Are You An Extrovert Or Introvert Runner?

#388 - This week asks the question: Are you an Extrovert or Introvert Runner? there is no wrong or right answer and most people are a bit of each. But, depending on your answer could determine what training and your races look like. This episode isn't meant to be taken too seriously, just a bit of fun to have a look at our personalities. So, are you training for a world-renown marathon or an ultra high in the mountains? Or neither? 

Transcript

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Hidden West share stories you might not hear anywhere else. Want to know why the last chance grade might be the most dangerous bit of highway in California? Why did the Japanese drop bombs on the western part of the U.S.? And where is the state of Jefferson? All these stories and more about what makes the Western U.S. so great are here. There's a new story published every week. Check out Hidden West on YouTube. Welcome to Martha Runs the World, a podcast with a new take on running, fitness, and all things health-oriented. I'm Martha Hughes, your host, and each week I present a new topic that is of interest to all runners. Hi, and welcome to episode 388 of Martha Runs the World. Thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate it each and every week. This week I thought I'd do something a little different. I thought I would talk about what type of runner you are with your personality. And there's a few different types, and this might help you become a better runner, or at least find you races and workouts that you enjoy better. Then maybe what you're doing now. Also, I'm going to give a a product review at the end of the episode, so stay tuned for that. And I'm going to talk a little bit about what's going on with me right now. Okay, so it's a full episode this week. So let's have fun with it. Are you an extroverted runner or an introverted runner? It doesn't have to be either or. Many of us have a little of both, but sometimes it helps to know what our personalities are like in certain running situations. So let's first go over what each is. Carl Jung created the terms introverted and extroverted. Let me explain what each is. What is an introvert? Introverts are typically prefer reflection and independence. They thrive in quieter environments and find solitude restorative. Introverts tend to be deep thinkers and good listeners. And while introversion is sometimes confused with being shy, there is a difference. Shyness is a fear of being judged negatively by others. Whereas introverts don't or may not have problems with confidence or worrying about others' opinions. They simply prefer being by themselves to look inward and to process their thoughts. So just because they're shy or don't like talking, it doesn't mean that they are not confident. They just it's just what they like. So that's kind of a confusion that comes about a lot of times with introverts. It's not that they're not confident, maybe they just don't want to talk to you. It's not personal. Trust me, it's not personal. Characteristics and signs of an introvert. Not every introvert checks all the boxes, but if several of these traits sound familiar, you may lean towards the introverted side of the spectrum. You enjoy spending time alone or in small groups of people you know well. You are a thoughtful listener, you prefer deep one-on-one conversations over large group dynamics, you avoid conflict, you think before speaking. And what is an extrovert? Extroverts are energized by social settings and being with other people. They often thrive in group environments and tend to think out loud. Um extroverts want to go out with friends after work. They love being around people and they don't like being by themselves. Sometimes they say they get bored being by themselves. Extroverts are often seen as outgoing and confident and and are and many are natural leaders, characteristics and signs of an introvert. Of course, not all characteristics and signs of an extrovert. Sorry about that. Not all extroverts are the same, but if these traits resonate with you, maybe you lean towards being an extrovert. You feel energized by social interaction, you enjoy group projects and collaboration, you're comfortable speaking up, you make decisions quickly, you like to talk through problems, and you like to try new things. Now there are four different types of each one. For the four different extroverts are extroverted censors who are strongly inspired by the physical world, extroverted feelers who enjoy listening and talking to other people, extroverted intuitives who enjoy thinking abstractly and having deep conversations and friendly debates, extroverted thinkers who are goal-oriented, high achieving, and decisive. The four introverts are introverted socials who prefer smaller crowds or one-on-ones, introverted thinkers who are introspective and get lost in their thoughts, introverted anxious feel shy and awkward around others and strong desire for solitude, and introverted restrained are more cautious and more thoughtful about their actions. And it is thought that many of us have the characteristics of both. Some people don't mind being in groups once in a while, although they prefer being one-on-one or by themselves most of the time. And a mix of the two is called ambivert. Ambivert is a balance between introvert and extrovert. Not necessarily balance, but it's a mix of the two. Like you can be 30% extrovert, 70% introvert, or whatever. They don't mind large groups of people, but they also like spending spending time alone. Most ambiverts have more of one than the other. So it's usually not 50-50. It could be 60-40, 20-80, you know, whatever. Amberverts love being inside, but they can strap on trail running shoes and go out and on the trails for hours at a time. Or they don't mind doing a big race once in a while, but they prefer smaller races. It