Wednesday, October 27, 2010

What's your Running Style?


Please take this survey and let me know what four letters you get from your running style. This is more fun than anything, but there is some serious psychology behind this.

Q1. Which is your most natural energy orientation?
Steve Prefontaine Characteristics
  • Sign up for a race and then reflect later if you should actually run it?
  • Go running just because you feel like it
  • Feel deprived when people don't post on your blog and you can't read other blogs
  • Motivated by the knowledge that people are reading your blog
Lasse Viren Characteristics
  • Think/reflect first, then Act
  • Regularly require an amount of "private time" to recharge batteries
  • Motivated internally, mind is sometimes so active it is "closed" to outside world
  • Prefer one-to-one communication and relationships, stay up all night talking

Choose which best fits:Steve Prefontaine (P)Lasse Viren (V)

Q2. Which is your most natural way of understanding?
 Eckhart Tolle Characteristics
  • You watch your pace while you are running to stay on target
  • Watch your running style and look for opportunities to improve your posture and stride
  • Using common sense and creating practical solutions is automatic for you
  • You use your past experience as a starting point to find new ways of running
  • You like clear and concrete information
Alvin Toffler Characteristics
  • You keep figuring out your final time from your current pace
  • You think about how this run will help you in the next race
  • Using imagination and inventing new possibilities is automatic for you
  • You like to buiild your running style from common understanding about running
  • You are comfortable with fuzzy information
Choose which best fits: Eckhart Tolle (E) Alvin Toffler (A)

Q3. Which is your most natural way of forming judgements?
Mr. Spock Characteristics
  • Instinctively search for facts and logic when I need to make a decision situation during a race or while running.
  • Notice things that need to be done in my running form and in race tactics
  • Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis
  • Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people - I am running against the pack
Dr. McCoy Characteristics
  • Instinctively employ personal feelings when commenting during decision situations
  • Naturally let others pass me or cut me off (and then get angry)
  • Naturally fit into where there is a hole in the running group
  • Unsettled by conflict - I am running against myself really - the race is about running against yourself
Choose which best fits: Mr. Spock (S) Dr. McCoy (M)

Q4. What is your natural action orientation towards the outside world?
Judge Lance Ito Characteristics
  • Plan your running in advance before moving into action.
  • You have a coach.
  • Focus on tasks and complete meaningful segments before moving on.
  • Naturally use targets, dates and standard routines to manage your running.
Amazing Kreskin Characteristics
  • Comfortable moving into action without a plan or plan on-the-go
  • Don't need a coach telling me what to do
  • Like to multitask, have variety routines that I can do whenever I want.
  • Work best in training as a race approaches.
  • Avoid commitments since they interfere with flexibility, freedom and variety
Choose which best fits: Judge Ito (I) Amazing Kreskin (A)


Your 4 Running Personality Type Letters

72 comments:

Andrew Opala said...

I'm a VESI.

Emz said...

Oh I liked this.

PPESA.

pink pony emz says awesome.

don't judge. didn't sleep well. ;)

Teri S. said...

I am a VAMA. This is very cool and clever. Did you come up with it yourself?

Andrew Opala said...

It's a 4 question Myers-Briggs test that I altered to make into a silly running survey.

One Crazy Penguin said...

I'm VESA....if I had a P I could be a VESPA :p

Jan[et] Cicelia said...

I'm a VAMA, but I found elements from both sides that apply. Now the real question is, what does that mean?

Lucas R. Tucker said...

VEMI- knew this was a myers-briggs spin off. (says the INTJ)

Andrew Opala said...

Meanings will follow when I get back from graduation ... there should be enough time by then

Heather said...

VEMA. this is interesting, but now I'm confused.

Zaneta @ Runner's Luck said...

PAMA here ;)

Neil Zee said...

PAMA! Must be a Z name thing...

The Turtle said...

PEMI. Before the quiz I was going to describe my running style as slow and steady(ish).

abbi said...

PEMA

Matty O said...

PESA

I am truthfully concerned that EMZ and I have the same score... That could spell trouble if we ever run together :)

misszippy said...

PEMA also--looking forward to our explanations!

ShutUpandRun said...

I'm a PESI, but what does it mean, oh what does it mean???? Probably that I'm really cool.

bobbi said...

PEMA!

Barb said...

PEMI. :)
I love your Myers-Briggs take.

Rae said...

PESI

Oooh! I'm the same as SUAR! Sweet!

KovasP said...

PASA, but I'm really a P/V E/A SA - looking forward to reading the results in Journal of Applied Running Science.

Caratunk Girl said...

I am a PEMA! Hey there are a lot of us!

Jenny said...

I'm a PAMA - would love to know what it means!

The Boring Runner said...

VESI We're twins!

Alanna said...

VEMI. There's only one other VEMI - did I do something wrong? :P

Christy Z. said...

