RWOL Beginners Forum Jargon and Terminology List

Welcome! This is your friendly beginner's forum guide to running terminology and jargon.  If you're new to the forum, let me be the first to say welcome. We're a friendly group of runners and we're quite diverse. We range from new runners who have not run our first mile to grizzled veterans who have literally run thousands ... and everything in between. Please jump in and introduce yourself. Consider joining the "Dailies" thread where everyone is invited to post their daily mileage or other exercise. We also have a daily thread for slower runners called the Penguins and a weekly mileage game. These threads are open to all, so please join us.

With the intro out of the way -- on to the jargon list. Although I maintain it, I want to thank the forum for contributing to this list and making it better. Too many contributors to list everyone, but Toronto Guy and Jim2 in particular contributed quite a bit (click on Jim's name to visit his EXCELLENT running website).  Thank you again to everyone who helped and contributed! :)

This is just a general terminology list and is not at all meant to be exhaustive. If you have questions about something, please create your own thread in the forum below for discussion purposes!

This guide is divided into the following sections (click on them to jump within the page):

* Common Running Abbreviations:
* Common Forum Abbreviations:
* General Running terms:
* Medical Terms:
* Types of Runs:
* Runner's World Plan Terms:
* Physiology Terms:
* Race Related Terms:
* Shoe and Gear Terms:

OK, so yes, this thing is HUGE.  Did you know you can also search this page? If you're looking for something fast, you can hold down CTRL and F and enter a term to find it and see if it is on this page.

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** Common Abbreviations **:

Many of these are self explanatory; others you will find more info about below.

AG: is Age Group.
AR: is American Record
AT: is Achilles Tendon.
BQ: is to Boston Qualify as in to meet the standards to qualify to run in the Boston Marathon.
C25K: is Couch to 5K, a common beginner's running program.
CR: is course record
DFL: is Dead &$%&* Last
DLF: is Dead Last Finish
DNF: is Did Not Finish
DNS: is Did Not Start
DOMS: is delayed onset muscle soreness
ED: usually is used to refer to an eating disorder.
EIA: is exercise induced asthma
EPO: is short for the natural occuring hormone called erythropoietin. EPO can be used to enhance performance illegally and is associated with the dangerous process known as "blood doping."
FF: is a fast finish (see "negative splits" below)
Full:  Refers to a "full marathon," i.e. running 26.2 miles.
FIRST: Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training (their website -- thanks to John)
GA: is general aerobic
GPS: is global positioning system; see Garmin below.
HM: is half marathon (13.1 miles).  Can also be referred to as "the half" or as a pikermi.
HR: is heart rate
HRmax, MHR or HRM: means the maximum heart rate that one can reach while running. Training intensities are often determined by percent of HRmax.
HRR (HRres): means Heart Rate Reserve, which is the difference between HRmax and RHR (HRmax - RHR = HRR). Some runners base training on percent of HRR instead of HRmax.
IOC: is International Olympic Committee
ITBS: refers to the illotibial band syndrome, a common overuse running knee injury.
KM: is a kilometer, also may be abbreviated simply as K.
LRS: is local running store.
LSD: is long slow (or steady) distance.
LVD: is long varied distance.
MP: is marathon pace.
MPM: is usually minutes per mile
MPW: Miles per week.
MHR: is maximum heart rate
MTSS: is Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome; another name for the infamous "shin splints."
NB: is New Balance, a shoe company.
NSAID: is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; ie Advil, Aleve, Motrin, etc.
PDR: is Philadelphia Distance Run
PF: is plantar fascitis
Pfitz: refers to runner/coach Pete Pfitzinger or his popular marathon plans. For example "Pfitz 70" would refer to a Pfitz marathon plan that peaks at 70 miles per week.
PR and PB: is personal record or personal best. PB may also stand for peanut butter. :)
PT: is physical therapy.
PW: is personal worst.
Quads: the quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh
RD: is Race Director
RHR: is resting heart rate
RICE: rest, ice, compression, elevation
ROM: is range of motion
RT: Running Times.
RW: Runner's World.
ST: Sportstracks, a popular form of logging software.
SFX: is stress fracture
TM: is treadmill
USATF: is USA Track and Field
WR: is world record
XC: is Cross Country
XT: is Cross training

