Tor Rønnow, Author at Tor on Marathon

The State of Bliss and Purpose

By Tor Rønnow on Sunday, February 27, 2011

At last I know.

I have been in doubt my whole life. I have asked myself existentialistic questions ever since I was 5 (I actually remember such quite clearly). I have put my entire family in the grave. I have turned my back to the education and the science (chemistry) that I once loved so dearly. I have had many love affairs only to see them disappear again. In short, I have in a sense lost everything a man can lose in life.

At last I know why.

I cannot reveil this as yet, but it will become the essense of what is to become my lifetime manifesto. It will blow you away. It will transform you. It will make you connect to your higher reality. It will make you say “I knew this guy” and people will say “really ?”.

To feel that every single second of your life is accounted for is an extremely overwhelming thing and to think that all the studies in life, in relations, in the music and arts, in the psychology and the literature suddenly add up and make sense… is just incredible.

I just know. At last. Time to write.

Marathon Spirituality

The Messengers

By Tor Rønnow on Tuesday, February 1, 2011

How cool is this: to appear in the latest book by Malcolm Anderson, The Messengers.

The Messengers are about 120 marathon- and ultrarunners distributed worldwide, passionate individuals that tell their stories about their love and dedication to running. Amongst the interviewees are several of the most renown ultrarunners in the world and I’m pleased to know several of the persons mentioned including my danish friend Mogens Pedersen, the swede K.-G. Nyström and a whole bunch of germans listing also Christian Hottas and Horst Preisler, the latter being the man on Earth with most races, +1700 ! The book is easily read and features four main sections on Passion, Endurance, Transformation and Inspiration and give insights on why and how people can run hundreds if not thousands of (ultra-) marathons. I am truly honored with my contribution and artfully pleased that the picture of me in the book is pretty sexy as well. Get moving to the bookstore, girls 😉

Another cool thing is the enjoyment of giving speaches on my own book “ELSK AT LØBE – med Maratonbogen”, co-authored with the famous professor Bente Klarlund Pedersen. We have given a whole bunch of lectures by now and have a few more scheduled in February in Copenhagen. I have updated my “in the press” section to reflect the newspaper attention on some of these events. The thrill is to inspire !

Last Monday we gave two talks for about 900 young students (imagine that !) and here I chipped in a few slides on my private story as well, pinpointing some of the learning points on how you survive a rough childhood orphaned at age 7 and growing up on a boarding school. I tell you, I had the full concentration of these kids. I really felt that my talk made an impact. If so, I can wish for no more… as this kind of Message mean the world to me: “How do one survive ? Three words coin it all: intelligence, passion and activity” (I will elaborate on this another time). It was a priviledge to “perform” for these youngsters. Just as it is knowing that YOU are reading these words.

Remember, we all have immense power in the choosing of our thoughts, feelings and words ! Every second of our lives.

Spirituality

A Season of Faith’s Perfection

By Tor Rønnow on Sunday, January 16, 2011

Losing family obliges us to find our family.
Not always the family that is our blood but the family that can become our blood.

These words are from the movie “Finding Forrester”, a poetic and beautiful movie that coins what Friendship and Faith is all about. The Title of this post is also from the movie, a Title that describes my current state of mind and being so extremely well. I feel so full of hope for this year and in so many respects. Let me elaborate a bit.

Firstly, things look really cool at work. I seldom write about my work and I will not begin to, so I will just pass on that I basically and generally really really do enjoy my job (nerdy IT stuff) and that I thrive with my colleagues. I spend quite a bit of my capacity each day on work-tasks so it is by no means trivial that these things are interesting and challenging. They are ! And this Season look better than ever ! Woo-hoo !

More importantly, things look really NEW on my personal level both within the Running business and in the Spiritual Department. Runningwise, I have set myself the goal to cut off 22 minutes of my current marathon PB/PR on 4.06.45. The means to accomplish this goal involve a weight loss of 12 kg and a totally rewritten approach to my training. It feels good, it feels fun, it feels right ! Thus, I have great Faith in the marathon experiences lined up for 2011.

Spiritually, I feel that I am “connecting” with my lost Family. I feel that I am connecting with my (mostly running) friends and that it is time to give a little more than just the “funny Tor”. Perhaps it is time to show them the Faith to deal with the real Tor, or rather the more complete, the Tor of great intelligence and psychic intuition. Perhaps it it the time to show this to you all. To constructively use and display the real Powers hidden so well for so long.

