Chapter 3 Chapter two

Chapter Two August 14, 2005 How a Kauai, Hawaii Man Became a Running Novelist Sunday, August 14th.In the morning, while using MD to listen to Kara.Thomas and Otis.Reading's music ran for an hour and fifteen minutes on one side.In the afternoon, I swam 1,300 meters in the swimming pool of the gymnasium, and went to the beach to swim in the evening.Then drink beer and eat fish at the "Dolphin Restaurant" at the entrance of Hanalei Town, which is a kind of white meat fish called "walu". Please ask the store to grill it with charcoal fire and sprinkle it with soy sauce.The side dish is Turkish-style grilled vegetable skewers with a large bowl of salad.Since the beginning of August, I have run exactly 150 kilometers until today.Running entered my daily life a long time ago, in the autumn of 1982 to be precise.I was thirty-three years old then.

A little earlier than that, I ran a sort of jazz club near Sendagaya Station.As soon as I graduated from university (because I was too busy with part-time work, I still have a few credits, so I should say that I am still studying), I immediately opened a shop at the south exit of Kokubunji Station. It has been in business for about three years. Due to the reconstruction of the building, I moved to the city center .The store is not too big, but not too small either.A grand piano was placed, and the store barely accommodated a quintet.It serves coffee during the day and turns into a bar in the evening.Food and wine dishes are also available, and live performances are also arranged on weekends.This kind of store was relatively rare at that time, the number of customers increased smoothly, and the operation was not bad.

Many people around me seem to predict that this kind of hobby-like business is doomed to fail, and that I, who is not well-versed in the world, will not have business skills, but this prediction has come to nothing.To be honest, I don’t even think I have the ability to run a business, but I just feel that if I fail, it will be the end of the road, so I try my best regardless of everything.Diligence, endurance, and unsparing physical strength, both then and now, are my only redeeming qualities.If I compare it to horses, I am afraid that I am not a racehorse specialized in competitions, but closer to a rough horse engaged in handyman.I'm a kid from a working-class family, so I don't know much about business, but my wife comes from a business background, and that sort of savvy in her helps a lot.No matter how good I am, I'm doomed to accomplish nothing if I rely on a poor horse.

It was hard work.I started working early in the morning and had to work until late at night, exhausting myself.I have encountered all kinds of severe situations, I have been thinking hard but have no good solution, and I have experienced the taste of disappointment many times. However, I worked hard without sleep and food, and gradually made ends meet, and even hired helpers.When I was about to turn 30, I was finally able to catch my breath.At that time, I had borrowed enough money from where I could borrow money, and I had a general idea of ​​​​paying the debt, and I finally felt that it was over.Before, I was so preoccupied with how to survive, how to keep my face out of the water, that I had little time for distraction.Now at least I have climbed a steep step in my life and came to a slightly more open place, and I have confidence in my heart: Now that I have arrived here safely, even if the road is rough in the future, I can probably handle it.Take a deep breath, look around slowly, reflect on the way you have come, and think about the next step you should take.Thirty is imminent, approaching the age when we can no longer be called young people.So—even I didn't expect it—I made up my mind: write a novel!

I can specifically mention the moment when I made up my mind to write a novel. It was around 1:30 p.m. on April 1, 1978.That day, I was watching a baseball game alone in the outfield at Jingu Stadium, drinking beer.Jingu Stadium was just a stone's throw away from the apartment where I lived, and I was an enthusiastic "Yakult Swallows" supporter.There is no cloud in the sky, the wind is warm, and it is an impeccably sunny spring day.At that time, there were no seats on the outfield of Jingu Stadium, just a slope with a piece of green grass growing.I lay on the grass, sipped my beer, looked up at the sky from time to time, and watched the game.As usual, there were not many spectators.The Yakult Swallows played at home against their opponents in the opening game of the season, the Hiroshima Carp.I remember that the pitcher of the Yakult Swallows is Yasuda.He was a short, chubby pitcher who was good at throwing tough breakups.In the first game, Yasuda easily blew up Hiroshima's offensive line.Then, late in the first inning, the first hitter, Deb Hilton, a young outfielder fresh from America, hit a left-field hit.The bat hits the fastball accurately, and the crisp sound resounds through the court.Hilton ran quickly across first base and easily reached second.And it was at this moment that I made up my mind and said, "Yes, try writing a novel."I still vividly remember the clear sky, the touch of the lawn that had just returned to green, and the sweet sound of the bat.At that moment, something floated quietly from the sky, and I accepted it unmistakably.