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** Forum Abbreviations **:

+1: means basically "me too!"
BF: could be boyfriend, could be "Beginner's Forum." A lot of times it depends on context. :)
BTW: is by the way.
DH (or DW or DS or DD): is "Dear Husband" or "Dear Wife" or "Dear Son" or "Dear Daughter."
FE: is a "forum encounter" -- to meet someone from here face to face.
IMHO: in my honest opinion (or "in my humble opinion").
L&O: is the Letters and Opinions forum here on Runner's World.
NRR: is not running related, commonly refers to an off-topic posting.
OP: Original post, or original poster. 
OTOH: On the other hand.
PM: as used here, a personal message, a private communication
Pluck:  Our "wonderful" forum software.  Since it doesn't always work as designed, we often refer to problems with it as "getting plucked."
RR: is race report or running related.
SO: Significant other.
SRD: is a scheduled rest day.
SRR: sort of running related
TIA: thanks in advance
URD: is an unscheduled rest day.
YMMV: is "your mileage may vary" -- basically this works for me, no clue if it will work for you!
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** General Running Terms **:

10% Rule: is a general guideline that says don't increase your weekly mileage by more than about 10% each week. An alternate rule is Coach Jack Daniels' rule not to increase more than the number of workouts you do per week; i.e. if you run five times per week, then you can increase by five miles a week.

Aerobic: means simply that something requires oxygen. Aerobic exercise requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand. Contrast with anaerobic.

Anaerobic: means simply without oxygen or not requiring oxygen. This is exercise performed at a high intensity and requiring a rate of energy production greater than that supplied by aerobic respiration.

Base: is how many miles you are running; for example if you run 30 miles per week, that is your base. This is somewhat simplified, but gives you the general idea.

Carb Loading: basically this just means trying to maximize the storage of glycogen (a form of energy) in one's muscles before a race.

Chronograph: is a fancy name for a runner's watch. The stop watch mode where you time your runs is known as the Chronograph mode.

Cross country: is usually a fall sport at the high school and college levels; it is a running event in which runners must run a course consisting of varying terrain. In team events, the first five runners to cross the finish line score for their team. The team with the low score wins. 1 point is awarded to first, 2 points to second, 3 to third and so on. A perfect score in a Cross Country meet is 15 points.

Cross training: is another aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling, cross country skiing used to complement running or when you are injured and can't run.

Couch to 5k: is a beginners running plan. Couch 2 5K site.

Doubles: refers to doing two runs in the same day. Singles would be doing just one run. So if someone says "I did 50 miles this week, all singles" they are saying "I ran 50 miles this week, all as once-a-day runs."

Elite: refers to those really super fast folks who usually don't have to pay for shoes because they get them sponsored.

Fuel Belt: a type of belt you wear around your waist that has holders for bottles to carry fuel or fluids. Other types include Amphipod (a brand) and Camelbaks (which are like back packs that you carry water in).

Gallowalking: refers to walking at certain fixed intervals, such as one minute in ten, during long runs. The phrase is named for Jeff Galloway. Also called a run-walk.

Ghost Runner: is the guy (imagined or not as the case may be) that is on your heels about to pass you, used for motivation to keep up the pace. (thanks to Chuck for this one.)

Grade: refers to the steepness of a hill. Cycling site that allows you to figure out hill grades.

GU: is a type of energy gel. It's a brand name, but it's often used as a generic for gels generally (kind of like how xerox is used to refer to copying things in general). Gels are a semi-liquid sugary snack used for a quick energy burst. Sports beans are a jelly bean product related to GU. Cliff Blocks are another similar product. Hammer Gel is another product. Etc. You can find these at your local running store.

Hashers: or Hash House harriers are self proclaimed "drinkers with a running problem."

Heart: is obviously an organ in your chest, but it also is often used in running to refer to your courage, drive, desire.

Ice Bath: is what it sounds like, taking a bath in ice to help prevent next day soreness.

Jog: is basically running at a slower pace, often to recover between intervals. Jogging is subjective rather than objective. One person's jog can be another person's run.

