Glossary
We get it, Triathlon can be a confusing game to get into. Here we try and explain what some of the common terms and acronyms you may come across mean…
Numbers
70.3 Triathlon
This triathlon distance (70.3 miles total) will test both your mental and physical strength as you swim 1.2 miles (1.9K), bike 56 miles (90K), and run 13.1 miles (21.1K)
A
Anaerobic Threshold
Generally speaking, aerobic threshold is a steady-state effort that you could perform for hours. In more science-specific terms, aerobic threshold is where the level of lactate in the blood first starts to rise and the level of effort at which anaerobic energy pathways start helping out with energy production. It occurs at about 60% of your aerobic capacity or at about 70% of max heart rate or around 80% of lactate threshold.
Adult Onset Swimmer
A person who learns to swim as an adult as opposed to being taught as a child.
Aerobars
Aero bars, sometimes called "clip on aerobars", "triathlon aero bars", "tri-bars" or "TT bars" are handlebar extensions that mount close to the centre of the handlebar and cantilever out over the front wheel. These allow allow the rider to get into a more aerodynamic position by drawing their body forward into a tucked position, with a dropped torso.
Aerobic
Aerobic exercise is any type of cardiovascular conditioning. It can include activities like brisk walking, swimming, running, or cycling. You may know it as “cardio.” By definition, aerobic exercise means “with oxygen.” Your breathing and heart rate will increase during aerobic activities.
Age Grouper
The term age grouper refers to triathletes in the racing community who do not hold professional or elite status. In race events, age groupers will compete among racers in their age groups, which are typically divided up into five year ranges.
Anaerobic
Aerobic means "with oxygen," and anaerobic means "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise is the type where you get out of breath in just a few moments, like when you lift weights for improving strength, when you sprint, or when you climb a long flight of stairs. Anaerobic exercise leads to a rapid increase in production of lactate causing it to build up quickly.
AOS
Commonly used acronym for Adult Onset Swimmer
Aquabike
Aquabike events comprise a swim (usually in open water) followed by a ride, but they don't have set "classic distances" like triathlons, so check what you are letting yourself in for before you sign up. Distances are often based around Ironman or 70.3 distances and are therefore not for the feint-hearted!
Aquathlon
An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances.
B
Base Training
Base training (also called the introductory or foundational training period) is the first phase of a training cycle. It's what prepares athletes for the more challenging, race-specific workouts that come later. Typically base training happens over the off-season.
Beach Start
A beach start is where the race starts on the beach with a short sprint into the water to begin the swim.
Bike Fit
Bike fitting is process of adjusting a bike for a cyclist to optimize their comfort, performance and efficiency. Bike fitting aims to prevent injuries, increase efficiency, comfort and improve performance for all cyclists.
Bilateral Breathing
Bilateral breathing is simply breathing to both sides while swimming front crawl. A common pattern associated with bilateral breathing is to take a breath every three strokes. In this case, you would first take a breath to your left, then keep your head down for two strokes before taking a breath to your right.
Bodymark
Body marking is the act of writing or adhering (with tattoos) the athlete's respective race number to their body, in specific locations, for the purpose of athlete identification and athlete safety in the event of medical emergencies.
Bonking
In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk is a condition of sudden fatigue and loss of energy which is caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. Milder instances can be remedied by brief rest and the ingestion of food or drinks containing carbohydrates. The condition can usually be avoided by ensuring that glycogen levels are high when the exercise begins, maintaining glucose levels during exercise by eating or drinking carbohydrate-rich substances, or by reducing exercise intensity.
Borg Scale
The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a way of measuring physical activity intensity level. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working during exercise. See also "RPE".
BPM
Beats per minute (Heart rate)
Breast Stroke
Breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on their chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to the swimmer's head being out of the water a large portion of the time, and that it can be swum comfortably at slow speeds.
Brick Session
A brick session is when you train on two or more disciplines one after the other, with little rest or interruption in between. A session could comprise of a swim followed by a bike ride but is more typically a bike ride followed by a run. The name originates from the feeling in the legs when starting the run, i.e. my legs feel like bricks!
