What's Your Runners Personality Type?
We’ve all heard of Carl G. Jung's theory of psychological types (INFJ here), but I thought it would be fun to explore our Runner personality type—which I totally made up.
Just like in Jung’s theory, I’ve come up with four dichotomies to determine your runners personality type. Read each description and choose the one that you identify with the closest (noting that we are sometimes a bit of both sides).
What I love most about runners is that we are all so different, yet we connect on some level. It’s fun to explore our motivations. What’s your runners personality type?
Social Runner (S) vs. Individual Runner (I),
Social runners wouldn’t dream of running alone, they join as many group and social runs around town as they can find. Running is more fun with a friend or ten.
Individual runners prefers the serenity of a solo run. They focus on their goals, have paces or distances to achieve at each workout, or they use running as moving meditation. Their only regular running partner has four legs.
Externally Motivated (E) vs. Internally Motivated (N),
An externally motivated runner does it for the race medal collection, age group medals, or admiration from their peers. They regularly run multi-day race events for the bonus medals and happily show them off on #medalmonday. They have an ever growing collection of the symbols of their accomplishments.
An Internally motivated runner also has some race medals, but they are hanging on a door knob or stored in a drawer. They are motivated by internal goals and a drive to improve, whether that goal is to perform better, to lose weight, or feel better emotionally.
Runs for Body (B) vs. Runs for Mind (M)
Runners who are motivated to look good, run to stay in shape, they keep track on the calories burned during their workouts and have a healthy body and heart to show for it.
Runners who are motivated to feel good, know that running is good for their body, but equally as beneficial to their mind. Their main motivation to hit the road is to run to sweat off the stress of the day, the physical health benefits are a welcomed side effect.
Trains for Race Performance (P) vs. Runs for Fun (F)
Runners who train for race performance are always chasing that next personal record. They may have trouble taking a rest day or stepping back between races. They are always signing up for the next race, pushing to get to the next level.
Runners who run for fun, may sign up for a race, but their goal is to have fun and finish. They don’t put a lot of pressure on themselves with performance goals and happily identifies with a middle or back of the pack racer.
I’m an INMF. I’d love to know…What is your runners personality type? Tell me in the comments or on Twitter!
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what’s your runners personality type?