Are most runners angry people ?

I do agree to a large extent.

Most runners are type A personalities...that drive and competetiveness can definitely make us tough to deal with at times.

I have always wondered if running is a form of self-medication for angry / depressed people. Certainly more healthy than drugs / alcohol.

Actually, I'd contend very much the opposite. I have been on some very large racing clubs and know very few very angry runners. My guess is that about 93% of the national population of angry runners posts on letsrun, though.

I often times find myself angry when I'm out on my run and get stuck behind people on a side-walk or at a red light. It maybe costs me two or three seconds, but I'm very agressive and angry when out running. Its kind of weird, because it is one of the highlights of my day, and I don't feel relaxed and the anger doesn't leave me until the run is done.

Clowns of the Purple Sage wrote:

Actually, I'd contend very much the opposite. I have been on some very large racing clubs and know very few very angry runners. My guess is that about 93% of the national population of angry runners posts on letsrun, though.

Good observation. I would agree with this.

I have noticed that as you get older, the % of angry runners tends to increase. Now, obviously my observations do not equal facts, but I think I know why this is the case.

When you are younger, all kinds of people are running. As you get older, most people tend to put their running further back on their list of priorities, behind the needs of those they love (wife, kids, etc). Therefore, the more serious runners tend to be more self-concerned. Who seriously puts a 3 hour track workout ahead of spending time with their kids on a Saturday? Someone who is very selfish.

It makes sense, really. A lot of older runners are divorced and often either very successful or surprisingly underachieving in the workplace, depending on how they value their career.

There is always the outlier. The happy family guy that just happens to find the time to meet everyone at the track, etc.

Most of my friends would say that I'm very shy, quiet and quite laid-back for the most part, but for some reason when I'm out running I have a totally different personality. If out running and a pedestrian or driver says or does something to me negatively, I often become very explosive to the point where I'm out of control. To be honest, I wish I could control this behavior, because one day either I or someone else is going to get seriously hurt. I have no idea why running does this to me.

Fergie, is that you?

It's just narcist runners, people who do it for fun aka joggers are some of the happiest people on earth. And probably healthier too.

"Narcist" is not a would. Then again, neither is "angy," although "angy" is closer. It might have something to do with fishing.

I wouldn't consider myself shy or quiet, but I am pretty laid back. However, when I was in college I was very compulsive about running. I had to run at the same time every day, at the same pace, and I would not compromise changing my routines for anyone including teammates. Alot of people really value the time they spend running. During that hour they are free from life and they take it very seriously. If anyone interferes they tend to get very upset. I think this is why alot of people consider them angry. Like someone else mentioned, its one of the few instances that you will see a quiet, reserved guy, flip out. When people are out on the streets running they get so into their run sometimes they feel like everyone should respond to them rather them them having the responsibility to respond to others(traffic,passerby etc). This isn't really that unusual. Imagine if you were studing in the library and someone walked by and sreamed in your face. You would be pretty pissed! Its the same thing with running, the probelem is that running takes place in public and you can't control the idiots that torment and interfere with you unless you confine all your runs to a private track or cross country facility.

Optimistic wrote:

Is there any correlation between runners and angry people ? I know quite a few active runners that are just very angry, bad-tempered people ? What's up with that, and has anyone else ever noticed the same?

Judge for yourself. My own observation is that many of the BEST athletes are among the nicest people you will ever meet. Allyson's twiiter is almost obscenely NICE.

Many of what you see here (that Ryan called out recently) are wannabe assholes how don't know much and just try to trash others to make themselves look good in their mediocrity.

How ironic since your post is full of hatred.In general, I find runners to be nice people, except for Coach D and a few over the top people.

Coach D wrote:

Judge for yourself. My own observation is that many of the BEST athletes are among the nicest people you will ever meet.

=/=

Many of what you see here (that Ryan called out recently) are wannabe assholes how don't know much and just try to trash others to make themselves look good in their mediocrity.

ah uh ok wrote:

How ironic since your post is full of hatred.

In general, I find runners to be nice people, except for Coach D and a few over the top people.

Well,

I stay away from message boards at all costs. Not to say that everyone messaging on letsrun has no idea what they are talking about, but most of them don't.

You sound like exactly what Ryan Hall was talking about.

Another troll gets you fools to take the bait.

Running clubs contain joggers -- no disrespect, but they're different from runners. Joggers use running as a form of enjoyment, stress relief, and comraderie. What could there possibly anger you about that?

Runners, on the other hand, are constantly punishing themselves to achieve greater levels of performance. Some runners can use anger and aggression as a tool to enhance performance, and can turn it off and on. Some runners have a harder time with the turning it off part. But I agree with the poster who referred to runners being Type A personalities -- hard-driving, competitive, intense, high stress, angry tendencies. You would have to have that to so what runners do.

Regarding Ryan Hall, has anyone seen him race? I would call him pretty darn aggressive and angry during races. He's one of the guys who can turn it off when the race is over.

As has been said, most of the runners I know on varsity and otherwise are good natured and not angry. But for some people myself including, running fills a deep void and helps us stay sane.

Running is my way of making the world make sense, at least for a bit each day.

And yes, I get pissed when I get caught at a light, but even more when I get caught behind people on a narrow path in the winter where there is high snow banks on each side. And if a car cuts me off I yell shit and am more aggressive when running than usually.

I wouldn't say runners are any more angry than anyone else. But I do think runners (especially young male runners) often have a lot of repressed emotional intensity that they normally control and that they redirect and express through running. I don't think that emotional intensity is necessarily anger.

It's just that in civilized society there aren't a lot of socially acceptable ways to burn off the free-floating energy and intensity that young men in particular have. Running and sports is an acceptable and productive way to do it. In earlier times, I suppose all of that intensity would have gotten burned off by spending all day running after mammoths with spears or whatever.