NAUGHTY OR NICE QUIZ - Manchester Marathon

1. How many parkruns have you bailed on this year?

A. None – I’m committed.

B. I’ve missed a couple I was planning to do.

C. What’s a parkrun?

D. It’s a bit hit and miss with me.

2. You noticed a niggle in your last training session. What do you do?

A. Take a few days off, then try a cautious run.

B. I’ll continue as normal until it gets painful.

C. I’ll continue as normal and run through the pain.

D. I’ll start cross-training immediately while seeking a diagnosis and advice.

3. How do you tend to warm-up before training?

A. I’ll take at least 15 minutes to warm-up, with dynamic exercises.

B. I’ll stretch a bit – that helps, right?

C. I’ll do some jogging at the very least.

D. I don’t really do warm-ups.

4. How is Christmas likely to impact your training?

A. I might maintain some light exercise, but I’ll mainly be enjoying the festive season.

B. I’ll still be in full training-mode – no rest for the wicked!

C. Does walking to the shops for more mince pies count as training?

D. I’ll probably be hungover and / or unfit for most of January…

5. How many running events have you volunteered at this year?

A. One or two.

B. A handful.

C. More than I can count.

D. No comment…

6. How do you re-fuel after a long or particularly hard run?

A. A hearty meal and maybe a cheeky treat.

B. A meal which balances my macronutrient needs – plus a protein shake.

C. You’ll often find me in the pub…

D. I either just snack or eat my favourite junk foods. I deserve it, right?

7. How often do you do strength and conditioning exercises?

A. I’m fairly consistent but may skip every now and then.

B. As often as I’m told (by my training plan).

C. Never.

D. Infrequently. I know I need to do more…

8. Which best describes your diet when training for an event?

A. I’m strict; I have a set plan and cut out anything that could hinder my training.

B. I don’t believe that running is impacted by diet so I do whatever I want.

C. My diet isn’t particularly helpful to my training – I know I could do much better.

D. I follow best practices and generally eat healthily – but I also allow myself treats

9. How often do you replace your running shoes?

A. Every 300-500 miles – I keep a rough log of the mileage of each pair.

B. I’m not sure – when my feet start to hurt?

C. Until the holes start to come through…

D. Roughly every 300-500 miles – as experts like adidas recommend.

10. You’re training for a big event and have missed a session on your training plan. What do you do?

A. Let yourself off this time – but commit to the next session.

B. Find a way to squeeze it in later– even if it’s on your rest day.

C. Let yourself off – you often miss sessions anyway.

D. This would never happen to me as I don’t follow any structured training.