Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a fun meme hosted by Kathy at bermudaonion.net. Please welcome my guest Nicole as she shares Wondrous Words from running and some awesome pinnable quotes!
A unique subculture, runners dash through life at a different pace.
Part statistician, we reel off numbers with ease.
Total weekly mileage. Interval paces. Race splits.
Part cartographer, we chart our runs around the best pit stops.
Cleanest public bathrooms. Tolerable port-a-potties. Emergency bailouts.
We know the exact location of every one within a 50-mile radius.
And we have a way with words.
Glycogen stores. Iliotibial band. Lactate threshold.
To the uninitiated, the runner’s idiolect is as exotic as the Khoisan click languages of Africa.
‘Did she just say fartlek?’
For Wondrous Word Wednesday, I’m getting word nerdy to unlock the secrets of the swift. Use these helpful definitions to decipher the excited chatter around the water cooler.
A Runner’s Lexicon
Black Toenail – Caused by downhill running or too-small shoes, this badge of honor often heals on its own within a few months.
Bonk – To run out of energy during a training run or race. See Hitting the Wall.
Boston Marathon – The Holy Grail of marathon races. Runners must qualify for entry. See BQ.
BQ – Shorthand for Boston Qualifier.
Carbo Loading – Practice of increasing carbohydrate intake leading up to an endurance event. The reason Olive Garden has a 2-hour wait on race weekends.
Chafing – Skin rubbed raw by clothing or skin-on-skin contact. Often undetected until hot shower. Results in loud exclamations and prolific expletives.
Cramp – Painful, involuntary contraction of a muscle. Pronounced ‘Aaaaaaarggghhhhh.’
Cross Training – Training regimen incorporating other forms of exercise, such as swimming and cycling. Often ignored by runners.
DFL – Dead F***in’ Last
DNF – Did Not Finish
DNS – Did Not Start
DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.
Endorphins – Chemicals in brain credited with producing sense of elation after completing an arduous run. See Runner’s High.
Fartlek – Swedish for “speed play;” variable pace running. Surefire way to make non-runners laugh.
Flopper – A runner who has a habit of collapsing in dramatic fashion in a non-winning position (usually second place) at the conclusion of a race.
Gu – Overpriced, barely edible, semi-liquid carbohydrate snack packaged in single serving pouches. Used as a fuel supplement during long periods of exercise.
Hill Repeats – A workout involving running uphill fast, jogging downhill slowly to recover, and then repeating the sequence. Also known as torture.
Hitting the Wall – A bonk so sudden and severe it feels as if you actually hit a wall. Energy levels plummet and negative thoughts skyrocket. Commonly occurs at mile 20 of marathon.
Junk Miles – Miles run at an easy pace to reach a certain weekly or monthly mileage.
Kick – Finishing burst of speed at the end of a race.
LSD – Long Slow Distance. Unexpected flashbacks to particularly brutal miles common.
Marathon – Long distance race run over 26 miles, 385 yards. Not for sissies. See Pheidippides.
Negative Split – Running the second half of a race faster than the first half. Requires superhuman strength.
Ninja Mama Runner – Fierce, fabulous woman who pounds the pavement and tears up the trails.
Pheidippides – Greek courier who ran from Marathon to Athens in 490 BC with news of a Greek victory. After delivering the message, he collapsed and died. Also known as Cautionary Tale. See Marathon.
PR – Personal Record. Term used to describe a runner’s fastest time over a certain distance. Also called Personal Best (PB).
Runner’s High – A feeling of exhilaration directly associated with vigorous running; related to the secretion of endorphins. Highly annoying to non-runners.
Snot rocket – Act of clearing nasal passages by blocking one nostril and blowing.
Stretching – To extend one’s body or limbs; something runners watch others do.
Taper – Cutting back mileage and intensity prior to a big race. Accompanied by phantom pains, mounting anxiety, and insatiable appetite.
Technical apparel – Clothing made of synthetic fibers that wick moisture away from the skin. Best known for increased stink factor with each wear.
Yasso’s 800s – Popular workout to predict a specific marathon time. Bane of every marathon training plan.
What terms would you add to the list?
Nicole Goodman is a full-time working mother of two and the caffeine-driven mind behind Work in Sweats Mama.
After business hours, you’ll find her chasing her fearless two-year-old, verbally sparring with her precocious four-year-old, avoiding housework, seeking an endorphin high on long runs, and slurping down gigantic fountain Cokes.
Today’s word comes from the story of a middle-aged man who has returned to America after a trip back to Afghanistan, the land of his youth. His sons are not interested in his stories.