really depends on what you like. Or they love the big races, but a small race once in a while is okay. It really depends on them. I think of myself as an ambrovert. I lean more towards the introverted side, but there are times where I am more of an extrovert, but I do think I have more introvert in me. I'm not into big crowds. I do prefer one-on-one or small group or by myself. Much more preferable than a giant crowd. And even though I love doing the podcast and I do like to talk, I don't like being in front of a camera. I do some of my short videos uh filming myself and I still feel uncomfortable every time I do it. I'm very self-conscious. So if you watch those, please be kind to me. I just oh, I don't just don't like it. I'm just not an in front of the camera type person. I also don't like staying inside too long. I love the feeling of fresh air and experiencing the outside. I just don't want to do it with hundreds of other people. I mean, there's a reason I haven't been to Yosemite Valley for decades. It's just there's too many people, and I if I'm gonna be outdoors in the Sierras, I don't want to be it with too many other people. I love Tahoe and I'm gonna be living near Tahoe shortly, but I don't want to live in Tahoe because there's just so many people. I don't mind it once in a while, but I need to get away from it also. I remember in 2020 when the state of California ordered us to stay inside. Well, there's a problem with that. I'm terrible with taking orders that I think are stupid. That is one thing about me. If I think what you're telling me to do is dumb, I might not do it. The best way to fight the thing that that I'm talking about, and I'm not gonna mention it by name, was to be in the sunshine outdoors and exercising. So I figured I'm gonna go on my long walks around my neighborhood, and eventually I got met up with a friend and we went trail running. Even though the trails were closed, we still went on them. We're rebellious that way. And this did me more good for my health and emotional and mental well-being than being shut inside ever would. I mean, there are people to this date who still stay inside all the time. There are people to this day who still wear masks all the time. It's like, you gotta get past this, you know, you really have to. That you that's that's their thing. So, you know, who am I to say what? I do my thing, they do theirs. It is how it is, right? Um, it is said that introverts love to be cozy inside away from everything, and that's fine for a while, but then I need to get outside. Amberverts are balanced, they love to talk, but maybe not talk all the time, and maybe only talk with those they trust in situations they're comfortable in. And then there's the last group, omniverts. Are you confused yet? You did you just think there were two? I thought there were only two, and then I found out about these other ones that were added. It does get a bit confusing. Ambiverts and omniverts were added later, of course, and I'm not sure if Jung would approve to these, but they are there. The difference with omniverts is they swing wildly between extroverts and introverts. So I'm assuming there's not that many of them, or not as many as the other ones. They'll refuse to leave their home for three days, and then all of a sudden they signed up for a big marathon. So that's how they are. So they're like w one extreme to the other. They swing wildly from extrovert to introvert, it seemed like chameleons. Their moods dictate how they will feel that day. So they're a much smaller group, and um you might say, Well, that is me, that's how I feel. I can change from day to day. Okay, well at least you know who you are. Now you're asking, but what does any of this have to do with running? Okay. Ask yourself, would you rather run by yourself or in a group? Would you rather run a road marathon or a trail ultra marathon? Would you rather train before dawn by yourself or after work in a running club? Would you rather celebrate after your race by buying yourself something special or going out with a bunch of other runners from the race? There are no wrong answers, of course. By understanding who we are as runners and what we like as runners, this can help us dial in our running and really help us become better runners. If we know what we like because of our personality and who we are, we can, you know, maybe toss aside some of the stuff that doesn't matter and actually work on what really matters. Sometimes we get pushed in one direction or another because we have friends who want to do that, but maybe we don't feel like it. But we feel obligated to do it. Well, you shouldn't ever feel obligated to do something you don't want to do. So just explain to your friends, well, I might not be doing that, but I'm gonna be doing this one. So if you want to join me, you can and just put it out that way. And hey, if you wind up doing the race by yourself, then do the race by yourself. I'm sure you'll make friends there. It just really depends on what you like. If you like a big giant marathon and none of your friends want to do that, they all want to stick to ultras on a trail, then that's fine. Let them do that. You do your big marathon and then maybe do an ultra with them afterwards. It really depends on what you want to do as a runner. It's up to you. It's your run, your race, your rules. Now, see, some of us fun runners get stuck doing too many races just for the heck of it. I mean, it's it's one thing to love racing, but sometimes we get we get too many runs in or too many races in, and that is also not good. If you run too fast for too many times, you you get risk of injury. And maybe you're doing races that you don't necessarily like and you can get burned out. So, I mean, sometimes people run for the love to race, and that's an extroverted type thing. And if you're that way, then that makes sense. Maybe you show up