What is the main message of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running?

The main message of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is the transformative power of long-distance running.

How long does it take to read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running?

The reading time for What I Talk About When I Talk About Running varies, but it can be read in a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Is What I Talk About When I Talk About Running a good book? Is it worth reading?

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a must-read for running enthusiasts and Murakami fans. It offers insights on the intersection of running and writing.

Who is the author of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running?

The author of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is Haruki Murakami.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Summary of Key Ideas and Review

Name: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Rating: 4.3 (186 reviews)
Author: Haruki Murakami

Introduction

What’s in it for me? A writerly reflection on running.

Since the early 1980s, Haruki Murakami has wowed the world with his surreal and dreamlike novels. His long and prolific writing career has produced literary fiction that appeals both to critics and to popular audiences. But when he is not at his writing desk, the enigmatic author has another hobby: running marathons.

It may seem strange at first, but the long stretches of time spent huffing and puffing along the road are in fact intimately connected to Murakami’s artistic practice. So, in 2005, when he began training for the New York City Marathon, he decided to keep a journal of his thoughts and observations. The result is What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, a memoir that documents his mental life and how it is shaped by physical exercise.

This book-in-blinks delves into how running and writing – two seemingly disparate interests – intersect and inform Murakami’s life and work. Along the way you’ll discover how running fits into his creative process, glean the details of his training regimes, and hear many observations from his time on the trails.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

how Murakami went from chain-smoker to ultramarathon runner;
what writing and running have in common; and
what makes ultramarathons spiritual experiences.

Key idea 1 of 8

For Murakami, running is all about clearing the mind.

August 5, 2005. It’s a beautiful day on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The sun is out, the warm trade winds are blowing, and there is not a single cloud in the sky. In this gorgeous weather, dozens of joggers are steadily making their way up and down the road to the beach. Some move fast; some move more slowly.

One of them is the author, Haruki Murakami.

Murakami is out there running nearly every day. He tries to run an hour a day, six days a week. That adds up to 156 miles a month. Sure, it doesn’t approach his personal record. After all, he’s over 50 now and not nearly as spry as he once was.

However, for Murakami, running has never been about winning races or maintaining a peak physique. For him, it’s more about the experience.

The key message here is: For Murakami, running is all about clearing the mind.

Murakami didn’t begin running or writing until his thirties. Before that, he’d owned a jazz bar and had never seriously considered either pastime. In the fall of 1982, he sold his bar to become a full-time writer; shortly after, he started running seriously. In the two decades since, he has organized much of his life around the habit of running. While his dedication has ebbed and flowed, it has never completely abated. Since first hitting the road, the author has completed 23 marathons – one every year.

Something about the solitary nature of running keeps Murakami coming back to the sport. He doesn't find motivation from competing against others. Instead, he measures success based on his own, personal expectations. Like his approach to writing books, it’s less about impressing an audience and more about satisfying his own desires. That’s why, even as he ages and slows down, he still enjoys a daily jog.

One of the things Murakami enjoys most about this regular ritual is the calm it brings. When he is out on the trail, his mind begins to clear. Yes, he still has the occasional thought, a fleeting memory, or a twinge of emotion – but mostly, he just zones out. He calls the almost meditative state “the void.” Every day, Murakami laces up his shoes to run toward this void.

Knowing that the void is just a short jog away is an immense reassurance. The peace that it brings has helped Murakami smooth over life’s rougher edges. Even when angry, sad, or distraught about some petty thing, he can simply go running – and soon enough, the outside world will melt away.

Key idea 2 of 8

Running is an essential cornerstone of Murakami’s literary lifestyle.

Murakami never dreamed of becoming a novelist. Actually, he was quite happy running a tiny jazz bar in the heart of Tokyo. But, one day in 1978, something changed. That day, he was sitting at Jingu Stadium watching the local baseball team play, when the idea popped into his head: “I could write a novel.”

Within months of this epiphany, his first book, Hear the Wind Sing, was published to great acclaim. Surprised by the warm reception, he kept going. By 1981, his literary reputation was so solid he could sell his club and live as a full-time writer.

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Key idea 3 of 8

Runners must teach their bodies to obey commands.

It’s a cold, wintry day in 2001. Murakami, back home in Chiba Prefecture, is midway through his annual marathon. So far, things are going smoothly. He’s keeping a good pace, and, while a bit winded, he still feels strong and energetic. Then, around mile 18, disaster strikes.

His legs cramp up. His calves twist into tight knots, and his thighs tremble and shake. The pain is unbearable. Even after stopping and stretching, he can’t make the stress abate. Undeterred, he resolves to walk the final few miles.

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Key idea 4 of 8

Writing a novel and running a marathon both take persistence.

September 10. Murakami returns to Japan for a two-week trip. It’s a packed schedule. His latest book has just hit the shelves, and the press wants publicity interviews. In between, he’s got meetings with editors, designers, and various friends. On top of this, he needs to hire a new assistant.

And, somehow, through it all, he must find time to run every day. Otherwise, he won’t be ready for the upcoming New York City Marathon, now just weeks away. So, as often as he can, he laces up his shoes and hits the trails around Jingu Gaien, the elaborate gardens surrounding Tokyo’s Meiji Shrine.

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Key idea 5 of 8

Staying healthy is essential for delving into deeper wells of emotion.

Boston in October. The air is cool and crisp. The leaves on the trees begin to turn rich shades of brown and ochre. Overhead, flocks of Canada geese fly south in anticipation of winter. Below them, packs of runners jog along the shores of the Charles River.

Moving through this picturesque scene is Murakami, running as always. As he steadily puts one foot in front of the other, he reflects on his stable, healthy lifestyle. In Japan, many people are surprised that he keeps such a calm, pleasant routine. After all, shouldn’t an artist be daring and live an unconventional, dramatic life? Wouldn’t that provide more inspiration?

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Key idea 6 of 8

Running an ultramarathon is a surreal and life-changing experience.

Early morning. You set off at a brink pace from Yuubetsu, a small town on the western edge of Lake Saroma in Hokkaido, Japan. It’s early summer but, being so far north, the air is still crisp and cold. As the sun slowly rises in the sky, you run, run, and run some more.

Eventually, you hit mile-marker 26, but you keep going. Hours go by. With each step your muscles groan and ache. Time starts to lose meaning, and the world is reduced to the act of running.

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Key idea 7 of 8

Murakami will keep running as long as he feels like running.

It’s finally race day. All those many months Murakami spent training have led up to this moment. All those early mornings on the trails, all that intricate planning, all that anguish and anticipation – it’s all been building up to this, the New York City Marathon. Now it’s his chance to give everything he has.

So, how does it go? Basically fine. Not bad, but not great either.

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Key idea 8 of 8

Life is a long process of discovering your potential.

It’s sometime in the late 1960s. A teenage Murakami stands naked in his bedroom, staring into the mirror. He looks at his reflection and carefully notes every imperfection. His eyebrows are too thick. His fingernails are oddly shaped. The list goes on and on.

Four decades later, the writer stands on the shores of Niigata, about to start a grueling triathlon. He still relates to his vulnerable teen self; in many ways, he’s still full of defects and shortcomings. But, right now, he has to swim for 1 mile, bike for 25, then run for more than 6.

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