I have no ambition to be a novelist.I just wanted to write a novel with all my heart, and I didn't even have a specific idea, but I thought, "Now, I can probably write something decent."When I got home, I sat at my desk—alright, let’s start writing! Only then did I realize that I didn’t even have a proper fountain pen, so I went to the Kinokuniya Bookstore in Shinjuku to buy a stack of manuscript paper. And a Sailor brand fountain pen worth more than 1,000 yen.A small investment. That's a spring thing.In autumn, a work of about 200 pages with 400 words per page was finished.I feel very comfortable, but I don't know how to deal with it, so I took advantage of the opportunity to submit an article for the newcomer award of the literary magazine.There wasn't even a copy, so I must have felt that if I didn't get selected, it wouldn't matter if the whereabouts of this manuscript were unknown.This is the work that was later published under that name.At that time, what I was concerned about was whether the work could see the light of day, rather whether it could be finished.

In the autumn of that year, the Yakult Swallows, who were often defeated, won the league championship, entered the finals, and defeated the Hankyu Braves to win the national championship.I was so nervous that I went to Korakuen Stadium to watch the finals several times. The Yakult Swallows never expected to win the championship, and even transferred the right to use Jingu Stadium, the home stadium, to the Six College Baseball League.I still remember the events of that autumn.It is a beautiful autumn day with fine weather day after day.The sky is clear and high, and the ginkgo trees lined up in front of the painting hall are more vivid and bright than in previous years, shining with golden luster.For me, it was the last autumn of my life in the twenties.

In the early spring of the following year, the editorial department of "Group Portrait" called and told me that "your work has been shortlisted for the final round of selection".Hearing this all of a sudden, he couldn't understand what the other party was talking about for a moment, as if in a fog: "What?" All in all, that work won the Newcomer Award, and Xia Tian also released a booklet.Reviews of that book were so-so.At the age of thirty, I became a budding novelist, bewildered, bewildered, and unexpected.I was naturally astonished, and the people around me were probably even more astonished.

Since then, while running the shop, I have written a second short novel, interspersed with a few short stories, and even translated Scott Fitzgerald's short story. ((Let's Listen to the Wind Sings' and was nominated for the Akutagawa Award. Both were said to be the favorites to win the award, but in the end neither won the award. But to be honest, I don't think it's a big deal. If you win the award, it will inevitably be another interview There are draft requests again, which are endless and overwhelmed. I am afraid that it will affect the business of the store-I am more worried about this.

Run the store—keep accounts, check the purchases, adjust the schedule of the staff; I also get behind the bar to make cocktails, cook dishes and recommend them. After the store closes in the middle of the night, I go back home and sit at the kitchen table to write the manuscript until the end of the day. sleepy.This life lasted for nearly three years.I feel like I've lived twice as long as the average person.Of course, every day is physically hard.And while writing a novel while running a service business, all kinds of troubles also came to join in the fun.Service is a business in which you cannot pick and choose your customers.No matter who the customer is, as long as it is not too bad, he has to greet him with a smile and say warmly: "Welcome!" For this reason, I have met all kinds of strange people and experienced unimaginable things.In such a life, I absorbed all kinds of things frankly and actively.Generally speaking, with a forward-looking attitude, I am enjoying the new life and the fresh excitement it brings.

