Jimmie Johnson takes heat on social media from all sides.

There are people telling the seven-time NASCAR champion to retire because they think he’s washed up since he hasn’t won a race in almost two years. There are fans of his who are frustrated with his drought and think he’s not trying hard enough. And, as of late, there are people who wish he hadn’t spent so much time training for the Boston Marathon — which he plans to run Monday — because his focus isn’t on racing 100 percent of the time.

Despite being the most accomplished driver currently in the Cup Series and having a packed schedule, Johnson hears (or reads) his critics — and has a retort.

“The people that don’t train and don’t live the life I do don’t get it, and it’s easy to be a keyboard warrior from your couch,” Johnson recently told For The Win.

He’s arguably the most in-shape driver on the track, and intense training like this is nothing new. He’s done triathlons and a 100-mile uphill cycling race, and he often has his bike with him on race weekends. A week before the 2019 Daytona 500 in February, he did the Daytona Beach Half Marathon and finished second in his early-40s age group at 1:34:18. So it’s hardly surprising that he’s currently training for the Boston Marathon — his first 26.2-miler.

By your remarks you don’t strike me as a fan or someone that understands my DNA. Do what you need to. ✌️ — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) April 10, 2019

Johnson said he wants people to understand that NASCAR and training for a marathon are both endurance-based challenges that employ “the same headspace.” And they complement each other.

“It’s the only thing I’ve been able to find that pushes me through barriers mentally,” he said. “The dedication required to be in shape for endurance sports is the same dedication required to drive a race car. These two worlds really parallel one another.

“And the fitness side — I get criticized at times: Oh, I’m not focused on my racing. BS. It is the same space, and it’s the only thing that I’ve been able to find that taps into that same headspace that I experience in the car.”

The fact people think my physical training takes away from my car racing is absurd. But thank you and you’re amazing too. https://t.co/7HzgLbXtZh — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) March 13, 2019

People on Twitter have a lot of opinions about his non-NASCAR activities, and he knows how they feel — the loyal supporters and the relentless doubters. He reads his Twitter mentions sometimes, occasionally responding to demands to retire and to those who don’t appreciate his desire to compete beyond the world of motor sports.

“There were so many nice people talking about me (on social media) and how good of a driver I am and how young I am,” the 43-year-old driver said sarcastically after a rough ride at Martinsville Speedway a few weeks ago, when he finished two laps down.

Truth. I’m also confused at times what people think social media is for? I choose to use it to show fans what ELSE I do with my life. You would think it’s pretty obvious racing is the priority. 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/Qo097ufvtM — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) March 13, 2019

I’m far from done JA. https://t.co/fnWiSBCYe5 — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) October 1, 2018

Although most runners have to qualify for the Boston Marathon, Johnson received a sponsor-exempt entry after teaming up with Gatorade — a long-time sponsor of his behind the wheel, too.

He also has the support of Ally Financial, which partnered with him after Lowe’s, his primary sponsor for his first 17 seasons, left NASCAR at the end of 2018. The company is also sending a “pit crew” to the Boston Marathon route, said Andrea Brimmer, Ally’s chief marketing and public relations officer. Hundreds of people, including dozens of Ally employees, will be in front of a firehouse and decked out in Jimmie Johnson gear to push their driver through a series of hills — including the infamous “Heartbreak Hill” — in the last third of the race.

Related Jimmie Johnson has a special reason for taking on the Boston Marathon

“It’s a massive accomplishment to run any marathon — let alone the Boston Marathon — and we want him to know that the Ally team supports him 100 percent,” said Brimmer, who said she’s finished a few 26.2-mile races of her own. “The more mentally and physically strong Jimmie is, the better driver he is. …

“I don’t think it’s really fair for people to second-guess his reason for wanting to run and wanting to challenge himself as a person.”

