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.
