“Tell me how you feel when you run, I’ll tell you who you are.” That is the title for a recent study published in the journal Scientific Research. The authors wanted to understand what motivates long-distance trail runners to push their bodies for hours (or even days) over difficult terrain in all types of conditions. They identified three main categories of trail runners — which one are you?
By BRITTANY HAMBLETON – Read more at: https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/what-type-of-trail-runner-are-you-according-to-science/
The researchers studied 14 trail runners during a 44 km race, during which they measured the athletes’ heart rates, speed and other quantitative data. Before the race, each runner completed a sociological questionnaire to determine their motivations, and at the end of each lap of the 8-loop course, the runners also stopped for 10 minutes to assess their perception of effort (RPE) and affective valence (pleasure/displeasure) to record any fluctuations during the event.
Through the data they collected, the researchers were able to identify three categories of runners: hedonists (who enjoy landscapes), resilients (who experience pleasure when they overcome an adverse life event) and competitors (who like measuring themselves against others). They then took that information one step further and asked whether the type of motivation affected the athlete’s experience during the race.
The authors determined that what “type” a runner was (based on what motivates them) had no significant impact on objective measures like heart rate and overall performance, but it did affect their perception of effort and how much they enjoyed the experience.
Resilients
The authors note that for this group of runners, “the trail race is an initiation race, a life course, where one finds oneself.” The race is like a representation of life, and of overcoming life’s difficulties, which leads these runners to block the feelings of pain or discomfort they may experience. For this reason, this group had the lowest perception of effort, but they also experienced the least pleasure during the race because for them, the biggest reward (and thus the most pleasure) comes after they’ve crossed the finish line, knowing they just overcame a challenge. “I feel strong, people applaud me for my courage. I did something that not everyone can do,” said one of the runners in this group.
Read more at: https://runningmagazine.ca/trail-running/what-type-of-trail-runner-are-you-according-to-science/