RE-READ BOOK SERIES: WHAT I TALK ABOUT…RUNNING
I first read novelist Haruki Murakami‘s memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, shortly after it was published in 2007. And, I may be a bit biased but, after re-reading it, I can see definite parallels between his memoir and my post: STEPS TOWARD BECOMING THE RUNNER. Nevertheless, Murakami writes about life before running which I did not mention in my post. Before taking up running, Murakami owned his own jazz club in Tokyo - working long hours with a three-pack-a-day smoking habit thrown in. It was not until his career as a novelist began to pick up steam that the thought of taking up running became apparent to him - mainly for weight control; as he writes: “Running the bar required hard, physical labour every day, and I could keep my weight down, but once I started sitting at my desk all day writing, my energy level gradually declined and I started putting on the pounds.”
With working long hours and a robust smoking habit, Murakami had to come a relatively long way to train consistently which the beginning runner needs to do. The “Beginner Step” for him was uncomfortable; he writes: “When I first started running, I couldn’t run long distances. I could only run about twenty minutes, or thirty. That much left me panting, my heart pounding, my legs shaky. It was to be expected, though, since I hadn’t really exercised for a long time. At first, I was also a little embarrassed to have people in the neighbourhood see me running - the same feeling I had upon first seeing the title novelist put in parentheses after my name.” Further, in describing the Beginner Step in my post, I asked readers this question: who invited them into running (e.g., online club, cross country coach, etc.)? Murakami has a different view on inviting others into running, as he writes: “That’s why I’ve never recommended running to others… If some people have an interest in long-distance running, just leave them be, and they’ll start running on their own. If they’re not interested in it, no amount of persuasion will make any difference.”
The memoir’s central goal is for Murakami to run the New York City Marathon in November. Nevertheless, other events such as previous triathlons and ultramarathons get mentioned in the memoir, too. His training for this goal race is very straightforward: structure the training block in the shape of a pyramid - build up the miles then taper back down closer to the end; as he writes: “Now that it’s September, and the race is two months away, my training is entering a period of fine-tuning. Through modulated exercise - sometimes long, sometimes short, sometimes soft, sometimes hard - I’m transitioning from quantity of exercise to quality. The point is to reach the peak of exhaustion about a month before the race, so this is a critical period. In order to make any progress, I have to listen very carefully to feedback from my body.” And as race day approaches: “It’s just over a month until the New York City Marathon. About time I cut back on the mileage and get rid of the exhaustion I’ve built up. Time to start tapering off. No matter how far I run from now on, it won’t help me in the race. In fact, it might actually hurt my chances.”
What happens when the days of setting personal bests dry up and you have to make do with what you have? Murakami contemplated this question when he wrote: “This is my body, with all its limits and quirks. Just as with my face, even if I don’t like it it’s the only one I get, so I’ve got to make do. As I’ve grown older, I’ve naturally come to terms with this. You open the fridge, and can make a nice - actually even a pretty smart meal - with the leftovers. All that’s left is an apple, an onion, cheese, and eggs, but you don’t complain. You make do with what you have. That’s one of the few good points of growing older.”
Of Murakami’s novels I have read, I usually find them to be a fun read. One of the key reasons being that music, especially popular tunes, factors into his novels, and What I Talk About... is no exception. To close, here is a chance for readers to build a playlist from the artists mentioned in this memoir:
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Playlist
~The Rolling Stones (“Satisfaction” / Beggars Banquet LP)~
~Eric Clapton (Reptile LP)~
~Carla Thomas & Otis Redding (duets)~
~The Lovin’ Spoonful (Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful LP & Daydream LP)~
~Duran Duran~
~Hall & Oates~
~Franz Schubert~
~Wolfgang Mozart~
~Vernon Duke (“Autumn in New York”)~
~Bryan Adams (“18 Til I Die”)~
~Mel Tormé~
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Thank you for reading!
For more, check out the Re-Read Book Series section in the EOOC TABLE OF CONTENTS.
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Experiment of One Coaching covers topics ranging from running, strength training, health & wellness, sports nutrition to travel. This is not medical advice. I usually post once or twice a month. If you have a question about any of these topics that you would like me to address, send it to: info@experiment1coaching.com .
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