BTF
British Triathlon Federation - The national governing body for Triathlon, Aquathlon and Duathlon in Great Britain.
Burnout
Burnout, or overtraining syndrome, is a condition in which an athlete experiences fatigue and declining performance in his/her sport despite continuing or increased training. Overtraining can result in mood changes, decreased motivation, frequent injuries, and infections.
C
Cadence
More commonly known among laymen as RPM< or revolutions per minute. Your cadence is the rhythm of your swim stroke, bike pedalling, or running stride. A higher cadence when running would mean taking more steps, a higher cadence when cycling would mean pedalling more quickly, and so on.
Calf Guards
In the simplest sense, a calf guard (also know as calf compression sleeve) puts pressure on the area it is covering. This pressure increases circulation and can keep the muscles loose to prevent injury. Many wearers say those muscles perform better and do not feel as sore after strenuous activities although the science behind this is not conclusive. Also used after exercise to improve recovery by increasing blood flow.
Cardiac Drift
Cardiac drift can be defined as the upward drift of heart rate over time, coupled with a progressive decline in stroke volume and the continued maintenance of cardiac output. Cardiac drift occurs while exercise intensity remains constant
Cassette
The group of cogs attached to the free hub of the rear wheel on a bike with derailleur gearing.
Catch
The first phase of the 4 recognised phases of the front crawl swimming stroke.
Chain suck
Chain suck happens when the bicycle chain fails to disengage from the teeth of a chaining—usually during a shift—and wraps back up and around the chaining. Here's a classic visual: Chain suck usually occurs during a shift when the chain does not disengage completely from the ring it is shifting from.
Chamois cream
Chamois cream is an anti-bacterial, viscous substance that helps eliminate friction between skin and clothing, and therefore the chafing that can occur during a ride. It comes in a number of forms including balms, creams and even powder.
Chip Timing
Transponder timing (also called chip timing or RFID timing) is a technique for measuring performance in sport events. A transponder working on a radio-frequency identification (RFID) basis is attached to the athlete and emits a unique code that is detected by radio receivers located at the strategic points in an event.
Cleat
The part on the bottom of the cycling shoe where your shoe attaches to your clipless pedals.
Clipless Pedals
Pedals installed on your bike that allow you to “clip in” your shoes. Some people do not feel confident 'cycling clipless' as there is the danger that you could topple over if you do not unclip before your bike comes to a stop. However, if you have the confidence, riding clipless will allow you to increase your power output and therefore ride faster and more efficiently.
CO2 Cartridge
CO2 cartridges are small cartridges of compressed gas which can be used with an inflator to rapidly inflate bike tyres.
Compression Socks
Similar to "Calf Guards" but with a foot covering.
Core
The area of the body which is commonly referred to as the core, is your midsection and it involves all your muscles in that area including the front, back and sides. The core includes the traverse abdominis (TVA), erector spinae, oblique's and your lower last. These muscles work as stabilizers for the entire body
D
Deadspot
Dead Spot is the place in your pedalling cycle where the smoothness of the foot's rotational motion (along the pedal axis, not the crank axis) has been lost and thus a lesser amount of power is being applied.
Deep Water Start
A start to a Triathlon race which see athletes line up in deep water between 2 fixed points before starting. Typically these type if starts include large groups or "Waves" of athletes.
Derailleur
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Disc Wheel
A bike wheel which has round domed disc in place of spokes. This is typically slightly heavier than a standard wheel but has a vastly increased aerodynamic performance. Often used on Triathlon bikes they can greatly increase speed however, they can be difficult to ride in cross winds and also tend to be quite expensive
Dismount Line
The dismount line is the line before which you must dismount your bike prior to entering T2.
DNF
Acronym for “Did Not Finish” (the race). An athlete can have a DNF for any number of reasons, from bike mechanicals to illness or injury.
DNS
Acronym for “Did Not Start” (the race). Many triathletes consider a DNS to be worse than a DNF, because with a DNF at least you gave it a go.
