Running plans use short labels for effort, sessions and race timing. This glossary explains the terms I use most. Read a term together with the method behind it: a zone number, threshold or training load can mean different things in different systems. Ask when a label does not make the session clear.
80/20
A distribution with most training easy and a smaller part moderate or hard. The result changes when you count time in zones versus session goals.
Aerobic threshold
A boundary near the first sustained increase in physiological responses above low-intensity exercise. Different tests estimate it differently; an age-based zone does not measure it.
Cadence
The number of steps per minute. It changes with speed and the runner. I do not prescribe one universal number for everybody.
Cardiac drift
Heart rate gradually rising while pace stays similar during steady exercise. Context matters: heat, duration and hydration can affect the pattern.
Chip time and gun time
Chip time begins when you cross the start mat. Gun time begins with the starting signal. Check which result the race uses for classification.
Fartlek
Speed play: faster sections mixed with easier running, often guided by landmarks or feel rather than a rigid track schedule.
Heart-rate reserve
Maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate. Reserve-based zones add a percentage of this difference back to resting heart rate.
RPE
Rating of perceived exertion: your judgement of how hard an effort feels. State the scale because a 0-10 scale differs from a 6-20 scale.
Strides
Short, controlled accelerations with relaxed form and plenty of recovery. They are not all-out sprints.
Taper
A planned reduction in training before a race to reduce accumulated fatigue. The amount depends on the runner and the race.
Tempo run
A sustained, controlled harder effort. Coaches use this label differently, so the plan should state the duration and intended intensity.
Training load
A way to summarise how much training you did and how demanding it was. Watch scores are model outputs, not a diagnosis or an individual injury prediction.