And yet the desire to write a novel of grand proportions and substance grew stronger and stronger.The first two novels, ((Let’s Listen to the Wind Singing) and ((1973’s Pinball), were basically written for the pleasure of writing. As for the quality, I also feel that there are too many unsatisfactory things left .Using the work gap, spread out the manuscript paper, and write intermittently for half an hour and an hour; supporting the tired body, writing like a race against time, and unable to concentrate. Writing in such a fragmented way, even if you can write I can't write novel and interesting things, but I can't write novels with profound content and far-reaching meaning. Since I was given the opportunity to be a novelist (not everyone will have such good luck), I want to do my best, Finishing a novel that I am satisfied with, just one—it is natural to have such a desire. I did have this idea: "I can definitely write a more grandiose work!" After careful consideration, I decided to close the shop for the time being , I spent a period of time concentrating on writing novels. At that time, my income from running a store was much higher than that of being a novelist, but I had to make up my mind to give up my love. Many people around me were against my decision, or were deeply skeptical. "It's so easy for the store to get on the right track, it's better to let someone run it, and you can go wherever you like and write your novel." They advised.From a secular point of view, this idea does make sense.People didn't expect me to survive as a professional writer at the time.I did not heed the advice.No matter what I do, once I do it, I have to go all out, otherwise I will not feel at ease.Entrusting the store to someone at will, and hiding somewhere else to write a novel by myself, I can't do such a flattering thing.Try your best to work hard, if you still can't do it well, you can let go with peace of mind.However, if it ends in failure because of ambiguity and half-heartedness, the feeling of remorse may not be wiped away for a long time. So, regardless of the objections around me, I sold all the rights to the store. Although I was a little embarrassed, I decided to live under the banner of a "novelist". "Give me two years of freedom. If it doesn't work, why not open a small shop somewhere? We are still young, so we can start all over again." I said to my wife.She replied: "Okay." At this time, there are still many debts that have not been paid off, but there must be a way.This happened in 1981.Do your best. I devoted myself to writing novels.In the autumn of this year, I traveled to Hokkaido for about a week to collect novel materials.In this way, the novel was completed before April of the following year.I was desperate, so I did everything I could.I even felt that even the solutions that I didn't have in me had come to a general mobilization.This is a work that is much longer than ((and listening to the wind)) and in length, with a much grander outline and a much stronger storyline. When the novel was finished, I had a feeling that I had found my own novel style.I deeply understand how wonderful it is to be able to write at my desk without worrying about the time, and concentrate on writing stories every day, but also how painful it is.I knew that there were untapped mineral veins sleeping in my body, and I firmly believed: "If this continues, I will be a good novelist in the future." So, finally, such things as "opening a small shop somewhere else" did not happen .Although I still often have such thoughts nowadays, I really want to go back to my old business and open a small, comfortable shop somewhere. I remember that it failed to win the favor of the editorial department of "Group Portrait", which was pursuing the so-called "mainstream literature" at that time, but suffered a cold reception.The form of novels in my mind seemed quite heretical at the time, I don’t know how it is now.The readers welcome this work with enthusiasm, which is the most gratifying thing.I consider myself, as a novelist, this work to be the essential point of departure.If you continue to write words that appeal to feelings like this while running a store, sooner or later you will run out of water and your ideas will be exhausted. However, when I first became a professional novelist, the first problem I faced was how to maintain my health.I was originally the kind of body that wanted to grow flesh without asking.Due to heavy physical labor every day, the weight is controlled in a stable state.I lived a life of writing at my desk from morning to night, my physical strength gradually decreased, and my weight increased.Because of the high level of concentration required, cigarettes can be overdone without realizing it.At that time, I had to smoke 60 cigarettes a day, my fingers turned yellow, and my whole body smelled like smoke, which was not good for my health.If you plan to live a long life as a novelist, you must find a way to maintain your physical strength and keep your weight just right.I officially started running every day. I remember that I finished writing. After a while, it was not far from deciding to be a professional