Running and fitness ki Duniya

Words/terminology/expressions

Explained: थोड़ा सीधा-थोड़ा  टेढ़ा

Photos courtesy: BNP GR friends and Pexels.com

 

50 posts wherein we “try to decode words/terms/expressions often used in the world of recreation sports” (like running/cycling and general fitness)

Hopefully, these posts will be shorter suitable to the mediums like WhatsApp.

1/50

1) Pace

For many new runners, this four-letter word (like other famous four-letter words 😉)can become quite a pain for the brain.🧐

As we all are always trained to run and chase our dreams/education/career/success…The word SPEED💫 gets engraved in our mindset. How fast and at what speed becomes more important. Once you become dependent on modern transport, you constantly compare speed. Right from two-wheelers🏍 to aeroplanes,✈ you always have to think of speed in km/hr or km/min or m/sec

Or if still stuck up with old-world units: then miles/hr + its derivatives.

Once you start running, you are told to work out “how many minutes you take to cover one kilometre?” So if you cover a distance of one km in seven minutes, you are told it is 7 का pace i.e you have a pace of 7 minutes to cover each kilometre. If you reduce this no to 5 min/km, you are now known as a fast pace runner. You scratch your brain and re-train yourself with this inverse relationship…Smaller the number under heading “Pace”, the faster you are…So if you run below 4 or 3.5 का pace: you can self declare yourself as Kenyan-Ethiopian का भाई……

(Oh I wish this Pace training was given to us by Mumbai traffic department. In chock-a-block traffic,

 

 

we never time ourselves with how many km to cover to reach to our office!? It is always in how many minutes or how many hours to cover the same stupid distance(every day) depending on what time during the day you are in the traffic. The pace story is not only more appropriate but more profound as it’s number keeps drastically changing/evolving even when distance remains the same)

 

2/50

VO2 max

     When runners/endurance sports enthusiast reach beyond their “running for fun thresholds” they start talking in technical jargons (by half learning them) It is a good way to tell others that “I have arrived”

VO2 max is one of the many terms which can be thrown randomly.

 

To sound more technical I am writing one of the mathematical formulae for the same

VO2 max = Q(CaO2-CvO2)

Where

Q is cardiac output,

CaO2 = arterial oxygen content,

CvO2 = venous oxygen content.

(CaO2 – CvO2) is also known as the arteriovenous oxygen difference

Sounds Savvy!? (courtesy Captain Jack Sparrow)

Basically, in bambaiya lingo it is the locha point where oxygen utilisation by body reaches to the maximum level( and yes to add a little bit of confusion and complication it is not related to lung’s capacity to take in maximum Oxygen ) Further story is all about lafda between oxygen-carbon dioxide imbalance.

To make it more complicated one can seamlessly start talking about aerobic-anaerobic mode and how toxic muscles start becoming+ lactic acid accumulation and oxygen debt.

 

Too Savvy……? We will leave the topic at this point.

3/50

Done and Dusted

 

No-no this expression is not used specifically during a trail marathon or obstacle race on the dusty road.

 

Origin of the expression Done and dusted: few of the obviously wrong ideas:

wrong idea 1 :

Many times we see super enthusiastic female marathon runners at 4 am/5 am at the starting line on the race day wearing layers of heavy makeup ..And with strong perfume…

(In contrast, you do find some guys who are there with expressions and appearance: ” oh just got up and don’t ask me whether I brushed or forgot?”)

 

At the end of 21km/42 km the super make up models now have layers of pollution dust, tropical dust all over their face and body. The overall mix of sweat+pollutants+after remains of makeup chemicals can be a tempting reason to use the expression….”Oh this babe is really done and dusted”

 

Wrong idea 2 : गोधुली के वक़्त जब मवेशी अपनी गायोँ (और बाकी जानवारों को)वापिस ले आता है तो संध्या के ढ़लते सूर्यप्रकाश में उड़ती धूल के बीच में लौटते आ रहे इस समूह को देखकर … Done and Dusted वाली feeling marathon finish line पे भी runners समूह पर भी लग सकती है, जो obviously गलत है।

