Haruki Murakami

In a best-selling memoir, the award-winning Japanese writer recalls his preparation for the 2005 New York City marathon, interweaving his reflections on the meaning of running in his life, his thoughts on the writing process and career, and his greatest triumphs and disappointments. Reprint.

A Memoir

What I Talk about when I Talk about Running

"In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing.

Equal parts travelogue, training log, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and settings range from Tokyo's Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston. Funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a must-read for fans of this masterful yet private writer as well as for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running."

a memoir

What I talk about when I talk about running

nahomi

“As I was running I was struck by a thought: Even if my time in races doesn’t improve, there’s not much I can do about it. I’ve gotten older, and time has taken its toll. It’s nobody’s fault. Those are the rules of the game. Just as a river flows to the sea, growing older and slowing down are just part of the natural scenery, and I’ve got to accept it”

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

“I just run. I run in a void. Or maybe I should put it the other way: I run in order to acquire a void.”

gabriella

"hey, I'm going to give running a try," and then discover they enjoy it. And of course that would be a beautiful thing.

As the author of this book I'd be very pleased if that happened

‘Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional’ A compelling mediation on the power of running and a fascinating insight into the life of this internationally bestselling writer. In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. Equal parts travelogue, training log and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo's Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, this is a must-read for fans of this masterful yet private writer as well as for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running. 'There can never have been a book quite like this memoir of running and writing before. In its self-contained way, it's nothing less than an inspiration' Evening Standard 'Hugely enjoyable...You don't have to have run a marathon to be captivated' Sunday Telegraph 'Comical, charming and philosophical...an excellent memoir' GQ

Sven Schmidt

it's like murakami is writing me a love letter at this point 

Laura

Thomas DeCelle

tanima

this is one of the only memoirs that i enjoyed. i would 10/10 recommend. 

Murakami’s running based memoir is an instruction manual for using different disciplines to buoy one’s primary creative practice. Detailing the prolific author’s start at running (running a marathon at 33), and also writing, it goes on to tell how he built the general discipline into his life as a form of routine. In his efforts to run a marathon a year from that point and the related anecdotes of some of these races, I felt some inspiration and also resonated with my own relationship to physical endurance and creative output. 

Some of the books' stronger narrative and literary point’s muse on the greater more universal challenges that confront creatives and athletes alike. Some of the author’s treatise on what one could call the ouroboros effect of loneliness were striking: 

“ Sometimes, however, this sense of isolation, like acid spilling out of a bottle, can unconsciously eat away at a person’s heart and dissolve it.” 

Loneliness can beget more loneliness, by making one un-empathetic. You can see this double edged sword of obsessive discipline in professional athletes like Ronaldo or Micheal Jordan, i.e. the “I took that personally” in 

The author goes on further to illustrate a constant of more sensitive loners everywhere, describing how self imposed isolation in order deal with or overcome rejection— sometimes necessary for a creative or physical discipline— also feels like self sabotage; 

“It protects me, but at the same time it steadily cuts away at me from the inside. I think in my own way I’m aware of this danger—probably through experience—and that’s why I've had to constantly keep my body in motion, in some cases pushing myself beyond the limit, in order to heal the loneliness I feel inside and put it into perspective. Not so much as an intentional act, but as an instinctive reaction. 

 The loneliness of long distance runners isn’t anything new, as seen in Tony Richardson’s British realism film from 1959, of the same name. But Murakami doesn’t get hung up on this. Other more poignant passages illustrate the camaraderie of the sporting life. One too short but entertaining anecdote details the author’s running interview with John Irving in central park in the 80’s. And passing references to the early deaths of fellow competitors, individuals with whom the author felt an unspoken kinship, and the deep sorrow at the wastefulness of cruel early death bring back the main point that most good writing about sports, (or anything for that matter) is really writing about life. 

Murakami shows this last point well in many passages, linking the endurance needed to write to the endurance needed to run. He almost describes it as a relationship of maintenance from one to the other. And how the rigor of life, and satisfaction in these disciplines, is pushing yourself farther than you have before, trying to prove the inner critic wrong; “ 

If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and i believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: thats the essence of running and a metaphor for life– and for me, for writing as well. I believe many runners would agree.”

Quentin Gibeau

Murakami’s running based memoir is an instruction manual for using different disciplines to buoy one’s primary creative practice. Detailing the prolific author’s start at running (running a marathon at 33), and also writing, it goes on to tell how he built the general discipline into his life as a form of routine. In his efforts to run a marathon a year from that point and the related anecdotes of some of these races, I felt some inspiration and also resonated with my own relationship to physical endurance and creative output. 

