Hectic end of a busy marathon year

2009 has been quite a marathon year in Denmark !

We have seen a multitude of new races, small as big, and an explosive growth in the number of people running many marathons, ie. +20 a year. We are projected with as much as six runners reaching +50 races, many with +30 and even more with +20. Only one year back this would have been unheard of, in fact my own numbers with 41-31-25 the past three years all made it tied to the maximum number of completed marathons each of those years, 41 being the current year-exit record.

But not anymore ! This is the year of the ‘Grandmaster’ (Stormesterens år), Mogens Pedersen written for 66 races as we speak and a bucketful more are to come the next few weeks. Same applies to me and a number of the other dudes, ie. a hectic but hopefully also enjoyable closure of this enormous running year.

Actually, I do look forward to stepping down from the marathon ‘hunt’. My plans for 2010 include fewer marathons – but still probably like +30 –  and increased, evil tongues would rightly say new, focus on speed work and efforts on shorter distances like 10 K races. But first and foremost I will dedicate more time to my career and my private family matters. But don’t get too alarmed, race reports will continue to appear every 14 days or so.

Illusion-bogey by Tiger Woods

Poor Tiger Woods ! Not only is he – seemingly – facing problems in his marriage (who isn’t ?) and rumors about adultry (who isn’t ?), he must live with the entire World reading in on this… including this note as well. Bad stuff, Tiger, bad stuff !

Or maybe not !

Maybe Tiger is a good example on how prone we humans tend to be towards ‘nice’ illusions and our pathetic tendency to ignore REALITY. Like for example the illusion of life-long fidelity and the happy everafter for man & woman. Why do we buy in on that, still, in the 21th century ? Do we want to feel secure ? Wake up, kids… there is no such thing as certainty… just as little as the lust of the human bodies can be controlled over a lifespan. So why pretend ?

We all know this.. the question is how we choose to deal with it and react. Do we confront life as it really is – IMPERPECT – or do we keep still in our neurotic lifelies to feel warm and comfy ? I believe most people do. Personally, these days, I prefer to freeze, metaphorically speaking, and I will rather run screaming away than getting tied to arrangements that really don’t support my true Nature, lifestyle, goals and values. Life has become too short for that kind of illusions.

Not that I don’t like being tied up 😉 I guess I’m just one of the few guys admitting that I prefer the freedom to choose by whom from time to time. So hell, who cares about Tiger and all that… he has a life to live too… give him peace… and remember, that noone should ever become half-Gods to steer the lifestyle for anyone… and that would include your garden-fascistic neighbours, your friends, your colleagues or whatever. Perfect is an abstraction.. and don’t let anyone tell you anything else. Not even Tiger Woods !

Magnus Carlsen – the Norwegian Chess Genius !

Norwegian genius ?

Let me think… Henrik Abel (mathematics), Edward Grieg (composer) and Edward Munch (painter).
That’s about it, isnt it ?

No !

Today, young Magnus Carlsen grabbed his first World Champion Title in Chess, ie. in speedchess and totally destroying all opposition on his way. Incredible ! And this comes only a few weeks after his phenomenal win at the M-Tel Masters tournament where he prevailed with a stellar +6 score out of 10 against the strongest players on the Planet.

Carlsen has recently been trained by the perhaps strongest chessplayer ever, Gary Kasparov, and this collaboration has for sure been fruitful already, Carlsen currently being the highest ranked chessplayer in the World. Congrats !!!

The first GARMIN Rudersdal Marathon Double

This past weekend was quite hectic for me. Not only were two very tough marathons to be digested, I also stood as the organizer of both ! Fortunately, I had great and invaluable help from the pacekeepers and various others making the events come true and we all enjoyed the fantastic support from the two main sponsors, GARMIN and LØBEREN as well. Thank you so much, all, participants, helpers, friends and sponsors ! Thank you !

GARMIN Rudersdal marathon 8 (HOPENHAGEN marathon)
Saturday was the ‘big race day’ with 150 registered runners from all over Denmark (!) plus our swedish usual suspect, my mentor Lennart Skoog (marathon no. 626 on the day/ #57 in 2009 !!!). We were graced by visit from GARMIN demonstrating the latest GARMIN Connect technology and we were also blessed with a perfect day for running with very mild weather and no rain (!). Yeahh !

I have received tons of very positive feedback after the event and the runners were generally extremely happy with the event… which means the world to me ! There are always a few hickups in any race and mine here was no exception… the few flaws will be dealt with as good as possible in the future. Well, in conclusion, we had a great experience Saturday at GARMIN Rudersdal Marathon 8… see for yourself here.

GARMIN Rudersdal Cannonball 13
Then Sunday came a so-called Cannonball marathon, ie. a race on modest conditions and own supplies. Nevertheless, a pack of eleven runners were up for the doublet and up for the extremely tough route in Skodsborg just north of Copenhagen. Luckily, we were once again blessed with good weather and even a bit of sunshine… and thus we all prevailed in completing the score for this challenging weekend.

You find the visual insights from this event here.

LØBEREN Skovmarathon 2009

After being tied to the bed for a week – due to a flu, not fun – I somehow managed to rise and even complete the quite demanding LØBEREN Skovmarathon (Forrest marathon) this Sunday.

Afterwards, I actually felt better than before the race, tired of course but still more ‘fresh’. Thus, it was a pleasure to return to work and the nomal everyday today. I guess a good jogg can function as a kind of ‘treatment’ if administered with care. Who knows ?

Anyways… you find the delightful pictures from LØBEREN Skovmarathon 2009 here. Enjoy !