PREAMBLE:  This quiz is by and large built around the photos taken at the Armory track workout of January 18th, 2000.  We regret to state that you may miss many of the finer points in this quiz unless you attend these workouts regularly.  But this applies to much of the rest of our website too ...

Q1.  What is the story of these clipped shoe laces?

(a)  Shoes laces come in different lengths, but they always cost the same.  If you have to buy a pair, you might as well as buy the longest ones and clip them later.  So says the smart consumer.
(b) Someone's right foot is bigger than the left foot, which is why one pair of clipped laces are longer than the other pair.
(c) When you buy a pair of shoe laces, you don't have to them put through all the eyelets.  In fact, there is a body of scientific evidence (especially about Chinese women in the 19th century) that tightly bind feet can cause circulation problems.  So you really want to leave alternate eyes unlaced and clip off the extra length. 
(d) When you run, you want to make sure that you carry no extra weight that serves no purpose in running.  Certainly, that means no jewelry.  Following this line of reasoning, you have to ask, What good is that extra length on your shoe lace? It is not going to make you run any faster.   Get rid of it already!

Q2.  Which one of the following people ran the fastest marathon ever?

(a) Khalid Khannouchi

(b) Brian Barry

(c) Blair Boyer

(d) Sandra Olivo

	Q6.  While you are running, you have no time to think.  When you stop, there is too much to think about.  What was NOT going through David Diviney's mind at this moment? (a) Why is there no air in this place? (b) Why are there so many water bottles lined up along the track side? (c) How come that fire alarm has not gone off yet? (d) What is David  Pullman going to leave behind this week?
	Q7.  Just this past Sunday, Frank Schneiger teamed up with Irene Jackson-Schon to win the Co-ed Masters division at the Frostbite 10 Mile Relay.  For that reason, he may or may not have cause to take it easy on the track today.  Who is the figure in black who is leaving Frank far behind in this picture? (a) Linsey Scherf (b) Kari Ann Bertrand (c) Leila Burr (d) Irene Jackson-Schon
	Q8.  Dan Sack is known for over-racing, like running 9 races within 8 weeks including two marathons and a 60k race.  In this photo, he is being lectured at by the coach.  Which of these things did the coach say to him? (a) "I'm really amazed that you had some spring left in your legs today." (b) "I think you are looking tired." (c) "You know that sooner or later, all this is going to catch up to you." (d) "I was waiting to see when you would break down."
	Q9.  Who is the man in the dress shirt, dress pants and tie at the track? (a)  He is our track coach Brian Denman, who has to get to the track directly from work with no time to change. (b) He is the person on the Public Announcement System who is driving everybody crazy with incomprehensible announcements (c) He is the security person who is checking our photo IDs to make sure that no one sneaked in (d) He is the fire marshall who is trying to determine who just set off the fire alarm.
	Q10.  Eric Aldrich and Jesus Montero are smiling after the workout.  Why are they so jovial? (a) These people live further uptown and they will have arrived home long before the downtown A train shows up for the rest of us. (b) They can't believe that anyone would want to take a picture of them (c) They dusted their group as usual. (d) They think smiling is the best way to ward off any further lobbying to move them up to the next group

BONUS QUESTION: Is this the silliest running website you have ever encountered?  YES or NO?  

ANSWERS

1.  As the saying goes, "I don't know.  It's a mystery."  We regret to say that we are clueless (and that occurs often enough).  We took this photo at a previous workout because Audrey Kingsley told us to, and we dare not ask why.

2.  (a)  Read the clock carefully.  The current world record is 2:05:42, not 2:07:09.

3.  (d)  Tony Ruiz claimed that he had been 'fat', which is why the other three people in the photo are laughing so hard.

4.  We are not giving away the answer.  You'll have to come down to the workout and compare against the photo.

5.  None of the above.  Train arrivals and departures are acts of God.  Even your best plans will be laid to waste, because of a jammed door, a medical condition, broken glass, an emergency cord being pulled, a tunnel fire, a frozen switch, a broken water main, a police situation, blah blah blah ...

6.  (d)  Actually, it's not because he doesn't care about David Pullman.  It's just that David Pullman did not come to the workout tonight.

7.  (d)  In that relay race, it was noted that Frank ran the 4 mile leg in 30:06 (7:31 min/mile) while Irene ran the 6 mile leg in 45:36 (7:36 min/mile).  So it is unsurprising that Irene is leaving Frank for dead again.  The other three people were at the track too, and left many other people in addition to Frank for dead.

8.  All of the above.  But these were not the major issues.  The key question has to be, "Is Dan listening to any of this?"

9.  (a)  In all likelihood, the coach does not want to give any illusion (despite his solemn promise to the effect) that he is going to run seriously again.

10. (b)  Nice people always underestimate the appeal of their own congeniality ...

BONUS QUESTION: If you choose NO, please identify the winner to us