Junk miles: are runs at an easy pace done in order to reach a weekly or monthly mileage total rather than for any specific benefit. A lot of people say no miles are junk, though!

Laps: and Splits: are your times in a race or workout at several measured intervals. Laps would be this for example, a 36:00 minute 4-mile run might have mile splits of 9:00, 8:50, 9:10, 9:00. Splits technically refer to cumulative times, e.g. if you are running 8:00 min/miles, your split times will be 8:00 @ Mile 1, 16:00 at Mile 2 and so on. Negative splits: refers to running the second half of the race faster than the first. The opposite is a positive split where you run the first half faster. Even splits would be running essentially the same time for both halves of the race. (Thanks to Toronto Guy for clarification on this one.) You can calculate your splits for a race using this online calculator.

Log:  A place where you record your runs.  It can be as simple as a pen and paper journal, or it can be elaborate.  There are numerous different logs available on the internet, including Sports Tracks, Running Ahead, Daily Mile, and there is a log on the site (click log at the top).

Master: is usually an athlete 40 years of age or older. There is a Masters Forum here at RW.

Out and back: means a course you run out a certain distance, then turn around and run back. A loop is simply that -- you start in one spot and run in a big circle.

Personal Record: or Personal Best: means you ran your best time at the distance. Can be used as a verb "I PRed this weekend at the local 5K."

Pheidippides: was this awesome Greek dude who ran the 24 miles or 39 kilometers from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC with news of a Greek victory over the Persians. After delivering the message, he collapsed and died. Marathons are named for his feat. (It's a long story about why it's 26.2 versus 24 ...)

Phedippidations: popular podcast about running hosted by Steve Runner and available for free download at http://www.steverunner.com/ (abbreviation: "Fdip") (thanks to Chooch)

Road Kill: - You become road kill when during a race you are passed by a faster runner. (thanks to Chuck for this one)

Runner: is a person who RUNS. Period. Every two weeks or so we have a thread about who supposedly qualifies as a runner. Simple answer: If you run, you're a runner. Please stop asking what is the difference between a runner or a jogger. If you're interested enough in the sport to come here, the chances are excellent that yes, you're a runner no matter how slow or fast you are or whether you ever enter a race or not.  Here is a thread if you want to read the way various members of the forum define running/jogging.

Runner's High: is a feeling of happiness and euphoria following running. Seems to be caused by endorphins. Not everyone experiences it.

Snot Rocket: is a way to clear your sinuses when you're running; as in "I launched a snot rocket." Ask the board for technique suggestions. Also known as a farmer's blow.

Sprints: are usually the races 400 meters and below in track and field. To sprint means to run as hard and as fast as you possibily can, usually for a relatively short distance.

Streak: means you run at least one mile continuously for such and such number of days, weeks, months, or years in a row. These can get VERY long as is evidenced here: United States Running Streak Association.

Triathlon: combines swimming, biking, and running, usually in that order. There are various distances.

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** Medical Terms **:

If you have a medical problem, you should always seek the advice of a competent medical professional, not this board. We can make suggestions, but we can't diagnose you. If you want to try and self-diagnose a minor injury, Cool Running has a pretty good injury guide. However, knowing some medical jargon can be very helpful when trying to figure out what is wrong, so without further ado ...

Acetaminophen: is brand name Tylenol. A pain killer that does not have anti-inflammation properties. Compare with corticosteroids and NSAIDs below.

Achilles Tendonitis: is a painful and often debilitating inflammation of the Achilles tendon (heel cord). Also sometimes called Achilles tendinitis.

Analgesic: a drug that relieves pain. Can be anything from Tylenol to Vicodin to even "harder" stuff ...

Anterior: is front.

Bonk: means to run out of energy, to "hit the wall" ... It's not fun.

Corticosteroids: are drugs such as Medrol, prednisone, or cortisol. They are used to reduce inflammation by signalling tissues to break down. They are very powerful, useful drugs but have side effects, especially with long term use. Compare with NSAIDs (below).

Diuretic: is a drug that increases the rate at which water is excreted through the kidneys.

Electrolytes: are minerals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium that are used by cells to give rise to nerve impulses and muscular contractions. In layman's terms: these are important. You can get them through sports drinks.

