Runners have a vocabulary all to themselves. What does it mean when you say that you PR’d or BQ’d? What is a fartlek? Here are some helpful terms to make sense out of what runners actually mean when they speak in the language all to themselves. I published the beginning of my list of running terms last week (see below).
N
National Record: fastest time in the country at any distance.
Negative Splits: Running the second half of a run or race faster than the first half. This is the goal of most runners who are concerned about their time in a race and is an easy way to go for a PR (personal record). You can practice this during training but running the first part of your run slower than the second half of your run.
Newbie: Beginner to running. If you find yourself in this category consider using a couch to 5k program to get started running. This program usually has you run for a certain length of time and then you walk for a certain length of time to build up your endurance for a 5k race.
O
Out and back course: To be an out and back course you run halfway through your race and then turn around and come back the way you came and finish at the same line as the start. This is an easy way for race directors to make a course for any distance. You run halfway out and then come back. You can also use this on your own personal runs if you like. You just need to figure out how much halfway is and then you turn around and go back.
Overuse Injury: A myriad of different injuries that can occur by doing too much running without properly pacing yourself and allowing your body to acclimate to the new mileage. Some injuries include plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee and ITBS (IT-band syndrome).
Overpronation: Inward roll of the foot which can cause pain in areas of the leg including the shin, knee and foot. You will hear this word used a lot in running stores as part of the fit process is looking at how your feet push off as you move. If you overpronate it can be corrected with proper shoes or orthotics.
Overtraining: Running too much without properly utilizing cross training and rest days. This often leads to injury so it is best to avoid overtraining at all costs. Other symptoms of this are fatigue, illness, impaired performance, sleep interruptions, immune system complications, and loss of appetite. To correct this, scale back on the amount of training you are doing and get some rest.
P
Pace: How fast you run a mile. This can vary from day to day and can be dependent on external factors such as weather and how tired your body is. Runners often will talk about pace in a different way too. They might say 5k pace or 10k pace or long run pace. These will vary from runner to runner but typically your 5k or 10k pace are going to be faster than your long run pace. For instance, my 5k pace is between 11-12 minutes per mile while my long run or half marathon pace is between 13-14 minutes per mile.
Personal Record/Personal Best (PR/PB): A runners favorite term. This describes the fastest a runner has run a certain distance. It can also refer to the furthest a runner has run. Looking to set a new PR, try a new distance or unusual distance (like an 8k or 16k) and you will automatically set a new PR. Setting a PR in a distance you do often (for me the half marathon), takes time and dedication and pushing the speed during your training runs. Putting in the work in training gives you a better chance of accomplishing what you are hoping for in your next goal race.
Plantar Fascia: Tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot. This is often a trouble spot for runners as this tissue can get easily inflamed. To try to ward of Plantar Fascitits (inflamed Plantar Fascia), make sure to get correctly fitting shoes from a running specialty store and gradually increase your mileage (the general rule of thumb is don’t increase your mileage more than 10% per week).
Pronation: The natural roll of the foot towards the inside. In running this usually means the action of the heel striking the floor and the toe leaving the ground and is the inward roll of the foot while the arch flattens out. Like overpronation, this is a word you will hear around running stores while getting fitted for running shoes.
R
Recovery: This refers to a couple different aspects of running. The first is walking or easy running between harder (faster) sections of running in a run. This gives you an opportunity to catch your breath and get ready to run hard again. Another aspect of recovery is running the day after a longer, harder run as a way to work the muscles and aid in recovery. Recovery can also refer to taking a break from running after a marathon or other distance as a way to allow your legs to repair themselves from the damage you caused them pushing them towards this new distance.
Rest Day: This should be self-explanatory. Most training plans will have you take at least 1 rest day a week. Runners who run 7 days a week, 365 days a year are at a higher risk for injury as they don’t allow their bodies time to recover from running. This doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a couch potato though. You can make it an active rest day – walking the dog, going for an easy bike ride, hiking, etc. It just means you don’t run on that day. (I typically run 4-5 days a week, take 1 rest day a week and cross train 1 day a week.)
RICE: Rest, ice, compression, elevation. This is injury treatment 101. This can be used for aches and pains and even strained or twisted muscles. They should be practiced immediately after an injury or pain occurs and should help speed healing. If your symptoms persist even after practicing RICE, it is important to seek the help of a medical professional before resuming running as that can sometimes do more damage than good.
Run/walk: Some runners use this method which was made famous by Jeff Galloway. This method encourages the use of walk breaks to help battle fatigue, remain strong and allowing runners the ability to finish well. The intervals between the walk breaks vary from runner to runner. Sometimes they are as small as 30 seconds to a minute or sometimes they can be as long as taking a 1 minute walk break at the beginning of each mile in a race.
