I'm someone who drifts between the state of avid book reader and being unable to read anything for months on end. I came to the conclusion that it depends on the internal state - when I'm feeling tense, when I'm preoccupied with things that scatter my attention then I can't really focus on a book. On the other hand, when I feel like I have life under control reading becomes the most enjoyable thing.
This struggle is also one of the topics of this book. Few weeks ago I started a book club with a few friends and this book was our first choice. They recently dived into long distance running so the title was very tempting. I was also playing with the idea of running for a long time but never gave it a serious opportunity.
This book, however, is not a guide on running. It is a memoir, a collection of diary entries the author wrote between 2005 and 2007 on his thoughts about running, writing and how those two influenced his life. Murakami had no intention to convert anyone into a marathon runner, he simply felt the need to express his thoughts about this activity that was a major part of his adult life.
Haruki Murakami is a popular Japanese author that has a very distinct style of writing - he creates stories by combining contemporary fiction with magical realism. His characters are types of people we've encountered in our lives or that we've been at some point. But he adds these magical elements that make his stories surreal. In a way, his books have kafkaesque atmosphere, the heroes are struggling, not so much because of the government or family pressure, but because they are unable to fit in the society. If you've never read anything from him, short fiction books like After Dark and South of the Border, West of the Sun are a good place to start.
"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" is a book I would recommend to anyone, regardless of whether they like to run or not. Now that I think about it, it's the perfect birthday gift. Murakami started running at the age of 33, soon after he became a writer. Previous to that he was a successful owner of a Jazz bar. One day he decided to write a book and he followed his intuition. You'll see it as a recurring theme in this book. Once he sets his mind on something there's nothing outside that can disrupt his focus. Maintaining a popular bar was an intense work so when he switched his career to writing he realized sitting long hours at the table caused him to start gaining weight. So he started running.
In the form of journal entries he writes how he prepared for various marathons all over the world. He started at the place it originated - in Greece, running in the reverse direction from Athens to Marathon, on a hot, summer day. He proceeded to run marathons every year, including the ultra marathon in Japan which is 100km long.
Even though it wasn't author's intention, this book can easily shift your perspective and make you fall in love with running. Or whatever other discipline you're diving in. In a very simple, calm language he talks about his thought process when he's preparing for a marathon, and describes how his emotions change during the race, from excited to miserable to fulfilled.
His words are self-reflective and deep, he doesn't sugarcoat anything, but writes precisely how he feels which makes it so that his words resonate with you. Because we've all been in similar situations. We can find a lot of lessons about life from author's personal thoughts.
When you think of a typical writer, usually the picture of a depressed, lonely, unhealthy living person comes to mind. So reading about Murakami's dedication to fitness and work ethic is a breath of fresh air. For decades he's been running 10km a day, 6 days a week, while also writing at least 10 pages each day. Even as he's growing older, he's finding ways to keep his body in shape and alter his trainings for best possible outcome. His discipline, focus and consistency are awe-inspiring. Regardless of what happens outside, he never skips working on his two passions.
Dissecting and analyzing what we do, why we do it, what we love about it - it's the way to get better and enjoy it more. Being mindful about the whole process. That's the key.
If you want to better know Murakami or you're thinking of running a marathon or you simply want to develop a passion and dedication to something, then I absolutely recommend this book. Have you read anything from Murakami?