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We all have positive and negative tendencies that shape our thoughts and actions. Some of us tend to overtrain, while others might beat themselves up over a missed workout or skip rehab exercises. A big part of coaching is identifying these tendencies in athletes and developing strategies to capitalize on the positive ones while minimizing the negative ones. In this article, we’ll explore how to identify your own negative tendencies and the discouraging self-talk that can hold us back, and find ways to harness the good and banish the bad.
Personality type is a broad way to capture a whole host of tendencies you might have, giving you a head start on making the best of what you’ve got. The most well-known personality research comes from the 1950s and categorizes people into Type A and Type B personalities. While this is just one of many personality frameworks, it’s simple and familiar, making it a useful starting point for getting to know an athlete.
Here are some broad definitions of the two types:
It’s important to note that these are extreme characterizations and don’t apply to all situations; you can be Type A in one part of your life and Type B in another. Neither type is better or worse; they both have their strengths and weaknesses.
Some common negative tendencies for each personality type include:
Type A tendencies:
Type B tendencies:
Once you figure out your personality type, you can use training tricks to turn type-based negative tendencies into strengths. For example, when coaching a Type A athlete, I always build recovery blocks into their plan to ensure they take necessary rest without feeling “lazy.” I also help them objectively review workouts and races, as they tend to focus exclusively on the negative.
On the other hand, when training a Type B runner, I focus on motivating them to adhere to the schedule by finding training partners for accountability or frequently reminding them of their goals to generate excitement.
While each personality type has its strengths and weaknesses, it’s the negative tendencies that hold us back. Some of the most common ones I’ve seen in my 30+ years of coaching include:
Let’s look at a few real-life examples to see if you can relate:
Kelly is a dedicated runner who has dropped her marathon time from 3:52 to 3:21 and qualified for Boston. Her biggest negative tendency is that toward the end of long runs and intense workouts, her mind shifts to getting back to her family. As soon as she gets home, she immediately focuses on everyone else, often skipping post-workout fueling.
To overcome this, Kelly now prepares a recovery shake before her hard/long runs and has it ready within 30 minutes of finishing. This has improved her recovery and the quality of her key workouts. Plus, her kids now help make the shakes and join her for a recovery drink break when she gets home.
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Alice, a professional runner, tends to start too fast in workouts. To fix this, we use two solutions:
These simple yet effective strategies have led to big breakthroughs in Alice’s training and racing.
Seth’s negative tendency is snacking too often and making poor snacking choices. Our solution is to have him put his snack servings in a bowl instead of eating from the bag. This interrupts the “eat the whole bag” tendency and helps control the quantity. Small victories like this can lead to winning the battle.
Brent is harsh on himself and engages in a lot of negative self-talk. To combat this, we developed a list of affirmations that he must read aloud every day. While it feels forced at first, consistent positive self-talk can rewire the brain over time. Brent is already expressing less negativity and making more positive statements after beneficial workouts.
Take about a week to identify the negative tendencies that are hurting your running. Once you’ve pinpointed them, make a plan:
Remember, it takes time to change habits. Relapses may occur, but focusing on developing new habits and building a new you across a training cycle can lead to significant improvements.
By identifying your personality type, recognizing common negative runner tendencies, and developing strategies to overcome them, you can break through plateaus and achieve your running goals. Whether it’s adjusting your training paces, mastering the art of recovery, or cultivating a positive mindset, small changes in just one of your negative tendencies can make a huge difference in your running journey. So, take the time to reflect, plan, and take action—your future running self will thank you!
Called one of the best and smartest distance running coaches in America by Runner’s World, Greg McMillan is renowned for his ability to combine the science of endurance performance with the art of real-world coaching. While getting his graduate degree in Exercise Science he created the ever-popular McMillan Running Calculator – called “The Best Running Calculator” by Outside Magazine. A National Champion runner himself, Greg coaches runners from beginners to Boston Qualifiers (15,000+ and counting!) to Olympians.
For More Expert Training Guidance: Training Plans Powered by McMillan Running
