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To get through life some people drink copious amounts of alcohol to de-stress. Others smoke tobacco or cannabis. Some try heavier substances. My drug of choice, my way of clearing my head, calming down and escaping for a few hours, is to run. I am an absolute junkie. Sometimes I feel like I live to run. When I’m not reading, writing or cycling to work, then I’m running. It’s a fantastic experience, blasting my favourite psychedelic rock albums as I lose all my troubles on the road. Anyone who has taken up running seriously will understand how much of a drug it can be.

As strange as it may sound, I don’t think I’d be able to write a single review on here or even read a single book if I didn’t run regularly. I’m naturally quite a fidgety person. I have lots of energy and don’t like to sit still. I want to be outside! I also pace up and down a lot if I’m bored. Running calms me down. It allows me to sit at a desk (sometimes all day) writing essays for university. It also means I sleep at night. Without running, I just don’t get much. I end up with about 4-5 hours of sleep because I’m just not tired. I’m then perpetually groggy and moody the next day.

Running is such a healthy thing to do, and, as Murakami recognises, for some people it is essential for mental balance. It keeps them sane. Murakami gets running; he understands the point of it. I’ve often been asked: “why do you go running?�� or “what’s the point of it?�� The answer is simple: I go running to live. Being a literature student, and working in a pretty slow and unphysical environment, means I’m restless. We all need some form of exercise and some time to ourselves to reflect and be introspective. And that's what running is all about, at least for me and the author of this book.

For Murakmi it was an essential part of his writing process. In order to write novels, he had to run. As he was aiming for a deadline or the end of story, he was also aiming for a personal best in his next marathon. Ironically, I’m doing the exact same thing. As I approach my dissertation deadline, I’m also training for a marathon. Reading the words of another, who did the same thing as I’m doing, for the same reasons, is really quite revealing. My idea, which makes little sense to my friends and family, was given much more clarity in these pages. To hear another say the same thing, one who was immensely successful, gave me a little confidence boost and some motivation for my marathon. As a treat to myself, I’m actually running it on my birthday.

The book takes on the form of a memoir and relays the memories of the author as he trained, competed and eventually reflected upon his experience. There’s much wisdom to be gained from these pages, and, as I said Murakmi gets running, especially the near meditative mind set it can get you in. During long distance runs your mind forgets about the outside world and get into a sort of rhythm with your body, ten miles can pass in an instant as you experience the "runner's high." Not all runs are as good as this, but on some you lose yourself. It’s wonderful. Running is wonderful. And, for the right reader, this would be a wonderful book.

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