Common Terminology
A.O.B.
warning
Ass On Bike; the definitive start time for a ride : If you don’t have your AOB at 5a.m. you will be left to fight off the raccoons on your own.
Active Recovery
noun
The short period of time after a training interval on the bike when you try to stop sucking wind and keep your heart from popping out of your chest. Never seems to be as long as you would like it to be.
Alligator Bayou (AB)
proper noun
A series of curvy loop roads, laden with interesting wildlife and an assortment of shacks and homes, well known to local cyclists as a good place to train : “A group of us are going to AB, AOB 5:30 am. Come join.”
Black Toenail
noun
What happens to your toenail when your shoes allow your foot to slide forward, thus causing your toes to repetitively hit the toebox when running : “Hey look guys! My black toenail just fell off!”
Blinkies
noun
Flashing red lights that are attached to your bike or body and used in early dawn or late afternoon cycling to increase your visibility : “Liz, can you please adjust the strobe pattern on your blinkies, I think I am about to have a seizure.”
Bonk
verb
The extreme fatigue that comes with not judging your nutritional needs adequately during a race, particularly during the bike or run segments : “I bonked about 1 mile into the run. Guess that Egg McMuffin for breakfast wasn’t the best idea after all.” Also see Hitting the Wall.
Brick
noun
The practice of training with back to back workouts of two different disciplines, most often a bike workout followed by a run workout, in preparation for a triathlon. Derived from the fact that your legs will feel heavy like bricks when you first begin the run after riding on a bike.
Buoy
noun
Usually a large brightly colored floating object used to mark the turnarounds or boundaries during the swim segment : She clung desperately to the buoy, waiting for the kayaker to tow her back to land.
“Car Up / Car Back”
warning
What is yelled out on training rides when one person in your group spots the speeding El Camino flying towards the pace line from the other side of traffic. Usually repeated until everyone in the line has heard the warning, or the Camino makes contact.
Carbo-Load
verb
The act of stocking up on carbohydrates the night before a race in hope to ward off the bonk : (To the waiter) “I’d like the pasta, an order of mashed potatoes, and a loaf of French Bread please.”
verb 2
The excuse to eat anything you want with the justification that it will all be worked off in the morning. “Let’s go to Sicily’s pizza buffet. I’m carbo-loading.”
Clipless Pedals
noun
An oxymoron; Very small, often the size of a quarter, pedals that special bike shoes clip into to allow the rider to pull up on the pedals rather than just mashing down on them. Often the cause of ZMPHRs. “I still haven’t figured out how to clip out of my clipless pedals when I am trying to get off my bike."
CO2 Cartridge
noun
A small cylinder filled with compressed air, used to quickly inflate a flat tire : “I forgot and unthreaded the C02 cartridge before I had it attached to the tube, now all the air is gone and that was my last one.”
D.Q.
Abbreviation
Stands for disqualified. Letters you never want to see after your name or bib number.
Drafting
verb
To ride within inches of the rear tire of the cyclist in front of you, with the intention of reducing wind resistance to make it easier to go fast and maintain the same speed as the cyclist in the lead. Illegal in most triathlon racing, but often used when riding in a paceline in training. Also not recommended to do in front of your coach when she is conducting a time trial for her riders. “I was so proud of myself for being able to keep up with McCall. I didn’t know I couldn’t draft off of her.”
Duathlon
noun
When unforeseen circumstances lead to the removal of a portion of a triathlon, often reducing it to only two events such as the bike and the run, often to the dismay of the participants who have been training hard for all three events : “I’m sorry to have to tell you that because there was a drowning last night in the lake and search and rescue is still looking for the body, the race will be turned into a duathlon. Now you will run twice the distance you have trained for. Good luck to you.”
Fat Tire
noun
A division of cyclists riding anything other than a road bike (skinny tire). Often made up of bikes with baskets, hybrids, and a variety of mountain bikes. A good way to begin getting into the sport of triathlon...until you realize road bikes are much faster. “Did you see that lady on the fat tire? The one with the basket? I can’t believe she just passed me!”
Finisher’s Award
noun
A token prize given at the end of the race just for completing the course. Usually in direct opposition to the amount of money spent registering for the race, but when placing is not possible, the finisher’s award means everything. “Dude! Did you check out the coffee cup I just got? Sweeeet!!”
Gu
noun
A thick sticky substance that is flavored to hide the fact that it is a thick sticky substance that is supposed to help you get through the race when you ingest it; the foil wrappers of which are often found littering the bike course of a race: “I’ll trade you a vanilla bean for a triple berry gu.”
HTFU
saying
Harden the F--- Up. A bracelet sporting these words is passed through our training group on an as-needed basis, given to a team member who is struggling mentally or physically with training in an effort to make them laugh and remember to get back in the saddle. A badge of honor, as everyone at some point needs to HTFU...
Hitting the Wall
verb
See bonk. Often used during the run phase of a race. “I hit the wall and there was no coming back.”
Ironman
noun
A non-gender specific term of respect given to those who have earned it by officially finishing an ironman distance race. Some day I hope to hear the words, “You are officially an Ironman”.
adjective
Refers to a branded ultra-distance triathlon event that consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a marathon distance run. “Can you believe she is training to do an Ironman?”
Mass Start
noun
The beginning of a triathlon where you should expect to get kicked in the head, punched, or trampled during the open water swim. Not for the faint of heart or those with severe open water phobias.
