매일 달리는 비결? 더 달릴 수 있을 때 멈추기!

Japanese novelist Murakami Haruki described the satisfaction of running marathons as something unique, unlike anything else. He wrote that the only thing left when crossing the finish line was a sense of relief that he could stop running if he wanted to. At first, I thought that only someone who had completed a marathon could say such a thing. However, now I understand that it is the most accurate description. This is the story of the day he ran the full marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers for the first time.

At around the 35-kilometer mark, he felt an overwhelming urge to stop running. All he could think was, "I need to see if I can do this again." After that, the remaining 7 kilometers had no memory for him. His legs felt like a zombie, moving towards the finish line. Once he crossed the line, the world around him seemed to fade away.

Cheers, people's faces, and even the water bottles lining up in front of him all seemed like a blur. The only thing left in his vision was the water bottles in his hands. His legs felt like they were no longer his own. All that remained was a single sensation - drinking water.

After drinking the water, he realized that he was still conscious. The relief he felt after completing the marathon was far less intense than the anxiety and worry that had been bothering him for days before. And then, very soon, I too felt the same relief as Murakami. "Ah, I did it." Compared to the anxiety and worry that had been keeping me up at night for days, this simple statement of accomplishment was almost trivial.

And then, gradually, Murakami's feelings began to find their way back to me. I too understood that I could stop running whenever I wanted to.

But a few days later, I found myself picking up my running shoes again. I had made a new resolution not to run anymore.