Thursday 13 November 2008

What I Talk about When I Talk About Running

Posted by speedygeoff on Thursday, November 13, 2008 with
On November 02, 2007, I fore-shadowed that I would be awarding a book prize to the 50,000th visitor to this blog. And that is what I have done.

Sonia is the lucky recipient of the book “What I Talk about When I Talk About Running”, by Haruki Murakami. Just in time for her launch into serious athletic competition with Box Hill Athletics. Here is a summary of the book, taken from http://www.dymocks.com.au/:

“In 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, Murakami began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, not to mention triathlons and a slew of critically acclaimed books, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. Equal parts travelogue, training log, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers his four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon and settings ranging from Tokyo's Jingu Gaien gardens, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston among young women who outpace him. Through this marvellous lens of sport emerges a cornucopia of memories and insights: the eureka moment when he decided to become a writer, his greatest triumphs and disappointments, his passion for vintage LPs, and the experience, after fifty, of seeing his race times improve and then fall back. By turns funny and sobering, playful and philosophical, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is rich and revealing, both for fans of this masterful yet private writer and for the exploding population of athletes who find similar satisfaction in distance running”.

Sonia, Amanda, and Peter


Sonia Veldhoven, the lucky 50,000th visitor to this blog, on the left, in pink.

More speedygeese results:
November Jogalong
Cathy Montalto W55 39:11
Carolyne Kramar W40 34:32
Caroline Campbell W65 32:29
Helen Larmour W45 27:51


FOOTNOTES
1. Yesterday I forgot to add – Burn After Reading also sends up "good morning" television: an easy target I know, but they do it so well. Although, by that stage of the movie, you are already laughing non-stop.

2. Today we have a 10k race on the track, I will probably run unless the heat is oppressive. Lap-scorers are mandatory! I will need one. So if you can help out in that way, please come along and stay for the 10k. It is due to commence at 7:30pm. It will be great weather for spectating.