The introverted runner

Today's run (treadmill): 25 minutes

I was thinking the other day about running clubs and why, after four years of considering them, I have never joined one. I happened to be looking at the Huffington Post on the train home last night when I read an article that helped me understand my reluctance. The article is entitled, "Nine Signs That You Might Be an Introvert" and it described me to a T.

I already knew before reading that article that I fall on the introverted side of the spectrum. My company used to administer Myers-Briggs assessments that placed you into one of 16 personality types. I recall my profile came out as INTP (Introversion, Intuition, Thinking, Perceiving). I'd challenged the introversion assessment at the time, arguing that I was a person who interacted a lot in public, so I couldn't be an introvert. It was explained to me that introversion is not the same as shyness, although they are not opposites.

Realizing that I'm a classic introvert explains a lot about why I prefer to run alone rather than participate in running club activities. I like people, but not situations when I need to interact with big groups. Small groups are much more comfortable for me. Races are the exception, I love the energy of the pack and the shared experience of driving towards the finish line. Perhaps it's because racing lets you interact with others while maintaining a comfortable level of privacy.