Monthly Archives: July 2011

books, running

What I talk about when I talk about Running

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This is the book written by Haruki Murakami (thanks to @kgthegreat for pointing my spelling flaw) Nila mentioned to me about this book on Thursday evening, Friday morning I had to plan for a surprise one day trip to Chennai, Saturday found an audio version of this book and Sunday listened to this book on the afternoon return journey. At times it is really amazing how it looks like as if someone sat and planned the whole situation to the very last detail.

I have read only one book of his before – kafka on the shore. He is an amazing fiction writer and paints such crazy images and situations. ( http://kvrlogs.blogspot.com/2008/07/kafka-on-shore.html ). I was very curious to know what he had to talk about when he talks about running!

Pic from one of his interviews ( http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-410–8908-0,00.html)

The book starts with him training in Kauai, Hawaii 6 days a week, 10kms a day with 1 rest day. He is putting in these miles in preparation for the New York Marathon. The story weaves in and out of of how he started running ( at the age of 33 around the same age I started running and this is where our similarity ends – I am yet to touch even 10kms, yet to write my first novel and I can’t speak Japanese – neither can he speak Tamil ).

I will list down some interesting facts I still remember.

* He does not walk when he runs in the marathon. He will take a break to stretch his legs – but he never walks as a policy. I am still in the run-walk-run routine, will try to emulate this.

* He has run the ultra marathon – 100 Kms in a day. This very thought is crazy. While a marathon with 42 kms is itself a crazy number – I just could not digest this number. He gives a vivid account on what went through his mind and body on that day when he ran this. How his body resisted and finally something inside him gave away and he could run with no pain. He reaches a meditative state. It is so beautiful to just listen to this part – imagine if you could experience it.

* He talks about how running helps his writing. Makes absolute sense – It is all about Focus, Endurance and Rhythm. This passage is brilliant how he relates his writing to running.

* Our man ran the real “Marathon” – between Athens and the small town of Marathon.

* He has run 1 marathon every year for the past 24 years.

* Best quote from the book “Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional”.

This book is like an adrenaline shot to beginner runners like me.

Musings

I give Newspaper the boot.

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Finally – after years of reading Newspaper with a cup of filter coffee in the morning – I am breaking free from the thing called Newspaper.

The disillusionment started with Indian Express becoming more of yet another run of the mill Masala Newspaper. When the world was burning with Wikileaks – IE choose to look the other way.

“Tata Sumo turns turtle on NH-4”
“Mugging on ORR, techie loses mobile,laptop”
“Old Couple Murdered in Jayanagar”

I started feeling that it is a random generator which picks these news. Of course there were these moments of brilliance – when the editorial will go hammer and tongs against the establishment. But it was becoming less and less.

Then Nadia Tapes leak happened. With it Vir Singhvi – whose columns I used to love – was chucked out. Swapan DasGupta left IE long back to write for ToI. Gurumurthy and TJS George’s columns were coming very sporadically..they were getting old. IE could never find anyone to sit at their desks.

Finally I gave up – and switched to ToI for 2 months.

“Should item numbers be done by popular actress” – center page editorial debate.
“Strawberries good for health” – with an accompanying photo revealing all other details.
“Property News” – actually Ads – you can’t guess which is which anyway

And always the opening page – being sold to companies with deep pockets. It is like a coupon book the whole newspaper. There was no sincere intelligent editorial. Swapan Dasgupta’s editorials didn’t have the punch it used to have -felt very much tamed. The leaks, scams, Anna Hazare – all had a passing reference – something that should have been the front page news.

Finally with my disillusionment complete – I gave up.

Now I have filter coffee with a book in hand. It is so much peaceful.

And for the world and scams – I get them on my twitter & facebook feeds – can make my own judgments – I am grown up now.