Weekly Update #3

For all those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the next post in my award-winning "Weekly Update" (I hope SNL doesn't sue me for trademark infringement) series, I apologize for the delay, but worry not, I am back and better than before. Maybe. Probably not. Most likely the same, but back nevertheless.

"What's happened in the past 3 weeks?" you ask. "Well," I begin my reply, "I'm glad you ask."

This past week was perhaps my most successful running week to date. It started with a run on Tuesday from my apartment through the North End, into Cambridge then Somerville, and finishing back at home. It was pretty cold and some of the sidewalks were not cleared very well so some of the run was spent like Rocky in Rocky IV where he runs in the snow and then ends the Cold War. Worse than running in the snow, however, was the wonderful mixture of ice and water that graced the area between sidewalks. At one point my feet became immersed in 4 inches of a slush puddle, but thankfully (yes, there's always a silver lining) I was only a mile away from finishing my run so my feet didn't have enough time to freeze completely. That was run 1.

On Thursday I went to Crossroads like I usually do and decided to run "the hills" for the first time. For those unfamiliar with this run, this is where you take the T to the Woodland stop and then run the marathon course from there back to the bar. It's a little less than 9 miles and includes Heartbreak Hill. It was actually quite nice out and fortunately not windy so the run was pleasant. The hills didn't seem that bad but then again I'm sure it's much different when you've done 17 miles before even reaching the area. And due to my magnificent sense of direction I did deviate from the route for about a half a mile. Instead of going right onto Beacon after the reservoir, I went left onto Commonwealth. But I had my phone, and was able to look at the map and find a way back to Beacon, making my run just a bit longer and according to mapmyrun.com, about 9.02 miles, making it my longest run yet.

The third and final run of the week came yesterday in Newton. Instead of running today the reasons being the weather - extremely cold - and the fact that my roommates had an afterparty last night where people didn't leave until 4 am making the early start sort of an impossibility, I met up with a few runners to run a route organized by Shifter who is one of the veterans of the DFMC team and just an overall great guy. I got to the starting spot at around 9:30 and then we ran from Newton to Commonwealth where we ran part of the course again. I was initially a little sore due to the previous run but after a few miles my muscles started feeling better. Shifter had also dropped some water and gatorade off at strategic points because some of the runners were doing longer runs. The toughest part about this is that when I would stop my muscles would become tight very quickly so getting going again was somewhat tough but I made it through unscathed and finished the full 7 miles I had set out to do.

I know I'm not at the mileage I should be at now but I take comfort in the fact that my body is bouncing back from these runs rather well and that I've been able to finish every run that I've started. Depending on the weather, I will be doing "the hills" again this week before heading back to Arizona for the FBR Open, the Super Bowl, and the Sedona Half-Marathon on Feb. 7. I hope to get an one longer one before the race, preferabbly in the double-digits. I'm excited to run a half and am looking forward to running in some nice weather and not worrying whether or not the next step I take is going to cause my feet to freeze.

On the fundraising front, my efforts are continuing and with some checks to be deposited, am around the $1,800 mark. Thanks to everyone who has contributed thus far, and I am looking forward to raising even more money!

REVIEW: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: a memoir by Haruki Murakami

First, a disclosure. Haruki Murakami is my favorite contemporary author. While I haven't read all of his books, I have had a chance to read many of them (I think the number currently stands at 8). Going into his new book I had no idea what to expect. As a beginning runner I was intrigued to hear his story about how and why he started running, especially since he connects his running with his career as a writer, an occupation to which I still aspire. But as a fan and reader of only his fiction so far, I was unsure of what it would be like to read a non-fiction piece.

In the forewood, Murakami tells us what the book means for him.

"...this is a book in which I've gathered my thoughts about what running has meant to me as a person."

I'm not sure if running could mean something to him other than "as a person" but this remains a noble endeavor indeed. We all should have the opportunity to look at the things we do and try to come to an understanding of what it means for us. What follows, however, doesn't feel like true introspection.

