What I Talk about When I Talk about Running: A Memoir

I had been advised this book long time back. I have been an on- off runner for over 15 years. Although he is leagues ahead in terms of running, his writing style is far from condescending. Easy to read you can always find a run that was just as exhausting, exhilarating, dangerous, hot, humid, cold because he covers his entire journey.It's a nice conversation with a serious runner, even if you're a plain jogger you won't for a minute feel like he is talking you down. Fabulous read.

Ero libero dagli esami e sono un amante dei libri e questo libro è fantastico da leggere. Lo consiglio assolutamente.

Fun, honest, interesting and exciting for anyone that enjoys both writing and running or just running in general. It's interesting and revealing to see other's perspective when it comes to ultra endurance sports, it was uplifting to learn about this great writer's journey and connect in the way that we step into the exercise to be able to write, to connect with ourselves and access those parts of us that we can't not touch with hands, and not just because we jenjoy the masochism of it.We run to stretch not only our bodies but our minds, which is necessary to perform the act of *writing*, which requires a profound knowledge of oneself and through hard work (such as running) you can unlock unknown parts of you.What are you waiting? go running! Spoiler alert: free, addictive, spiritual, phisically challenging and accesible at all times!PD: This was my first book from Murakami, next one I'll buy is Kakfa on the shore! can't wait!

I started reading this as a library book and then wanted my own copy. I ordered it January 26 and it arrived in central Canada from the U.K. on February 6. Impressive delivery. I agree with most other reviewers that it is a five star book. Very enjoyable. The difference between the copy with the yellow/red cover and the blue cover with clouds (also paperback) is product dimension with the former 17.4 x 1.6 x 10.6 cm and the latter 20.3 x 1.5 x 13.2 cm. The smaller copy is a nice size to pack to read while travelling but the latter has slightly larger print size for older eyes. Full marks should go to the translator from the Japanese, Philip Gabriel. Well done.

How it comes to the point that Marukami started writing? It was a mood, not real intention to start a career. Trial and error. Why not to take this approach. He did it with his jazz club and had success. He wrote the novel Hear the Wind Sing in 1978 and got an award. So, he was able to write and get paid to write. The next novel „Pinball, 1973“ was published in 1982.I can see my readers in my mind. I want to evolve, get better and a real conceptional human relationship helps me to go further and improve. Like running, with training he will reach excellence. Murakami apply the Pareto-Principle without mention it. He wants to run his jazz club in that way that 1 of 10 will be happy and will come again. So, he sees the readers of his books. If 1 of 10 like it they will buy the next book from him.He is an early bird. He starts early in the morning and work hard but doesn’t forget the pauses, the sport. His productive time is from 5 am to 10 pm.He set to the desk for four hours regularly and write or think about something and makes notes or do some translation. Murakami translated „The Great Gatsby“ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He wondered how such a young man can have so much human experience. F. Scott Fitzgerald was just 29 years old. He must be a real talent, a giant.His training for Marathon was a 5-miles stretch in Imperia Park, he repeated it 7 times to get the marathon distance.He explained that the Marathon will get difficult at about after the first 22 miles. This is the power of will the mental power that counts.He eats fresh fish and vegetables and cut down on indulgence to get fit for the marathon. What counts are the three pillars: talent, focus and endurance.Talented writers are seldom. Most writers had to work hard to accomplish the story. He likes writing as he likes running. And both are essential. Tendencies can be adjusted, essence not. So. he believe in having a talent, a talent to a long-distance running and top write. He had not finished the novels without running. He is proud to accomplished the novels and he is curious about what is coming next. He would say this is life – the evolvement and the relationship between body and mind. He balanced the stories between inner and external stuff. Fantasy and reality. The contemplation about this is during the running. Something is achieved by reflection others by intuition or by chance. Unconsciously.He compares himself as a long-distance runner with the proud running pony-tail girls from Harvard University who don’t know what pain is. They are always on the bright side of life and it seems like they are in a perfect world: young, pretty, rich, successful. He is brag to know what matters what he knows about running.The top experience was the super marathon he took in and achieved it. He was running the last miles like an auto pilot. He did much work with his arms because the feet failed to obey, don’t did what they should have done.Murakami sensed resignation after the super marathon. He developed a new relationship to running. He started triathlon.A valuable reflection is his retrospective. As a young man he had created a list of deficiencies he discovered, The „sad spreadsheet of my life“, he said. But then he decided that we all have deficiencies but as well impaccable sides. So debts and assets are given but one has to develop the best of it.He failed in swimming. He solved the issue by taking a coach. Finally, he took revenge and accomplished the race. Sometimes one wants to do but cannot do. „Sometimes taking time is actually a shortcut “. Good things need time and slow thinking is sometimes valuable approach.Learning from experience makes a lot of fun. Experience is often linked to pain. Pain is needed. It is life and to overcome pain is what is what a marathon runner experienced.One has to accept something that is inefficient and fruitless. That is life.