SVong-Along

I've been seeing a few "Memories" re: the 2013 LA Marathon, and I thought about you because you were one of the main reasons and inspiration for me to run it that year. I originally wanted to just do half marathons because of Lindsey Ngo running the Disney half, and never thought I would push my physical limits to (mostly) run 26.2 miles. Maybe that's also why I decided to read the Haruki Murakami book " What I Talk About When I Talk About Running ," which I think you would appreciate as a runner (and maybe you can copy some of his routes along the Meiji Jingu Gaien, though I have no idea how far away you are from there.) Or it might even inspire you to write about your own running journey [all in one story rather than scattered blog posts, or it could even be a blog post!] I can't believe it has been almost 6 years since the OC half (my first half ever), and although my cardio is unlikely to return to that level, it's great to see your physic...

I love Haruki Murakami's writing. I first read Kafka on the Shore in college, and since then, I've read at least one of his novels every year or every other year. His stories are a mind trip and his writing style is compelling, simple, yet sophisticated and whimsical. He is a master of description and his use of similes is incomparable. While known for his fiction, I borrowed an e-book version of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running because of my fondness of Murakami's writing and because it's not super long and something I could finish in less than a month. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is a memoir that literally talks about Murakami's long-distance running. While running and training for the New York marathon is the main theme, there are several complementary side-stories: how he wrote his acclaimed novels, life in Japan compared to Hawaii and Cambridge, and lecturing to college students. He discusses details of his personal life from su...