Is there a runner's PERSONALITY?

here’s some negatives from my experience. i have found runners to be a little strange in general, especially the sub-elite, 32flat 10km type of guys. I find many have insecurities that are exposed unintentionally through casual interactions, such as rounding down or lying about workout times, obsessions over other peoples times (for comparisons to themselves) and harsh criticisms for those who are better than them. i find a lot of runner guys to be withdrawn and a little anti-social outside of running and the team. many of them have resentment toward those who are at a lesser level or those who do not run all together, as if they are wrong for choosing not to exercise like we do.

a lot of male runners have a preoccupation with self image and bodily features and are very competitive with others on their team where it isn’t needed. as much as i dont want to say it because im a runner, many guys in the <155lb club do feel threatened by those guys who chose football as their sport or those who are naturally larger. We justify those insecurities by proclaiming that we are super fit and others are lazy and in poor health when they are 210lb and 5’11.

The girls on the team where I am seem to be less concerned about their bodies than many non-runners and have quite different personalities than the guys on our team.

This is something I notice a lot, but I notice the commonalities among our track team more. The sprinters all seem to be fairly high strung and like attention. When I say "like attention" I don't mean it negatively, but they just seem to need massages and heating pads more often; so basically just driving our trainers crazy and flirting quite a bit at meets. The distance guys (myself included) seem content to just sit around before our races and go about our business. I guess the introverted description is pretty good along with us being a little goofy. Some of the guys have some downright nerdy senses of humor. (I, of course, am perfect. Women want me, men want to be me.) The throwers are all pretty laid back guys who love to party, eat, lift weights, and crack jokes. Basically they're a blast to hang out with. Anyways, thats my take on the whole personality thing.

Leroy,

that sounds like my team too, actually. Scarily similar.

I would say that 95 percent are assholes, 4 percent elite(arrogant assholes) and the rest either dead(Pre) or brain dead(The 4:30miler). All that data was obtained courtesy of Letsrun message boards so it should be accurate.

Junksta wrote:

i find a lot of runner guys to be withdrawn and a little anti-social outside of running and the team.

Really? Anti-social? Maybe that one Ziegle sister. Other than her it seems most runners keep to themselves and generally don't violate others' human rights.

Or, maybe you just don't know what anti-social means.

Runners anti-social? I think so. I've been a runner all my adult life & hell yes I'm so anti-social even my own running club banned me from their message board & made it clear I won't be missed from any club activity:) :)

I think all these generalizations are simply worthless. I know that I do not fit the stereotype. It seems that many people who have read about runners like some ideal that they are introverted, somehow mysterious, and different from "regular guys." Truthfully, I think runners can be as normal as anyone else, its just that far too many like to pretend that they are Quenton Cassidy.

generalizations?...yes. for a reason. runner share some traits or they wouldnt be runners. Maybe they share many of those triats with other athletes not in running but there definately is some similarities there. Anti-social means the opposite of pro-social, anyone who is anti being social-doesnt seem that hard to understand to me.

bump

Okay I'd feel more comfortable going with a date to a movie or to dinner than taking her to some rave or some disco...or to some social as well...

Woody Wilson wrote:

I think all these generalizations are simply worthless. I know that I do not fit the stereotype. It seems that many people who have read about runners like some ideal that they are introverted, somehow mysterious, and different from "regular guys." Truthfully, I think runners can be as normal as anyone else, its just that far too many like to pretend that they are Quenton Cassidy.

Many are thin skinned and take offense easily.

ahyes wrote:

Woody Wilson wrote:

I think all these generalizations are simply worthless. I know that I do not fit the stereotype. It seems that many people who have read about runners like some ideal that they are introverted, somehow mysterious, and different from "regular guys." Truthfully, I think runners can be as normal as anyone else, its just that far too many like to pretend that they are Quenton Cassidy.

Many are thin skinned and take offense easily.

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The thing is, no one likes being judged!!