What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (পেপারব্যাক)

What I Talk about When I Talk about Running chronicles the key events in Murakami’s running career. It is not a memoir, as it doesn’t talk about any of his personal details about Murakami, except his life as a runner. He became a full-time writer after experiencing a decent amount of success from his initial books. He also talks about the time he was the owner of a nightclub and how he eventually became a novelist. The initial part of the novel documents Murakami’s preparation for the New York Marathon in the year 2005. He says that he hasn’t been able to maintain a normal diary habitually, but has been religiously updating his runner’s journal. Murakami also recounts particular events like the 62-mile ultra-marathon in Japan, and a solo run in Greece. He also explains why he became an author and a runner, narrating the key role that both the activities play in his life. Murakami asserts that if he hadn’t turned to long-distance running before becoming an author, his books would have been completely different. He also doesn’t hesitate to talk about the physical limitations he has experienced due to aging.