Some of the books' stronger narrative and literary point’s muse on the greater more universal challenges that confront creatives and athletes alike. Some of the author’s treatise on what one could call the ouroboros effect of loneliness were striking: 

“ Sometimes, however, this sense of isolation, like acid spilling out of a bottle, can unconsciously eat away at a person’s heart and dissolve it.” Loneliness can beget more loneliness, by making one un-empathetic. You can see this double edged sword of obsessive discipline in professional athletes like Ronaldo or Micheal Jordan, i.e. the “I took that personally” in The Last Dance.

The author goes on further to illustrate a constant of more sensitive loners everywhere, describing how self imposed isolation in order deal with or overcome rejection— sometimes necessary for a creative or physical discipline— also feels like self sabotage; “It protects me, but at the same time it steadily cuts away at me from the inside. I think in my own way I’m aware of this danger—probably through experience—and that’s why I've had to constantly keep my body in motion, in some cases pushing myself beyond the limit, in order to heal the loneliness I feel inside and put it into perspective. Not so much as an intentional act, but as an instinctive reaction. 

 The loneliness of long distance runners isn’t anything new, as seen in Tony Richardson’s British realism film from 1959, of the same name. But Murakami doesn’t get hung up on this. Other more poignant passages illustrate the camaraderie of the sporting life. One too short but entertaining anecdote details the author’s running interview with John Irving in central park in the 80’s. And passing references to the early deaths of fellow competitors, individuals with whom the author felt an unspoken kinship, and the deep sorrow at the wastefulness of cruel early death bring back the main point that most good writing about sports, (or anything for that matter) is really writing about life. 


Murakami shows this last point well in many passages, linking the endurance needed to write to the endurance needed to run. He almost describes it as a relationship of maintenance from one to the other. And how the rigor of life, and satisfaction in these disciplines, is pushing yourself farther than you have before, trying to prove the inner critic wrong; “ If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and i believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: thats the essence of running and a metaphor for life– and for me, for writing as well. I believe many runners would agree.”

Per Gustafsson 

This is my first audiobook in english i Wanted to read it in my language which is swedish but i could listen in it in english it wasnt hard Now i would buy or rent it in swedish i like the book and i like to run!

Ok min första engelska ljudbok och det gick bra att följa med trots att den var på engelska vill ha den på svenska bra bok och visst jag gillar ju löpning" - written in #booklyapp

It's almost an autobiography. For most of the book, he talks about all the feelings he has while running. As a runner, I relate to his experience A LOT. The way he talks about self-sabotage, mind games, and the body and the mind wanting to quit all the time.

But, even though it's a short excerpt, he also talks about his experience while running a Jazz bar and the decision to start writing novels at 30.

Another interesting topic (for me the most interesting one) is how he thinks about running and self-improvement. How being arrogant and thinking you don't need much training to run a marathon can lead to a huge failure. The way he preps to run marathons months ahead. And actions and constant feedback he takes from his failures.

I liked his writing style. Very simple and descriptive (not only about physical things and places but also about his feeling in each running experience).

---

This book was read at home in São Paulo - Brazil, at the Guarulhos Airport, on the bus from Schiphol Airport to the Centre of Amsterdam, in Museumplein park, and in Vondelpark in Amsterdam.

An excellent insight into the world of dealing with the weight of life’s realities via one of its most singular forms of exercise 

Crockett Macnie

Udit Desai

Neil Murray

Every time I want to get back into running I read this book. Inspiring, honest and motivating, I highly recommend this to anyone who runs or who is thinking about starting. It's a book I've read five times, and I'm sure will read at least five times more.

Anass

Kholoud Ayman

Listening to Haruki Murakami talking about himself as my first experience with an English audiobook was a perfect choice. 

I felt like I was connected to him in some way or as if he was inside my mind, speaking out all the thoughts and feelings that i couldn't express in words.

"In certain areas of my life, I actively seek out solitude. Especially for someone in my line of work, solitude is, more or less, an inevitable circumstance. Sometimes, however, this sense of isolation, like acid spilling out of a bottle, can unconsciously eat away at a person’s heart and dissolve it. You could see it, too, as a kind of double-edged sword. It protects me, but at the same time steadily cuts away at me from the inside. I think in my own way I’m aware of this danger—probably through experience—and that’s why I’ve had to constantly keep my body in motion, in some cases pushing myself to the limit, in order to heal the loneliness I feel inside and to put it in perspective. Not so much as an intentional act, but as an instinctive reaction."

"when someone I’m sure will understand me doesn’t, I go running for a little longer than usual. By running longer it’s like I can physically exhaust that portion of my discontent. It also makes me realize again how weak I am, how limited my abilities are. I become aware, physically, of these low points. And one of the results of running a little farther than usual is that I become that much stronger. If I’m angry, I direct that anger toward myself. If I have a frustrating experience, I use that to improve myself. That’s the way I’ve always lived. I quietly absorb the things I’m able to, releasing them later, and in as changed a form as possible, as part of the story line in a novel."