Hyponatremia: literally means water intoxication. If you take in too much water during competition it can cause an abnormally low level of sodium in the blood. This may be fatal.

Illotibial Band Syndrome: refers to pain in the fibrous tendon band (aka the IT band) that runs from your hip to the outside of your knee; pain is common in the outside part of the knee.

Lateral: is outside or facing the side of the body -- i.e. wear on the lateral part of your shoe is wear near the pinky toe.

Medial: is inside or facing the middle of the body.

Mitochondria: is the "powerhouse" of your cells -- they provide energy for the rest of the cell by oxidizing nutrients to produce ATP.

Morton's Neuroma: is an enlarged nerve that usually occurs in the third interspace, which is between the third and fourth toes. The most common symptom of Morton's neuroma is localized pain in the interspace between the third and fourth toes.

NSAIDs: are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Most are available over the counter (OTC) and include Aleve, Advil, Motrin, etc.

Orthopedist: is a doctor who takes care of injuries involving bones, structures, etc.

Over training: is when a runner trains too much too soon and leads to fatigue, injury and/or burn-out. Symptoms can include being irritable, a higher than fast heart rate, no desire to train, etc.

Patella: is your kneecap.

Periostitis: is inflammation of connective tissue (the periosteum) This is a common cause of "shin splints."

Plantar Fascitis: is an often chronic problem of the foot that can be very painful. Pain is usually located in the arch near the heel. In most cases of plantar fasciitis, pain is more severe following periods of inactivity.

Piriformis: is a pain in the butt - literally! In more technical terms this is a condition in which the piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the buttocks and referring pain along the course of the sciatic nerve.

Podiatrist: is a medical doctor specially trained to take care of feet.

Posterior: is back or behind.

Primary care doctor: sometimes referred to also as a PCP (primary care physican) is basically your family doctor. Often the first person you'll see for a running injury; they may refer you to perhaps an orthopedist or a podiatrist for further treatment. There are also doctors who specialize just in sports medicine as well.

RICE: is Rest Ice Compression Elevation -- what you should do in general with an acute (new, fresh) injury for the first 24 hours or so.

Runner's Knee: is a condition called Chondromalacia patella. It's a mouthful and that's why we call it runners knee. Toronto Guy adds a further clarification: Runner's knee is also commonly known as PFS or Patello-Femoral Syndrome. It's your kneecap (patella) rubbing on the front of your thigh bone (femur). Most often caused by overuse - doing too much too soon - ostheoarthritis, insufficient muscle development and/or improper alignment, including wrong or worn-out shoes or running on slanted pavement.

Runner's Trots: refer to gastrointestinal problems on the run. AKA the infamous "Digestion Disasters!"

Seamoiditis: is inflammation of the sesamoid bones. In humans it occurs on the bottom of the foot, just behind the large toe. Pain in the forefoot under the pad of the big toe may be this.

Shin Splints: refers generally to pain anywhere between your knee and your ankle. Could be a stress fracture, medial tibial stress syndrome, compartment syndrome ... Multiple causes, multiple solutions, even possibly multiple possible injuries might be causing it. Very common, especially in new runners. Toronto Guy adds that: "Shin splints are more of a symptom of an underlying condition than a condition in itself. One other reason could be inflammation of connective tissue (periosteum), known as periostitis. Shin splints are typically manifested as anterior (front of lower leg) or medial (inside, facing the other leg) pain. A pain in the back of your lower leg is not shin splints, it's probably a calf strain." Suggested PT exercises from Venomized.

Stitch: is a side cramp, usually on the right side. Stiches are very common.

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** "Types" of Runs **:

These are some different types of runs you will see referred to on the board. All of these types of runs are done to accomplish different goals and objectives.

"_______ pace runs": refer to running your predicted or expected race pace. So if a workout were to call for doing miles at "marathon pace," that means running at your predicted marathon pace per mile. That could be anything from 5:00/mile for someone fast to 12:00 minutes a mile for someone slower. A 5K race plan may call for doing intervals (explained below) at your 1 mile race pace. A good way to figure out your expected paces is to use an online calculator. The McMillian Calculator is excellent. Running Times also has a calculator you can try.

