"Never cared that much if I beat others or lost to them. I'm much more interested in whether I reach the goals that I set for myself"
That’s one of the reasons why the book, "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running"... struck me so strongly. The quote above is something I always say to myself every time I hit the pavement. This charmingly unassuming little book got me hooked from start to finish! It is inspiring, a quick read, and reaffirms everything I love about running.
It is a memoir of renowned Japanese novelist, Haruki Murakami. In the book, he also tells us about a jazz club he used to run and describes his life as a novelist; his writing process, how his first novels were written, published and was well received. He is 59 years old and has competed in more than 20 marathons. He started running when he was 33. But before that, he was a 3-packs-a-day smoker, which he almost instantly and "naturally" gave up when he started to run. Later on in the book, triathlons start to interest him. And even if he considered biking as his weakness, he has no intention of quitting. No, no, no! Quitting was never an option for this marathon man.
Murakami is an outstanding writer, who vividly and sincerely explains his experiences and passion for long distance running, triathlons...and writing. There is so much here that runners, marathoners, ultramarathoners, and triathletes will surely relate to and understand. I find myself nodding in agreement with almost everything he said. It was like as if he was part of our running clique. His insights are the kind that runners often talk about. He understands the pain, the training, the hard-work, the "runner's high", etc. He says in his book,
"There are things that only runners understand and share. I truly believe that".
Will non-runners enjoy it as well? I believe so. In fact, it was my non-runner friend, Pam, who recommended this book to me! =)
To my fellow Runners, I hope you get a copy of this book. It captures the true essence of running and why we love to run. I guarantee you can finish this in one sitting. If anything, this book inspired me and will help me stay motivated.♥.•:*¨*:•.♥
ayos! first ako uli! :P haay, julie girl...i do believe i need that book :( i'm slumping on my running...kakatamad talaga dito sa tagaytay...it's soooo windy and cold...hard to get off my bed to run...plus the fact that i've no companion :( it's just so plain boring. i need a little push...maybe the book'll give that little tweak :P (hmmm...x'mas is just around the corner, julie...you don't have to think too hard for a gift for me :P)
ReplyDeletemerry christmas! :D stay injury-free :)
Heheh! Doc Eye, It's all in your mind... hehehe!
ReplyDeleteNice, I think I want this book....
Nice review Julie, the Murakami book is considered a good read indeed. Lots of snippets of wisdom you could get from it. I was able to read some of it when my student lent it to me. Highly reco'd :P Hope your injury is healing up well.
ReplyDeleteone running book i never tire reading! recommended to all runners..beginners and old-time runners alike!
ReplyDelete@Luis: thanks =)
ReplyDelete@si rene: any other recommendations? =)
i am fan of Murakami even before I started running (My favorite book of his is "After Dark" since I can relate to Mari) . At around April or May when I just started into running running, I found this book and read it. When I don't feel like running, I always pick up this book and read it again. I do agree this is a must-read!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to National Bookstore (Market Market!) this lunch to buy this book! Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteTeka baka nman my soft copy kyo nito pwede rin para makatipid hehehehe
Running Ninja, I can email you a pdf of this book if you like :-)
ReplyDelete