So why just now ? Well… it is the Season of Faith’s Perfection ! It is the Season to find and connect to the Spiritual Guides. It is the Season to interpret and combine the many Human Guides from the Great History, the Writers, the Composers, the Painters, the knowledge of History itself and the outlook on the probable Futures just ahead. It is the Season to display a rooted and universal flux of Love. It is the Season for waking up each day and just deeply appreciating Life. It is the Season of Faith’s Perception as well. I feel very lucky to feel all these things, I feel very lucky to deeply understand in the Spiritual sense.

It is as if all the pieces from all these years suddenly fit each other – and I am fortunate to see the picture, the Light.

Things Change ! Let go – and you will see !

Marathon

The Fat Runner must die !

By Tor Rønnow on Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Please read this with a humorous mind. Well, case is that I have set a completely new kind of goal for year 2011. After having run “as many as possible” marathons for the last five years, I’ll now aim for “as fast as possible” or at least 3.45.

Why ?

Different reasons are in play. First of all I’m tired of being fat ass boy always last into the shower. That act is so bloody cold and the soap is too difficult to wash off. So I figure that if I run a good bit faster, hot water will flush my way. How about hot babes as well ? Fat ass boys don’t grab hot babes that well… so trimming up the body to a state of say 15-20 years ago on the weight and appearance should not come to disadvantage in that game neither. Besides, running faster will improve the likelihood of actually catching them before they call for help.

Ok, more seriously I have have learned stuff. Important stuff ! I have learned that the metabolic fitness must be nurtured with ta-daa… fitness/running/physical activity at least 30 minutes every day ! I have learned why I need to to speed work and intervals.. I knew already what impact such would have.. but during the writing of “the book” I understood why. These hinsights shout out load in my face: ” GET MOVING FAT ASS !!!”. *LOL*

Lastly, the scientific results I had on myself this summer indicated that I even as Tor-the-Plumb should be able to finish a marathon at about 3.20. Say what ? What ya smoking, bro’ ? Hell.. that is some difference to the decades I’m using at present. This potential needs to be examined.

So now I’ll enjoy my last week as fat ass Tor eating Christmas cookies and other sinful stuff. 2011 will hit like a rock hammer and I have planed to drop 1 kg each month the whole year though. I will be determined to reach my goals !

I wish you a Merry Christmas and an eventful 2011 with lots of fun, challenging and rewarding goals to persue.

Marathon

The best Marathons in 2010

By Tor Rønnow on Thursday, December 16, 2010

Just like the last years, I give my you my take on the best marathons in 2010, i.e. amongst the ones I have participated in myself. Best does not necessarily mean ‘objectively best’ but does also emphasize the magnitude of the experience including ‘other’ factors such as city/nature, facilities etc.

I have divided the marathons into four groups and as always, you find links to the races via ‘My marathons’ in the menu.

Special for me this year was first and foremost to finish the 7 marathons in 6 days this summer on Bornholm. Zermatt marathon was also a galactical experience. Other great races for me included Rome, Hamburg and Copenhagen as well as Blokhus (my #200), H.C.Andersen marathon in Odense and Marine Corps Marathon in Washington.

Overall
1. Bornholm Ultramarathon [7 in 6 days] (Denmark)
2. Zermatt (Switerzerland)
3. Rome (Italy)
4. Limestone Mine (Denmark)
5. Hamburg (Germany)

City marathons
1. Rome (Italy)
2. Hamburg (Germany)
3. Marine Corps (USA)
4. Copenhagen (Denmark)
5. Barcelona (Spain)

Nature runs
1. Zermatt (Switerzerland)
2. Limestone Mine (Denmark)
3. GARMIN Rudersdal (Denmark)
4. Blokhus (Denmark)
5. Samsoe (Denmark)

Small races
1. H.C. Andersen [Odense] (Denmark)
2. Fjordmarathon (Denmark)
3. Aalborg Brutal (Denmark)
4. Holstebro (Denmark)
5. Dr. Nielsens (Denmark)

These are lists based on my personal experiences, of course. To mentain memory of the best races ‘ever’, I have a category of the ‘all-time best’ marathons as well. Here, the big marathons do live up to their famous names !

Best ever
1. New York (USA)
2. Swiss Alpine 42K (Switerzerland)
3. Rome (Italy)
4. London (England)
5. Zermatt (Switerzerland)