Basic Runner Lingo

Hey lovelies, recently in one of my posts I did a small thing of runner lingo, and you lovelies seemed to love it. So, I thought I would share some basic runner lingo with you, and help you understand the crazy breed known as runners a little bit more.

Form: to avoid being that awkward runner it’s important to master proper from / running technique. Try to keep your upper body tall yet relaxed and swing the arms forward and back at a low 90-degree angle.

Pace: Ever heard a runner talk about an 8 or 10-minute pace? We all have, because when you ask a runner about their last run, they answer with “it was great I averaged a 10 minute pace”. This refers to the time it takes to clock one mile. You may also hear them talk about: “long run pace,” “marathon pace,” “5K pace”, and the list could continue.

Warm-up: Granted we all know what a warm-up is, but us runners take a warm-up very seriously. A warm-up is to get your heart rate up, and the blood flowing to the muscles to help reduce the risk of an injury. All runners know to start each run with a solid 5-10 minute warm-up of walking, jogging, or dynamic stretching (which I’ll talk about below).

Cool-down: A warm-up is to prep the body to workout, and a cool-down is to help transition the body back to it’s resting state. So remember before heading straight to the shower after a workout, do a series of some lighter activity post-workout

Static Stretching: Static stretching is holding a major muscle group in their most lengthened positions for 20-30 seconds. Despite many still believing that static stretching before running helps prevent injuries, recent research suggests that it’s more beneficial post-workout.

Dynamic Stretching: Dynamic stretching is a series of controlled movements that increase flexibility, power, and range of motion. The best dynamic stretches for runners are lunges, squats, leg lifts, and butt-kicks.

Foot Strike: There is a right and a wrong way for your foot to strike the ground. A runner should strike the ground with their mid-foot, not their tip-toes, nor their heels. Try using light steps that land right under the hip for lower impact, turning into fewer injuries.

Cadence: AKA a stride turnover. A runner’s cadence refers to the number of steps taken per minute while running. The fastest and most efficient runners have a cadence of around 180 steps per minute. Find a fast-paced song, and keep to the beat.

Strides: Basically these are the forward steps taken when running. “Real runners” also use strides to refer to a series of short sprints, usually between 50 and 200 meters.

Dreadmill: Or as you may know it, treadmill. Runner’s give treadmills this name because often they’re a leather piece of gym equipment for runner’s who are forced indoors due to weather or time.

Trail Running: Pretty self-explanatory, running on a trail rather than a road or track. Trail running offers a more natural setting, lovely scenery, and recent studies have shown it can even work a whole different set of muscles.

Barefoot Running: Many runners today are saying goodbye to their running shoes, and discovering proper running form thanks to the barefoot movement. Running barefoot makes us relearn to run like our cavemen ancestors, and might help prevent injuries, and even improve performance.

Streaker: Not that kind of streaker, in this case, all clothes are still worn. A streaker is a runner who runs every day for an extended period. There are even streaking events to help these crazy runners stay motivated while logging those miles.

Newbie: A typical newbie, learns the sport by training for a short race, typically a 5K. Their choice of training program is usually the Couch-to-5K, and is a great starting tool!

Ultra-marathoner: These are some crazy runners, that every runner respects like mad. These athletes take on any distance longer than 26.2 miles. Ultra-marathoners are typically 50K, 100K, 50 miles, or 100 miles, but the most well-known ultra is the 56 mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa

Elite: AKA the pros. No matter what the distance might be, elite runners are fast. Really, really fast. Like Cheetah fast… Like Usain Bolt at the London Olympics fast.

Triathlete: Basically the overachievers. They not only run, but they also swim, and they also bike. But honestly, all runners have respect for all of those that tri!

If you’re a runner what’s your fav runner lingo? If you’re not a runner, what’s something you’ve heard one of your running friends say that you didn’t understand?