Tor Rønnow, Author at Tor on Marathon

Another PB ECCOs in Amsterdam

By Tor Rønnow on Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Listen now, this is instructive !

Ever since the book ELSK AT LØBE was completed I have had two goals for my marathon running: 1) to do a sub-4 hours and 2) to attempt a sub 3.45 realizing that such a feat could very well be out of my reach as for now. Goal 1) was DONE in Vancouver Marathon with my friend Vagn Kirkelund (who just completed Chicago Marathon, the last of the five World Majors for him, congrats) and wouldn’t you know it, goal #2 was pinned with success this very past weekend in Amsterdam. There, I had yet another pro pace-bunny, Mogens Pedersen of Denmark, to help me achieve a stunning 3.42.39 as a new personal best (PB) time.

So what is the catch here ? Well… that the theory in the book works ! I could point out five or six sentences that have transformed my mindset as a runner completely. Indeed, my whole life is changed ! It is indeed very pleasing to see and feel a direct connection between the things being changed and worked on and the results, the marathon results. If I should highlight just three things it should be 1) weight reduction, 2) training with high intensity and 3) constant focus on the “metabolic fitness”, the latter being an important new concept in the context of running and an extremely important concept for your overall health and avoidance of the so-called life-style illnesses of the modern world.

There are also some subtle details that play a part. E.g. my shift to the phenomenal ECCO BIOM B shoes when running for time and the positive encouragements and help from my many marathon friends, e.g. Niels Høg Henriksen whom we see on this photo (and the ECCO BIOM Bs on my feet).

I could mention a number of other things and factors… but I will keep them for myself a little while longer… and just relax for a bit and enjoy the memories from Amsterdam Marathon 2011.

You find a full report here: Amsterdam Marathon 2011 – pictures.

Marathon Spirituality

Men, Multitasking and Running

By Tor Rønnow on Monday, September 26, 2011

It is often said that men can’t multitask. That is obviously nonsens ! We can e.g. drive a car and think about sex, be in a business meeting and think about sex, and we can even have sex and think about sex with others 😉 So don’t say we can’t multitask !

So what has this to do with running ? Absolutely nothing ! Well, perhaps a little bit. Beceause if we change the word “sex” with “running” we are getting where I would like to be the next two years. We are in The State of Mental Running. That’s what I will call it, anyways. A State where thoughts about running are present in your mind at least subconsciously all the time and where many – not all ! – of your decisions and actions throughout the day are connected to your training and goals as a Runner.

Importantly, your subconscious Running Sensor is questioning everything you choose to eat and drink – with the end that you probably choose to eat a bit differently than “if not”. Basically, your Runnning Sensor will be responsible for keeping you on track with your goals both as a Runner and as a Human. So now you may ask: where do I get this Running Sensor, how do I find into this Running State ? The answer is simple: in your Mind ! You just have to decide !

Well, that’s what I have done. I realized after the writing of the book (ELSK AT LØBE) that things would only change for me if I changed my thoughts and actions. This is merely repeating that if you want different outcomes in your life, you have to undertake different (new) actions – and different actions start in the Mind with different thoughts and mind-sets.

So the next two years I will opt for a revised Running State for myself. I will indeed be multitasking on how to improve my running technique, on how to get more traning into my normal working days, on dropping those extra kilos and so forth. I will be reading and cross-referencing running literature with self-improvement books and again cross-referenced with Music and other means of getting into “states”, into the famous FLOW as coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I will be a Runner 24/7/365 and I will not settle for less 😉

More will follow on this topic – The State of Mental Running or, for me, Marathon Multitasking. Make no mistake: this is not just a spacy mental excercise or superficial words on a blog. This is the essense, the destilate, of the teachings from the book that will be used in the hard and patient training and strenghtening of my body with the declared goal to run a sub-3 marathon before 2014. This sounds like a ridiculous goal for me to achieve – just making it even more compelling.

I’ll catch you out there.

Marathon

Thorshavn Marathon 2011

By Tor Rønnow on Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. This past weekend I was lucky enough to win.

Not only did I participate in the extremely beautiful Thorshavn Marathon on the Faroe Islands and with a quite good effort, no, I also gained some new friends up north and I learned a lot about the life on these islands way up in the Atlantic Sea. As you can imagine from these sample photos…

… it’s hard not to like the spectacular nature of the Faroe Islands.

The race itself, Thorshavn Marathon, is organized by the local running club Bragdid. The field was mostly populated by local runners from Bragdid and the “competing” club Treysti (from Klaksvik) but also counted a number of international runners from e.g. Norway, Denmark and Italy. After a short roundtrip “downtown” Thorshavn…

… we settled for a ride in the country side and I must say: what great out-doors ! LOL !

The marathon was quite tough, actually, with a great number of hills of miscellaneous mortality but running in sunshine and with the view of the Atlantic Sea was a very serene experience !

Well across the finish line I could thank Pól Sundsgard for a terrific race and weekend (and thank you to all my other new friends up there !).

I strongly encourage you to consider this race on your to-do list, especially if you collect island marathons. Here you find my full report from Thorshavn Marathon 2011

Marathon On the blog

Press section update

By Tor Rønnow on Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Various articles have been added to the press section.

I am especially delighted with my contributions on the new ambitious website “Motion Danmark”, a new and important country-wide initiative to get people to be physically active. Added also is various articles on the book ELSK AT LØBE.

You may enjoy the reading listening to the beautiful song below. I’m not sure if the lyrics was written for me but I guess it could have. Both ways.

Marathon

SPARTA Powerade Copenhagen Halfmarathon 2011

By Tor Rønnow on Thursday, August 25, 2011

I guess it’s like five years back since I last ran a halfmarathon. So, Sunday in beautiful and for once sunny Copenhagen I entered such a race and boy, WHAT A RACE !!! Frankly, I think the organizers SPARTA managed to pull off the best-ever running event on danish soil.

The race started at 11.00 hours…
SPARTA Powerade Halvmaraton 2011 - Tor Rønnow

… and took the runners through some scenic parts of Copenhagen…
SPARTA Powerade Halvmaraton 2011 - Tor Rønnow

… including the turist attraction Nyhavn…
SPARTA Powerade Halvmaraton 2011 - Tor Rønnow

… and finally the finish line with tons of people cheering their lungs out. GREAT STUFF !!!
SPARTA Powerade Halvmaraton 2011 - Tor Rønnow

I managed to complete in 1.56.58, not too bad since I had run a full marathon just the day before.

You can read more about my Powerade Copenhagen Halfmarathon and Saturdays Vestegnsmarathon following the links. Enjoy !

Vestegnsmarathon 2011 - Tor Rønnow
A scenic part of Vestegnsmarathon 2011.