Ironman and marathon runner, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmarks thanks for the reception of the book ”If you can dream it, you can do it”.

My first European marathon in over three years. A wonderful run on a beautiful autumn day through varied countryside in which I managed to get lost and the first marathon in my home town in snow and ice. Both runs focussed on socialising rather than winning.

Honeymoon without my bride. Marathon in the capital of the Nabataeans for 500 years from the fourth century BCE. Adventure in the Jordanian desert among ancient temples and burial chambers cut into pink-red sandstone. The surroundings in one of the seven new wonders of the world a city on the UNESCO heritage list. A marathon packed with challenges in searing heat and undulating terrain.

Years when I only ran in China. The trip when the love of my life joined me and we journeyed away from the capital. That was the year when yet another illness made its mark on the big run. The year of the anniversary when the pioneers were celebrates. Train journey to Shanghai with many treats, like the top of a skyscraper and a ride on the world’s fastest train.

The hotel devoid of class and the pedicab mafia who made life difficult, running with the deaf and a heart patient. Particularly the run where the eternal record astoundingly becomes private property.

A bonus trip to a corner of North-western Europe. The trip that really wasn’t supposed to involve a marathon, but nobody believed me. The story of a very smelly place and the struggle to find a roof over our heads. The tale of an unusual run thorough a rocky landscape in the rain.

Seventh trip to the Middle Kingdom Running in a pleasant climate, the suitcase that refused to come home with me. The gala party that couldn’t be over quickly enough and misinterpretation of body language that could have ended in a lewd encounter.

As an “official” in Greenland, a drunk gets taken off the flight by police, a deep-frozen youth hostel and a potentially disastrous day when teamwork between two people in trouble gets them both across the line at the end of the day.

Marathon among Africa’s wild animals when my legs and my mind refused to fall into line and a dream was shattered.
A once-in-a-lifetime experience, but proof that the soul, conviction and believing in yourself are crucial if you are to achieve your goals.

Beijing in a state of rapid development leading up to the Olympics. The first psychological first-aid on the wall. A proposal of marriage at the finishing line. A skilled shoemaker and indescribable intoxication on Chinese liquor.