Obviously a memoir by a novelist about running will be of most interest to those whose personal Venn diagrams overlap one of those two circles, but I think even to those who don't fit those categories (or who have only read HM's fiction) said book would prove worthwhile. As someone who is coming to terms with his own aging and decreased athletic potential, I found his musings and hard-won lessons about same meaningful and instructive. To wit: "In most cases learning something essential in life requires physical pain." Along similar lines (regarding the increased effort required to keep fit): "I'm getting to the age where you really do get what you pay for."

But beyond incisive observations on exercise, there are even more general ones on life. I think this was one of my favorite; I thought of it as I went out to run over lunch instead of eating inside with my co-workers: "Emotional hurt is the price a person has to pay to be independent."

I'm a total Murakami fan, so when I saw this new book--with a playful title from another fave author of mine, Raymond Carver--I couldn't wait to indulge myself with a good read. I was not disappointed. I'm a runner and a reader and a curious watcher of other runners--Murakami lets me indulge all three passtimes, with an overall free-flowing movement that covers the many self-assumptions and insights runners are privvy to in their practice.

For those of us who love Murakami and harbor the desire to get to know the guy, _Running_ is sure to disappoint. He admits to being cold and distant--not a nice guy after all. And the mystery of the way he lives his life? Discipline, schedule, diet, and exercise. It's not exactly the cool Murakami I expected, but this book is full of inadvertently and reluctantly delivered sage wisdom. A good read if you run, and an excellent read if you write.

What I talk about when I talk about running - Haruki Murakami

Theme:
Making best use of ones talents in running as a metaphor for life and especially for running is the main theme of this book. Murakami started running at 33 after realizing that smoking an average of 60 cigarettes a day wasn't doing him any good. Twenty four marathons later and well over fifty years old, he is penning his thoughts on running and the part it plays in his life as an individual and as a writer.

Essentials:
* You have some talents in any sphere - running/writing. You can just do "as best as you can", by developing endurance and focus, without which one cannot "push his possibilities".
* Long distance running is an excellent example wherein need for endurance, both during preparation and during the race, is visibly apparent. It is ditto with writing and in general, for most activities in life.
* You should do whatever you want to do irrespective of the talent you have, but be aware that you are only pushing your possibilities.
* You need to be honest about yourself, honest about what you would want to achieve and paddle on to achieve it.
* It is not possible to please everyone, but the key element is to please a few. If you run a Jazz Bar or write a book, you do not expect every visitor or reader to like what you dish out, only a few would. The measure of your success in your professional life is how many of such "customers" you have and how much joy they derive from your enterprise. Though you'd never realize the extent of it.

Some thoughts
How about walking? Doesn't it achieve all the ingredients of "pushing the limits" and at the same time permit one to enjoy the places at a much leisurely pace, it is much more natural, remember, as natural as walking! It is therapeutic and maybe meditative as well. Agreed, it is not "glamorous" or competitive as running, but it has major plus of being something natural, safe and perfectly healthy activity while permitting one to reach places at a leisurely pace.

P.S
* Somerset Maugham: "A philosophy lies in each shave": Given enough time and contemplation on single act, the act become deep, acquires a meaning and life of its own. It makes up for a metaphor, maybe a microcosm of life itself.
* We come back to the rebellion of the existential philosophers: it really doesn't matter what one does, except the cadence one does it with. That is the revolt and that is the perhaps the philosophy that Maugham refers to.
* "18 till I die" (Bryan Adams): Means that you die at 18!

I enjoyed Murakami's previous fiction work. I never realized he was a runner. So to my surprise, when I saw this book I was excited. It's a great read and inspiring - for both runners and not-so physically active readers...