I am obviously a self-proclaimed obsessive personality about running. How obsessive are you about running? Take my totally unscientific quiz to rate yourself!
1. What is the best unit for measuring the frequency of your racing?
a. What races?
b. Races per year.
c. Races per month.
d. Races per week.
2. How many ways do you track your running?
a. Why would I track my running?
b. I keep a written diary.
c. On RunKeeper (or whatever other GPS app you use).
d. RunKeeper, Daily Mile, Garmin Connect, AND other apps/websites
3. If your foot hurts when you run, what do you do?
a. Stop running immediately, make an appointment to see your doctor, and don’t resume running until being cleared by the doctor.
b. Take a week off and cross-train before resuming running.
c. Pass the “hop” test for stress fractures, take a couple of days off, pop some Ibuprofen, and start running again.
d. Just run through it.
4. Which of the following books on running have you read?
a. There are books on running?
b. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
c. Born to Run plus at least one more of the following: anything by Runner’s World; The Lore of Running by Tim Noakes; The Art of Running Faster by Julian Goater; The Daniels Running Formula by Jack Daniels; or anything by Hal Higdon.
d. Everything in answer c. plus more.
5. How important is running to you?
a. I like it but I also like biking, or swimming, or yoga just as much.
b. If I don’t get to run a couple of times a week, I feel sad.
c. Given a choice of an extra hour of sleep or a nice run in the morning, I chose to run.
d. I rearrange my work schedule around my running.
6. Your significant other (or parent) is planning a nice vacation trip. Regarding the accommodations, you asl:
a. “Is there pool-side service?”
b. “Is there a fitness center?”
c. “What are the fitness center’s hours, and how many treadmills does it have?”
d. “What are the nearby roads like for running?”
7. Let’s talk running shoes.
a. You have a nice pair of running shoes and you get a new pair every 300-500 miles.
b. You rotate two pairs of running shoes so that each has time to recover.
c. You rotate two pairs of different running shoes, one for short runs and one for long runs.
d. You rotate two pairs of different running shoes and you stock up on extra pairs when they’re close to going out of season.
8. You read Run Oregon:
a. Once a week or so.
b. Whenever you see an interesting link on the Run Oregon Facebook page.
c. At least once a day.
d. All the time because Run Oregon is your browser’s home page.
9. When you go out for a run, the main purpose is:
a. Getting some exercise and fresh air.
b. Getting exercise and fresh air, and maybe enjoying camaraderie with fellow runners.
c. Getting faster.
d. Getting faster, but the purpose of that specific run depends on whether it’s a long slow distance run, a threshold run, intervals, or a recovery run.
10. In real life, you have met:
a. Zero Run Oregon bloggers.
b. Only former Run Oregon blogger and administrator Maryalicia Verdecchia (because she was a ubiquitous presence at Oregon races).
c. Maryalicia, plus you sort of met Brian Bernier or Joe Dudman, meaning that they took one of your health flags during the Zombie Apocalypse Run.
d. Five or more of us.
SCORING
For every (a) selected, give yourself 0 points. For every (b) selected, give yourself 1 point. For every (c) selected, give yourself 2 points. For every (d) selected, give yourself 5 points.
0-5: You are pretty well-adjusted and definitely not obsessed about running.
6-10: You like running a lot.
11-20: You show some signs of a developing addiction to running, but I’m sure you can stop any time you want.
21-40: You are obsessed.
41-47: You are seriously obsessed. Do you have any hobbies or interests other than running?
48+*: I think you need to get some professional help. And by that, I don’t mean a running coach.
* Okay, it’s impossible on this quiz to score 48 or 49, but it offends my sensibilities to leave an apparent gap in the scoring table. Obviously, I’m obsessed about something other than running.