novelist. Running has several advantages.First of all, there is no need for partners or opponents, no special equipment and equipment, and no need to rush to a special place.As long as you have a pair of running shoes and a so-so road, you can run as long as you like when you feel like it.This is not the case with tennis. Every time you have to go to the tennis court, you have to have an opponent.Although swimming can be done by one person, it is necessary to find a suitable swimming pool.After I closed the shop, I also moved my family to Narashino in Chiba Prefecture in order to change my lifestyle.That area was still a countryside with dense weeds at that time, and there was not even a decent sports facility nearby, but the roads were neat and tidy.Because the base of the Self-Defense Forces is nearby, in order to facilitate the coming and going of vehicles, the roads are well built.It just so happens that there is a playground of the Faculty of Science and Engineering of Nihon University near my house, and the 400-meter runway there can be used freely (or without authorization) early in the morning.So, almost without hesitation—perhaps out of choice—of many sports, I chose running. Also quit smoking.If you run every day, quitting smoking will come naturally.It's true that quitting smoking is not easy, but you can't keep running while smoking. The natural thought of "wanting to run more" has become an important motivation for quitting smoking and an effective means of overcoming withdrawal symptoms.Quitting smoking seems to be a symbol of saying goodbye to the previous life. For long-distance running, I didn't find it annoying.But I have never liked the physical education class at school, and those things in the sports meeting are even more disgusting.They are exercises forced on us from above. "Here, let's run!" I was forced to do things I didn't like at a time I didn't like, and I couldn't bear it since I was a child.On the contrary, if I want to do what I want, when I want to do it, I can do as much as I like, and I will work harder than others.My motor nerves and reflexes are not particularly good, and I am not good at those quick-fix sports, but long-distance running and swimming match my temperament.I am more or less aware of this.That's why I didn't have any discomfort. I took running as a part of my life and accepted it as a matter of course. The following topic has nothing to do with running, so allow me to make a few digressions.In terms of learning, my mentality is not far from the same.From elementary school to university, with very few exceptions, I was generally not interested in the things that were compulsory in school.I also warned myself that "this is something that must be learned", and I learned most of what should be learned before I was admitted to the university.Yet I hardly ever find studying interesting.Although they are not ashamed to show their grades, they have never been praised for their excellent grades, or the glory of being the first in a certain subject.Interest in learning comes after the prescribed education system has been roughly completed and a so-called "social person" has been established.I understand that by pursuing the fields of interest and related things according to the rhythm that suits me, and using the methods I like, I can master knowledge and technology extremely efficiently.For example, translation skills are also so self-taught. It is said that they pay for themselves and learn bit by bit.It took a lot of time to mature the skill and repeated mistakes, but because of this, the learned things are more solid. The happiest thing about becoming a professional novelist is that you can go to bed early and get up early.In the era when the store opened, it was already dawn when it was time to go to bed, and such things were commonplace.It closes at twelve o'clock, and then tidy up, clean up, settle accounts and keep accounts. In order to relieve the excitement, I have to chat and drink some wine.After going back and forth like this, it will be three o'clock in the morning, almost dawn.I often sit at the kitchen table and write manuscripts alone, and the eastern sky is gradually turning white.Ever since, when I woke up and opened my eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. Closing the shop and starting a career as a novelist, the first thing we—my wife and I—did was to completely change our lifestyle.We decided to get up when the sun came up and go to bed early when it was dark.This is the natural life we ​​imagine, the life of a decent man.We are no longer engaged in the service industry. From now on, we will only see the people we want to see, and try not to see the people we don't want to see.We thought such a small luxury would be harmless, at least in the short term.This sentence seems to be repeated over and over again: I am not a person who is good at communicating with people, and it is necessary to return to the original state at a certain point. As a result, we changed from an "open" life that lasted seven years to a "closed" life.I think it is a good thing that such an "open" life once existed at a certain stage of my life.Thinking about it