Writing and Running
I have recently read Haruki Murakami’s book “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running”. For those who are unfamiliar with his work, he is a Japanese novelist who also runs marathons. Before he started writing, he owned and managed a successful jazz club, but one day— in a revelation—he realized he could write a novel and did so. He submitted it to a literary magazine, won a prize, and was published. Not long after, he decided to quit the club business and start writing full-time. This is an inspiring story for anyone who wants to make a change in their life and follow a seemingly impractical dream.
As he moved to a more sedentary lifestyle, he began to notice a decline in his fitness: “A problem arose, though, with my decision to become a professional writer: the question of how to keep physically fit. I tend to gain weight if I don’t do anything. . . once I started sitting at my desk all day writing, my energy level gradually declined and I started putting on the pounds.” Murakami picked running as the activity to stay in shape for many of the same reasons I have, it does not require special equipment, a specific location, or any training partner; it can be done by yourself, where ever and whenever you want.
The two tasks writing and running both require time and effort. If you don’t put work in everyday, you won’t be successful at either of them. They can also be mostly solitary endeavors. He found that overcoming challenges in running helped him with his writing: there is a common thread between the two. He says “most of what I know about writing I’ve learned through running every day.” This connection between writing and running is of great interest to me as they coincide with what I am doing with my time right now—I am running and I am writing. As Murakami puts it: “Add a stimulus and keep it up. And repeat. Patience is a must in this process, but I guarantee the results will come.” Although he is specifically talking about writing, it could just as easily be about running. The process of mastery is the same for either.