every week at Park Run and you see your friends, your mates, as they say in Great Britain, and you have a wonderful Saturday morning, and that's what you do. Well, that's awesome. But if you're also the type who also runs big races, maybe every Sunday, then maybe you're doing it too often, and maybe that doesn't fit your personality. Maybe you're just doing it because you think you have to, and maybe it it isn't as much fun anymore as it used to be. It really depends on what you want out of your running and what you feel out of your running. If it's not fun, running should be fun, and your races should be fun. And if it's not fun anymore, then you've got to do something else. That's basically it. What if your fret best friend wants to go to a race and it doesn't fit into your training schedule for your big race? Do you still do it? Or maybe you tell your friend, I'm not gonna race it, but I'll go and support you and I'll be cheering at the end for you. Or if it's an ultra race, I'll crew you, or I'll be your pacer, or something like that. You can also do that. You can be supportive without actually running the race in some way. What if you wake up one day and don't feel like running the race you've worked so hard for over weeks or maybe months? Well, you should finish that race because you trained for it and finish the race and then figure out what you want to do as a runner, and well, as an extrovert, introvert runner, ambivert, or whatever. Figure out what you want to do as a runner. Figure out what fits into your personality. Um, the answers to these questions may depend on whether on what type of runner you are. Introverts are not as much into racing as extroverts are. We appreciate the joy of running itself. I mean, I like being out just running on a trail or just running in a street where I see beautiful views. That to me is the joy and the the the blessing of running. That it really is. That's the gift. The race isn't the gift. I'm not actually, I don't have I'm not signed up for any races now at all. I'm just going out to run just for the sake of running, and I love it. And it just gives me just a pleasure to do it. I'm probably not going to sign up for a racing for another year or so until I move, because I just don't want to spend the money for a race and for other things. But right now it's just it's just nice to go out and run. Now, there are several ways we can tell the different types apart. And just a reminder, no one is 100% one or the other. We each have a little bit of a balance of each, even if you're mostly an extrovert, you still have some introvert in you. You j all of us do. Um, but let's see if we can find out the difference, some of the differences between them. Extrovert runners love to run in groups, they love clubs, they love relay teams, they just love that type of thing. They get energy off social interaction, they live for races. You will find extroverts racing every weekend or nearly every weekend. They love the runners high from races, they love nothing more than to talk about the race with other runners. They love crowded races, they love road marathons, they love the big races. Uh, they'll they'll try to they'll travel to big races, they love these things, and they love showing off their medals. That's them. Introverts, as you might guess, are different. They're not so much as into the big races. They may do them and it may bring them great joy, but some uh times those those crowds can get a bit much to them. They prefer solo quiet runs. They are more likely introverts are more likely to get stressed and pre-race jitters. You may not find them at post-race celebrations. They may leave quietly and enjoy their post-race on their own, in their own way. Ultrarunning is made for introverts. The hours spent alone on the trail is perfect for those of us who like the quiet and solitude. So if you are an ultrarunner, you might be an introvert. Maybe you're not big into um communicating with others. You might just say hi and and you know what's going on in a wave or something like that. That's an introvert. So you may you you may not be as talkative as extroverts. Now, as I said, most people are a mix of the two. I would say there's more ambiverts than anything else. Ambervert runners can enjoy both solo and group runs, though they may prefer one over the other. And you have to figure out what you like best as a runner. They can balance trails with road runs, as you might have guessed, but they do have a preference for one or the other. And just a few things about different types of runners. On the trails, if you pass an introvert, a quick wave is all they need. Don't feel bad if an introvert doesn't want to talk with you. It's not personal. On the other side, an extrovert may want to stop and have a full conversation. So these are just the differences. If they're the extrovert and you're the introvert, they can't feel bad if you don't want to do that. I know that my days of big crowded races are over. I used to do these huge races that were jam-packed, and I have no desire to do that. And um I just the logistics of getting to those races, staying in the hotels, getting to the start line, getting back after the end of the race, if it's a point-to-point, getting back to the start, it's just all stressful to me, and I just don't want to do that anymore. And is is there something now? This I don't know, and I couldn't find anything about it. But is it something about getting older when we switch from extrovert to introvert, or maybe we switch to ambervert? I have no clue, and I don't even know if that's a thing, but I know that my days of being around giant crowds and and getting excited over being in that crowd are way long gone. I'm done with that. So I don't know if that's a if that's an older thing or something. I or maybe it's just me. I don't know. So let me know if you know. And all of a sudden we're just