It is becoming more and more common to read about celebrities who are runners. In many cases, they have taken to the road for a cause of some sort; are running along side other celebrities to promote something, be it a new film or a political cause; or are training for a role in an upcoming film. Regardless, they are running, so that can’t be bad. It is rarer still to find a celebrity who is simply a runner for the love of running, and has been a runner consistently for a significant amount of time. One such example is author, Haruki Murakami.
One of the greatest achievements any of us can aspire to is to maintain health and fitness through out our lives. Once we start running, we would benefit to continue running. Murakami’s, “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” is a memoir of just such an effort, of one man’s persistence to just be a runner. Murakami is an avid marathon runner and triathlete, although he did not start running until he was 33 years old. On June 23, 1996, Murakami completed his first ultramarathon, a 100-kilometer race around Lake Saroma in Hokkaido, Japan.
This book documents from summer 2005 through the fall of 2006. Murakami states clearly that this is “not a treatise on how to be healthy” but is rather a “book in which I’ve gathered my thoughts about what running has meant to me as a person.” He accomplishes this in nine short chapters, making this book a very quick read. But don’t underestimate the value of it’s content. This is clearly a book by a writer first and runner second. Murakami’s prose is a pleasure to read and he eloquently describes running and all of it’s tribulations. Every runner has probably heard someone say in one way or another that when running, pain is inevitable, but sufferring is optional. Murakami says exactly that and goes on to describe how he has persevered, how he’s chosen to continue to complete marathon after marathon.
If you are a runner who enjoys a well written account of a runner’s life, you will enjoy this book. It inspires one not only to continue to run through the inevitable pain of endurance sports, but also to perhaps begin documenting your own experiences. I know every runner I’ve encountered has a story to tell and this book serves as the perfect example of how those stories should be told.
To purchase this book please click on the book cover at the top of this post.