Dolphin Dive
A dolphin dive is a form of rapid entry used by triathletes when leaving or entering the water to quickly traverse stretches of shallow (waist – chest deep) water. Dolphin dives are performed in rapid succession until the water is neck-deep, at which point the athlete transitions into an appropriate swimming stroke, such as front crawl or breaststroke.
Dolphin Kick
Kicking your legs in unison when swimming. Athletes will often do this just after diving into the pool before they resurface and begin their stroke.
DQ
Acronym for being disqualified from a race.
Draft Legal
Draft Legal racing is a style of Triathlon racing that allows athletes to draft off of one another on the bike leg of a Triathlon. This reduces the effect of drag on an athlete due to following the lead bikes slipstream. These are typical rare in comparison to the usual "Non-Drafting" races.
Draft Marshalls
Marshalls patrolling the race course in a "Non-Drafting" event to identify anyone infringing on the drafting rules.
Drafting
Drafting or slipstreaming is an aerodynamic technique where two vehicles or other moving objects are caused to align in a close group, reducing the overall effect of drag due to exploiting the lead object's slipstream. This is most beneficial at high speed and thus is most useful on the bike leg however, drafting in swimming is also highly effective and drafting during running can give small gains if doe correctly.
Drag
In the context of triathlon, drag is used to refer to the aerodynamic disturbance caused by the athlete and their equipment moving through air or water. Increased drag slows the athlete down whereas reducing drag can vastly improve swim and bike times.
Drag Shorts
Drag shorts are a type of swimwear that increase the drag on the user and this increase resistance. These are used as a training aid to improve upper body strength in the pool.
Drills
A drill is merely a specific exercise that focuses on a particular aspect of the exercise, e.g. swim stroke. Drills allow you to focus on specific areas and thus improve technique or specific aspects of fitness
Duathlon
A multisport race consisting of a run followed by a bike section, followed by a second run. Duathlon is a very popular sport for triathletes to undertake in the winter as open water swimming becomes inappropriate and still allows triathletes to practise their running and cycling in a competitive atmosphere. Duathlon racing is also popular for those who dislike swimming.
E
Electrolytes
An electrolyte is a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved in water. They are essential for a number of bodily functions and importantly for athletes, can be lost through sweat. As an example, a muscle needs calcium, sodium, and potassium to contract. When these substances become imbalanced, it can lead to either muscle weakness or excessive contraction and thus lead to cramp.
F
Fartlek
Fartlek, a Swedish term that means "speed play," is a form of interval or speed training that can be effective in improving your running speed and endurance. Fartlek running involves varying your pace throughout your run, alternating between fast segments and slow jogs.
Feed Station
Feed stations are areas set up on the race course where competitors can receive water, energy drinks, energy gels or other sustenance. Feed stations are typically manned by volunteers who hand out cups of water or other drinks as competitors pass by.
Fingertip Drag
A type of swimming drill used in front crawl whereby the swimmer drags their fingertips across the top of the water during the recovery phase of the stroke
Foot Strike
This is a term that applies to running and refers to the way your foot hits the ground. Different people will have a different foot strike, and most people have either a forefoot strike, mid-foot strike, or heel strike. It's good to know which category you fall into so that you can buy the appropriate running shoes.
Freestyle
Also known as the “front crawl,” this is the most efficient form of swimming in a triathlon.
FTP
FTP (Functional Threshold Power) is a cycling term that refers to the average power an athlete can produce over the course of an hour in watts. Many triathletes and cyclists will use a power meter which measures your power output in watts and do a regular FTP test to make sure they are producing a good level of power.
Full Distance
Triathlon
A full distance triathlon is an unbranded version of a full Ironman.
G
Gait
A persons manner of walking or running. Having an imbalance Gait can result in overuse injuries and can lead to an inefficient run.
Gels
Energy gels, referred to as "Gels" are small (typically about 25g) sachets of a gel substance which contains carbohydrates. These are used as a simple way for athletes to ingest additional carbohydrate to use as fuel during competition or training.
