A few minutes of easy jogging before a race or workout to
elevate the heart rate and loosen the muscles in preparation for
a hard effort. (See also Cool-down.) A training run (usually 20
to 45 minutes) at a pace slightly slower than 10K race pace.
Used as both noun and verb: A taper (n.) is a reduction in
training volume and intensity during the weeks leading up to a
race. To taper (v.) is to back off one's training to allow
muscles to rest so that they are prepared for peak performance.
Short (usually 50 to 150 meters), fast runs used in training and
to warm up before a race. Strides can build speed and
efficiency. A split is an intermediate time for a given distance
during a race, as in "Her one-mile split was 7:34, but she sped
up after that." Running the second half of a race faster than
the first half is known as running "negative splits." Any
workout intended to build speed, such as fartlek or interval
training. Short for "personal record"—the best time that an
athlete has ever run at a given distance.