What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami

"For me, at least, as I've written novels over many years, I just can't picture someone liking me on a personal level."

I've been meaning to read this for quite some time and wasn't disappointed. It is raw and beautiful. I felt like I was main-lining Murakami's brain and it was addictive.

The high that you get from running or exercise is a really interesting notion.It seems rather common in middle aged men who tend to push themselves into triathlons and the like in a last ditch attempt to stave off impending doom. It is a very vocal stance that screams I'm still vital and can achieve, despite the realisation that this could be the last push before the death knell of age and infirmity.It is also rather popular with reformed addicts as they seek a natural high.

Something that I found of particular interest was the author's sense of remove. His ability to  run and write is twinned with a sense of remove from company. In the same breath that he mentions being unlikeable and other, he also mentions that he has a wife. That troubled me somewhat. Where did she lie in that spectrum?

We are all imperfect creatures, sometimes the imperfections are delightfully perfect because they encapsulate the highs and the lows. I ran through this novel and ironically felt like I wasn't alone. There was someone else like me, removed and yet a part of this rich tapestry of a world, constantly forging forward and yet unsure of the journey's end.

If you, like me, are a fan of Mr Murakami, this will definitely not disappoint. I wish my lard arse could run, but this body is better suited to swimming. Weirdly, the sight of the black line on the bottom of the pool gives me a similar sense of calm, remove and obsession. Sadly I've not hit the pool in quite some time and this might just might be a motivating reason.

5 out of 5 pavements pounded yield thought provoking moments.