guessing here. I'm just guessing anyway. I'm not I'm not a therapist or anything like that. So I don't know. But yeah, so you have to think figure out what you like as a runner and what you want to do as a runner because that will make a difference over what you choose um in the future for your running. Now, a few weeks ago, a company emailed me and asked me if I was interested in trying their product. And well, they well, they had first asked me if I wanted to interview them, and I told them, well, I don't really do interviews on the show anymore, but I would be um, but if you want to send me some samples, I can give it an honest review. I I couldn't promise that I would like it, but I would tell my listeners exactly how I felt about their product. And they said, sure. So they sent me a ton of samples, just a ton of these samples. And for the record, I've never heard of their product. I didn't know anything about them, so this was just really out of the blue. And this is it's their product is Pocono maple water, and this is the first time I've seen maple water. I've never heard of maple water before. I don't know anything about it, or I didn't know anything about it. Um, according to the company website, maple water is harvested directly from the maple trees during the spring flow and lightly filtered. It's only harvested during the spring. It comes in 11.16 fluid ounce containers. They're small enough that you could stash one in your hydration vest for your runt if you wanted to. Uh, maple water is pretty healthy, it's low calorie and filled with antioxidants, electrolytes, and prebiotics. It's an alternative to coconut water, basically, which is really good because some of us don't digest coconut water very well. If you know what I mean. And what does it taste like? Now, see, this is the really strange part. I didn't had no idea what it would taste like. I thought it would taste like maple syrup, but it really doesn't. It tastes like water with a little bit of a sweet taste. Teeny little sweet taste to it. It has a hint of the mapley flavor, just a little bit, but it's very light and there's no aftertaste. I tried taking it on a run, but that really didn't work very well for me. It did, it didn't do anything for me, basically. But so what I did is that I took a couple of the samples and I put them in the fridge, and I had one when I got back from a run, and this was the best thing. It's really good for post-race or post-run beverage. It tastes really good when it's cold. It still tastes like water with a little bit of sweetness. Um, but chilled, it's really it's much, much better. I can even see adding this to your juices or liquids for a very nice after-run beverage, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, your choice. So that would be the way I am going to um enjoy it from now on, is that when I get back from run, I'll have one waiting in the fridge for me, and I will um enjoy it that way. It's just better. It's better than uh you don't want to you don't want to uh drink at room temperature, in my opinion. Now it's kind of expensive, so it's like $40 for 12. That's really, really expensive. I don't know if I would buy them. It is pricey, so I'm not sure if I would pay that much for them. I would love to see it available in a store. And that way I could buy like a couple containers of it at a time. I I don't think I would buy 12 at a time. I I just really don't. That's really expensive. Um, but if money is no object to you or you don't mind paying that much, their website is Poconoplewater.com. And try them out. You know, see see how they are for you. You may really enjoy them, and it may be worthwhile for you to spend that kind of money to get them. It's it's not bad. And it's not like something you're gonna consume all the time. It's not like soda or a beer or something where you're gonna just drink a whole bunch at once. You know, no, you're gonna save this and just have it for like a post-race or post-run uh uh beverage. That's what I would do anyway. Because of the problems I had lately, I haven't been running as much as I should. Um, for the second time since I've had my podcast, I got laid off a job. It's been weird because I've had my podcast since uh 2019. And yeah, this is the second time I've been laid off. So yeah, I got laid off my job, and then I had tooth problems, so I haven't been out running as often as I should. But this all changed last week when I went out on a run and I actually got some really nice hill work in. It was really, really good, and I felt pretty strong, and I hadn't lost a whole lot of fitness. I said, what is this magic? I have not run that much, but yet I still feel really strong in the hills. So that was cool. So then this week, past weekend, I went out on a lot of on a couple runs and they felt really good. So yeah, I haven't lost a lot of fitness. I've gained a few pounds, so I have to lose those. Um, but I haven't really lost a lot of my running fitness. So that is pretty cool. That gives me a really nice uh feeling. Also, this tooth problems, though, I I don't know. I mean, it's it either I I don't know what's gonna happen with it. Either, either it's gonna be okay or I'm gonna need root canal. They're not sure yet. Uh, money, money, money. Uh, anyway. Um so we'll uh we'll see about that. But other than that, it's been pretty cool. Um, but I'm really glad to get back into running, and I will work really hard not to take such a break from running again because you know I love it so much. I love it more than anything else right now. And I hope to be getting a regular job again with not the weird hours because those hours just suck that I had last time. Anyway, so that is it, and that is the show. So thank you so much for listening, and I truly appreciate it. You can email me at martyrrensorworld with gmail.com. And on that note, let's tie up our glaces and go for a ride.