A Season of Faith’s Perfection


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 !

The Fat Runner must die !

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.

The best Marathons in 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)

A Marathon Requiem for my Friends

As you might know Death has played a major role in my life. I have lived through things you wouldn’t believe. I have possessed hinsights from the age of 7 that many people never realize during a lifetime. Still, I only show my true mental strength in glimpses and feel that I cannot reveil my full potential or knowledge to anyone. Basically, I have a complexity that I know that most poeple cannot grasp or handle.  I read most people in seconds. I look through it all, through you all. It is a burden at times, most times, because I have to pretend that I don’t. But I do. I truly hate it !

Death has also taken pray in recent times. Thus, I, we, have lost three running mates during the last 16 months. These losses are naturally different from the family ones, however, they still trigger some of the same feelings and thoughts… and to elaborate on the perhaps cryptic intro: for me, the loss of my three friends makes me think a lot about the deep existentialistic questions that I think we all face. Why are we here ? What shall we do with our lives ? What is of importance ? What happens “afterwards” ?

On the latter let me tell you this: nothing ! And if you knew how fast the World will forget you as dead, I think you would reschedule your life as living quite a lot ! At best, you will be remembered by the ones that knew you in person… but how long will they live after you ? 30 years ? 40 years ? If you have produced “stuff” as a scientist, artist or successful entrepreneur your name and fame might hang around a bit more… but make no mistake, your materialistic or abstract outlets in the Universe has nothing to to with “life”. YOU will be dead ! And your Vanity dies with you.

So what is important ? Friendship is important ! Sharing moments together eg. when running marathons is important. Reaching tough deadlines with your collegues is important. Rasing your kids well is important. Searching for good values and habits is important. Being true to yourself and your own nature is important. There are indeed heaps of reasons for being curious about life, about love, about running experiences, about new things to happen. Don’t let anyone tell you the opposite, ever !

I had the priviledge to enjoy the friendships of René Fasting (died two days after his first marathon triplet),

Philip Ulrich (killed by a odd-falling rock in Nepal),

and John West (killed on Mont Blanc).

They were very accomodating and warm men, and I had some very profound talks and writings with all three of them. Now, it is time to follow up. It is time to say: “you are still here”. In my mind and heart at the least.

Furthermore, it is time to make a spiritual promise: “I will fullfil my true potential !“. Because I still live and have the possibility. We all have. Remember and understand: Every day is a luxury and the potential beginning of a new adventure, of new friendships, of fun and experiences. Today is the beginning of the rest of your life and if you put your mind and heart to it, you may truly change your Reality forever. NOW is the time to act. NOW is the center of power. We who live should take on our responsibility.

So, René, Philip and John, I have decided to transform and to unleash my full capacity. You will find me doing new stuff from now on… and you will find me continuing the things I deeply love, including running marathons and meeting up with our many common, wonderful and a bit crazy friends. I will check out the hot girls for you, tell the dirty jokes and shoot the stories and pictures from the races. Who knows if you are following or if we meet again…

… but until, I will take care of things down here… until it, hopefully in many years from now, become my turn to face the silent, eternal sleep.

Thank you so much for the inspiration !

Beim Schlafengehen

Nun der Tag mich müd’ gemacht,
soll mein sehnliches Verlangen
freundlich die gestirnte Nacht
wie ein müdes Kind empfangen.

Hände, laßt von allem Tun,
Stirn, vergiß du alles Denken.
Alle meine Sinne nun
wollen sich in Schlummer senken.

Und die Seele, unbewacht,
will in freien Flügen schweben,
um im Zauberkreis der Nacht
tief und tausendfach zu leben.

Hermann Hesse