now, I have learned too many important things from it. This is similar to the comprehensive education period of life, and it is my real school.Such a life cannot last forever, however.The school thing is a place to go in, learn something, and then go out. Get up at five o'clock in the morning and go to bed before ten o'clock in the evening, such a simple and regular life begins.The time of day when your body is most active varies from person to person, but for me it was the early morning hours.Focus on getting important work done during this time.The subsequent time is either used for sports, or for chores, and for tasks that do not require a high degree of concentration.When the sun goes down, you can relax and not continue to work.Either read a book or listen to music to relax and go to bed as early as possible.I generally live according to this pattern, to this day.Thanks to him, his work has been smooth and efficient for the past twenty years.It's just that if you live in this mode, the so-called nightlife almost ceases to exist, and the communication with others will undoubtedly be affected.Others got angry.Because others asked me where to go and what to do, and such invitations were rejected one by one. It's just that I think, regardless of being young, there is always a sequence in life, that is, how to arrange time and energy in sequence.Before a certain age, if you don't make such a plan in your mind, your life will lose focus and become inappropriate.Compared with interacting with the people around me, I would rather establish a stable and harmonious life where I can concentrate on writing novels.In my life, the most important interpersonal relationship is not with some specific characters, but with more or less readers.Stabilize my foundation of life, create an environment where I can concentrate on writing, and produce high-quality works—even if it is only a little bit, these will be welcomed by more readers.And this, isn't it my responsibility and obligation as a novelist, isn't it the first priority? This kind of thinking is still unchanged today.The readers' faces cannot be seen directly, and the human relationship constructed with them seems to be conceptual.However, I have always lived my life by defining this "conceptual" relationship invisible to the naked eye as the most meaningful thing. "It is impossible for a person to be slick in all directions, and to please all sides." To put it bluntly, that is what it means. During the opening of the store, it was also based on the same policy.Many customers come to the store.If one out of ten people says: "This store is very good, I like it very much. I will come again next time." That's enough.As long as there is one repeat customer out of ten customers, the store can survive.Even if nine people don't like it, it doesn't matter much.It's much easier to think about it this way.However, the "one person" must be truly and 100% satisfied.Operators must have a clear attitude and philosophy, hold it high as their own dignity, endure the storm with perseverance, and persevere.Here's what I've learned from first-hand experience opening a store. After that, I wrote novels with this mindset.Readers also continue to increase as the works are published one after another.What makes me most gratified is that my works have many enthusiastic readers, that is to say, the "tenth" of repeat customers has steadily increased.They (mostly young readers) wait patiently for my next book, and read it as soon as it comes out.This system gradually took shape.And this, for me, is the ideal -- at least the one that makes me very comfortable -- situation.You don't have to be a top runner.I don't have any dissatisfaction if I can write what I want to write according to the way I think in my heart, and I can still live a life like everyone else.However, later, unexpectedly, the sales were very good, and the standard of "good mood" was chased and changed, but that is a topic for a long time. After I started running, there was a time when I couldn't run very long distances.Twenty minutes, or about thirty minutes at most, I remember, after running just a little, I was panting and almost suffocated, my heart was beating wildly, and my legs were trembling.Because I haven't done decent exercise for a long time, I am helpless.Being seen by neighbors while running is also a little embarrassing, as is the title "novelist" in parentheses that is occasionally appended to the end of your name.However, after insisting on running for a period of time, the body actively accepted the matter of running, and correspondingly, the running distance increased little by little.Things like running posture are also formed, the breathing rhythm becomes stable, and the pulse also stabilizes.Regardless of speed and distance, I first insist on running every day, as uninterrupted as possible.In this way, running, like three meals a day, sleep, housework and work, is organized into the life cycle.It became a natural habit, and the feeling of embarrassment became weaker.I went to the sporting goods store and bought suitable and sturdy running shoes, sportswear for running, a stopwatch, and an introductory book