A tempo run: is a run at around your 10K race pace (or about 80-85% of your heart rate or so). Traditionally tempo runs were 20 minutes or so in length, but they vary. It's often described as being "comfortably hard" -- it's a challenging, but managable pace. You want to finish a tempo feeling challenged, but not exhausted. Most tempo runs consist of ten to fifteen minutes of easy running, then the tempo part, then ten to fifteen minutes to cool down. Tempo runs build speed and teach your body to run at a certain pace.

Related to tempo runs are cruise intervals. Like tempo runs, these runs are designed to help you learn to deal with the accumulation of lactate; they are sometimes called lactate threshold runs. Don't worry too much about what that means right now. Cruise intervals are usually 3 to 15 minutes in length, with 1 minute or so of recovery for each five minutes of run time.

A fartlek: is a fun word that you can say and make non-runners snicker. It simply is an informal way of doing speed work. It's a Swedish word meaning "speed play." In a fartlek, you would run hard to say the next telephone pole, then slow down, then run hard again to the next object. It's just basically bursts of speed in the middle of a workout. It can be easy or hard. There's no set distance or speed, it's very loose and informal. Fartleks are good for a beginning runner who wants to dabble in speedwork.

Intervals: (sometimes called "repeats") usually refer to track work, though you can do them elsewhere. Usually intervals consist of a set distance (say 400 meters, 800 meters, a mile) that you run at a set, usually fast pace. Between the intervals, you would recover by either jogging slowly or walking. People often do them on the track because the track is obviously measured. An example of an interval workout might be 4x800. This means you are going to run four sets of 800 meters (or about a half mile) at a certain pace. Between those faster runs, you will walk or jog to recover. Often an interval workout will give you the pace you're supposed to run and the time you should take to rest. Usually rest time is roughly equivalent to how much time it takes you to run the distance. So in our 4x800 example, if you were doing the 800s in 4:00 minutes (8:00 mpm pace), you would take about 4:00 rest. Intervals build your pace and speed.

Some types of intervals ... Repetitions which are a form of intervals that are faster and shorter than VO2max intervals with full recovery betwen them (usually 4-6 times as long as the repetition). These are used for improvement of anaerobic capacity, running form and running economy. Ladder which means an interval workout of increasing interval lengths, such as 200-400-600-800 meters. A Cutdown which is the opposite of a ladder or an interval workout of decreasing interval lengths, such as 800-600-400-200 meters. Pyramid: is a combination of a ladder and a cutdown, such as 200-400-600-800-600-400-200 meters. (thanks to Jim2 for defining several terms in this section.)

Just a brief word about the track .... If you visit the track to do a workout, know that most tracks are 400 meters in length. (There are some quarter mile tracks, but most are 400 meters.) A mile is roughly equivalent to 4 laps around the track. A mile is actually a little longer than 1600 meters. If you want to do a true timed mile, find the common finish line. (It's usually located at near the end of the straightaway in front of the home stands. Usually has numbers painted there.) Go back 9 meters and there should be a line; thats where the mile would begin. This is a good website that let's you figure out your mileage on the track in different lanes.

Long Runs: are typically 25-30% of your weekly mileage or so and are usually done once a week. These are usually done at a comfortable, fairly easy pace. We often refer to them here as LSD -- long, slow distance. An appropriate long run distance is determined by your goals. A long run might be anywhere from 5 miles to 25 or more (for an ultramarathoner).

The easy run: or a recovery run is simply a run at an easy pace done for recovery purposes or just simply enjoyment. Most of a beginners runs should be easy runs.

Jogs: usually refer to slow running done to recover between intervals. Runners and (especially) non-runners will sometimes use the term "jog" for a slow run for exercise. Runners tend to prefer to refer to what they do as running; but usually know that if a non-runner refers to you as a jogger, they probably don't mean any harm.

You will also hear about hill repeats: -- these typically are runs up a hill to build strength. I personally hate hill repeats, so I prefer to run hilly courses instead.

Strides: are short, controlled bursts of running of 50 to 150 meters designed to improve efficiency, work on form, etc. Often done at the end of a run.

Warm Up: is a period of slower running prior to faster running. Cool down: is slower running at the end of faster running. This is also sometimes called a warmdown.