Runner’s High: A feeling of euphoria caused by endorphins. This is like a substance induced high without the bad consequences. This might be why runners run all the time.
Run Streak: This is not running naked but some runners will run consecutively for a certain length of time or to see how long they can keep running. On their rest days, they run a mile to keep the streak alive. This can also refer to someone who has completed the same race consecutive years in a row.
S
Shin Splints: Pain along the shin bone usually caused by pronation or weak shin muscles. To treat this pain, make sure you are wearing correct footwear, practice RICE and stretch after runs. If this doesn’t help, consider changing the surfaces you run on (trails, etc.) and make sure to not increase your mileage too quickly.
Side Stitch: Sharp pain felt usually below the rib cage. It is unsure exactly what causes this but some common culprits might be food in the stomach, or a cramp in the diaphragm. To get rid of side stitches, vary your inhales and exhales, or switch which foot hits the ground first. If this doesn’t work, stop and put your hands above your head or lean to the opposite side of the stitch to try to stretch out the side that hurts. To prevent these, take note of what you ate before you ran and vary it the next time to see if you get stitches again.
Singlet: Tank top worn by runners.
Speedwork: Can also be referred to as intervals or repeats. This is any type of workout in which you run at a faster than normal pace. Some common examples are track workouts (you run a certain distance – 400, 600, 800, 1600 meters and then usually have 200 meters rest), hill repeats, tempo runs, etc. to get faster and increase endurance.
Splits/Split Times: The time it takes to run a certain distance. During a longer race, most timing companies will at least have 1-2 timing mats at various places (like the halfway distance, etc.) so that they can give you split times.
Strength Training: Building muscle mass through exercises performed with body weight or weights (push-ups, squats, planks, etc.). This helps runners become stronger and can help prevent injuries.
Stress Fracture: Hairline breaks in bone caused by repetitive motion. They can be painful and usually occur in the lower leg or foot.
Space Blanket: A large piece of what looks like aluminum foil given to runners at the end of a race. These are usually given during colder months and help to hold in body heat.
T
Talk Test: To determine if you are running at a comfortable effort level you can use this simple test. For easy runs, you should be able to hold a conversation without getting too winded. For harder runs or speed work, it will be harder to put several words together let alone a complete sentence.
Tangent: Running the shortest distance in a race. In geometry it a straight line that touches next to a curve but never touches it. Running the tangents requires being aware of what direction you are going to turn and then running the shortest distance on the turn. For instance, if you are turning right, you would need to be on the right side of the road and hug the curb as you make your turn. If you are turning left, you would need to be on the left side of the road as you make your turn. This is how race courses are measured and why some runners complain about courses being long.
Taper: A time frame of cutting back on running leading up to a marathon or half marathon. For a half marathon it is usually a period of 2 weeks. For a marathon it is usually 4 weeks. This enables your leg muscles to repair themselves after months of tough training. Beware of runners on taper. By the point runners taper for a marathon or half marathon, they have been accustomed to running lots of miles in a week. Runners can tend to have taper tantrums caused by having more time on their hands and not running the mileage they have been accustomed too.
Technical Clothing: Moisture wicking clothes that pull moisture away from the skin without absorbing moisture. It is best to wear this type of clothing to avoid chafing. Cotton is one of the worst fibers you can wear to go for a run and it should be avoided at all costs.
Tempo Run: A type of speed work that is different from others by sustained, faster than normal running which you run for a long period of time. This is not a sprint or a race per se but you typically will run at your goal pace per mile for a certain period of time with a warm up and cool down at both ends.
Ten percent rule: Injury prevention rule which states to not increase your mileage by more than 10 percent in one week. Typically this means you will only add a mile or two to your long run each week.
Track: Most tracks are 400 meters long (0.248548 miles) meaning you run around it 4 times to equal a mile. Most runners use the term to refer to speed work done on a track. You typically run a certain distance (400, 800, 1000, 1200, 1600 meters) and then run or walk half a lap on the track to recovery (200 meters).
Trail Running: Running off road and usually in the woods or mountains. For injury prone runners, trail running can be a good alternative to running on asphalt all the time.
U
Ultramarathon: Any race that is longer than a marathon (26.2). Some popular distances are 50K (31 miles), 50 milers, 100k (62 miles), and 100 milers.
W
Warmup: A period of walking or light running before any workout. This helps prevent injury by warming up the muscles.
The Wall: Often happening around mile 20 of a marathon, this occurs because you have run out of fuel and need carbs. To help work past this you need to keep on top our your nutrition in a race.
World Record: fastest time at any distance in the world.
Anything missing from my list? Let me know and I will do my best to define it for you.
Until next time,
Candace
Running on Second 