Training Terminology

When it comes to starting something new, everyone always wants to fit in. An easy way to accomplish this is to learn the basic language. Below is a short list of common training terms and phrases to help you fit in with your local running community.

Warm up/Cool down: I recommend a warm up before every run, whether it is an easy run or a race. The type of workout will vary based on the run that will follow. Before easy and long runs, I recommend doing a 5-10 minute walking warm up. This will help get the blood flowing and to mentally prepare for the run ahead. Prior to a race or workout, I recommend jogging about half mile to 1 mile shortly before beginning the workout or race.

Long run: Some suggest that long runs should be between 90-150 minutes in duration. This is not true for many reasons. A long run should be your longest run of the week and should consist of 25-30% of your weekly mileage. During long runs you should be able to comfortably maintain a conversation. If you're a first time runner training for a 5K, your long run might only be 2 miles. It all depends on your fitness and the best training plan to meet your goals.

Easy run: Similar to long runs, you want to be able to comfortably maintain a conversation for the duration of the run. These will be your shortest runs of the week and the distance will depend on your specific training plan.

Hill workout: Hill workouts are fantastic for building endurance and strength. Any hill will suffice but the longer the better. Typically, you want to aim to run hard uphill for between 30 seconds and 2:00 minutes.

Fartlek: In Swedish fartlek means "speed play" and it is a common way to transition into the speed phase of a training plan. During this type of run you alternate between a particular race effort and an easy effort for an amount of time or a total distance.

Repetitions: Repetitions are most commonly used to describe hard speed work. The purpose of these runs is to increase speed and improve running economy. Although you do each repetition at a hard effort, you also take a full rest by walking or jogging.

Tempo: Tempo workouts are long sustained runs that are run at a moderate effort. These runs are typically 20-40 minutes in duration and run at 15k-half marathon pace.

Good luck with your runs! If you need help figuring out what are the best workouts for you based on your fitness and goals, contact me at kevin@bodyambition.com.