Running Glossary
Here you'll learn all the words that will get you into running lingo.
Terms in alphabetical order:
A
- Achilles tendon - The strong tendon at the back of your ankle.
- Aerobic - Literally, "with oxygen." Consists mainly of steady exercise where your muscles are receiving enough oxygen to function normally.
- Anaerobic - Literally, "without oxygen." Exercise, such as hard intervals or weight-lifting, where your muscles are working in the absense of oxygen.
B
- Bandit - A runner who participates in a race without registering or paying the entry fee. (They are not eligible for awards, though.)
- Body Fat - The amount of fat on your body; usually expressed as a percentage of total weight.
- Body Type - A standard (but vague) way of categorizing body types. From small to large: ectomorphic, mesomorphic, or endomorphic.
- Bonk - When one runs out of energy and cannot go on, due to glycogen depletion and/or low blood sugar. Also referred to as "hitting the wall."
- Breathing - The process of inhaling and exhaling, in order to supply fresh oxygen to your body.
C
- Carbohydrate - here is the definition
- Chafing - When clothing "rubs you the wrong way" and causes redness and/or blisters; usually caused by wearing the wrong clothing.
- Clydesdale - A runner above 180 lb.
- Cool-down - A transition period of easy exercise after a hard workout but before resting.
- CoolMax - A type of fabric that wicks sweat away from your body and keeps you cool; great for running clothing.
- Cross country - A type of running event that takes place off-road.
- Cross training - Training by participating in exercises/sports other than running itself, although the aim is to improve your overall fitness and therefore your running.
D
- Dehydration - A state where your body does not have enough water.
- DNF - "Did Not Finish." Used to describe a runner who did not complete a race.
E
- Electrolytes - here is the definition
- Endorphins - here is the definition
- Endurance - Ability to perform an exercise for a long period of time.
- Extremities - Your hands, feet, fingers, and toes.
F
- Fartlek - Literally, "speed play" in Swedish. It refers to interval workouts of mixed intensity, i.e. a combination of fast and slow running.
- Fast-twitch - Type of muscle fiber which contracts rapidly and powerfully but fatigues quickly.
- Fatigue - A feeling of weakness or exhaustion; unable to accomplish a task normally.
- Flat feet - A condition of the feet in which the arch is flat and the entire sole touches the ground.
G
- Gait - The manner in which one walks/runs.
- Glucose - Basic form of sugar. Appears in the blood.
- Glycogen - The form in which carbohydrates are stored in the body, either in the liver or the muscles.
H
- Half marathon - A 13.1 mile race.
- Heart rate - The number of heart beats per unit time, usually per minute (which would be measured as BPM.)
- Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) - A device that monitors one's heart rate. Consists of a chest strap and wrist watch.
- Hydration - Adding more fluid to the body
I
- Insole - The removable inner part of a running shoe that sits on top of the midsole and provides cushioning and arch support.
- Intensity - Degree of effort or exertion of an exercise.
- Intervals - A type of workout where sections of hard running are intermixed with walking/jogging recovery periods.
L
- Lactace Threshold - The intensity where lactic acid begins to rapidly accumulate in the blood.
- Lactic acid - A by-product of your body's energy production processes; usually blamed for muscle soreness.
- Log - A notebook or journal where you record information about your workouts.
- LSD - Long, Slow Distance. A common term referring to basic endurance training.
M
- Marathon - A 26.2 mile race.
- Mile - A measure of distance equal to 5,280 feet.
- Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) - The max number of times your heart can beat in one minute.
- Midsole - The part of a running shoe between the upper and outsole that provides cushioning and support.
- Motion Control (MC) - The ability of a shoe to limit overpronation and provide stability (especially for those with flat feet.)
O
- Orthotics - Inserts placed inside shoes to correct biomechanical problems.
- Overpronation - When you run, your feet roll inwards. Common if you have flat feet.
- Overtraining - Condition when one does too much, too soon; can lead to injury and/or burn-out.
- Outsole - The bottom-most layer of most running shoes that contacts the ground and provides traction.
P
- Pace - Measure of running speed; usually as "minutes per mile."
- Peak - The point at which one is in the best physical shape.
- Pronation - The condition of having feet that turn in such a manner as to put the body's weight on the inner edge of one's foot. See also, "underpronation" and "overpronation."
- Plantar Fasciitis - Inflamation of tissue under the skin of the bottom of the foot.
- Podiatrist - A physician that specializes in the evaluation and treatment of the foot.
Q
- Quarters - A common term to refer to a workout consisting of quarter-mile (or 400 meter) intervals.
R
- Recovery - Easy workouts that promote healing and ease stiffness and soreness.
- RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. The formula for treating an injury.
- Runner's high - A feeling of euphoria after a hard training session or race.
- Resting Heart Rate - The number of times your heart beats per minute when you are relaxed and sitting still.
S
- Shin splints - A lower leg injury where there is pain along the front of the shin which can lead to stress fractures.
- Singlet - The sleeveless top commonly worn by runners.
- Slow twitch - Type of muscle fiber which contracts slowly but can perform for a long time.
- Split times - The time it takes to run a portion of the complete run/race.
- Stability - Balance; ability to stay upright.
- Stamina - Being able to run with good form for a long period of time.
- Stretching - Movements designed to increase a muscle's flexibility. For example, bending over and touching your toes.
- Supination - See "Underpronation"
- Second wind - Going from being tired to feeling strong again.
- Strength training - Exercises performed with added resistance; i.e. lifting weights.
T
- Tapering - Reducing training volume and/or intensity to allow for recovery; usually one tapers before an important race.
- Tempo - A workout performed at lactate threshold pace.
- Tendinitis - Inflammation of a tendon (the tissue by which muscle attaches to bone.)
- Toebox - The front portion of a shoe.
- Treadmill - A machine with a moving strip on which one walks without moving forward.
U
- Ultra marathon - A very long race, possibly 100 miles.
- Underpronation - When your feet roll outwards as you run.
- Upper - The top part of a shoe; typically a combination of synthetic leather and mesh.
V
- Vitamins - Essential nutrients your body needs to function at its best.
- VO2 Max - The maximum amount of oxygen your body can use, with a higher V02max meaning better performance.
W
- Warm up - An easy walk/jog that gets your muscles loose and ready for a workout.
- Water - A liquid that you should consume to stay hydrated.
- Wicking - The ability of an article of clothing to move moisture away from your skin to the surface of the fabric so that it can evaporate and keep you more comfortable.