GPS
The GPS (Global Positioning System) is a "constellation" of approximately 30 well-spaced satellites that orbit the Earth and make it possible for people with ground receivers to pinpoint their geographic location. The location accuracy is anywhere from 100 to 10 meters for most equipment and it is used by fitness hardware to track exercise sessions.
Granny Ring
The granny ring is the small front chaining on a bike, typically associated with a triple chainset where there are 3 front chainrings.
H
Half ironman
Ironman is a specific brand of triathlon and a half Ironman race consists of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. This is considered a good stepping stone for those who have the goal of completing a full Ironman. Half Ironman is also known as 70.3 due to the number of miles the athlete completes over the course of the race.
Heart Rate Monitor
A heart rate monitor (HRM) is a personal monitoring device that allows you to measure/display heart rate in real time or record the heart rate for later study. Used by athletes as a guide to how hard they are working and to identify training "Zones".
Heel Strike
Heel strike refers to the foot contacting the ground heel-first during the foot strike phase of walking or running.
HIIT
High Intensity Interval Training - HIIT is a cardio session arranged as short bursts of very hard work. The whole point of high-intensity training is to kick up the intensity of your cardio.
Home Trainer
A home trainer is a piece of equipment that makes it possible to ride a bicycle while it remains stationary. They are commonly used to warm up before races, or when riding conditions outside are not favourable.
HR
Heart Rate
HRM
Commonly used acronym for Heart Rate Monitor
Hybrid bike
Hybrid Bicycles were originally conceived to provide the advantages of both road bikes and mountain bikes. Their large, padded seats and upright handlebars provide a comfortable riding position, and are best for casual riding around the neighbourhood or bike paths, short-distance commuting, and errands around town.
Hydration
Hydration is the process of replacing water in the body. This can be done through drinking water, eating ice chips, eating foods that have high water content, drinking other fluids. Being dehydrated is when your body is lacking the water levels necessary to function optimally.
Hyponatraemia
A deficiency of sodium in the blood, which can cause cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache and fatigue.
I
Interval Training
Interval training is a type of training that involves a series of high intensity workouts interspersed with rest or relief periods. The high-intensity periods are typically at or close to anaerobic exercise, while the recovery periods involve activity of lower intensity. Varying the intensity of effort exercises the heart muscle, providing a cardiovascular workout, improving aerobic capacity and permitting the person to exercise for longer and/or at more intense levels.
Ironman triathlon
A full Ironman is considered one of the toughest tests of human endurance and consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run. Completing a full Ironman is the life goal for many triathletes and requires a huge amount of training dedication.
K
Kick Board
Kick boards (often referred to as swim boards or flutter boards) are a flotation aid used to develop a swimmer's kicking action. They can be used on all strokes but are primarily used on Freestyle, Butterfly stroke and Breaststroke.
L
Lactate Threshold
The lactate threshold is the maximal effort or intensity that an athlete can maintain for an extended period of time with little or no increase in lactate in the blood. It is an effort or intensity and not a specific lactate level.
Lactic acid, or lactate, is a chemical by-product of anaerobic respiration — the process by which cells produce energy without oxygen around. Lactic acid is also in our blood, where it's deposited by muscle and red blood cells
Lactic Acid
LBS
Local Bike Shop
Long Course Triathlon
A long-course triathlon or full distance triathlon is an unbranded version of a full Ironman.
M
Mass Start
A mass swim start is when all participants of the triathlon start the swim at the same time. A mass swim start takes some getting used to with a lot of swimmers moving in close proximity. Newcomers generally stay to the back or the sides to keep away from the main pack where its not uncommon to be kicked by fellow competitors.
Maximum Heart Rate
You can calculate an estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get a maximum heart rate of 175. This is the average maximum number of times your heart should beat per minute during exercise.
Mdot
The name of the trademarked logo of Ironman. Sometimes when a triathlete has completed an Ironman, they will get the Mdot tattooed on them somewhere as a mark of pride.
