The Introvert's Guide to Training in a Giant Group

The Anxious Introvert’s Guide To Training In A Giant Group

Nita Sweeney

My first Marathoner in Training (MIT) session in 2011 intimidated the heck out of me. The friend who invited me had not mentioned the size of the group. I was a bit, ahem, more “chronologically mature” than almost everyone and shaped nothing like the fast runners at the front of the pack. Plus, I did not own a Boston Marathon jacket. I did not think I fit in.

Still, I was ready to train for my first half marathon and wanted the MIT rewards. Lured by fluid along the trail, a training schedule, and a coach to keep me from getting lost, I showed up. Over time, I learned that my fears were unfounded. 

Most routes are out and back, so it is tough to get lost, especially if you stay with the group. And we do not train with the whole group, only our smaller pace group. In those pace groups, we run or walk two-by-two. I only had to converse with the person beside me, not the entirety of MIT. Plus, those speedy people (and runners and walkers in general) are some of the most encouraging humans on the planet. MIT includes people of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. There was a spot for me. Once I discovered all this, I found my training home.

But I was (and am still) an anxious introvert. I must use my tools.

If this resonates with you, try a few of these:

• Come early to get settled in. Every Saturday, arrive before the start time, find a parking place, and sit in your car while you extend your exhale to calm your racing heart.
  
  
• Or show up late and avoid chit chat. You could roll in at the last minute and hop into whatever group has not yet taken off. Not recommended but if it means you show up…
  
  
• Be brave. Hang near the coach or that other introvert standing at the edge of the group. Ask “What are you training for?” Nearly everyone has their eye on a prize at the end of each MIT twenty-week session.
  
  
• Drop back. If a chatty group is draining you, fall back. Be mindful not to trip the person behind you, but step off the trail and say, “I’m going to drop back.” Either wait for the next group to catch you or tuck in at the back of the group with whom you are training.
  
  
• Tell folks you do not want to talk. “It’s not you; it’s me.” While we introverts might think it actually is “them” (JK), it is fine to reassure others that you just need space.
  
  
• Do not feel like you must attend all that MIT offers. If you can take advantage of the full MIT bounty (Wednesday speed work, pub runs, trail training, etc.), do it. But if your energy needs mean you only do the Saturday workouts, no one will judge. The goal is to show up on race day trained and rested.
  
  
• Try bone conduction headphones. For safety reasons, we do not suggest full-ear headphones or earbuds. You need to hear your coach as well as that cement mixer headed your way. But hearing your tunes through bone conduction headphones can help.
  
  
• Make your discomfort your object of meditation. Infuse your thoughts and body sensations with awareness and equanimity. If your extrovert friends ask why, you are so quiet, explain that you are using their voices as your object of meditation. This is my not-so-secret weapon.

Okay folks! How do you manage your energy in a group the size of MIT? We would love to hear your own personal success stories. Please send your thoughts to nita@nitasweeney.com

Nita Sweeney is an ultramarathoner, mindful mindset coach, and award-winning author of Make Every Move a Meditation and Depression Hates a Moving Target. She helps athletes, businesspeople (especially lawyers), and creatives thrive.