What I talk About When I Talk About Running - Book Review .
It is written by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.
His work has been translated into over forty languages and he has received many prizes like the Franz Kafka Prize.
In this book Murakami reflects upon the influence running has had on his writing and on his life in general. He is a middle of the pack runner who when he is "seriously running", does six miles six days a week. In the book he describes, amongst other things, his preparations for the New York City Marathon. The interesting thing about this book is that Murakami seems to write about running, but really writes about himself: about the moment of truth when he decided to become a writer, about coming to terms with not being able to beat personal bests anymore after he turned fifty, etc. This is a great book for runners who love reading a good book. I loved the many moments of recognition I had when reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running . Murakami describes some things very well, like the unwritten bond you have with people you meet every time you go for a run, the feeling people get in the past few miles of a marathon, the small battles you have in a race with certain people, the feeling of runner's blues, etc.
The stories about some of the races, like his run from Athens to Marathon and his 62 mile ultramarathon in the north of Japan are good short stories on their own in which you will recognize yourself if you have ever gone through gruelling race experiences yourself. After his ultramarathon he suffered from runner's blues for years and years, it had that much of an impact on him. And when you read that part of the book, you can sort of understand why (you probably need to experience a race like that to truly understand). In order to not spoil that part, you will have to get the book to read it, I'll now give you another bit of the book to read. It is a quick snap out of his run from Athens to Marathon: "... A little further on I run across a cat that's been flattened by a car. The cat is totally flat, like some misshapen pizza, and dried up. It must have been run over quite a while ago. That's the kind of road I am talking about. At this point I really start to wonder why, having flown all the way from Tokyo to this beautiful country, I have to run down this dreary commuter road. There must have been other things I could be doing. The body count for all these poor animals who lost their lives on Marathon Avenue is, on this day, three dogs and eleven cats. I count them all, which is kind of depressing. I run on and on. The sun reveals all of itself, and with unbelievable speed rises in the sky. I'm dying of thirst. I don't have time to get sweaty, since the air is so dry that perspiration immediately evaporates, leaving behind a layer of white salt..." In amongst it all are some good quotes and little lessons to be picked up. I love the quote in the preface of the book: Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. It is not his, a friend of his uses it as a mantra, but it is a phrase that has stuck by me and I sometimes (m)utter internally when things get tough. is not all about running. At some points Murakami describes the process of writing a novel, how painful it is to get the right words out and how it requires more from him than running or physical labour.All in all this is a great book written by an interesting, humble, charming person. There are people who have run only one marathon (don't get me wrong, a great effort) and go boasting about it until it drives you crazy. Murakami has done over twenty-five and acts like it is nothing out of the ordinary. Click here for more information about this book. Wish to get more running tips? Subscribe to the Best Running Tips Newsletter or to my site blog. Go from What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Page to Running Books Page Go from What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Page to Best Running Tips Homepage Running Books Running Books: Daniel's Running Formula | 100 Day Marathon Plan | Advanced Marathoning | What I Talk About When I Talk About Running | The Longest Fall | Born to Run | How to Lose 10 Pounds in 10 Days | Running Magazines: Runner's World | Running Times Magazine |
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