Wrong idea 3 : it is definitely not related to dusting off yourself (which we many times do at the end of many activities which can make us dusty)at the end of marathon…चलो थोड़ा अपने को zaad देतें है और loudly कहते है : “यार ,done and dusted”

 

Basically once a runner has completed few of the marathons and now a kind of पुराना चावल , she/he needs superlative expression to declare completion of one more marathon successfully (by this time all his/her friends very well know: इसकी ज़िंदगी में  अब running के अलावा कुछ और exciting बचा नहीं है )

So she/he is entitled to use the expression: one more marathon: done and dusted                                        What the expression means: Completed thoroughly and satisfactorily and/or the activity is completed successfully and none of it is left to be done.

 

{Now some of you may argue marathon running में what is there which can be left so we can come back and finish later on. It is always start to finish in one go. Even when you miss any one of the timing mats/spots you go in the category of DNF: did not finish..अब arguments का क्या है न, वो तो आते ही रहेंगे, it’s time we say done and dusted for this expression )

4/50                                Bus

“You are now a proud runner.  slowly u have improved from scratch;i.e. 0 to 5 km, 5 km to 10 km and so on. You now advocate the benefit of running to anybody and everybody. कौन तुम्हे सुनता है , is not important: you are on a mission.

 

Apart from other health and lifestyle benefits, you are now “consciously more green”

Running, like cycling, is the greenest way to cover the distance without polluting the world we live in.

Yes now walking a couple of km does not sound like dying. You willingly do some amount of walking whenever time permits.

And one day (as you reach the magic nos of 21.1 km or 42.195 km )you are told to join the BUS

“What?!” Can be an obvious reaction…Yes were are going to run the race with some strategy and to achieve the required finish timing and someone tells you to join 2:30 का bus:

 

how funny or insane it may sound. It could be even more confusing when you have actually decided to take a  2.30 am morning bus to reach the venue. Soon you are told that the BUS is nothing but a group of runners who have decided to run with and under the guidance of some experienced runner.She/he is known as “The Pacer” of the bus.She/he guarantees to finish timing as per the target. You slowly process and accept the word, forgetting to ask “why on earth are we stuck up with this most unimaginative word BUS” ….क्या??? अब यहीं बस कर दूं ये post?! …ok…

5/50

Negative splits

 

Scenario 1

 

A Super Mom is waiting eagerly for her only son’s results.

 

Son : (with full drama, sad face etc): Mom this time it is only a negative split.

 

Scenario 2

 

A national sales director (who has been travelling nonstop and now with the most promising regional office) waiting for the report from his juniors

Director: So how is this quarter?

Subordinate: (with poker face): Sirji, this quarter we could only do a negative split.

 

The reactions:

This reaction will be less likely

Probability 1: Super Mom and Sales director(angry): What ?????????

 

Probability 2: Super Mom and Sales director: Oh, Wow, Great, Let’s celebrate.

(This will be the likely reaction as the smart son and sales subordinate very well know that MOM/BOSS are running fanatics.)

The term “negative split” was/is coined to impress the newbies (new in running) It sounds confusing but sounds great. Once you are a purana chawal in the world of running, you get used to Ulta sounding words and treat them with as much respect as smart techno-words.

When someone runs his marathon in such a way that his second-half/segment pace was better (i.e he ran faster ) than first half/segment, he can come and announce

“I killed it! Went into a negative split and improved my PB by 10 minutes”

Now how negative can be positive and directly mean great speed and improvement can be a futile subject to discuss.

So here minus is a big plus!

Negative splits can be good for those who want to have the first half easy, it can loosen up the body, joints get lubricated, muscles increase in warmth , you remain within aerobic zone and your lactic acid locha point is technically shifted for the second  half,  have all those chemicals ( endorphins and all those “IN”/”INE” ending fancy names). Once they have covered the half distance they can change the gear to a faster pace.

Negative split running is not to be discovered on the race day. You need to train accordingly.