The book is broken down into various "journal" entries that takes the reader along the training and running of a marathon, an ultra-marathon, and triathlons. I say "journal" because I'm not sure if they are meant to be read as if written at the time or if they were written in retrospect, or possibly written at the time but taken and edited for the purposes of this book. To be clear, they are journal entries but since there doesn't seem to be a story thread that runs throughout them, it feels more like a literary device than anything else. It is interesting, although sometimes boring as well, to travel with Murakami as he prepares himself for these gruelling events. You begin to see the allure of running for him. He describes himself as someone who likes to be alone and running accomplishes just that. There's no need for equipment and for someone who seems to move around a lot, this is great. But these are just facts of running and there has to be more...right?

Well, for Murakami, there doesn't seem to be much more. There's never any tension in this work. Even when he describes the training for a race, the buildup beforehand and the challenges he faced while competing, I never once was wondering if he would make it or not, and I almost didn't care. That is one of the biggest failures of the book - I just didn't care. Even in memoirs there are characters to be liked and disliked. This book gives nothing of the sort. There's Murakami and really no one else. Every now and then he mentions his wife waiting for him at the end of races or at the middle as was the case for the ultra-marathon, but the reader never sees or hears her (I don't think he even quoted her in the entire book, although there might be a paraphrase). What does she think about the running? Is she happy, sad, mad, angry....there's nothing but the words "my wife".

For fans of his writing style, you won't be disappointed. The book at times reads just like his novels and in a few scenes (probably the best ones) you feel like you're back in one of his novels. He occasionally stumbles upon a witty or profound phrase but most of the time, his insights seem forced, as if every one he's had over the years deserved to be published and this was the only place he could jam all of them in.

The most difficult job for a writer is writing about himself. To look at oneself and attempt to come to an understanding of one's motives and actions is a daunting task that most people aren't able to accomplish. I get the sense that Murakami understands this and so instead of giving a full memoir, replete with childhood memories, fights with lovers, and meaningful friendships, he focuses on the one area he knows can be easily dissected, run by run, stride by stride. In doing so, he isn't able to give the reader more than that, basically a running log written by someone who happens to be a novelist.

This book won't blow you away but it also won't leave you feeling like you wasted your time. It's quick, simple, and sometimes fun. If you're a runner and enjoy hearing other runners' stories, this book is for you. If you a fan of Murakami's novels and enjoy the emotions that he's able to breath into his characters, this book will probably disappoint. For aspiring writers who want to know the secret to becoming a best-selling, internationally-acclaimed author, keep searching.

It's Official!

It's tough to read, but it says I'm officially entered to run the 113th Boston Marathon.

Weekly Update #2 - The New Years Edition

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves ringing in 2009. I spent the night (and weekend) with some friends in DC. While I didn't do any running outside, I definitely think it would be a great city to run in. Everywhere you go there's something, and when you have something to look out and think about, it makes running a whole lot easier.

Before I left town I did go out for a run and it just so happened to be my first run outside since the Jingle Bell 5K a few weeks ago and my first time running while it snowed. I was a little worried that my legs weren't ready for it yet, but it went smoothly. I've run a couple of times since then and still, the legs seem to be fine. While I remain a bit cautious, I'm a lot more optimistic now than I was just a week ago.

With that in mind I have decided what my resolution for the new year is: stop talking about injuries and/or any pain. (I understand that this constitutes talking about it, but once this paragraph is finished, there'll be no more). I realized that training for the marathon and actually running one isn't going to make your body feel great most days. In fact, I'll probably wake up every day for the next 3 months with some type of soreness. It's just a fact of life, and I have to accept that. Pain will come, pain will go (hopefully), and all the same I'll have to go running.

Moving on. I've just started reading What I Talk About When I talk about Running by Haruki Murakami. For those who haven't heard of him, he's a Japanese author and also one of my top 3 favorite novelists. His books are, to put it simply, totally engrossing. This one is a memoir and really describes his life as a runner, which he didn't really start until he was around 30, the same time he became a writer. It's an interesting read for 2 reasons: 1) As a beginning runner, him talking of his reasons and motivations and philosophy of running I find to be very insightful and helpful. 2) I like to write myself and here is my favorite author writing about the relationship between running and writing.

I'll probably have a more complete post on the book when I'm finished, but so far so good, which is just about the way I would describe the first half (time-wise) of my training, so far so good.