Running Jargon

When you started running did you realise that you would have to become proficient in a whole new second language? By learning the lingo of running jargon you can communicate and understand the quirky terminology used for races, injuries, equipment and race strategies.

If you’ve just started running, you could be intimidated by this whole new language of running jargon. It can be confusing and at times just mind blowing, I know when I first started running it was run as hard as you can, then stop!

NEGATIVE SPLITS

(noun) – Generally defined as running the second half of your route or race faster than the first half. Guaranteed to give you all the good feels and add a shot of confidence to push harder when you’re tired.

PACE

(noun) – The average speed over a given distance, typically in per-mile increments. So if you run 5 miles in 25 minutes, your pace is 5:00 per mile (lightning fast). If you run 5 miles in 1 hour and 40 minutes, your pace is 20:00 per mile (enough time to stop and smell the roses).

PB

(noun) – Stands for “personal best” and is the stat you share (or brag about) with other runners. You can also use PB for “personal best.” Feel free to add ridiculous qualifiers as they do in other sports such as baseball, e.g. “my fastest 10k in the last 7 years while wearing a chicken suit”

RACE BANDIT

(noun) – Runners who hop into a race without officially being entered, or runners who otherwise take part in a race via nefarious or illicit means. Don’t be that runner. Support race organisations and respect your fellow (legitimate) racers.

RUNGER

(noun) – Shorthand for “running-induced hunger,” this term refers to that intense bottomless-pit feeling that can hit after a long run — just as you finish or even hours later. Fend it off with on-the-run snackage, a balanced diet, and some experimentation to figure out when and what to eat to conquer your appetite.

RUNNER’S HIGH

(noun) – No mind-altering substances here, just the pure, natural, warm-and-fuzzy feelings that can occur during (or just after) a run. You may feel the urge to whoop, holler and hoot your joy on the trail or road, all of which we greatly encourage.

SNOT ROCKET

(noun) – The incredible, tissue-free solution for blowing your nose on the run. Simply put finger to nostril, blow snot out the other side, and voila, run sniff-free. Tell your training partners to steer clear the first few attempts, and always look over your shoulder to verify a clear shot.

Cadence. Also known as stride turnover, a runner’s cadence is the number of steps taken per minute while running. The fastest and most efficient runners have a cadence of around 180 steps per minute. Listening to up-tempo music can help you hit your cadence goal. But know that your optimal running cadence will vary depending on your height and running mechanics.

Dreadmill. Treadmills get this pet name since they’re an often-loathed piece of gym equipment for runners forced indoors due to weather or time constraints.

Taper. A few weeks before a big race, a runner will decrease their total running mileage to store energy. Because the tapering process involves less running and more rest, runners tend to get very antsy during their taper!

Chip time. Often measured by an electronic chip in the sneaker or bib, this is the precise time it takes a runner to get from the start line to the finish line.

Splits. A race’s total time divided into smaller parts (usually miles), is known as the splits. If a runner has an even split, it means they ran the same pace through the entire race. If it’s a negative split, they ran the second half faster than the first. And that’s a good thing!

DNS/DNF. DNS (did not start) or DNF (did not finish) is what will appear in the race results if a runner does not start or finish a race.

Moisture-wicking clothing. Noncotton running attire or technical apparel keeps sweat away from the body to prevent chafing.

Compression socks. Often a post-run tradition, runners don a pair of compression socks. These are very snug, knee-high tube socks that are meant to speed recovery. Some even wear them during the race itself, believing they get oxygen to the leg muscles at a faster rate.

Recovery Run

A recovery run is a relatively short run performed at an easy pace. Recovery runs serve to add a little mileage to a runner’s training without taking away from performance in the harder, more important workouts that precede and follow them. Recovery runs are best done as the next run after a hard workout such as an interval run. Do your recovery runs as slowly as necessary to feel relatively comfortable despite lingering fatigue from your previous run.

Base Run

A base run is a relatively short to moderate length run undertaken at a runner’s natural pace. While individual base runs are not meant to be challenging, they are meant to be done frequently, and in the aggregate, they stimulate big improvements in aerobic capacity, endurance, and running economy. Base runs will make up the bulk of your weekly training mileage.

Long Run

Generally, a long run is a base run that lasts long enough to leave a runner moderately to severely fatigued. The function of a long run is to increase raw endurance. The distance or duration required to achieve this effect depends, of course, on your current level of endurance. As a rule, your longest run should be long enough to give you confidence that raw endurance will not limit you in races. There are many spins you can put on a long run, such as progressing the pace from start to finish or mixing intervals (described on the last page) into the run.

Progression Run

A progression run is a run that begins at a runner’s natural pace and ends with a faster segment at anywhere from marathon down to 10K pace. These runs are generally intended to be moderately challenging—harder than base runs but easier than most threshold and interval runs. Because they’re a medium-effort workout, the recovery time is less than more intense sessions.

Fartlek

A fartlek workout is a base run that mixes in intervals of varying duration or distance. It’s a good way to begin the process of developing efficiency and fatigue resistance at faster speeds in the early phases of the training cycle, or to get a moderate dose of fast running later in the training cycle in addition to the larger doses provided by tempo/threshold and interval workouts. They can also serve as a less-structured alternative to a traditional interval session such as a track workout

Hill Repeats

Hill repeats are repeated short segments of hard uphill running. They increase aerobic power, high-intensity fatigue resistance, pain tolerance, and run-specific strength. The ideal hill on which to run hill repeats features a steady, moderate gradient of 4 to 6 percent. Hill repetitions are typically done at the end of the base-building period as a relatively safe way to introduce harder high-intensity training into the program.

Tempo Run

A tempo run is a sustained effort at lactate threshold intensity, which is the fastest pace that can be sustained for one hour in highly fit runners and the fastest pace that can be sustained for 20 minutes in less fit runners. Tempo or threshold runs serve to increase the speed you can sustain for a prolonged period and to increase the time you can sustain that relatively fast pace. These runs should include warm up mileage, the increased effort in the middle of the run and then cool down miles at the end.  These runs can be as little as 3 miles.

Intervals

Interval workouts consist of repeated shorter segments of fast running separated by slow jogging or standing recoveries. This format enables a runner to pack more fast running into a single workout than he or she could with a single prolonged fast effort to exhaustion.

 The main thing is to try something different and see what works for you, have some fun, push yourself in a safe environment and see what happens ;)