I'm not a big fan of books about exercising. Or running. But I stumbled on one recently that was both insightful and endearing.
It's called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Mrakami and it loosely follows his preparation for the NYC Marathon. Since I'm currently training for the NYC Marathon, the book holds a special significance for me.
Here are a few passages I thought were particularly good.
On running and thinking:
"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."
On why to run:
"Running has a lot of advantages. First of all, you don't need anybody else to do it, and no need for special equipment...As long as you have running shoes and a good road you can run to your heart's content."
On priorities:
"I'm struck by how, except when you're young, you really need to prioritize in life, figuring out what order you should divide up your time and energy. If you don't get that sort of system set by a certain age, you'll lack focus and your life will be out of balance."
These were just a few of the quotes that resonated with me. If you are a runner, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy.
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