Even if there were two of me, I still couldn't do all that has to be done. No matter what, though, I keep up my running. Running every day is a kind of lifeline for me, so I'm not going to lay off or quit just because I'm busy. If I used being busy as an excuse not to run, I'd never run again. I have only a few reasons to keep on running, and a truckload of them to quit. All I can do is keep those few reasons nicely polished.

Don’t you see? You and he might never cross paths again. Of course, a chance meeting could occur, and I hope it happens. I really do, for your sake. But realistically speaking, you have to see there’s a huge possibility you’ll never be able to meet him again. And even if you do meet, he might already be married to somebody else. He might have two kids. Isn’t that so? And in that case, you may have to live the rest of your life alone, never being joined with the one person you love in all the world. Don’t you find that scary?

Music brings a warm glow to my vision, thawing mind and muscle from their endless wintering.

How much do you love me?' Midori asked. 'Enough to melt all the tigers in the world to butter,' I said.

I couldn't tell wether the hole that opened up inside me was from missing you or from the change of season

Sometimes it's not the people who change, it's the mask that falls off.

Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that's the essence of running, and a metaphor for life