't spoil it for you but what would you do if you were them?

Anyway less of the film but I encounter this kind of situation every day of my working life as more and more I'm becoming a 'Life Counsellor' to 'Runners' rather than the other way round.

I don't mind as it's a fascinating job and I feel privileged to be let into other people's worlds. This week I'm meeting my 'Dixons Carphone Average2Awesome' guys for the last time as we celebrate their success at this year's Race to the Stones and transformation from the Couch to Ultimate ULTRA-warrior.

I bet they never saw that coming up in their 'Life-Script'. Then again, maybe none of us do.

Tomorrow's Robin Hood Marathon provides a welcome pilgrimage back to 1995 for me and the opportunity to run a road marathon on my own for once, passenger free,

I must say I'm looking forward to it and hopefully this #931 marathon will be as joyous as #8 etc. that I've enjoyed over the years and I can have time out to think what's going to happen next in my own 'Script'. I know most folk don't like to know what happens next in plots - but I do...

Do you? Or do you leave it to someone else to decide...

Forever Autumn - Justin Hayward

Lyric:- 'The summer sun is fading as the year grows old, and darker days are drawing near' - Wayne, Osbourne & Vigrass

Song Choice:- Well it was just too easy to choose it as it's my favourite Autumn themed song and as we've just passed this year's Autumnal Equinox it seems only right somehow...

Anyway, it's a beautiful time of year in Wales with all the colours in the local parks and Autumn is always a special time of year for anyone trying to crack in a fast marathon time. Over the last 20 years I've juggled with many September/October Marathons and ULTRA's but this weekend I'm going to run my 15th Robin Hood Marathon, in Nottingham, my absolute Road Marathon favourite.

I can quite believe I've run it that many times...back in 1995 it was a very quick 3.30.55 which seemed a really easy run out at the time, 10 years later it was my 500th Marathon and this weekend it will be my 931st. 

Is it really 20 years ago since I ran that first Robin Hood? 

My how time flies...

And that got me thinking...Oh dear you say, but please go with the flow here. It got me thinking about life in four seasons and before you think I'm getting morbid, I'm not, I'm just trying to get a handle on where I am in my life's cycle right now.

My brain and the math goes like this. I hope to get to see my 100th Birthday on 6th February 2062 and that William and Kate will send me my well earned telegram on the day, if they both make it! So, if I take my age now of 53 against the 100 as a percentage and then proportion that against 365 days of the year, I get to 12 August on my birthday this year and next year at 54 I'll be enjoying the 16th August. Therefore right now I'm in the afternoon of 15th August. Nice...

A sort of late Summer date rather than an early Autumn one which is actually better than I thought it would be. A proper 'Turnkey' solution. 

Right now I'm in the middle of my Mid-life Summer Holiday, and luckily I feel like I'm enjoying living in the warmth of everything that life can shine down on me before I tip into Autumn for real on the 30th September, when I hit the grand age of 75.

I've got ages yet!

Even better, Winter is really January to March but I've counted that as Spring in my way of thinking so in effect I'll be able 'kick my way through Autumn's Golden Gown for the rest of my days as Jeff Wayne so rightly puts it, 'My life will be forever autumn' from here on in! 

So what about you? Where are you right now in your life?

Have your trees already lost their leaves and are you already in December?

Made me think!

More tomorrow from August 15th...

Faith - George Michael

Lyric:- 'Need some time off from that emotion' - Barnes, Olivier, Michael, Cortes & Aragon

Song Choice - It's a great song and it's sad that someone with such an amazing voice as George Michael has found life to be such a struggle over the past few years, especially as it's been lived out in the public eye. The news today only highlights just how impossible this must have been for the former Wham Popster.

I'd chose the song before I read the highlights so it's rather apt really as the subject of faith cropped up with one of my Coleman Commandos today. 

Running forms such a fundamental building block for folk to rebuild their lives and manage their thoughts, problems and addictions (in my case) and for some becomes a daily religion.

'OMG he's really lost it now', I hear you cry but don't worry this isn't Rory's First Letter to the Olympians, it's more of a love letter to life as life itself is such a precious and precarious thing where we spend most of it 'Hoping' rather than doing...

It's that 'Hope' that gives us the 'Faith' I'm writing about I believe.

Think back to your own childhood and remember just how much you 'hoped' that Santa would bring you Hornby, Scalextric or Subbuteo (World Cup '70 not the Club edition with the crappy cardboard players) and how funnily enough he always delivered as long as you were good and had faith in your parents getting all of your very unsubtle hints and Santa letters...

Anyway, it's the same hope that we still rely on so many years on.

For instance, every day we hope our loved ones are safe and feel the same about us as we do about them. We hope we don't lose our job, our health and that we win the Lottery at least twice so we can then do something really meaningful with the second win, (just once would be ace)...

The thing is that a lot of 'Hope' never happens and that's when 'Faith' gets hard to hold on to. Keeping your head up when life is kicking you in the nether regions isn't the easiest, and I'm sure we've all been there.

Faith's worth a try though isn't it? Making one simple life change, holding onto a dream or asking for help never hurt you or anyone. It didn't hurt me...and I wonder if George Michael has his time all over again if he'd take the same path.

I wonder if you would. I know with hindsight I would make some changes and I wish I knew at 33 what I do now at 53. But then again no doubt I'll be saying this in 20 years time. There's a big difference in Faith and Wishing though... 

I believe that I'll still be here in 20 years time, living the same dream, it's not a wish...It's FAITH. 

What do you do 'Hope' or do you have 'Faith'? 

I'd love to know...

Hotel California (Live) - The Eagles

Lyric:- 'Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice, and she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'

Song Choice:- I wanted a track with 'Hotel' in the title to highlight the thought process for tonight's blog. And what a great version of the all time Eagles Classic it is...have a listen here and see what you think.

Now - why oh why oh why am I talking about hotels in a fitness blog? Well it's leading me into a 'Trip Adviser' flavoured offering which is normally about reviews of places, services and experiences but for this evening I want you to think about a Trip Advisor review of...YOURSELF.

I wonder what folk would write...I've been there and got the T-Shirt on this one and what people will say to your face and what they can write on a third party website can be two very different things. It comes down to whether you want 'Praise' or 'Feedback'...funnily enough, I like to know where I stand with things.

That's why I like to be honest with myself and I know where my strengths and weaknesses are and why when all of these amazing people come and see me for coaching, I try and get their take on me and what I offer. I like to think I'm a 5/5 person offering a 5/5 service as I'm a very confident if somewhat deluded kinda guy, but in reality I do know where I can work on my shortcomings and become the 5/5 person I really want to be and think I am.

So what would you write about you on your Trip Advisor review?

What out of 5 would you be? How honest are you?

You might surprise yourself and I bet I'd score you higher that you do...We're such a self deprecating race in the UK.

Go on - be honest, tell me just how it really is...

More tomorrow.

Good Morning Beautiful - The The

Lyric:- Ask yourself, whose voice is it, that whispers unto you? - Marr & Matt

Song Choice:- It's a long while since I listened to the marvellous 1989 Album 'Mind Bomb' by The The and it's amazing hard hitting lyrics and distinctive Johnny Marr guitar sound.

'Who is it, that turns your blood into spirit, and your spirit into blood?

And set your souls ablaze, with love'.

My word, that's powerful stuff and just answer the question yourself...What is it that fires you up? I've been super-fired up this week, and I've already got 52.4 miles and 100,000 steps in the bank and it's only Tuesday! Easy for me you say as it's my job, but it's easy for you too, if you really want it enough. Or if you want YOURSELF enough. If you have that self-belief and fulfilment you are all looking for...

And after another MdS Training Day and meeting two more people looking for personal fulfilment, the above line asks, 'Whose voice is it, that whispers unto you?' And that's the line that first hit me about the song all those year's ago... As that voice in fact could be your conscience, or it could be your life partner, best friend or your best friend at work. But whom do you REALLY listen to? Do you actually listen to anyone, or even yourself?

Do you actually LISTEN?

It continues...

Try starting over tomorrow and when you look at yourself in the bathroom mirror say hello to the new you with a 'Good Morning Beautiful' - and listen to the above song as it's just brilliant...

When you do Listen to Yourself don't whisper about it - Shout it loud and proud!

More tomorrow...

So now you know - The Horrors

Lyric:- 'That's the life you put aside for too long'...

Song Choice:- The Horrors are always a good bet for a song with a good lyric and hey presto, this one jumped right out at me as today's blog is about being the person, you've always wanted to be. 

I encounter this situation every day of my working life. and it seems that more and more folk coming to see me say that they have always wanted to BE something, rather than wanting to DO something. It's underlines my theory that actually the races that folk enter like the MdS or similar challenges are actually not as important as they think but taking on the 'Elite' lifestyle of a marathon/ultra-marathon runner leads to a happier and more fulfilling life.

It took me hundreds of races and thousands of pounds to work that one out for myself. I believe the road trips I did around the Premiership Grounds, the London-2-Lisbon Run and my Stoptober 28x28 gave me the opportunity of being the person I wanted to be. A chance to be in the spotlight, to enjoy some media attention and make my rather eccentric way of life, my job.

Yikes, I'm so lucky. It's taken me a long time to get here and I'm doing my best to help others get here too. It happened again today on an MdS Training Day and it might happen again on another one tomorrow. Who knows...anything can happen on one of my training days.

Let's see if it does tomorrow for two guys coming to see me.

What I do know is it's time for sleep here in a very wet Cardiff and I'll update this post tomorrow post 42.2km :-)