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TRIATHLON FOR BEGINNERS - TRIATHLON TERMINOLOGY

Below is the layout of terms, which will be helpful to know for your training.

THE LANGUAGE OF TRAINING

AEROBIC ENDURANCE A measure of ability to do continuous work.

ANAEROBIC ENDURANCE The ability to withstand Lactic Acid fatigue.

CIRCUIT TRAINING A type of training where the athlete advances from exercise to exercise in a single session, usually calisthenics or weights.

COMPETITION SPECIFIC Training which simulates race condition or near race conditions.

HARD EASY TRAINING A method of training which alternates hard days with easy days something involving hard weeks with easy weeks.

LACTIC ACID FATIGUE Discomfort caused by lactic acid in the system to the point where the athlete can no longer tolerate it; sometimes called typing up.

LONG FAST DISTANCE Distance running at about 80%-90% race pace.

LONG SLOW DISTANCE Distance running at below LFD.

OVER TRAINING Training to hard and running down the body’s energy system.

PEAKING A training phase in which the athlete aims at a peak of performance, both physically and psychologically on a given day.

SPEED ENDURANCE The ability to maintain high speed over a given distance.

SPEED WORK Training designed to increase a runner’s speed for instance 10 x 100m with a full recovery.

STEADY STATE An effort where the oxygen uptake equals the oxygen demands on the body. As a result, there is no building up of lactic acid. Heart rate, cardiac output and respiration have attained high constant levels.

STRETCHING Exercise aimed at increasing flexibility.

VO2MAX A measure of an athlete’s ability to take in oxygen. Maximum oxygen volume.

FARTLEK A Swedish word meaning playing with running.

INTERVALS A type of training performed over a set distance with a set time and recovery.

CADENCE Leg speed (bike or run)

HRM Heart Rate Monitor

DPS Distance per Stroke (swimming)