Everyone has heard the term dumbed down, but this quiz is the opposite— smarted up. It’s only five questions, but most contestants go 0-for-5, so don’t despair if it happens to you. Good luck!
1) What is a fartlek workout?
A) A run with many obstacles that runners have to leap or crawl over.
B) A workout that happens in a dream that can take the place of your real workout.
C) A reference to passing gas made up by an immature group of high school runners in 1974.
D) A Swedish word meaning “speed play” in which a fast pace is run at intervals during a distance run.
2) Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia, pictured above, won the 2012 Olympic women’s 10,000 meters in 30:20.76. What was her pace per mile?
A) A swift 4:53.
B) Too complex to calculate.
C) Scientists are still working on it.
D) Just under eight megaticks.
E) Time is just a set of numerals and really isn’t important.
3) In 1976, East German Waldemar Cierpinski won the Olympic marathon, denying American Frank Shorter a 2nd straight gold medal. What issue do many think made his victory unfair?
A) At a secluded mid-race location, Cierpinski jumped in the race, taking over for twin brother Guenther.
B) Cierpinski was part of the East German program that produced championship athletes with performance enhancing drugs.
C) Inattentive finish judges mistakenly believed Cierpinski finished ahead of Shorter.
D) Your place isn’t so important. Just finishing makes everyone a winner.
4) In the 1984 Olympic women’s 3000 meters, a mid-race incident knocked favorites Zola Budd and Mary Decker-Slaney out of contention. What happened?
A) Zola Budd realized she’d lost her good luck bracelet, and Mary Decker-Slaney insisted they both stop and look for it.
B) Both competitors got wrapped up discussing training techniques and lost focus.
C) A playful Decker-Slaney tapped Budd on the shoulder while passing and said, “You’re it”. When Budd began catching up, Decker-Slaney locked herself inside a trackside port-a-potty.
D) Budd brushed Decker-Slaney, causing her to fall and not return to the race. Zola Budd intentionally slowed and finished 7th to avoid being labeled a villain.
5) Eating lots of falafel has long been a basic training strategy for Egyptian runners. How is falafel made?
A) Falafel is not made. It grows on bushes in the mountains.
B) Falafel is a by-product of oil refining.
C) Falafel sinks quickly.
D) Falafel.
Answers: 1) D – A Swedish word meaning speed play. 2) A – 4:53 per mile. 3) B – East German program produced championship athletes using PED’s 4) D – Budd brushed Decker-Slaney, causing her to fall 5) D – Falafel
5 right – Plato, Einstein, Da Vinci, and (insert your name here).
4 right – Contact any Ivy League school. A four-year academic scholarship is yours.
3 right – Mentioning this score on your Jeopardy application will get you on the show.
2 right – Mensa considers you one of them.
1 right – Consider yourself hired if you mention this score on any job application.
0 right – Please enroll in my affordable on-line course, Ordinary to Genius in 30 Days.