Raúl Barroso Moreno

The title of this book speaks entirely the truth as it’s about the writer’s point of view when it comes to endurance training (marathon or triathlon). I didn’t expect it to be so much as a journal during his experiences as getting older through different races and season preparation. However, considering how short the book is, it’s an enjoyable reading.

Kuba Milcarz

Inspiring story. I’m really motivated to start running again after a two year long break. Murakami showed this deep side of running that is unnoticeable for people who have never run in their lives.

Gulshan Hasanzada

Haruki Murakaminin 25 ildən çoxdur vərdiş etdiyi qaçış həyatından bəhs edən xatirə kitabı. Bu xatirələr arasında jazz konseptli kafe açıb, yazıçılıq üçün kafenin fəaliyyətini dayandırması, yazıçılığa necə başladığı və qaçış həyatının buna təsirindən, qatıldığı marafon və triathlonlardan bəhs edən oxumağa maraqlı təəssüratları yer alır. İnsanın özünü necə formalaşdıra biləcəyi, şəxsi dissiplinin vacibliyindən bəhs edən manifesto, özünü sınağa çəkmək və özünü yenidən kəşf etmək üçün bələdçi kitab da demək olar. Ümumiyyətlə kitabı çox şəkildə təsnifləndirə bilərəm. Çox qısa olsa da, öyrətdikləri bol və fərdidir. Hərə bu kitabdan özünəməxsus pay alır.

Cams Campbell

Loved this. It's not so much about running as it is about life. At the age of 43, I got a lot from this. I expect I'll come back to it some day.

Audrey Kalman

more technical details about marathons and triathlons than I would have expected

Emily Morgan

“no matter how mundane some action might appear, keep at it long enough and it becomes a contemplative, even meditative act.”

Rebecca Owen

This book got me back into running after a hiatus spent in the gym over winter. It's my first Murakami, but it has also inspired me to explore his work further. Quick read, equal parts about life as a runner, novelist and human being.

Vivian

A glimpse into Murakami's personality, quite close to what I've imagined.

Alice Ierace 

I was going through a rough breakup the first time I laid my eyes on this book. I hadn’t read anything by Murakami before and this was perhaps an unusual but needed introduction. I am not too sure what exactly drew me to this book but, as my heart was trying to heal, Murakami’s words just felt right. It didn’t matter our worlds were so far apart — running was just a pretext for his wisdom and experience to get to me. It might sound silly, but this was what made me fall in love with all his other books. It was more than just running. For me, this is a book that managed to bring so much comfort to my life at a point where I needed it the most. Now, four years later, my eyes were once again drawn to this book and I welcomed a chance to read it again. Albeit in a completely different mindset, I found some new meaning and life lesson in the marathons, the trainings and everything in between. No matter what you’re going through, if you hate running or if you’ve never heard of Murakami before, if you need a friend, a laugh or a mere distraction, this book might just be exactly what you need.

Cici Harrison

Refreshing to read such a down-to-earth portrayal of a regular person's running journey. Obviously Murakami is an excellent, beautiful writer, and I really appreciated his sense of humor throughout the book. I'm reconnecting to running after 5 years away and couldn't have chosen a better time to read this. Highly recommended!

Kathleen Mullins

Between this book & ~ running ~ tik tok, I have that weird feeling that I want to start running or swimming again. It also made me think of how I can use exercise as an almost meditative practice, and how I can grow from the struggle. I really appreciated his description of a good run--that you need to run/exercise until you feel the anticipation/exhiliration of continuing, and then stop. Like the feeling of having to stop reading a book just when you get to a cliffhanger, you'll feel that need to jump back in and continue. I will be looking for that feeling while exercising now (can't say I'll ever feel that about running).

On the other hand, some of what Murakami talked about was so unique to him but described as if it applied to most people that I felt I couldn't relate, it kind of took me out of the feeling of motivation I had at other points in the book.

Amy Grieve

I’m going to preface this review by saying that I’m not a runner. Never have been and will probably never be one. Yet, in less than 200 pages Haruki Murakami has made me understand why people love running and really made me understand him as a person.

I haven’t read much of Haruki Murakami’s work beyond a graphic novel (which I didn’t like) and two short story collections (one good, one meh) so I don’t claim to have a lot of experience with him as a writer, however this was first time his writing captured my attention because it felt genuine. This wasn’t a piece of fiction. This was a man writing about his passion for running and how this passion has shaped him as a person and a writer in equal parts. 

I felt like I was sitting down with a new acquaintance as they told me stories about their running exploits. The writing felt fresh, genuine and engaging. Finishing this has made me excited to read more of his work and (hopefully!) tackle a full novel by him this year.

What I Talk about when I Talk about Running A Memoir

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