{positive split will be with second-half slower than first half: Many newcomers/less trained runners fall into this category by default and not by choice. They do the mistake of putting in too much too soon and too fast. They are draining themselves faster than they can sustain and usually have  second halfway slower}

One more interesting aspect of the negative split is the second word: SPLIT

This split itself is split wide open

“Split” is quite subjective. For a full marathoner, one way of a self-defining split is a halfway mark of the 4 equal distances she/he may divide the whole race into and monitor her /his run.

For a simple 5 Km runner, a split can be self-defined as self-monitoring at every kilometre i.e she/he wants to monitor her/his pace at every km and plan/compare whether to run with negative split (i.e every subsequent km is covered faster than the previous one ) or the whole run is with  even split ( every km with consistent pace)

Interesting!!😅

 

6/50

Bloody Nipples/Chafing

 

Bloody Nipples mean bloody nipples only. It is not some angry/expletive expression, rather when you have bloody nipples you are in misery and maybe cursing

Interestingly these bloody nipples are mostly of men.

 

Since birth, most of the males are obsessed with nipples of the opposite sex. Their association with nipples is very deep-rooted as they were milk-fed by their mothers in their toddler years.

 

Years later when they start running (and without proper care or guidance) they realise how much pain their own nipples can give!)

 

Visualise a man in a white tee with a lot of red oozing out from chest area with an expression of controlled grief as he is trying to complete his marathon.

 

It all starts because of friction. Rubbing of the sensitive skin is the reason. Rubbing of skin to skin or fabric to the skin in presence of sweat (on evaporation sweat generates salt crystals) and heat makes it worse.

 

Apart from nipples, other prone areas can be inner thighs, crotch, armpits, under breast areas.

 

Runners usually follow proper hydration, try to stay dry,  and wear snug fit sportswear as they find it useful to prevent chafing.

 

Runners keep the areas prone to chafing well lubricated with anti-chafing lubricants including the very old petroleum jelly or l some even use adhesive bandages

 

 

 

7/50

Gluteal Amnesia

 

Usually, fitness terms are too technical or too flat. Whoever first used Gluteal Amnesia as the term tried to be different and a bit innovative with expressions!

When your glutes are not used/exercised and remain inactive for a long period of time, they may forget how to contract

 

 

Modern lifestyle makes us either couch potatoes or desk slaves.

 

 

Sitting for long hours becomes our habit. Modern automation has also reduced our use of the major muscles groups in our body, and sometimes we even forget the very existence of gluteal muscles.

 

When I was first told to “squeeze your glutes” (In my first group exercise under an experienced coach when I had just started running)I was confused. How does one squeeze in the glutes?

 

Glutes or rather butts/buttocks are usually not discussed openly.

 

They are definitely not biceps which can be flaunted as dole and shole(bulge )

 

 

So even I was in the company of 40 plus runners, I could not actually see anyone’s glute muscles getting squeezed.😉😝 Obviously, it is neither a civilised thing to ask openly nor can anyone give a live demo.

 

Most newbies rediscover their glutes after trial and error. Initially, it starts with “squeezing in” the abdominal muscles/thigh muscles/hamstrings (when you are actually trying squeezing the glutes ) and any other muscles but gluteal are squeezed.

 

Soon you get comfortable with your glutes and when your instructor asks loudly “squeeze your butts’ you very well know that it is less of an activation cue and more of a position cue. Your posture and position align correctly in order to perform the action in the correct way.

8/50

Burpee

 

Before you ask why on earth this funny-sounding name for a small series of quick exercises, let’s be very clear: the name burpee has nothing to do with four movements in succession. It also has nothing to do with our desi janta’s weird sense of humour when they express it as *Burfi/Barfi (in reaction to the hardship involved)

{*Burfi/Barfi: A dense milk-based Indian sweet}

“Burpee” is, in fact, the name of the creator who created the exercise as part of his PhD thesis It is an almost full-body exercise created by Mr Royal H. Burpee as a quick and simple way to assess someone’s fitness condition. { it is equally amusing to compare the first name and surname of Mr Burpee(hereditary surname which has its origin in France)}

 

Its popularity is because the US armed services adopted it during World War II as a way to assess the fitness level of recruits.