for beginners, and read it.In this way, people gradually evolved into runners. Now that I think about it, the most fortunate thing is that my body is quite strong.For almost a quarter of a century, I have been running non-stop every day and participated in many races, but I have never had a leg and foot pain that prevented me from running.I didn't warm up well, but I never had a physical breakdown, got an injury, or got sick. I'm not at all a good runner, but I'm certainly a strong one.It's one of the few qualifications I'm proud of. At the beginning of the new year in 1983, I participated in what was called a cross-country race for the first time.Although it was only a short distance of five kilometers, he still wore his number and joined the crowded crowd. After a "ready, run" run, he felt deeply: "I can run quite well." In May, in Yamanakako participated in the fifteen-kilometer race.In June, I wanted to try to see how far I could run, so I ran around the palace alone. In the end, I ran seven laps, 35 kilometers, and the speed was not bad. .In this way, I can also run a full marathon.And I deeply understand that the most painful part of the full marathon is after running 35 kilometers, which is later. Looking at photos of myself from this period, my body is far from being a runner.The amount of practice has not been accumulated enough, the necessary muscles have not been trained, the arms and legs are very thin, and the thighs are very thin.Compared with my current body shape, I am not alone - if I keep running for a long time, the muscle shape of my body will change dramatically.People can't help but sigh: With this posture, I can actually run a full marathon! But at that time, I ran every day, and at the same time felt that my body structure was changing day by day. There is a possibility of change! Such unknown places are revealed bit by bit through running. Soon, the weight that was slightly increased gradually stabilized.Keep exercising every day, and the weight that suits you will naturally be determined.The most propellable muscles of the body begin to appear.Immediately, the food I ate changed little by little. The food was mainly vegetables, and the protein was mainly absorbed by eating fish.I have never liked meat very much, and I am eating less and less.Eat less rice, reduce alcohol consumption, and use natural ingredients for condiments.And sweet things, I don't like it. As I said before, I have the kind of physique that will gradually put on weight if I don't do anything.No matter how much my wife eats (not much, but she eats desserts whenever she has something to eat), she doesn't exercise, she doesn't get fat at all, and she doesn't even gain cellulite.I often think: "Life is really unfair!" Some people can't get things without hard work, but some people can get them without hard work. But when I think about it, this kind of physique that is born prone to obesity may be a kind of luck.For example, in order not to gain weight, people like me have to exercise vigorously every day, pay attention to diet, and exercise moderation.What a strenuous life! However, if you never slack off and keep working hard, your metabolism can be maintained at a high level, your body will become healthier and stronger, and aging may also be slowed down.People who do nothing and gain weight do not need to pay attention to exercise and diet.It is not necessary, but the number of people who are looking for such troublesome things to do is definitely not too many, so people with this kind of physique often lose their physical strength with age.If you don't pay attention to exercise, your muscles will relax and your bones will become weaker naturally.What is fair can only be understood from a long-term perspective.Some readers of this article may have such distress: "Oh, I will gain weight if I am not careful..." You should use positive thinking and regard this as good luck bestowed by God: it is easy to see the red light , is lucky enough.However, it is not easy to think about the problem in this way.This point of view may also apply to the profession of the novelist.Naturally gifted novelists are free to write novels when they do nothing, or do whatever they do.As if the spring water is bubbling from the spring, the article gushes out naturally, and the work is completed without any effort at all.Such people occasionally exist.Unfortunately, I'm not that type.This statement is not boastful: No matter how hard I search around, there is no trace of the spring.If you don't tirelessly dig out the rock with a steel chisel and drill deep holes, you will not be able to reach the water source of creation.In order to write a novel, the body must be enslaved, time and labor must be wasted.If you want to write a new work, you have to dig out deep holes one by one.However, by persisting in this kind of life for many years, I have been able to find new water sources with considerable efficiency in terms of skill or physical strength, and drill holes in solid rock; Move decisively and quickly to the next one.And people who are used to relying on only one natural water source, if they do this suddenly, they may not be able to do it