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Personal data: Name: Tom Stensaker |
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Tom Stensaker - an unmatched Norwegian mileage man Tom Stensaker is known as a Norwegian mileage man that few can match when it comes to covering long distances skiing and also using running shoes or mountain boots. Previously an architect, but now freelance and full-time user of Norwegian nature, Tom can be met all four seasons outdoors. Here Tom covers more than 10 000 skiing kilometers per year, and numerous running kilometers. During summer time, Tom guides tourists across Norwegian glaciers. Using his drawing skills, Tom also puts his marks on the running awards for Skogsmaraton and Naturløperen, where he has drawn motifs from various forest huts. What made you choose such a lifestyle? It started in 1991 when I became unemployed. Without a job I was completely free and could do what I wanted to. The most natural thing for me was to spend the days skiing during winter. Before, I could only gather mileage during the weekends and after job in the evenings. Even then I aquired high mileage, but all of a sudden I had days at disposal. The winter 1991 I only covered 7660 km, since I became unemployed in March. Each day in April I went to Løvlia, and got to know the manager there, Leif Kagge. I was joking that this mileage should be celebrated at Løvlia, but Lef answered that there would be no celebration before I had covered 10 000 km. The winter 1992 I covered 11 580 km and Leif sponsored a party at Løvlia. I started bringing the newspaper every morning the whole winter, so Leif didn't need to go to town himself. When the winter ended in May, I started running with the newspaper to Løvlia, each day from Skansebakken in Sørkedalen; 18 km up in the morning and 18 km down after a one hour break. That made 36 km each day. During June I increased the mileage to 40-50 km each day. Since I have talent for running I became very good, and in May I won Grenadermaraton, and in June I also won Fjellmaraton (my greatest achievement). The winter 1993 I covered in all 12 380 skiing km's (record). I continued in 1994 with 11 790 km, and in 1995 with 10 210 km. The winter 1996 was short in both ends so I only made 8730 km. In 1997 I covered 10 790 km and in 1998 10 360 km. In 1998 I decided to try to cover 100 000 km in ten years. I have 16 500 km left to cover in two years, and hope to achieve the goal some time during the winter 2000."Lonely wolf", how do you like that picture of yourself? Completely right, since I spend most time of the year outdoors alone. But I am far from shy, and visit country people, and people at sports serving places in between the "moose miles". But when I am out skiing, running, walking or biking, it is only me and the dog. In particular on ski's I am a "lonely wolf", since I have to follow my own "slow pace" each day to cover the 60-70 km's. If I am with others the pace easily becomes faster, and I can feel it the next day. In order to acquire high mileage on skis each day I have to follow my own pace.Do you compete with others when it comes to mileage, or what is your driving force? I compete only with myself, since I have not heard of others who have covered much more than 5-6000 km in a winter. The best cross-country skiers like Dæhli, Ulvang and Alsgård cover ca. 4000 km per winter. The main driving force is the joy of being outdoors, summer as winter. At the same time I count miles, and am often hooked on what I am occupied with. I have been coined "ski-mad", and considered married to my ski's. Guess I am rather determined on what I want to do. At the same time I have endurance, and a body that can take large quantities of training. But the most important thing is the joy of being out in nature, all days are different and they never bore me.When it comes to mental and physical capacity for long distances, have you got any training tips or secrets? My advice is to train oneself slowly upwards. You have to use a long time, since the body needs this to get accustomed to large doses of training. I believe it is important to wait some years before one goes for the long distances. It is only a matter of adaptation, and the body adapts to the long distances gradually. One must like to go to limits, and not give up. In order to be a good long distance runner you need a strong mental stance, and that is often rooted in the genes. It is simply not in everybody's' nature to have the ability and will to take out everything. Anybody can train their physical side, although most people think 10-15 km jogging is enough.Previously you competed quite a lot, both summer and winter. Why did you stop? I started entering competitions by coincidence in 1984, 30 years old. Before that I had, since I was 16, taken long walks in the mountains and gone for long skiing trips during the weekends and in holidays. In 1984 I joined the students athletics club OSI. During spring we ran a lot, and I found I was good; entered Sentrumsløpet (10 km) and ran it in 33.17. It was primarily as a runner I had talent, but it was cross-country skiing my heart beat mostly for. During a ten-year period I competed both in running and skiing with good results. However you can not be good at both, and since I only ran during the summer season, I never became as good as I could have been if I had been a full-year runner. 1993 was the last year with competitions, a ten-year period was over. Since that time I have been mainly occupied with general out-door training as before 1984. Doing the skiing mileage during winter fills each day, and with 60-70 km each day you do not have the surplus to enter competitions. Most of the summer I work as a mountaineering guide, and can't train running. This job I have had for seven years.What are your experiences with the combinations running/skiing and running/mountain walking? Positive, and one avoids a lot of injuries by skiing during winter and running during summer. By running on mostly wood trails, I have avoided asphalt running. Think I have avoided injuries by running on soft grounds. I have good experience with the combination running/mountain walking; on long mileage runs one can run a couple of hours and then walk a couple of hours. For long periods I avoid running altogether, instead I use my bicycle, go skiing, or just go walking. I believe it is healthy to do varied training, and not become too square-headed and just do running. When you are as active as I am, it is important to avoid injuries. My advice has always been to listen to the signals your body gives, it tells you when something is coming up. All signals should be taken seriously. If you experience pain during running it is better to take a pause, and take up other activities like bicycling, roller-skiing or swimming, until you can take up running again.Nasty question: If you had to choose skiing, running or mountain life, what would you prefer? Skiing.There are not so many entering 5-10 running competitions and 5-10 skiing competitions each year any longer. Is this trend somewhat sad? Yes, it is sad and I think it is a kind of trend these days. There are so many other possibilities, like indoor training, health studios and climbing walls indoors. The recruitment, in particular to cross-country skiing among the young is "out", snowboard, slalom and telemarking is "in". Lousy and mild winters, makes cross-country skiing not worth doing. It is to far to travel to find the snow. The children do not get "skileik", and some hardly see snow for a whole winter. These youngsters do not get the same relationship to snow and skiing as we did. Running is not as popular as it was 10-15 years ago, but it may be a trend that can turn.As mentioned you are in the "finishing phase" of a larger skiing program: 100 000 km in ten years. Do you have other long distance plans? I have no idea what I will be doing from 2001. Since I still have two seasons with skiing before I reach my "goal", I have enough to do. But I still have the hunger to compete, so maybe I will spend ten more years with running and skiing competitions. By training a little less and more systematically, I think I can still make it high on the rankings. In particular the marathon distance fascinates me, but also the long cross-country skiing competitions like Grenaderen, Birkebeineren og Wasaloppet. One thing is for sure, never more 10 000 km skiing one winter after 2001.... and we wish Tom good luck with the skiing season and further "miles with a smile" projects. ã maraton-info, Rune Fossheim 27-okt-98.To main page |
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