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Terms and Definitions

Below you will find a list of runner's terms and definitions.

Member's Page

Common Terms:

Walk is to move at a regular and fairly slow pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once. 

Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground. This is in contrast to walking, where one foot is always in contact with the ground, the legs are kept mostly straight and the center of gravity vaults over the legs in an inverted pendulum fashion.[1] A characteristic feature of a running body from the viewpoint of spring-mass mechanics, is that changes in kinetic and potential energy within a stride occur simultaneously, with energy storage accomplished by springy tendons and passive muscle elasticity.[2] The term running can refer to any of a variety of speeds ranging from jogging to sprinting.

K-K is for kilometers, 1,000 meters  

Mile-1609 meters, 5280 feet, or 1760 yards. Note: 1600m is not a mile.  

5K-equal to 3.1 miles

8K-equal to 4.96 miles 

10K-equal to 6.2 miles  

Half marathon- road running event of 21.0975 kilometres (13.1094 mi) 

Marathon-long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards), that is usually run as a road race. 
 
400 meters-Equivalent to a quarter mile or 1 lap around a standard track. 

800 meters-Equivalent to a half-mile or 2 laps around a standard track. 


Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
www.runnersworld.com 

Additional Terms:

10-K pace
10-K pace, when used in a workout to describe how fast 
to run, is simply the pace of a runner's last 10-K race. "10-K pace" 
is therefore different for every runner; for a 62-minute 10-K runner, 
"10-K pace" is 10 minutes per mile; for 31:00, it's 5 minutes per mile; 
for Paul Tergat, it's 4:16 per mile. 

AIMS
Association of International Marathons and Road Races. More 
information can be found at www.aims-association.org.

ASOIF
Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. 
More information can be found at www.asoif.com.

aerobic
Used to refer to running or other exercise at an intensity 
that's sufficiently easy for your respiratory and cardiovascular systems 
to deliver all or most of the oxygen required by your muscles, and slow 
enough that lactic acid doesn't appreciably build up in your muscles. 
Generally, you can sustain a slow aerobic pace for long periods of time, 
provided you have the endurance to go long distances.

anaerobic
Used to refer to running or other exercise at an intensity 
that makes it impossible for your respiratory and cardiovascular systems 
to deliver all or most of the oxygen required by your muscles, and fast 
enough that lactic acid begins to build up in your muscles, thus producing 
a tired, heavy feeling. The pace associated with anaerobic running cannot 
be sustained very long.

anaerobic threshold (AT)
The transition phase between aerobic 
and anaerobic running. Good training will increase AT by teaching the 
muscles to use oxygen more efficiently, so that less lactic acid is 
produced. Also known as "lactate threshold."

chip time
A technology for sensing and recording the finishing times of all 
the runners in a race. It's much more accurate and can easily deal with 
the old problem of many runners finishing nearly at once in a big, crowded 
race. The "chip" is a tiny electronic chip that's programmed with your 
specific runner identification. You attach the chip to your shoe laces. 
It sends a signal to an electronic reading device--often hidden under 
a strip of carpet-- when you cross the start line and again when you cross 
the finish line. No human observation is necessary. Your exact time is 
recorded automatically. Usually you are asked to turn the chip back in 
to the race organizers.


clydesdale
A weight-challenged runner. To find out more about Clydesdale running 
and racing, try this web site: http://www.clydesdale.org/. 

cool-down
Slow running or jogging done after a workout or competition 
to loosen muscles and rid the body of lactic acid.

CR 
Course record.

cushioning (or shock absorption)
The ability of a shoe to absorb 
the impact of footstrike.

cushioning (or shock absorption)
The ability of a shoe to absorb 
the impact of footstrike.

DNF
Did not finish.

DNS
Did not start.

DOMS
Delayed onset muscle soreness. This type of muscle soreness 
normally peaks about 48 hours after a particularly intense or long run.

elite runner
An athlete who has reached the highest level in 
his/her sport.

fartlek
Swedish for "speed play;" variable pace running; a mixture 
of slow running, running at a moderate pace and short, fast bursts. 
Fartlek training is a "creative way" to increase speed and endurance.

"hitting the wall"
The dreaded point (and awful feeling 
similar to what your body would feel like if you ran into a wall) during 
a race when your muscle glycogen stores become depleted and a feeling 
of fatigue engulfs you.

IAAF
International Amateur Athletic Federation. More information 
can be found at www.iaaf.org.

IOC
International Olympic Committee. More information can be 
found at www.olympic.org.

intervals
Training in which short, fast "repeats" or "repetitions" 
often 200 to 800 meters, are alternated with slow "intervals" of jogging 
for recovery; usually based on a rigid format such as "six times 400 
meters fast [these are the repeats] with 400-meter recovery jogs [the 
intervals]," interval training builds speed and endurance.

junior
According to the IAAF, a junior is any athlete who is 
under 20 on December 31 of that year. For example, an athlete whose 
birthday is November 12, 1979 will be a junior in 1998 but not in 1999.

junk miles
Runs at an easy pace inserted into a program in order 
to reach a weekly or monthly mileage total rather than for any specific 
benefit. Despite the name, "junk miles" often serve as recovery from 
harder workouts. The value of "junk miles" is still hotly debated among 
training theorists.

lactic acid
A substance which forms in the muscles as a result 
of the incomplete breakdown of glucose. Lactic acid is associated with 
muscle fatigue and sore muscles.

lactate threshold
See "anaerobic threshold."

last
A shaped piece of wood or metal on which the shoe is built. 
The shape of the last determines the shape of the shoe. Shoes are made 
in three basic shapes: straight, curved and semi-curved, but all three 
shapes vary from company to company as each company has its own lasts.

lateral
Refers to the outer edge of a shoe.

