An Unofficial Official Glossary Of Running Terms | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

An Unofficial Official Glossary Of Running Terms

Running Lingo To Keep You In The Know

43
An Unofficial Official Glossary Of Running Terms
media.defense.gov

If you’ve spent any time around runners, you’ve probably noticed that they have their own language. Here’s a quick cheat sheet of some popular running lingo to keep you in the know.

Bib: Not the cloth worn by babies to prevent spilling food on themselves. Rather, the number assigned to you during a race, displayed on a piece of paper.

Body Glide: Synonymous with life saver.Preventer of the dreaded phenomenon of chaffing.

Bonk: Also known as “hitting the wall”, which is quite frankly the perfect description. It’s a dreaded point during a long run (somewhere around mile 20) where your glycogen stores are depleted and you run out of energy.

BQ: Boston Qualifier. Not to be confused with Burger King – a fast food chain. Whether you’re a runner or not, odds are you’ve heard of the Boston Marathon. You may not know that an entry into the race must be earned by having a qualifying time in another marathon. A “BQ” is something many marathoners strive for, and a “BQ” time is definitely brag worthy.

Carbs: Carbohydrates. Fuel. Your best friend and true love.America may run on Dunkin, but runners run on carbs. Bagels, pasta, potatoes, bananas, bread...you name it, we eat it.

DOMS: Delayed onset muscle soreness. A common struggle distance runners face days after a long run. A runner suffering from DOMS may be identified by slow walking, struggling up and down stairs, lowering themselves into chairs very, very slowly.

Dreadmill: Most people refer to these torture devices as treadmills, but when you have to put in 15 miles, watching the seconds tick by in front of your face is nothing short of agonizing. Nothing compares to hitting the open road, but when weather conditions are not ideal, sometimes we just have to suck it up and hop on the dreadmill.

Fartlek: Swedish for "speed play;" a type of workout where you vary your running pace, adding bursts of speed to your run.

GU: A gel food substance that runners eat during a long run to avoid bonking. It’s known for having a less than desirable taste and texture, but it seems to do its job well.

Junk Miles: Miles run that used to reach a weekly or mileage total rather than for a specific benefit. While not particularly exciting, these miles are not junk.

Leap Frogging: The annoying situation that occurs during a race when you alternate between passing and being passed by the same runner.

LSD: No, not the drug. LSD stands for long slow distance run, which is a long run at an easy pace used to build endurance.

PR: A cause for celebration. More specifically, an abbreviation for personal record – running the fastest time of a given distance.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

711
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2039
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

3284
How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments