Tor on Marathon

German friends !

By Tor Rønnow on Saturday, February 9, 2008

Life can take unexpected courses quite unintentionally. Take for example my marathonrunning. Who would have thought 6 years ago when I was not able to run even 2 km that I have now completed 68 marathons (in less than 4 years) !

Who would have known that running can bring you so many experiences and ‘friends’ all over the world. These days, I meet known faces whereever I run in Denmark, Sweden, Norway or Germany. That is such a pleasure and is for me a very important dimension to the madness of all these marathons.

Lately, I’m getting quite a number of new German running buddies… very sweet and very dedicated people. I think no other Nation on Earth deliver a running event with such perfection and quality than Germany… and I find the Germans extremely friendly towards both each other and ‘us foreigners’. Delight… delight… delight !

The German Marathon Club 100 has displayed a little story about my site and my marathon stories, read here, I am very humble towards their attention and kind words ! I guess it makes sense to share the passion !

May the Force be with you 😉

Spirituality

Kaizer Soze = Life ?

By Tor Rønnow on Friday, February 8, 2008

Have you ever seen the move “The Usual Suspects” ? If not, I think you should before you read on.

At the end on the movie we discover – to our amazement – that probably everything in the movie plot was a lie ! It never happened ! A unique closure of a thrilling and very well-told story !

Hmmm… what if life itself works like that ? We think we experience this or that… but later… the same experiences take on quiete another meaning or flavor. Hard times make us strong and do perhaps not seem so bad as time passes by. Good times may ‘change’ to nightmares … especially in the cases where you realize that other people held you as a fool. Held you as Kaizer Soze. That is truly demoralizing and heart-breaking !

Is there a morale ? Yes ! Have the courage to live your life by the truth and express your own values… so your surroundings does not meet… Kaizer Soze !

Don’t please anybody but yourself – that will please everybody !

Marathon

Elbtunnel marathon 2008

By Tor Rønnow on Thursday, January 31, 2008

Some marathons fall in a group we could call ‘eccentric races’. The Elbtunnel marathon in Hamburg, Germany is for sure one of them ! It is a race well organized by the German Marathon Club 100 (www.100mc.de) and it takes place in the old Elbtunnel, ie. under water and in the two narrow tubes that the tunnel is made of. The marathon is completed after 48 1/2 round… my gosh ! Please find pictures from the race via my list ‘MY MARATHONS’ and watch the video of one whole round of this crazyness !

Chess

Fischer dies, Carlsen lives !

By Tor Rønnow on Friday, January 18, 2008

Do you have the intelligence to appreciate the beauty and complexity of Chess ? Well, if not you are missing out on something that can fill you with both pleasure and frustration during a lifetime.

Today, one of the greatest chess-lifetimes ended… the legendary american and former World Champion Bobby Fischer died at age 64… as per one year per square on the chessboard. Fischer was the first from the West to claim the title during the cold war, defeating Boris Spasskij in the infamous match on Iceland in 1972. Fischer was a child prodigy and his style of play was like cold, cynical logic. Thanks for sharing, Bobby !

Since the best days of Fischer the World has witnessed the best human chessplayer in history, Garry Kasparov. Kasparov’s style of play was more colourful, at times perhaps unsettled, and his strong karisma undoubtfully added to his opponents nerves and lack of well-being ;). Kasparov has now stepped down, and his former favorite challengers Anand, Kramnik, Topalov and Kamsky have in turn ruled the great game.

But these days things are turning ! Actually, perhaps the greatest of all the chess child prodigys are ready to take over the chess world, ie. the young Norwegian boy Magnus Carlsen is unfolding extreme power. Just these days, Carlsen is thrilling the whole chess world by his creative play at the strong Corus Tournament, Carlsen actually leads as these words are written.

Spirituality

Life according to Science

By Tor Rønnow on Friday, January 18, 2008

So, Science tells us the truth ? Ok. Here comes the short version of ‘Life’.

At some point in time, Carbon, Nitrogen and Hydrogen begins to cluster together in the thermodynamically favored structures called Nucleotides… and due to a subtle twist in the cosmic radiance, L-amino acids are formed primarilly (not D-amino acids). In combination and again by chance, life evolves around these very structures, the Nucelotides and the Proteins. Ok, throw in a few Carbohydrates and other stuff as well… all in all, we have the one-celled life organisms.

Even here, what happens ? WAR ! In order to survive, the organisms begin a chemical warfare first by simple chemical compounds. Later, the cells begin to differentiate (eg. welcome to the mitochondrians) and later again the organisms begin to develop specialized organs (welcome, penis 😉 ). All this to protect the survival of the initial microorganisms. Yes, taken to it’s ultimate argument…. and to cut a few steps in the story of evolution … the scientifical ‘fact’ is that we humans live only to carry futher the content of our microbiologocal flora in our intestines ! Think about that the next time you sit on the toilet. And forget about your career, sport interests and other ‘human interests and feelings’… according to science, they are not of interest or any meaning at all ! At least not in the quest of evolution.

So… do you really want to face and interprete your life according to Science only ?

I don’t !