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** Runner's World Plan Terms **:

These are quoted from Runner's World from their training plans. If you're following one of their plans and you're lost on terminology, this may help you out.

AI: or Aerobic Intervals. You push the pace. But just a little. Find a tempo that feels somewhere between comfortable and "Hey, I'm workin' a little here." Don't run this too hard. Trying to add too much intensity while you're also increasing mileage spells I-N-J-U-R-Y. When you finish the timed AI, jog very slowly until your breathing returns to normal, then work back into your regular pace. On all other days, just run your assigned miles as you feel.

GP: or Gentle Pickups: At the end of your run, walk for several minutes, then slowly increase your leg turnover on a flat stretch for 100 meters--the straightaway on a track--up to the point where you start to breathe hard. Hold it there for 10 to 20 meters, then gradually slow down. Walk to full recovery before you start the next one. The purpose of both AI and GP is to improve your stamina, leg speed, running efficiency, and to make your normal pace feel more comfortable. What's more, this kind of up-tempo running adds variety to your training. Always a good thing.

Pace Intervals (PI): Relatively lengthy repetitions at your goal half-marathon per-mile pace to build endurance and develop pace judgment.

Cruise Intervals (CI): Run at 10-K race pace to promote stamina and the ability to run strong when tired.

Speed Intervals (SI): Run at 5-K race pace to promote relaxed speed and a sense of comfort at your considerably slower half-marathon pace.

Strides (S): Over 100 meters, gradually accelerate to 90 percent of all-out, hold it for 5 seconds, then decelerate. Walk to full recovery after each.

Fatigue Fighter Intervals (FFI): FF Intervals combine Speed and Pace Intervals nearly back-to-back-to-back (very short recoveries) to work on maintaining pace and staying relaxed as you gradually tire. Yes, they're challenging. Jog five to seven minutes easy between sets.

Long Run (LR): This means a moderate pace (roughly 60 to 75 seconds slower than your half-marathon goal pace); Long Run Stamina (LRS): means to run 3 to 6 miles at half-marathon goal pace in the middle third of the run; Long Run Fartlek (LRF): means to alternate one minute at 10-K pace with one-minute jogs in the middle third of the run; Long Run Fast Finish (LRFF): means to run the final 15 minutes at 10-K pace.


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** General Physiology Terms **:

Economy: in simplest terms how much oxygen you use when you run.

Cardiac Drift: is where your pulse and heart rate increase despite the fact your pace stays same -- often is due to dehydration or a rise in temperature. Also called "cardiac creep."

Kinesology: is the study of muscles and their movements.

LT: means lactate threshold (see tempo runs).

Lactic Acid: is a substance which forms in the muscles as a result of the incomplete breakdown of glucose.

Stroke volume: is the amount of blood pumped by the left ventricle of the heart in one contraction.

VDOT: comes from Daniels' book "Running Formula" -- it is a measure of your running ability based strictly on race performance. From your VDOT, you can estimate your performances at other distances or get the speeds you should do certain workouts at. VDOT is kind of like a practical or effective measure of V02Max (see below). Here is a VDOT calculator.

vLT: means the velocity (pace) at which lactate threshold is reached.

VO2Max: is the maximal amount of oxygen that a person can extract from the atmosphere and then send to the body's tissues. You can use your current VO2Max to estimate your times for intervals, for example. (Find your vo2max by entering a recent race or run time.)

vVO2max: means the velocity (pace) at which VO2max is reached. (again thanks to Jim for contributing here.)


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** Terms Related to Racing **:

Age Grade: is a way of comparing performances across different age groups and sometimes even genders. Running Times has both the charts and an online calculator. RT uses a WMA calculator; if you prefer a WAVA calculator try this one: WAVA AG Calculator.

Aid Station: also called a water stop: is a place along the course where you can get water, Gatorade, etc. In ultras, these may have many amenities; in a local 5K, probably just water.

Anchor Leg: means the last leg in a relay. More commonly used in track.

Award Ceremony: is held at some point after a race to hand out awards to the winning runners. Check with the race director for details.

Bandit: is someone who runs in a race who hasn't registered. This is generally frowned upon.

