“I'm often asked what I think about as I run. Usually the people who ask this have never run long distances themselves. I always ponder the question. What exactly do I think about when I'm running? I don't have a clue.”
In this book, Haruki Murakami reminiscences of how he started running, his career as a novelist and how, for him, writing and running are similar.
The most interesting part for me was the solo account on the marathon from Athens to the town of Marathon, on a very hot summer day; the distance - 26 miles!
He is my favourite author ever since I read Norwegian Wood.
In this book, he talks quite a bit about himself and what goes into his head. As I read, I can relate to what he's saying; at times I feel the same way as he did.
When talking about running as a solo sport:
“I’m the kind of person who likes to be by himself. To put a finer point on it, I’m the type of person who doesn’t find it painful to be alone. I find spending an hour or two every day running alone, not speaking to anyone, as well as four or five hours alone at my desk, to be neither difficult nor boring. I’ve had this tendency ever since I was young, when, given a choice, I much preferred reading books on my own or concentrating on listening to music over being with someone else. I could always think of things to do by myself.”
Yes, I can relate to that.
