What I Tak About When I Talk About Running

Pain is inevitable
Suffering is optional

This is a memoir of Haruki Murakami. Talking about his life and how sport influences his life and writing. In 1982, Murakami sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing and he also started to run to keep fit.

Certain facts about Murakami:

1. He is a shy person.
2. He always feels uncomfortable to deal with competitive aspect. Beating somebody else is just not his things. He's much more interested in whether he reaches the goals that he sets for himself. Therefore marathon running is the best sport for him since he doesn't need to care whether he beats any other particular runner.
3. At the age of 30, out of the blue he got the idea to write a novel and sold his jazz bar, although his friends regretted his decision, in their opinion why not let someone else run the bar for a time while Murakami write his novel? But Murakami couldn't follow their advice since he always does everything wholeheartedly. He sold the bar after all and concentrated to write his first novel Hear the Wind Sing (1973), already translated by Gramedia on October 2008.
   
4. He's a very enthusiastic records collector. He started this hobby at the age of 15. When he has time, he always checks out record stores, 70% of his collection records are jazz, the rest classical, plus a few rock records.
5. Last but not least, he loves being alone. He's just the kind of person who likes to be by himself. He doesn't find it painful to be alone. Since he's young, he preferred reading books on his own or concentrating on listening to music over being with someone else (well....sort of mine). Therefore he hearts running, the perfect time for him not to talk to anybody and doesn't have to listen to anybody.

Only 180 pages, but this charming little book as praised by Independent on Sunday is a winner from start to finish. I couldn't agree more.