What I Talk About When I Talk About Running 当我谈跑步时我谈些什么

In1982,havingsoldhisjazzbartodevotehimselftowriting,Murakamibeganrunningtokeepfit.Ayearlater,he'dcompletedasolocoursefromAthenstoMarathon,andnow,afterdozensofsuchraces,nottomentiontriathlonsandaslewofcriticallyacclaimedbooks,hereflectsupontheinfluencethesporthashadonhislifeandonhiswriting.Equalpartstravelogue,traininglog,andreminiscence,thisrevealingmemoircovershisfour-monthpreparationforthe2005NewYorkCityMarathonandsettingsrangingfromTokyo'sJinguGaiengardens,whereheoncesharedthecoursewithanOlympian,totheCharlesRiverinBostonamongyoungwomenwhooutpacehim.Throughthismarvellouslensofsportemergesacornucopiaofmemoriesandinsights:theeurekamomentwhenhedecidedtobecomeawriter,hisgreatesttriumphsanddisappointments,hispassionforvintageLPs,andtheexperience,afterfifty,ofseeinghisracetimesimproveandthenfallback.Byturnsfunnyandsobering,playfulandphilosophical.

HarukiMurakamiwasborninKyotoin1949andnowlivesnearTokyo.Hisworkhasbeentranslatedintoforty-twolanguages.ThemostrecentofhismanyhonoursistheFranzKafkaPrize.