LSD
NOT the hallucinogen. LSD is an abbreviation for "Long, Slow 
Distance," which refers to the practice of running longer distances 
at an "easy" pace rather than shorter ones to exhaustion. The slower 
pace allows the runner to go longer and, therefore (supposedly), gain 
more fitness.

Master
An athlete 40 years of age or older is designated a "master" 
in the U.S. Many other countries use the term "veteran."

maximum heart rate
The highest heart-rate reached during a specified 
period of time.

medial
Referring to the inner side (or arch side) of a shoe. 

"metric mile"
1500m, the international racing distance closest 
to the imperial mile.

midsole
The area of the shoe between the upper and outsole that's 
primarily responsible for the shoe's cushioning. Most midsoles are made 
of foams: either EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or polyurethane. EVA is 
lighter and more flexible than polyurethane, but it also breaks down 
more quickly. Many midsoles also have additional cushioning elements 
such as air, gel and various embedded plastic units.

motion control
The ability of a shoe to limit overpronation.

negative splits
Running the second half of a race faster than 
the first half.

NR
National record.

outsole
The material, usually made of hard carbon rubber, on 
the bottom of most running shoes; the layer of the shoe that contacts 
the ground.

overpronation
The excessive inward roll of the foot before toe-off. 
Overpronation is believed to be the cause of many running injuries.

pick-ups
Accelerations done during a run, normally done in shorter 
durations than fartleks. Pick-ups are simply another way to spice up 
what would otherwise be an easy-run day.

plyometrics
Bounding exercises; any jumping exercise in which landing followed 
by a jump occurs.

post (or medial post)
Firmer density of midsole material added 
to the inner side of the shoe. A post is designed to reduce overpronation.

prep
In the U.S., a high school athlete. From the term "preparatory 
school," a school for preparing for college. Slightly different from 
the IAAF definition of "Junior."

pronation
Pronation begins immediately after the heel contacts 
the ground. It is a normal and necessary motion for walking or running. 
Pronation is the distinctive, inward roll of the foot as the arch collapses.

PR/PB
Personal record/personal best.

RRCA
Road Runners Club of America. More information can be found 
at www.rrca.org.

repeats
See "intervals."

ride
The ability of a shoe to provide a smooth transfer of a 
runner's weight from heel-strike to toe-off. Ride is a largely subjective 
quality, but shoe wearers know it when a shoe has or lacks a good ride.

runner's high
A feeling, usually unexpected, of exhilaration 
and well-being directly associated with vigorous running; apparently 
related to the secretion of endorphins.

running economy
Refers to how much oxygen you use when you run. 
When you improve your economy, you are able to run at a smaller percentage 
of max VO2 (your maximum rate of oxygen utilization).

splits
Refers to your times at mile markers or other pre-planned 
checkpoints along the way to the finish line.

stability
The ability of a shoe to resist excessive foot motion

strides
Short, fast, but controlled runs of 50 to 150 meters. 
Strides, which are used both in training and to warm up before a race, 
build speed and efficiency.

supination
The opposite of pronation. It's an outward rolling 
of the forefoot that naturally occurs during the stride cycle at toe-off. 
Oversupination occurs when the foot remains on its outside edge after 
heel strike instead of pronating. A true oversupinating foot underpronates 
or does not pronate at all, so it doesn't absorb shock well. It is a 
rare condition occurring in less than 1 percent of the running population.

taper
Runners usually cut back mileage (or taper) one day to 
three weeks (depending on race distance) before a big race. Tapering 
helps muscles rest so that they are ready for peak performance on race 
day.

target heart rate
A range of heart rate reached during aerobic 
training, which enables an athlete to gain maximum benefit.

tempo runs
Sustained effort training runs, usually 20 to 30 minutes 
in length, at 10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than 10-K race pace. 
Another way to gauge the pace of tempo runs: a pace about midway between 
short-interval training speed and your easy running pace.

threshold runs
Runs of 5 to 20 minutes at a pace just a little 
slower than your 10-K racing pace; Threshold pace is roughly equivalent 
to what exercise physiologists call "lactate threshold," or the point 
at which your muscles start fatiguing at a rapid rate. Running at or 
near lactate threshold is believed to raise your lactate threshold, 
which should allow you to run faster in the future.

toebox
The front portion of a shoe's upper. A wide toebox allows 
plenty of room for the toes to spread.

underpronator
Underpronation is less common than overpronation. 
The shoes of underpronators show outsole wear on the lateral (outer) 
side not just at the heel but all the way up to the forefoot. Typically, 
underpronators tend to break down the heel counters of their shoes on 
the lateral side.

upper
The leather or mesh material that encloses the foot.

USATF
USA Track and Field. More information can be found at www.usatf.org.

USOC
United States Olympic Committee. More information can be 
found at www.usoc.org.

veteran
International term similar to "master" in the U.S. According 
to the IAAF, men become "veterans" on their 40th birthday; women, on 
their 35th birthday.

VO2Max (maximal oxygen consumption)
The maximal amount of oxygen 
that a person can extract from the atmosphere and then transport and 
use in the body's tissues.

wall
See "hitting the wall."

warm-up
Five to twenty minutes of easy jogging/walking before 
a race or a workout. The point of a warm-up is to raise one's heart 
rate so the body (and its muscles) are looser before a tough workout 
begins.

"world best"
A recorded best time for an event in which 
formal world records are not kept. For instance, the fastest time at 
150m, a non-standard distance, is a "world best" rather than a "world 
record." Similar distinctions are made for road races which do not meet 
certain standards, such as races with excessive amounts of downhill. 

WR
World record.

Resource:
By Parker Morse & Beth Moxey Eck
Published 09/21/2001 
www.runnersworld.com
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