The Way of the Runner: A journey into the fabled world of Japanese running - Softcover

Finn, Adharanand

3.8

2,828 ratings by Goodreads

9780571303168: The Way of the Runner: A journey into the fabled world of Japanese running

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571303161 ISBN 13: 9780571303168

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2015

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A journey into Japan's fabled running culture from the award-winning author of RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS

Welcome to Japan, the most running-obsessed nation on earth, a place where...

A 135-mile relay race is the country's biggest annual sporting event

Thousands of professional runners compete for corporate teams in some of the most competitive races in the world.

Marathon monks run a thousand marathons in a thousand days to reach spiritual enlightenment.

Adharanand Finn - award-winning author of RUNNING WITH THE KENYANS - spent six months immersed in this unique running culture to discover what it might teach us about the sport and about Japan. As an amateur runner about to turn 40, he also hoped to find out whether the Japanese approach to training might help him run faster.

What he learned - about competition, team work, form, chasing personal bests, and about himself - will fascinate anyone keen to explore why we run, and how we might do it better.

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Review:

What an adventure! From the first page, I was hooked. Way of the Runner is a heartwarming journey into a wonderful world that I never knew existed until Adharanand Finn swept me up and brought me there. (Christopher McDougall, author of Natural Born Heroes and Born to Run)

Brilliant ... Funny, charming and wise. Finn shines a light on a way of life that puts serious running at the heart of its culture and shows why the way of the runner: the racing and preparation, but also the culture, diet and lifestyle, is really a way of life - one that all of us, runners and non-runners alike should all aspire to. (Robin Harvie, author of Why We Run)

Insightful ... packed with tips for runners. (Shortlist)

Combines great storytelling with immersive research ... Finn, a lovely, anxious narrator as he approaches his 40th birthday worried about his race times, discovers how utterly ingrained in the Japanese psyche running is - as a mainstay of both community and psychology ... Useful as a fresh perspective on your own running. (Alexandra Heminsley (author of RUNNING LIKE A GIRL), Independent on Sunday)

Brilliant, superbly written and a cracking read. (Kate Carter Guardian Running Blog)

A great look at Japanese distance running and will provide an interesting read to anyone who wants to know what makes a particular running community tick ... if you liked Running With the Kenyans then you will definitely enjoy this. (Athletics Weekly)

Engaging ... The Way of the Runner drops us deep behind lines in the land of the rising sun. (Newsweek)

A fascinating journey through a running culture so dissimilar to that which western society is familiar with it can at times seem a different sport ... a great read, giving a rare insight into a sporting world rich in heritage, but also one that is in flux. (Ira Rainey, author of Fat Man to Green Man)

Utterly fascinating. I could spend much, much longer telling you about all of my favourite bits from this book, but I won't. Because I really want you to buy it. In fact I want you to buy two and give one away. I believe that there is not enough good storytelling about running (there could probably never be enough for me!) so I want people like Adharanand Finn to keep doing what they do. (Simon Freeman, http://simonfreeman.co.uk/2015/03/book-review-the-way-of-the-runner-by-adharanand-finn/)

An excellent book and a true insight into an anomaly of world running. Finn's keen eye and lilting turn of phrase make for a fascinating and easy read. I sped through the book in the manner of one of Finn's elite ekiden runners, wanting to know more, and wanting to experience it all with him. (Sports Book Review, http://thesportsbookreview.com/2015/03/31/book-review-the-way-of-the-runner-a-journey-into-the-fabled-world-of-japanese-running-adharanand-finn/)

Book Description:

A fascinating and personal exploration of Japan's obsession with running by Adharanand Finn, award-winning author of Running with the Kenyans.

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