Your Runner Personality

Are you a different person when you stride out your door, laces laced, tights tight and GPS GPS...ed? I think I am. By day, I am a mild-mannered (sometimes) educator with a heart of gold (more like silver, but still a precious metal). By run, I am a man-on-a-mission; a stone-cold mile-slaying robot from the future; a carnivorous devourer of all that is mileage; an individual with a single-minded approach that is both insane and maniacal to the uninitiated. Okay, so that was a bit of morning-hyperbole, but I am certain different from one aspect of my life to the next.

I started thinking about this after an article I read regarding the running community and its acceptance/embracing of social media (don't have the link, but it just popped up while using the app Stumbleupon). I won't go into the article too much because the topics are different, but it was more of a catalyst for my own thoughts. While the article was about how social media aids in the running communities desire to meet each other and share our passion, I was more interested in the personalities that come along with the different aspects of our lives.


I think we are all a little like Michael Keeton in Multiplicity, just without the clones and piss-poor dialogue. Instead, we embody those clones inside our squishy core. Every day, we head off and act professional in whatever career/job we "choose" to suffer-through. Then we come home, maybe act like a father/mother, or a wife/husband. Later, you may go out with some gender-aligned friends for a few drinks and your "friend personality" takes over. Having running in the mix is no different - we each have a runner personality, and I think runners are the only ones that can understand this.

Like I alluded to, my runner-self is a bit more intense than my teacher-version. I go out for a run with a purpose, and I thrive in that regard. If I plan on running 15 miles, I am going to get it done no matter what. I also have blinders on when I am trudging along; I appreciate the world around me, enjoy the sights and smells, but I am in the zone. Running appeals to me because it is such a great way to disconnect and remove myself from reality for awhile. While some people use drugs or video games, I choose to strap on some weird-ass shoes with toes, and subject myself to discomfort and pain; am I a masochist? Are we all masochists? Maybe. Just not to the extent of this guy:


How different is your runner personality? Does it leak into your other personas? It does for me! Maybe it is the endorphins, but I think running has made me a far more upbeat person. Additionally, I am a bit more on the random side now, as I do and say things that are reflective of the insanity put into running. This part is hard to explain, but essentially it just makes me more of a verbal risk taker, and I am far more honest. In essence, we runners are all like Superman, and if you were Superman, wouldn't you be a little more confident as Clark Kent? Maybe even a little cocky in the knowledge that you do things other can't? Yeah, we've earned that right, I think.


So, what kinds of personalities do you have? How do you differentiate between them? Do you have any conflicts?

Training:
This last week was a mixed bag. I got through my 15 mile long run without any major issues, but I had to skip a run last week in order to rest an ailing Achilles. I have been icing this portion of my leg, much like I did with my knee, and I am confident that it won't be a major issue, but I just need to be careful. I still continued with my lifting/cross-training, and I have started to really emphasize the work on my core. This week will be a good test of my legs, as I have a time trial, and my long run goes down a bit in mileage. I may also be running a 9 mile trail run on Sunday, so I am excited about that.

Questions:
What would you liken your runner personality to?

How have your changed since becoming a runner?

Apparently this is a half-marathon week for some training plans; do you have one planned?

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