Taking a Mindful Run with Murakami: A (hermeneutic) phenomenological approach

Abstract

Long-distance running is an intra-subjective activity that orients the individual towards his/her own experiences and struggle for achievement within both the narrow context of training and competition and the broader context of life itself. This article takes a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to the obstacles and opportunities entailed in running; within this framework, mindfulness training will be prominently featured. These practices have been shown to strengthen the mind–body connection, increase situational awareness and enhance psychophysical well-being. The aim here is to examine the experiential aspect of long-distance running, aided by various understandings gleaned from mindfulness, phenomenology, Buddhism and sports, with a special emphasis on the memoir What I Talk about When I Talk about Running, by Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami.