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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
4.5/5
I first read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running a few years ago, back when I was just starting to take running seriously. Even then, I found it insightful and quietly inspiring. But coming back to it now, as a more seasoned and committed runner, the book hits completely differently — and in the best way.
Murakami has this understated, reflective tone that makes everything feel both deeply personal and strangely universal. He doesn’t try to romanticize running or make it sound heroic. Instead, he talks about it with the kind of honesty only another runner could fully appreciate — the early mornings, the aching legs, the mental walls you hit and the small victories that come from simply pushing through.
What resonated most with me this time around was how clearly he understands what all runners experience at some point: the need to push past your limits, to keep going when your body is yelling at you to stop. I loved reading about his races, his marathons, and especially his foray into triathlons. His storytelling is never flashy, but it’s full of grit, subtle humor, and humility.
As much as it’s a book about running, it’s also a book about life — about getting older, finding your rhythm, and showing up every day to do something hard because it matters to you. That part of it really moved me, even beyond the running stuff.
Whether you’re a runner or not, this book has a quiet kind of wisdom that sticks with you. But if you are a runner — especially one who’s ever questioned why you do this to yourself — it’ll feel like Murakami is speaking directly to you.
I first read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running a few years ago, back when I was just starting to take running seriously. Even then, I found it insightful and quietly inspiring. But coming back to it now, as a more seasoned and committed runner, the book hits completely differently — and in the best way.
Murakami has this understated, reflective tone that makes everything feel both deeply personal and strangely universal. He doesn’t try to romanticize running or make it sound heroic. Instead, he talks about it with the kind of honesty only another runner could fully appreciate — the early mornings, the aching legs, the mental walls you hit and the small victories that come from simply pushing through.
What resonated most with me this time around was how clearly he understands what all runners experience at some point: the need to push past your limits, to keep going when your body is yelling at you to stop. I loved reading about his races, his marathons, and especially his foray into triathlons. His storytelling is never flashy, but it’s full of grit, subtle humor, and humility.
As much as it’s a book about running, it’s also a book about life — about getting older, finding your rhythm, and showing up every day to do something hard because it matters to you. That part of it really moved me, even beyond the running stuff.
Whether you’re a runner or not, this book has a quiet kind of wisdom that sticks with you. But if you are a runner — especially one who’s ever questioned why you do this to yourself — it’ll feel like Murakami is speaking directly to you.
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
As an introspective long distance runner myself, I thoroughly enjoyed Murakami’s reflections on the sport which we both keep coming back to year after year.
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Magnifico, un pizzico ossessivo in certe abitudini ma, se si riesce a cogliere tutto il buono di questo libro si guadagnano enormi insegnamenti.
Ora ho voglia di correre.
Ora ho voglia di correre.
More books like this where famed authors just ramble on and on about their daily lives and musings, please. Because someone please explain to me why I enjoyed this a lot more than certain novels of his ???