VEMI and I totally knew it was Myers-Briggs. My S-sniffing using past experiences to inform my future decisions could tell right away. :) Nice work.

Running Through Phoenix said...

I'm a big PESI. Same as SUAR.

Fruit Fly said...

I'm a PEMA.

GO P!!! Er, I mean Go PRE!!

Andrew Opala said...

FruitFly: I was certain you could figure out how to make the survey give you a PPPP rating!

Ewa said...

VESA - so what does it mean? Sounds neat though. I could adopt this as my trail name or something.

Adrienne said...

I only got a P--A I didn't like the middle two questions and didn't feel I fit in with either of those options so there. Don't try to define me--It is IMPOSSIBLE! I'd like to see the scientific data that backs this survey and it's sources---you always have to check the sources! :)

Anonymous said...

VESA :-)

RunToTheFinish said...

ohh a VEMA...sounds like a snake, kinda scares me acutally

Ginny M said...

I'm a PAMI. Is that bad?

TRI714 said...

VAMA ! where do I pick up my winnings ?

Chris K said...

PESI. Clearly I won this contest. Can I get another rad Canadian running hat?

Patrick Mahoney said...

I'm a VESI. Love how Kovas is hedging his bets.

L/A M/E

RockStarTri said...

My running style is SLOW.

Matthew Bradford said...

THIS IS BRILLIANT, ANDREW! I love radio buttons and surveys similar to Meyers-Briggs!

PESA

5 Miles Past Empty said...

VAMA baby!!!

you and Adam are Twinsies! How cute!! =)

The therapist in me loves this! The runner in me thinks it's pretty cool too!

Neil Zee said...

I feel so used...

Goose said...

I too am a VESI, Andrew. I'm thinking this is a watered down MBTI, too. Hmh... the plot thickens.

Teamarcia said...

I'm an INTJ and a VESI! Oh the implications.

Anonymous said...

I'm a VESI, an INTJ and a wannabe NINJA.

Matt said...

PESI

Fun quiz!

Kenley said...

Im LAME. haaha, just kidding. Actually PASA. Backwards, that's Asap! I will run asap! lol. Loving it. Take care man.

Karen R said...

PESA

So. What now?

Obviously my letters are the correct answers. Anyone else is wrong :)

runninglawyer said...

PEMI! But this is just for my races, for my normal runs, I would fall into different categories. Is that strange?

Can't wait to see what they mean.

Jamie said...

VEMA!

Anonymous said...

I am a VESI and it seems there are quite a few of us. Looking forward to the meaning. Thanks

Quinton J said...

Mine said S.E.X.Y.

But that didn't seem to line up with anybody else so I tried again: V.E.S.I.

Quinton J said...

Andrew...did I mention that I love following your blog and your journey and want to make sure that we link up out there at a race in 2011?

Unknown said...

PEMA - interesting.

Johann said...

VAMI - except that I don't have a coach.

This was fun!

Jay said...

PEMA
.. interesting. 3rd and 4th items were more tough to put myself into one or the other.

heather said...

PESA

DRATW- what does it mean, Andrew, what does it all mean?

Adrienne Langelier, MA said...

Funny how Chris K. is the only other PESI I saw up there! Love the Myers-Briggs! Btw, I am the descendent of some Canadians;) Congrats on the ceremony!

Q said...

If not too late, I am VAMI!

Congrats on graduation, looks like you're in my neighborhood today!

April said...

I am a PESI....though really a PESIA I'm a combination of both on the last question....I don't need a coach to tell me what to do, but I do need targets, dates, and standard routine to manage my running. ;) now how can I best use this info?

Anne-Marie said...

Very cool.. I'm looking forward to seeing the interpretations! I'm a PEMI.

Big Clyde said...

PAMA.

But I am still new and just happy to have ANY running style/personality!

Irene said...

PEMI. That was pretty good!

So... now that you have this nifty runner's personality test, are you going to have analogies to what each combination of letters means???

Raegun said...

PASA!

LauraLynne said...

PASI

hmmm...

Liz said...

I'm a PEMI.

Jill said...

For marathon racing, I think I'm a PEMI...
I could go many ways, depending on what's going on with my racing (aka: heel) ... but if all the cool kids are PEMI's then let's keep that answer. If you're forming some sort of elite virtual race, then let's change mine and place me with whomever is fastest! :)

Michelle said...

That was fun -- I'm a VESI

RunningOnCoffee said...

I'm a VEMA, whatever that means! I had a little of both (strangely) on the Judge Ito/Amazing Kreskin question.

Unknown said...

this survey says PASA. fyi, i'm ENTP

Terri said...

PEMA - whatever that means! :)

64 CLASSIC said...

PEMI--Even though a couple of letters could go either way!!

Love it!!

Unknown said...

VASI - sounds like I'm drugged up or lubed up on vaseline. Interesting.

The Green Girl said...

I'm a VESI. (And for the record, I'm an INTJ.)