Haruki Murakami on the Essence of Running

Haruki Murakami

Novelist Haruki Murakami. Photo by Frederick Fraser.

People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive then in a fog, and I believe running helps you to do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life — and for me, for writing as whole. I believe many runners would agree.

—Haruki Murakami,
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

 

Inspiration: Comittment

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“When you’re interested, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed, you accept no excuses; only results.”

– Ken Blanchard
via Strength Running

Inspiration: The Magic of a Marathon

I Never Thought I'd Be a Runner
“The magic of a marathon isn’t in the 26.2 miles on race day; it’s in the nearly 500 miles of training that happens in the months before. It’s in the countless feelings, frustrations, and fears I have worked through while running down those desolate, tree-lined roads. You see, I wasn’t supposed to be a runner. But I am. And my life is better because I chose to be one.”

— Stacy Lucier
I Never Thought I’d Be a Runner, Runner’s World