easily. Life is fundamentally unfair.This is an unpublished theory.Even in an unfair place, I think we can hope for some kind of "justice".It may take time and effort; or even take time and effort, but it is still in vain.Whether such "fairness" is worth deliberately seeking, of course, depends on each individual's own discretion. When I talk about my insistence on running every day, someone always expresses their admiration: "You are so strong-willed!" Of course I am happy to be praised, which is much more pleasant than being belittled.However, it is not possible to be omnipotent just by being strong-willed. The world is not so simple.To be honest, I don't even think that insisting on running every day has much to do with the strength of willpower.I have been able to run for twenty years, probably because running is in line with my temperament, at least "it doesn't feel so painful".Life is born like this: you can naturally stick to things you like, but you can't stick to things you don't like.Will and the like may also have a little something to do with "persistence".However, no matter how strong-willed a person is, how competitive a person is, he can't persevere in doing things he doesn't like; if he does, it's not good for his body.So, I never recommend running to anyone around me. "Running is a wonderful thing, let's run together", I tried my best not to say it.People who are interested in long-distance running, even if you ignore them, they will take the initiative to start running;A marathon is not a sport for everyone, just like being a novelist is not a job for everyone.I didn't become a novelist through persuasion or recruitment (some people stop me), but I thought about it and voluntarily became a novelist.In the same way, people don't become runners because they are told to, they become runners naturally. Having said that, maybe someone really read this article and suddenly became interested: "Okay, I will try running it too." Really practice running. "Hehe, isn't this fun?" This is of course a good result.If this happened, I, as the author of this book, am also very happy.However, there are things that are right and wrong for everyone.Some people are suitable for marathons, some are suitable for golf, and some are suitable for gambling.When I saw the physical education class in school, all the students were asked to practice long-distance running, and I felt deeply sympathetic: "It's so pitiful." Those who don't want to run at all, or those whose physique is not suitable for running, let them all run indiscriminately Long-distance running, what a meaningless torture.I really want to give advice: Before there is any problem, quickly abolish the practice of letting junior high school students and high school students run long distances.Of course, if someone like me came forward to say such things, no one would pay attention.School is a place where the most important thing we learn is the truth that "the most important things are not learned in school." No matter how long-distance running is in line with his own temperament, there are also days like this. "I feel so heavy today. I don't want to run." There are often similar days.At this time, I found all kinds of high-sounding reasons, wanting to rest and not wanting to run away.I once interviewed Olympic long-distance runner Toshihiko Seko shortly after he retired to coach the S&B team.At that time, I asked: "Will a high-level long-distance runner like Seko-kun feel like he doesn't want to run today, feels bored, and wants to stay at home to sleep?" Responding in a tone similar to "Why did this person ask such a stupid question": "That's no use asking! This kind of thing happens often." Now that I think about it, I think it was a stupid question.At the time, I also understood.However, I still want to hear his own answer.Even with all the differences in physical strength, activity, and motivation, I wondered if he was thinking the same way I was when I woke up early in the morning and tied my jogging shoes.Seko-kun's answer made me feel relieved from the bottom of my heart.Ahhh, everyone is the same. Allow me to say something personal.When I feel "I don't want to run today", I often ask myself this question: You are generally living as a novelist, you can work at home alone at the time you like, and you don't need to get up early and return late to suffer in a crowded tram , without having to attend boring meetings.Isn't this a very lucky thing? Compared with it, isn't it just running around for an hour, what's the big deal? So the scene of the full tram and the meeting appeared in my mind, and the morale was boosted again, and I was able to start again. Fasten the laces of your running shoes, and you'll be out for a relatively smooth run. "Yeah, if you don't even want to do such a little thing, you will be punished by God." Although I said this, I actually knew it in my heart: many people think that it is better to take a crowded bus instead of running for an hour every day. tram to a meeting. Don't gossip.That's how I started running.三十三岁，是我当时的年龄，还足够年轻，但不能说是“青年”了。这是耶稣死去的年龄，而司各特·菲茨杰拉德的凋零从这个年纪就开始了。这也许是人生的一个分水岭。在这样的年龄，我开始了长跑者的生涯，并且正式站在了小说家的出发点上——虽然为时已晚。