A Running Glossary for your Next Half Marathon Training Plan
A marketing graduate of Lehigh University, Jennifer Heiner formerly served as the marketing director of a running company in New Jersey. When she is not collaborating with the company founders on upcoming projects, Jennifer Heiner is an active runner herself. Currently working for one of the New York City Metro area's biggest and best running companies, Jennifer Heiner shares below some of the important buzz words and things to keep in mind when training for your next half or full marathon.
Running is about a lot more than just running - and there is a lot of terminology that is thrown around. Hopefully the outline below will help to clarify some of this!
Intervals:
Interval training is a great way to improve your aerobic capacity (VO2 max) and improve your anaerobic system.
Typically, Intervals are any distance between 400 meters and 1600 meters (one mile), but some programs may call for longer Intervals. Intervals will vary in intensity and duration based on where in your program the workout is prescribed. In between each Interval, you will engage in passive (walking) or active (jogging) recovery between each effort.
Intervals teach our bodies what race pace feels like in shorter durations and allow our bodies to manage the build-up of lactic acid more efficiently. Traditionally, Interval workouts are done on a track, but can be done anywhere. If you have a GPS watch or phone, you measure the precise distance on your own.
Tempo:
Tempo workouts are an excellent way to adapt your body to running harder over longer periods of time. Typically, Tempo pace will be between 10K and Half Marathon pace.
If you are not sure of your 10K pace or Half Marathon pace, you can use the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale and keep your run at a 6-7 out of 10. A 1 rating would be equivalent to standing in place, while a 10 rating is a maximal race effort.
It is important to be in tune with your internal effort scale because this is your best gauge of intensity. Your RPE is not an exact science, but over time you will get a better sense of what your scale looks like.
If you are not sure of your 10K pace or Half Marathon pace, you can use the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale and keep your run at a 6-7 out of 10. A 1 rating would be equivalent to standing in place, while a 10 rating is a maximal race effort.
It is important to be in tune with your internal effort scale because this is your best gauge of intensity. Your RPE is not an exact science, but over time you will get a better sense of what your scale looks like.
Hills:
Incorporating Hill work into your training program is a great way to work on efficiency and to recruit different muscle fibers based on the intensity of the Hill work.
Incorporating Hills into your training will allow you to learn how to run by feel on the incline and get back to race pace after the climb. This is an important aspect of training especially for a hilly course.
Fartleks:
Fartleks turn running into a game, and once that happens you stop focusing on the task of running and start focusing on the game.
Fartlek is a Swedish word for "speedplay." Fartleks involve harder segments of running (ON segments) followed by easier segments (OFF segments). Typically, both ON and OFF segments range from 30 seconds to a few minutes.
Fartleks help runners get used to changing paces and help break up a run in an entertaining way. Changing pace is fun and within a continuous run is highly effective at stimulating aerobic benefits. Run a fast speed to a tree and then relax until you reach some other landmark. Have fun with it!
