Running Quiz: How Much Do You Know-Part 2

By , SparkPeople Blogger
I have been told that my running first quiz was a little too easy for some of you, therefore I have been given a challenge from a Spark member and fellow runner to see if I can put together a little more exciting and daring quiz. So here goes...GOOD LUCK!


  1. The only purpose for speed work is to make you a faster runner.

  2. The hard/easy approach is the what will allow you to become a better runner.

  3. A good bench mark on how you will do in longer races is to use the finishing times in shorter races.

  4. One of the most important pieces of equipment a runner should own, after a good pair of shoes, is a heart rate monitor.

  5. An increase in your resting heart rate is a sign that you are making progress.

  6. If you are a new runner running at least 10 miles a week, you can run a marathon within 4 months with proper training.

  7. Cardiac creep is the obnoxious runner next to you at a race who insists he's going to finish first in his age division.

  8. A bandit is someone who likes to run races, but refuses to pay for them.

  9. Piriformis syndrome is a pain in the bum, literally.

  10. Runners should always run with the flow of traffic.


1. FALSE-While one of the purposes of speed training is to adapt to running at a faster pace, it is not the only purpose. This type of training also helps a runner raise her anaerobic threshold, the point at which the body produces more lactic acid then it can get rid of, so that she will be able to utilize fat further into her run. Speed work also helps a runner develop better form such as a faster arm drive, faster leg turnover, as well as teaching your body to run at a certain pace.

2. True-Making every run a hard run in your training is a surefire way to an overuse injury. It also does not allow your body time for recovery which may ultimately slow your progress. Alternating hard days with easy days lessens the chance of injury in addition to providing the body with a nice recovery. For new runners an easy day can be counted as their cross training day or even a day off from all activity. And for seasoned runners, it may be just a nice slow run.

3. TRUE-Running coaches call these shorter races, data point races. Say you would like to run a 10K in a certain finishing time and your fastest 5K to date was 32 minutes even. Some believe when they double the distance they can double their finishing time, but that is not the case in most situations. The longer the distance, the slower your pace will be. Plugging your race time into the following running calculator will predict an approximate time for you to finish a race of longer distances. The calculator puts a 10K projected time at 1:06:28 based on the 32 minutes 5K time. However, remember too that other factors come into play for your finishing time-weather conditions, the course you are racing (hills will make for a slower race), your sleep prior to your race, nutrition and hydration are also contributors.

4. FALSE-Heart rate monitors are a great supplemental tool and offer valuable feedback on a daily basis, especially for those just starting out. However, once again factors such as outside temperatures and caffeine consumption, can skew one's heart rate. So what is considered one of the most important tools- a training diary. Many runners fail to keep these records as they find them quite tedious, but being able to look back at your runs and what made them great runs or not so great runs will help you develop a plan for what works for you. For example, you may find that your Monday runs are much harder than your Friday runs. When looking over your journal you may find that you get less sleep Sunday going into Monday and that your diet is not so great over the weekend, therefore you can make adjustments to your training. Many seasoned runners have been known to keep their logs for years.

5. FALSE-A rise in your resting heart rate is a sign that you may be overtraining requiring you to either take a few days off or drop back on your intensity and/or mileage. Here is a link on how to determine your resting heart rate. Taking your resting heart rate for a few mornings each week (take the average) and tracking them in your running journal is a great way to determine if you may be overtraining, especially if you have recently added speed work or longer mileage to training.

6. FALSE-Many running experts recommend new runners to have at least one year of running under their belts before embarking on the marathon distance. As mentioned in my first quiz, the body's musculo-skeletal system is the last system to develop in a runner, so do not feel the need to rush the process or you may risk overuse injuries such as tendinitis or a stress fracture.

7. FALSE- While I have come across a few runners like that in my time, cardiac creep-AKA cardiac drift-is a rise in heart rate even though your pace remains the same. Many times this condition is due to dehydration in response to rising temperatures and humidity. The heart has to pump harder in order to deliver the same amount of oxygen than when temperatures are cooler. This is one reason heart rate monitor based training in summer can be difficult and misleading, so sticking with effort based training may be of better benefit.

8. TRUE-Although I have never come across a bandit in the 70 races I have competed in, they are highly looked down upon within the running community. You should pay to run a race.

9. TRUE-The piriformis muscle lies deep within the bum and is responsible for the external rotation of the hip and leg, therefore when it becomes aggravated, it can lead to issues such as sciatica, as well as pain running down the back of the leg. This condition makes it difficult to sit for prolonged periods of time.

10. FALSE-Running against the flow of traffic allows the runner to visually see the cars, even if the driver doesn't see the runner. Doing so will allow the runner to have the opportunity to jump out of the way just in case.

So how did you all do? Do you like taking these quizzes?

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