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Age Group - Refers to non-professional participants in races. So called because participants officially compete against other racers in the same age ( usually within 5 or 10 year brackets) and sex.
Aluminum - Light-weight metal used in bike frame construction. Generally lighter than steel, but not as strong. Thus, "oversized" tubing is used to create strong yet light-weight bike frames.
Aero/Aerodynamic- A description usually applied to bikes, but is applicable to any design or modification that reduces wind-drag and results in an object traveling faster through air using the same amount of energy.
Aero Bars - Handle bars that stretch the rider out over the wheel and lowers the body closer to the bike frame, resulting in less surface area and, thus, less wind-drag.
Aero Wheels - Generally, any wheel design that eliminates spoke count, presents a more narrow surface contact (i.e. the internal edges of the wheel are sharper, the blades are flatter) and creates less wind drag.
Aerobic: Means "with oxygen" and refers to exercise using the same large muscle group for a period of at least 15-20 minutes while maintaining around 60-80% of your maximum heart rate (called your Target Heart Rate).
Anaerobic: Means "without oxygen" and refers to exercise performed using stored energy as opposed to straight oxygen. In anaerobic exercise, the fuel for energy called ATP is used up quickly so the exercise can only be repeated for a short amount of time until ATP is restored.
Athena: Female weight category for the gravitationally gifted
Attack: A sudden acceleration to move ahead of another rider or group of riders.
AT: Anaerobic Threshold: This is the physical point in exercise where oxygen consumption results in lactic acid production exceeding lactic acid removal.
ATP: Adenosine TriPhosphate is the basic compound that muscles burn to make energy (carbohydrates, fat, everything is broken down to this compound for energy production).
Bodymark(ing): Getting your race day number either markered-on or stamped-on your body for easy identification.
Bonk: Hit "the wall", run out of energy due to inadequate fuel intake
Break/Breakaway: A rider or group of riders that has left the main group behind.
Brick: A two-sport workout, one immediately following the other. Most often it means a bike followed by a run
Cadence: The measurement of a certain revolution. Generally applied to pedal rotations per minute, or in running, strides per minute.
Carbon/Carbon Fiber: A very light and very strong material "adopted" by the cycling community to help create equipment while shaving weight. Used in manufacturing various pieces of equipment from bike frames, to cranks, to handlebars, to soles of cycling shoes, to wheels, etc.
Chainrings: The discs with teeth on the bike that are turned by the pedals. The chain wraps around the rings, locked in place by the teeth. Rotation of the rings causing the chain to revolve which, in turn, rotates the rear wheel.
Clincher: A type of bike tire which has a u-shape on a cross-section. The tube is inserted into the tire, and the tire is then mounted onto the wheel and held in place by hooking the beads (the ends of the "u") under lips going around the outside edges of the wheel.
Clydesdale: Male weight category for the gravitationally gifted
Cranks: These bike components are the "arms" between the pedals and the chainrings which transfer the pedal motion to the chainrings.
Derailleur: A bike component that rests over the chainrings (front derailleur) and over the gear cluster (rear derailleur). the purpose is to lift and lower the chain onto a new gear ring.
Disc Wheels: A wheel that has no spokes, but is instead has a disc "face". This design eliminates wind drag created by spokes - but it also catches cross-winds.
DNF: Did not finish
DQ: Disqualification
Draft: Following in the slipstream of another athlete, most often referred to on the bike, but also applies on the swim
Drop/Dropped: When a rider has been passed by another, or left behind.
Fartlek: Means "speed play" and is a form of speed workouts in running similar to interval training.
Gap: The amount of time or distance between a rider or group of riders and another rider or group of riders.
Gear Ratio: The number of teeth in the front chain ring - to - the number of teeth in the rear gear. Generally, the larger the ratio, the harder the legs must work to turn the wheel; the smaller the ratio, the easier it will be to "spin".
Half Ironman distance: 1.93km (1.2 mi) swim, 90km (56 mi) bike, 21km (13.1 mi) run
HRM / Heart Rate Monitor: A device that, as the name implies, monitors the heart rate of the person wearing it during exercise. Gaining fast popularity in both training and racing.
International distance: 1-2km (0.62-1.2 mi) swim, 25-50km (15.5-31 mi) bike, 5.1-10km (3.2-6.2 mi) run
Intervals: A speed workout that is composed of running faster paces mixed with slower paces.
Ironman distance: 3.86km (2.4 mi) swim, 180km (112 mi) bike, 42km (26.2 mi) run
ITU: International Triathlon Union, the international governing body of triathlon.
Lactic Acid: A by-product of muscles burning ATP for fuel. Causes the burning feelings in muscles and results in fatigue.
Long distance: 2-4km (1.2-2.5 mi) swim, 50-100km (31-62 mi) bike, 10-30km (6.2-19 mi) run
Maximum Heart Rate: Literally the highest heart rate that a person's heart can beat. Gradually decreases with age.
Negative split: Running the second half faster that the first half
Olympic distance: 1.5km (0.93 mi) swim, 40km (24.8 mi) bike, 10km (6.2 mi) run
On your left: What you should say as you attempt to pass another biker
Penalty: Infraction given if caught breaking rules of races (e.g. drafting, littering)
Road Rash: Skin abrasions resulting from a fall or crash onto the road.
Saddle: The bike seat.
Sag: Vehicle for the rides carrying various gear, food and first aid supplies
Sprint distance: 0.3-1km (0.24-0.62 mi) swim, 8-25km (5-15.3 mi) bike, 1.5-5km (1-3.1 mi) run
Swag: Stuff We All Get - It is free handouts from the sponsors. (pronounced "Shwag")
T1: Swim-to-bike transition
T2: Bike-to-run transition
Tri bike: Bicycle specifically designed for triathlons, characterized by steep seat tube angle, 650c wheels, and a very "forward" position, all geared toward improving the rider's aerodynamics and efficiency
Tubular: Wheels that do not have an inner-tube and are glued on the rim to hold them in place.
USAT: Union States of America Triathlon, the national governing body of triathlon.
VO2 Max: The maximum amount of oxygen that a human body can utilize in one minute.
Wave: Groups of athletes starting together at the swim portion of a triathlon. One wave of athletes could be pros, while another could be women between 30 and 39
WTC: the World Triathlon Corporation is the owner of the "Ironman" trademark and is the promoter/governing/licensing body which oversees all official Ironman races.
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