What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

I have just finished reading a gem - a hardback that is so quaint, so intricately, simply, beautifully written that I wanted to slowly dunk it into a steaming mug of tea and savour it.

Japanese author Haruki Murakami wrote What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Yes, it's about being a runner but it's more than that - it explores the author's love of writing, commitment to challenges, and sense of self-discipline.

I stop every day right at the point where I feel I can do more, he writes. Do that, and the next day's work goes surprisingly smoothyl. To keep going, you have to keep up the rhythm. This is the most important thing for a long term project. Once you set the pace, the rest will follow.

And so we find out why this man has run 26 marathons and written as many novels.