Tor Rønnow

6 Star Finisher 7 Continents Finisher 75 Marathon countries Author of best-seller running book Mountain hiker Off-piste alpine skier Chess player

Everything ends today. Everything begins today. Today is any time.

Today, somebody looses a beloved parent, a pet, a child, a job, a lover, an illusion. Today, the world stops for someone. Maybe, the world stops for me. Maybe, the world stops by the memory of past suffering or hinsights. Or by the prerecognition or anxiety of things to come. Today, the world stops.

Today, the world begins. Somebody gets a new job. Somebody falls in love. Somebody gives birth to a child. Somebody just feels happy or feels hope. Today, somebody resolves past differences. Today, peace sets in. Today, somebody gets food and water. Today, somebody makes plans and sets directions for the future. Today, somebody helps. Today, the world begins.

Yesterday, I was not here. Nor will I be tomorrow. I am only here – today ! The day everything ever happened. 

 

 

End of year three

My first marathon was in Copenhagen, Denmark almost three years ago, ie. the 16.05.2004.

Thus, my personal marathon year spands from the 16th of May each year. With my race in Vienna just this weekend, I have now completed my first three years of marathon running…and it has been quite a surprising programme…a schedule I would never have forseen or thought possible :

First year: 4 marathons, including Berlin and London !

Second year: 12 marathons, including Stockholm, Amsterdam, Dublin, Elbtunnel, Paris and Hamburg.

Third year: 28 marathons, including, well, too many to mention… New York, Boston, Rome, Barcelona, Vienna and Monschau on top. Not to mention ‘my own’ event GARMIN Rudersdal marathon.

You can find picture and stories from most of these races via ‘My marathons’ from the menu at the page right. 

I am planning to step down a little and do mainly Scandinavian races for the next time to come. See you out there ! 

Best wishes for your races, Tor 😉

 

Vanity

Another great book is ‘Pensees’ (Thoughts) by the medieval french philosopher Blaise Pascal. Great, and perhaps forgotten, hinsights are to be found in this book. Here’s a few on vanity:

148. We are so presumptuous that we would wish to be known by all the world, even by people who shall come after, when we shall be no more; and we are so vain that the esteem of five or six neighbours delights and contents us.

149. We do not trouble ourselves about being esteemed in the towns through which we pass. But if we are to remain a little while there, we are so concerned. How long is necessary? A time commensurate with our vain and paltry life.

As rightly stated in the great movie ‘Dangerous Liasons’ with Michelle Pfeiffer, Glenn Close and John Malcovich: “Vanity and happiness are incompatible”.

Give it a deep tought, you !