Olympic Distance
adjective
An intermediate distance triathlon consisting of a 1.5 km swim, a 40 km ride, and a 10 km run. “I’ve just been doing sprints so far. I hope to train for an olympic next season.”
“On Your Left”
warning
Proper cycling ettiquette for passing someone in a race. Builds confidence if you are able to say it more times than it is said to you.
Open Water (OW)
noun
A large forbidding body of water that strikes fear in the hearts of those with open water phobia. Required as part of the swim portion for most triathlons.
Open Water Phobia
noun
An intense fear of open water swimming, that usually presents itself with episodes of panicked shallow breathing, streaming tears, and cries of Oh God Help Me. Can be tamed slightly by frequent persistent attempts to conquer it when one is surrounded with capable support swimmers, kayakers, and a coach that carries a kickboard. Unfortunately, it never really goes away but does become less intense at times. “I dreamed last night that I was swimming in open water. I woke up drenched in sweat.”
P.B.
noun
Personal Best. That record that you are always looking to beat. “I just got a new P.B. at Meat Pie!”
Pace Line
noun
A single line of cyclists riding within a few inches of each other’s rear tire when doing a long training run. Usually the stronger riders lead, or pull, and the weaker ones hold on for the ride.
Power Bar
noun
A form of nutrition inhaled before or during a race or training in hopes of gaining superhuman powers and speed. Usually taste like grainy chocolate with a weird aftertaste.
Pre-Race Jitters
noun
Nervous twitching, loose bowels, and fast pacing prior to a race. Intensified by dairy products or a history of irritable bowel syndrome.
Pull
verb
The lead cyclist in a pace line who pulls the cyclists that come behind by allowing them to draft. “Everyone take a 30 second pull.”
Race Belt
noun
A belt worn during a race to allow for quick application and removal of your race number. Alternatives to using a race belt are fumbling with safety pins or using toupee tape on your race jersey.
Relay
noun
One option for participating in a triathlon if you don’t feel you can complete the entire event. Find two others willing to compete and each pick an event. A good way to get a start in the sport and to boost your confidence level.
River Road
proper noun
A long paved road that runs along the levee where most local cyclists train on their long rides. Known for crazy drivers and the occasional mad dog, it is one of a small handful of options in the city for cyclists to ride.
Road Bike
noun
Also known as a skinny tire, road bikes are the preferred choice for triathletes because of their ability for increased speeds. Often the envy of other cyclists, as their price tags can range easily from $650 - $15,000.
Shin Splints
noun
Shin pain often associated from overtraining or a sudden increase in distance running. Easily identified as the runner with shin splints is often grimacing and groaning as they continue to run, or is covered by ice packs after the run.
Sighting
verb
To raise your eyes from a forward head position to search desperately for a clue that you are on the right path in your open water swim: I mistakenly sighted off of the large woman with the bright pink swim cap, only to realize later that she was swimming way off course.
verb 2
To catch a glimpse of someone along the way: I sighted my husband drinking a cold beer and talking to an attractive woman while I was changing out of my sweaty bike helmet in transition.
Sprint
adjective
A triathlon distance that is typically a 750 m swim, a 20 km bike, and a 5 km run.
verb
The act of quickly running towards the Pot-o-Gold prior to a race. See pre-race jitters.
Support Swimmers
noun
Volunteers who are ready to pull to land those athletes with severe open water phobias or those in distress. An invaluable and often under appreciated service.
Swag Bag (aka Schwag)
noun
Plastic bag filled with race goodies and freebies and given out at packet pickup prior to a race. Often the quality of a race is judged by its swag bag. “I got three packs of gu, a pair of Yankz, and a cool technical shirt!”
The Split
noun
A local term referring to the area on River Road that splits. Often a place time trials are held and cyclists park their vehicles. With the use of this term comes the understanding that you lock your car and leave your valuables at home. “Let’s meet up at the split. AOB 9am.”
Tire Levers
noun
Two obscure pieces of plastic that are necessary to peel the tire off of the rim when changing a flat. Helpful to have an idea how to do this before you need to.
Transition
noun
The time period between events in a triathlon during which you are expected to remove a wetsuit, change into your bike shoes, apply a helmet and sunglasses, blow your nose, put gum in your mouth, puff on your inhaler, and unrack your bike...all in under one minute. In case you can’t get it done in T1 (transition between swim and bike), don’t worry ~ you can try again when you get to T2 (transition between bike and run)!
Tri Suit
noun
A one-piece super snug outfit that is next to impossible to get on when you are sweaty, but once applied will remain on during the entire race, preventing the need to change into additional clothes for the bike or run portion of the race.
Wave
noun
The staging of the start of a triathlon by dividing the athletes into groups based on age or ability.
verb
A simple hand gesture that can be used as a friendly challenge as you pass someone on the bike.
Wet Suit
noun
A claustrophobic rubber suit intended to keep you warm during cold water swims. Although the tendency is for it to help you to float, if you are in a size too large, the filling of the suit with water may actually make you sink.
Yankz
noun
Elastic laces that make changing in and out of your running shoes quicker. The time consuming part is trying to figure out how to lace them up in the first place.
ZMPHR
noun
Zero Miles Per Hour. Taking a fall off of your bike when clipped in, but with your bike at a complete standstill. One of the more embarrassing kinds of falls, but a rite of passage when you transition into clipless pedals. “Did you see Amy take that ZMPHR into the ditch? That was hysterical!”
love this post. need to refer folks here when they have no clue what i'm talking about!!!
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