As a child, I admired Jackie Chan. He could run up walls, leap onto chandeliers, and even fall from buildings only to land, somehow, on a market stall roof and be saved. It was difficult for me as a child, but I genuinely believed that when I grew up, I could become like Jackie Chan. But at some point, a friend told me that just because you grow up doesn't mean you can do those things, and I learned the reality for the first time (it was a far more shocking realization than learning Santa Claus isn't real). Yes, I couldn't become Jackie.

Yet, strangely, as an adult with more free time, what I desired was a fighting body like Jackie's. That might sound dramatic, but I felt I needed physical strength to complete my work properly. Modeling is a physically demanding job. Shoots can start early in the morning, and on days with multiple shoots, there's hardly any rest until night. And since no job can be done without focus, concentration and thinking skills are essential. There's a lot of travel, leading to sleep deprivation, and after several days of this, it really becomes tough. As long as I can cover it with willpower, it's fine, but on the other hand, the accumulated fatigue becomes harder to shake off. So, I started kickboxing to build stamina, and recently, I learned about someone who started running 30 years ago for his work: the author Haruki Murakami.



I've read most of Haruki Murakami's novels, but I had never delved into his essays. Reading his new essay, 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running,' surprised me. It's a 'memoir' that directly confronts himself, centered on the theme of running. It also includes elements of Murakami's life philosophy. Why does he keep running? Why does he continue to challenge himself with full marathons and triathlons? Running isn't just a hobby; it's something he continues to do to 'maintain and improve his physical condition to write novels properly.' He runs in Honolulu, Athens, Boston, and New York. He runs to keep writing. He learns much about writing novels from running on the road every morning.

'To burn oneself out as effectively as possible within the limits given to each individual—that is the essence of running, and it is also a metaphor for living (and for me, for writing).' (From 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running')

Although I've only just started kickboxing, reading this book gave me the courage and confidence to continue. Somehow, I feel I might become Jackie someday, and I'll give it my best tomorrow too.