What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (2009-08-01)

This book is not for everyone, but I really enjoyed it because I started to read it when I started running on a regular basis, and the author's thoughts echoed my own. Perhaps my favourite Murakami book yet.

This book went way, way above my expectations, fascinating for both running enthusiasts and readers who love great writing and fine literature. It inspired me to run my own marathon, as well as to spend more time writing. Can't go wrong with this author Murakami.

I used this book as a beautiful bedtime meditation. I felt enriched, calmed, and enlightened by him. Excellent wisdom on running and any form of art -- what he says about writing is equally applicable to singing, my passion. Great book at the end of a day of labor.

If you have ever read On Writing by Stephen King, this might have a familiar effect. Although about writing and running, Murakami inspires us to keep on chipping away at whatever makes us happy, to press on through the pain, and remember that it's actually the struggle we overcame to achieve our goal, rather than the end result that makes us so proud.

Murakami-san books tend to be surreal and the endings could leave you in suspense. Hence, this non-fiction gives you an insight to him as a person and what goes through his mind as he runs the original marathon in reverse, his attempts in ultra-marathons and triathlon. Very interesting reading and his coming to terms that he can no longer improve on his timing and injuries resonates with runners around the world.

It's what I would expect from Murakami. Reading for the love of reading is much like running for the love of running and not for the finish line. As someone who enjoys running half marathons(and working as an artist) I can relate to alot of the material. It won't give you much insight on running, but it's an enjoyable read about his experiences. Now onto more murakami books!

My partner just completed her first marathon, but she's been an avid runner for years. She enjoyed "After Dark" and "Kafka on the Shore" so I got her this book as a gift, and she really connected with it. She continues to reference parts of this book in conversations about running and traveling.

I enjoyed the book but I was expecting (maybe wrongly) more insight on the relationship between running an writting.
In spite of that, Murakami's experience on endurance, concentration and the joy of running is one you can easily connect with, even if you are not a runner.
His description of his runner way of life can also encourage you to start to run as a real deal,or to return to your "left behind" routine of running.

There are so many incidents in the book that resonated with my own experiences and it did help me to keep going in the starting stages of my running. This is a quote that i love - "Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional".

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I like Murakami well enough, read several of his novels, but must say that I enjoyed this non-fiction book of his even more than his novels. There is a genuine-ness in it that is extremely appealing. His feelings and thoughts are of the kind that everyone who runs can relate to in an intimate way.