Bib: is what you call your race number. In running, it goes on the front of your shirt or shorts.

Boston Qualify: (aka BQ): To meet the standard to urn in the Boston Marathon. The Boston Qualifying Standards from the Boston Athletic Association. Sometimes used as a verb -- "I BQed at Chicago."

Chip: refers to a little thing you tie on your shoe that measures finishing time when you cross a mat in a race.

Chip Time: In chip-timed races, time elapsed between the moments a runner crosses the start and finish lines. For elites who line up right at the start, chip time equals gun time. For everybody else, chip time is usually better than gun time, because it takes some time to reach the start line for runners who are lined up at the back.

Chute: typically found at the finish line of a race -- usually a roped off area where the officials collect the tear off part of a bib or order the runners as they finish.

Clydesdale: a larger runner, usually who meets a certain weight requirement amount. Used as a division in some races. Sometimes the female Clydesdales are called fillies or the female clydesdales may be called the Athena division.

Corrals: In large races, participants are often divided into starting corrals based on their past performance or expected finishing time. The goal is to ensure that slower runners do not get in the way of faster ones.

Draft: to run behind someone, so as to let them break the wind resistance.

Expo: is often held before larger races like marathons, where runners pick up race packets and get race/running related gear and goodies. (Thanks to Digital Man for this one.)

False start: means to jump the gun. Much more commonly used in track and field than road racing.

Gun Time: Time elapsed between the official start of the race, and the moment a runner crosses the finish line. Race start used to be signaled by a starting gun, hence the name. Today it's mostly air horn. (Thanks to Toronto Guy for contributing several definitions in this section.)

Hardware: refers to winning some sort of an award at a race. "I brought home hardware" means "I won an award."

Kick: is usually used as in "finishing kick" -- simply means running harder at the finish line, the last final sprint.

Kilometer: is about .62 of a mile. 5K = 3.11 miles. 8K = 4.97 miles. 10k = 6.22 miles. Etc.

Marathon: a distance of 26 miles 385 yards or 42 kilometers 195 meters. You can find and read reviews of marathons at this excellent online website: Marathon Guide.

Metric Mile: is the 1500 meters.

Pack: runners who run in close proximity to one another.

Pikermi: another name for 13.1 miles, otherwise known as the half-marathon.

Point to Point: means you start at one point and run to the next. So a point-to-point 5K would start at one location and finish at another location 3.11 miles away.

Rabbit: is someone who goes out with the intention of setting a fast pace in a race, but then often drops out.

Relay: where one runner runs one leg or section of the course, then passes off to another ... etc. In track, the relays commonly include the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400, 4x800. The team is made up of four runners; each runs one leg of that distance. This is pronounced, by the way "four by 100" or "four by 800." These might also be called the 400 meter relay or 3200 meter relay.

Relay Meet: usually refers to a track meet where the events are mainly relay events rather than individual events. When I ran track, we had some special relay events like the 4x1600, Sprint and Distance Medleys, etc.

Sandbag: means to act like a slower runner or say things to mislead your opponent into thinking you're not competition.

Steeplechase: a long distance track event that involves hurdling and a water jump.

Stick: is the baton carried by relay runners in track and field.

Sub: is used often to say "sub-3" or "sub-20" or "sub-30" ... It simply means to run underneath that time. A "sub-3 marathon" means the runner ran the race in less than 3 hours, for example.

Surge: to run faster in a race as a tactical matter, often to try and drop (lose) an opponent.

Tangents: Refers to shortest possible distance along a curved race route, which includes the tangents of every turn. Official race distance is measured along the tangents. "Running the tangents" means staying as close to the optimal route as possible in order to improve race performance.

Taper: is where a runner cuts back mileage before a big race like a marathon or even a shorter race. Tapering runners often get cranky and/or sort of paranoid since they aren't running as much leading to jokes about taper madness.

Trash talk: means to you run your mouth about how great you are and how you're faster than the other person. Opposite of sandbagging. Also called talking smack.

Ultramarathon: is simply any race that's longer than the marathon. (All marathons are 26.2 miles.) Common ultra distances can include 50K, 50 miles, 100 miles, or even longer than that. Some famous ones include Badwater, Western States, etc. An excellent site for ultramarathoners: Kevin Sayers' UltRunR Web Site .

