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Tri-alphabet soup
by Drusilla Moorhouse
The sport of triathlon
is so complex. It has enough terms to cover every letter of the alphabet.
Read the following, and you’ll soon be speaking triathlese with the pros.
Aero Bars:
Aerodynamic handlebars (built into triathlon bikes but also available in
less expensive clamp-on models) that help decrease wind resistance and
increase your pedaling power. Also a yummy chocolate bar sold in the
United Kingdom.
Brick:
Combining two or more triathlon events in one training session, usually a
bike followed by a run.
Clipless
pedals: Those tiny little pedals (e.g., SPD, Look) that attach
to the cleats of your cycling shoes, so that you maintain power throughout
the circumference of the pedal stroke. These replace toe cages or “clips”
that attach to traditional bike pedals. But paradoxically, cyclists
describe the process of attaching/detaching cleats to pedals as “clipping
in” or “clipping out/unclipping.” There’s a lot of confusing jargon to
learn in the wonderful world of triathlon. Keep reading.
Drafting:
Riding or swimming closely behind a competitor or teammate to conserve
energy because of reduced wind resistance and water drag. Drafting is
usually permitted during the swim but is rarely allowed during a
triathlon’s bike event (unless the race lists itself as “draft legal”).
Electrolytes: The current buzz word in sports nutrition. Sports
drinks can help you maintain the proper balance of sodium, potassium,
magnesium, and calcium to prevent cramping and hyponatremia (water
intoxication).
Fartlek:
Mention this in mixed company and you might get some startled reactions,
but most runners know that fartlek is Swedish for "speed play." In this
workout you vary speed and intensity to build up lactate tolerance and
increase speed and power. (Note: “lactate tolerance has nothing to do with
dairy products and your GI tract.)
Gel:
Most lightweight energy gels, like GU, contain 20–30 grams of
carbohydrates and are great to “take” during and just after a workout or
race (make note of the lingo—you don’t “eat” or “drink” a gel). Always
wash each gel down with 8–12 ounces of water—and don’t litter.
HRM/HRT:
Heart rate monitoring/heart rate training. Heart rate monitors measure
beats per minute (BPM) so athletes can instantly gauge their body's
response to workout intensity. This gauging makes workouts more efficient
and effective. The “target heart rate zone” is the objective, which is
determined by your individual physiology—that is, based on your resting
heart rate (RHR) and maximal heart rate (MHR) — aren’t these acronyms
fun? MHR is the highest rate you can attain during exercise. (Target heart
rate calculators are available on many fitness Web sites.)
Ironman:
A 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile (marathon) run. A
Half-Ironman, for those of you who are a little rusty on your arithmetic,
comprises a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run.
Jersey:
A snug cycling top in a wicking fabric — usually wildly colorful — with
back pockets to store your fuel, extra gear (legwarmers, sunglasses, etc.)
and small pets.
Kona:
Home of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. Athletes must qualify by
competing in other sanctioned Ironman events. I hear it’s an OK vacation
spot too.
Lacing
systems: Save time in T2 (see
“Transition,” below) by replacing your running shoes’
original laces with a brand like Yankz or Speedlaces.
Forget what you learned in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood —if you stop to tie
your shoes in a triathlon, even Mr. McFeely would zoom past you.
Masters:
Nope, you won’t catch champion triathletes donning ugly green blazers
after a big win. In this sport, masters refers to adult “swim teams” that
offer training and competitive opportunities for novice to elite swimmers.
Some masters clubs are welcoming to novice swimmers while others have a
more competitive focus, so take advantage of their free trial workouts to
find the best fit for you.
Negative
split: Completing the second half of a workout or specific
distance faster than the first half. Ergo, a split is the time for a
specific part of a race or workout. (The different elements of a
triathlon—swim, bike, and run times—are also referred to as splits.)
Olympic/International: A middle-distance triathlon, usually a
.9-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike, and 6.2-mile run.
Periodization: A long-term
training plan that breaks your year down into “periods” according to which
races you want to emphasize. Each period focuses on a specific type of
training and builds on its precedent, so that you’ve reached your peak
fitness level at the competition date(s) you’ve targeted.
Quintana Roo:
We’re not endorsing this particular triathlon retailer (of bikes,
wetsuits, apparel, and other tri gear), but this is the only “Q” entry I
could come up with. (And they’re a pretty big player in the sport—did you
notice what kind of bikes the male and female champions of the 2003
Ironman Wisconsin were riding?)
RPE:
Rating of perceived exertion—that is, monitoring the intensity of your
workout based on how hard you feel you are working. It’s not as accurate
as HRM but is still considered a pretty reliable indicator of effort.
You’ll also hear this referred to as the Borg scale (no relation to
Star Trek’s cubist antagonists—it was developed by a dude named Gunnar
Borg).
Sprint:
All triathlons with significantly shorter distances than
Olympic/international courses are considered sprints (usually a swim of
450–500 yards, a bike course of 11–15 miles, and a 3.1-mile run). Many
triathlons offer both sprint and international options.
Transition:
Triathlon’s “fourth” event, or the interval between each leg of the race.
"T1" refers to the swim-bike transition and "T2" refers to the bike-run
transition. The “transition area” is where athletes rack their bikes, lay
out their gear (often before the crack of dawn), and strive to ensure that
their helium balloon is more prominent than everyone else’s.
USAT:
USA Triathlon, the governing body of the sport. To compete in a USAT-sanctioned
event, you have to either have an annual USAT membership or pay a fee for
that race. If you plan on competing in several races a year, you’ll save
money by joining USAT and receiving other membership benefits.
VO2
Max: Not the latest sports car, VO2 max is a
measurement of how efficiently your body converts oxygen into energy. The
more oxygen your body processes, the faster you will swim, bike, and run
because of your body’s increased aerobic capacity.
Wetsuit:
when not prohibited by race organizers because of warm water temperatures,
many triathletes favor wetsuits because they aid buoyancy and decrease
water resistance.
Xterra:
Hosts of Global Tour off-road triathlon series and brand name products
related to the sport.
Yoga:
I swear I’m not just filling the “Y” space here—many triathletes truly
have incorporated yoga classes into their training regimen to increase
flexibility, build strength, and aid recovery.
Zones:
Used in heart rate training (HRT) and RPE to judge intensity of the
workout. Come on—surely you didn’t doubt I’d find a triathlon term
beginning with a zed?
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