 

You start by standing tall, squat down low, shift your weight to your hands and jump your feet back to a plank-the starting position for a push up-then jump your feet forward again between your hands, and stand back up.

 

9/50

You are a newbie and have recently joined a running group and its social media platform ( i.e. Facebook/WhatsApp group etc)

You have been reading the following lines on repeat but are yet to decipher them.

The group talk is going on amongst the elite runners. One of them has just finished the Ultra (you are yet to fully grasp the significance of the term)

P1 (person 1): “done and dusted ….one more ultra!”

P2, P3, P4 till P30: all are similar congratulation messages ( smart ones are a direct copy-paste of previous good ones).Many do not know the elite runner, but are more enthusiastic  in sending congratulations as they want to be with the flow and remain politically correct😉

P1: Will be doing LR (a kind of heroic announcement😎)

P10: (real chamcha🤩) : great! I will join u, its LSD time for me!

(You start doubting: Am I in a correct group?)

P1: Yeah, after the PB, (it is implied that after stressing Ultra with PB, more congratulations will follow)I really deserve a nice RR!

P6 :(the chamcha in making, trying to be humorous🥳): Ye bro! Let’s do it. No MP/No GMP/no RP, just chill bro

P7 (the purana chawal: the seasoned one): we will make it BR!

You are new and do not have the courage to ask in the group. You remain in AWE! Your respect to all this LR/LSD/RR Janta increases tenfold. After many miles, you also come to know about most of the terms and soon you become part of the old brigade ready to take on a newbie like you.😝😝

LR: long run (usually once a week runners go for long-distance running. It can be 15 km to 35 km and more. The run pace is custom-designed)

LSD: long slow distance (it is obvious that after long slow distance the word RUN will automatically come, it is almost like a silent word). The running pace can be low, maybe 40 % or lower than the race pace. One should run and easily converse with fellow runner. It is a low heart rate run. LSD : lysergic acid diethylamide: a hallucinogenic drug

PB: Personal best (will be covered in details later)

RR: Recovery run! (I, still find this term quite amusing after years of running, will try to cover separately )

MP/GMP/RP: Marathon pace/Goal marathon pace/Race pace: all the fancy terms and strategy designed to cover the distance from point A (usually the starting point) to point B ( the finish line )

BR: Beer run(obviously after the run😛)

 

10/50

DOMS

……does it make sense?

Ok

IKWYDLS

……does this make sense?

Ok

Some acronyms sound phonetically ok and some don’t! Point taken!

Both have one common characteristic. They catch you for your action!

IKWYDS: I know what you did last summer! .the film and the squeals may have given rise to colloquial lingo for any action and then hey, caught you” kind of expression/situation

 

DOMS: Delayed onset muscle soreness, an epidemic among long-distance runners, Gym users who keep challenging their comfort zone, trekkers and cyclists who have pushed themselves.

During the strength training you do have the burning session in the muscle group which is getting challenged, but what you feel during those moments of loading, soon gets over. Nothing happens during the immediate after hours of challenging workout. It strikes much later when you are not prepared. The timing of this soreness attack is also difficult to predict. It can be after 12 hours to 24 hours. Every individual may have different delayed time leg when the body hits back with soreness with clear message “ I know what you did during the last work out….12 hours/16 hours/24 hours before and now it is time to have sweet memories of the same!”

What is the reason for DOMS!🤨🤔

Interestingly it is still being discovered. What was thought a decade ago is not believed now! Like many other puzzles of modern medicines, theories and reasoning get challenged with new theories and reasoning.

The latest (again a relative term) theory puts blame on Nociceptors!

(smart! Savvy! A kind of tongue twister! Can’t pronounce properly, so theory must be correct!😅)

So till the time nociceptors keep on rebelling after the delayed time leg you are free to express your feelings

“Oh, salla! Kya phati hai meri!” “Kal ke work out ne to wat laga di!”

{Yesterday’s workout has screwed me royally! Can’t even get up!}

 

End of 10/50