Wall: a sudden bonk, often occuring around mile 20 of the marathon.

Waves: Refers to staggered start when different corrals depart at different times to accommodate all participants within limited confines of a race course.

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** Shoe and Gear Terms **:

Body Glide: is a lubricating product to prevent chafing and skin irritation. Some runners use Vaseline or even deodorant instead. You can get body glide at a running store.

Cushioned: refers to a shoe designed for a neutral foot that does not overpronate or that may supinate. Supinaters land on the outside of their feet.

Dual-density: This is often called a medial post. The length and strength of this post determines how much motion control the shoe offers.

Flats: are very light weight, minimal shoes used mainly for racing.

Foot strike: refers to how your foot initially impacts the ground as you run. There are heel strikers, midfoot strikers, and forefoot strikers.

Garmin: refers to Garmin Forerunner line of handheld GPS devices. They use satellite signal to track your location with some degree of accuracy, and then calculate and display your pace and distance in real time. Their display can be customized to suit your training needs. Garmin devices can be programmed to alert you of your pace or distance.

Garmin Forerunner product line includes:

101 / 201 / 301 : Discontinued.
205 / 305 : Currently available.
405: New generation, smaller form factor.
50: No GPS, smaller form factor.

Garmin devices can be connected to a computer either wirelessly or via cable, to download, chart and analyze your performance and routes with Garmin-designed or third-party software. You can also create custom workouts or routes and upload them to your Garmin. Some Garmin models include HRM (heart rate monitor.)

At least one Garmin model, Garmin Forerunner 50, does not include GPS. Instead, it uses a footpod sensor like Nike+. This design does not provide your geographic location, and is therefore less accurate than GPS-enabled devices.

Garmin 50 and 405 devices are smaller and lighter overall than 205 and 305, with slight tradeoff in screen size and usability. Garmin 205 and 305 look like an oversized sports watch. You will feel added weight initially, but people tend to get used to it very quickly.

Garmin 50 and 405 look and feel more like a regular sports watch. However, Garmin 405 wristband is molded into the case, which makes it inflexible. Because the band cannot be fully adjusted, the device may not fit smaller wrists tightly enough.

(Thanks to Toronto Guy for defining the Garmin info.)

Last: A shaped piece of wood or metal on which the shoe is built. There are three kinds of lasts: straight, curved, and semi-curved. Straight is usually found in motion control shoes built for overpronators; Semi-curved is the shape found in stability shoes built for mild pronators; and Curved is the shape found in cushioned shoes built for underpronators.

Motion Control: are shoes that offer the most over-pronation control. Over-pronation is where your foot rolls over to the inside too far. Usually you can tell your overpronating if you have excessive wear on the inside part of the forefoot of the shoe.

Orthotics: are orthopedic devices that are used to alter or modify foot function and are designed to treat, adjust, and support various biomechanical foot disorders. These can be simple over the counter devices, or they can be expensive custom made devices.

Outsole: the hard (usually carbon rubber) bottom of a running shoe that actually makes contact with the ground.

Pronation: the distinctive, inward roll of the foot as the arch collapses.

Ride: this is what a runner refers to explain the transfer between heel strike and toe off.

Singlet: is a light weight tank top like jersey worn by runners, usually in competion.

Split shorts: are higher cut running shorts often used in racing.

Spikes: are flats that contain spikes. There are spikes used for cross country and for track. The spike for a sprinter will look different than the spike for a long distance runner.

Stability: refers to a shoe designed for an average arched foot; it offers some degree of motion control for normal pronation.

Supination: is where one's foot rolls to far outward during running and walking. Supinators tend to wear down the outsides of their shoes, even when they run in a neutral shoe. Supination is less common than pronation.

Toebox: front portion of a shoe's upper where the toes are placed.

Under pronation: is simply not rolling far enough. It is different than true supination.

Upper: this is the thing that holds your foot in place and protects the foot from rocks, brush, etc. Usually consists of a mixture of mesh and synthetic leather material.

Wicking fabric: refers to technical fabrics that draw sweat away from the skin. Also might be referred to as a "tech shirt."

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