The perfect timing of both the marathon and NASCAR’s schedule is the only way Johnson can do both. NASCAR competes at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night, and the No. 48 Chevrolet driver will head to Boston afterward to spend the next 30-some hours recovering and resting for 26.2 more miles. (That’s assuming inclement weather doesn’t push the race back to Sunday, making the marathon even more “challenging”.)

At his day job, Johnson is used to multiple people talking in his ears over the radio when he’s on the track. But he finds serenity and solace when he goes for a run.

Ranging from 30-minute spurts or for an hour or two at a time, Johnson grabs his running shoes and purposefully leaves his phone behind. He doesn’t need music and doesn’t want the distraction of his phone.

“I just want some peace and quiet for an hour,” he said.

He needs some time for himself — even if it’s fleeting — and he’s adamant that it helps him behind the wheel. And marathon or not, he’d still be consistently working out.

“From the two worlds being combined together, it’s my hour — and with marathon training, it’s been two hours sometimes — to really organize my head,” said Johnson, whose Boston Marathon bib number is 4848.

“I couldn’t tell you how many times I have come back from a run, called my crew chief, taken notes, thought of an idea, come up with a shock package, thought about driving at a race track. When you slip off into that space when you’re out on a long run, I organize my life — my personal life, my professional life, drive laps at the track we’re coming up to — and really use that time.”

1:33 for the 🏁. That one hurt, the wind was crazy on the way out to the beach. Tailwind on the way back was nice. Next up: drivers meeting and #Daytona500 qualifying pic.twitter.com/GGAjJFYE1d — Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) February 10, 2019

Perhaps it is helping. Johnson opened the 2019 season with a new crew chief, Kevin Meendering, after splitting with longtime crew chief Chad Knaus — one of the many changes to his team this year.

He started the season winning The Clash exhibition event. Two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway, he won his first pole since the 2016 season — also the year of his last championship — and finished in the top five for the first time since May. At Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, he earned his fourth top-10 finish of the year, which is more than he had at this point last season.

His peers, meanwhile, see no issue in his decision to run a marathon.

“I’m not going to run the Boston Marathon for sure,” Johnson’s teammate Chase Elliott told USA TODAY Sports. “But I think it is awesome, and it is something he enjoys and it is healthy.

“I don’t think it takes away from his efforts on track at all. There is enough time to disconnect and separate and go do something you like to do and clear your head and still focus on the weekends.”

Johnson has been tapering and letting his body heal over the last few weeks and said at Texas Motor Speedway “the bulk of (the) mileage is behind” him.

As his training has cooled down in intensity recently, his body is finally starting to feel normal again after running hundreds of miles in the previous few weeks, he told For The Win.

But don’t get him wrong: It’s been grueling, and his demanding day-job schedule only intensifies that. He said he also lost a month of quality training because of three different injuries — including to his calf — along with a fever and “some kind of throat and head thing” that knocked him out for a week in early March.

Through all that, plus the 5 a.m. runs, there were plenty of times in the last four months when he questioned his decision to add more work to his load as a professional athlete.

“I’ve been so exhausted and my legs have been so dead that I’m like, ‘What am I doing? I’m so tired of running,’” he said laughing.

But you don’t earn seven NASCAR championships and 83 career wins — tied for sixth on the all-time wins list — without being ultra-competitive. A few hiccups won’t stop him from running, just like a slump on the track isn’t stopping him from chasing a record-breaking eighth title.

Despite the setbacks and all the reasons not to run a marathon in the middle of the NASCAR season, Johnson said he’s still “comfortable” with where he’s at in his training and his ability to complete the marathon. He just knows he might not hit his aggressive three-hour goal.

“We’ll see what the pace is, but I feel very good about my fitness and just really excited about the experience,” he said.

And to the countless fans questioning him — wondering why their driver is supposedly distracted with running when he should be racing, why he’s adding miles with his feet to his thousands behind the wheel — his message is simple.

“I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t (help on the race track),” Johnson said. “My life is so busy, I would not dedicate this time to it if it didn’t help me with the car.”