What Type of Runner Are You?
In many ways, I feel like I’m starting over with running.
I had a big and strong training cycle leading up to the Chicago Marathon last fall. I had the most fun I could have while running a marathon and then a solid recovery from the race. My weekly mileage went down after the race for obvious reasons as I shifted from training-for-a-marathon into running-to-maintain-fitness. 2022 started with my 10-year Runniversary challenge and training to achieve four half marathons in four weeks. In between all that, however, I started to notice a shift where running was starting to feel hard. Yes, I know running is hard, but the level of hardness was starting to feel incredibly frustrating, especially when I wasn’t training for anything in specific. Initially, I chalked a lot of the fatigue up to the cocktail that is parenting, pandemic, and a world out of sorts. Working with my run coach, I made changes to my training (less days of running and less running in general) to see if that would help with energy levels. I made an appointment with my doctor and got bloodwork done that revealed abnormal iron levels and thyroid levels, both important things when it comes to energy. Pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together, but in their revelations, came more questions and more waiting.
Here I am, 10 years of running experience under my belt, facing a whole new running landscape where running feels hard because my body doesn’t have what it needs to perform in the way that I mentally want my body to perform. So, I’m running less, but thinking about running more (thus, all the “Mental Side of Running” posts since March). I know I will figure it out eventually and, in the meantime, I am left wondering what kind of runner am I?
Am I a beginner, intermediate, or advanced runner? What do those terms even mean? Is the answer found in number of years, miles, or races? Well, you’re in luck because my curiosity takes me many places.
We’ll start with Amy J. Wall’s Medium article that describes three categories of runners based on time and potential:
A beginner runner is a runner that lacks experience and needs consistency. This runner isn’t an intermediate runner until at least six months of consistent training. The beginner runner has a lot of untapped potential.
An intermediate runner has been running for a few years and knows about training philosophies. This runner has probably had injuries but has learned from them and has learned the importance of recovery. These runners know how their bodies respond to training and still have some untapped potential.
An advanced runner has been running for years and is close to reaching their potential. These runners have a keen awareness of the subtleties of their bodies and can better shift their training to reach their goals.
Next, we’ll travel to “Hanson’s Half Marathon Method” (2014) that break runners down into four categories based race experience:
Veteran runners or runners who have “logged plenty of miles over the years and have probably run several half-marathon in the past” and “are looking to take their previous marathon performances to the next level.”
Recreation runners or runners that “are not running newbies, having completed a number of shorter races” and are “looking to establish a half-marathon baseline…probably [moving] up to the next level after running the half-marathon.”
Novice runners are bucket-list runners that will be one-and-done when it comes to racing.
Beginning runners are charity runners or “people who decide to do a race as a way to begin a fitness program.” Some of these people will continue to run and “some will abandon the sport following their race.”
Similarly and finally, “Daniels’ Running Formula” (2014, 3rd edition) has four categories with an emphasis on mileage:
Starters are people who have not been running or are getting back into running.
Intermediate are runners “who are involved in some running but to a rather limited degree.”
Advanced are “serious runners” who have “considerable running experience” and “who want to increase their dedication to the sport.” Racing is an important part of training for these runners.
Elite are “very serious” runners “who have considerable experience and time for training and want to feel prepared for races over a variety of distances.”
Based on these sources, I would consider myself advanced (Wall), veteran (Hansons), and advanced (Daniels). I’ll be honest and share that this surprises me! I know I’m not a beginner because of my experience and dedication to this sport, but I thought I would fall into a more intermediate category of running because I don’t have super fast times and am motivated to run all the miles by the feelings of joy and fun. This adds some perspective to the feeling of starting over because the type of runner I am is more than just running days, times, and mileage. I knew this, but I needed the reminder.
Moral of the story: the type of runner you are has more to do with your dedication and involvement with the sport than specific years, miles, and times. Use labels if they feel validating and let them go if they feel limiting.
I hope this exploration has helped; it definitely helped me feel more grounded in myself as a runner. Let me know your thoughts on the different runner types. Do you fall into one of the categories? Do you think there should be other categories? What categories have you seen?