MHR
Commonly used acronym for Maximum Heart Rate
Midfoot Strike
The midfoot strike is characterized as having your heel and the ball of your foot touching the ground simultaneously with each foot strike. It is often promoted as good technique because it is seen as, for most runners, the most injury-preventive way to run.
Mount Line
A line on the road that marks the position after which you can mount your bike when leaving T1. Prior to this line you must push your bike. Conversely, the dismount line is the line before which you must dismount your bike prior to entering T2.
Mountain Bike
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.
MTB
Commonly used acronym for Mountain Bike
Multisport
A multisport competition is a family of athletic competitions in which athletes race in a continuous series of stages or "legs", and rapidly switch from one athletic discipline to another in order to achieve the best overall time. This would include Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquathlon Aquabike etc
N
Negative Split
A negative split is a racing strategy that involves completing the second half of a race or training session faster than the first half. It is defined by the intentional setting of a slower initial pace, followed by a gradual or sudden increase of speed towards the end of the race.
Non-drafting
Non-drafting races are where you are not allowed to draft other competitors on the bike leg of the race. This does not effect the swimming or running element of the race.
O
Olympic Triathlon
A Standard Distance Triathlon or Olympic Distance as otherwise known, consists of a 1500m swim, 40k bike and a 10k run, double the length of a Sprint Triathlon
Open Water Event
A race where the swim portion of the event is held in open water.
Open Water Swimming
A swim which takes place in open water, i.e. lakes, rivers or the sea.
OTB
Short for "Over The Bars". A bike crash whereby the rider is flung over the bars.
Over-Pronation
Overpronation means that your foot rolls inward as you move. If you overpronate, the outer edge of your heel hits the ground first, and then your foot rolls inward onto the arch.
Overtraining
Overtraining can occur when you work out without allowing enough recovery time between sessions. After a certain point, too much exercise can be harmful to your health and hinder your results, especially if your workouts are close together. Symptoms can include, decreased performance, excess fatigue, agitation and moodiness, insomnia, loss of appetite etc
OWS
Commonly used acronym for Open Water Swimming
P
Paddles
Hand paddles are a swimming tool most commonly used for swimmers looking to develop their upper body strength as they work the muscles in the back, chest, arms and shoulders. They do this by stopping the water from flowing through your fingers, allowing you to perform your arm pull with more power
PB
Personal best. Typically used to define best result over specific distances of exercise. E.g my 5k run PB is 25mins
Peloton
In a road bicycle race, the peloton (from French, originally meaning 'platoon') is the main group or pack of riders. Riders in a group save energy by riding close (drafting or slipstreaming) to (particularly behind) other riders.
Periodisation
Periodization refers broadly to training that is structured around periods of progressively-loaded training stress followed by rest. Most periodized training plans can be organized by macro-, meso-, and micro- cycles.
Power Meter
A cycling power meter is a device on a bicycle that measures the power output of the rider. Most cycling power meters use strain gauges to measure torque applied, and when combined with angular velocity, calculate power. Power meters generally transmit data wirelessly and can be paired to standard bike computers.
Pull
The middle phase of the freestyle swim stroke. Also used to describe front crawl swimming using a pull buoy.
Pull Buoy
The pull buoy is a basic piece of swimming equipment used to improve a swimmer's power. A buoy is typically held between the thighs to float the hips and legs at the surface of the water.
Pyramid Set
Surprise, surprise, the basis of a pyramid set is to follow the structure of a pyramid! You work from the bottom with longer distances and shorter distance or fewer reps you head upwards.
Q
QR
Quick Release. A quick release skewer is a mechanism for attaching a wheel to a bicycle. ... Wheels equipped with quick release mechanisms can be removed from the bicycle frame and replaced without using tools by opening and closing the cam lever, thus more quickly than wheels with solid axles and nuts.
R
Race Belt
In triathlon races, you are required to show your race number on your back while cycling but on your front while running. The traditional safety pin method of attaching your race number doesn't allow this, so triathletes will wear a race number belt which fastens the race number securely and can be spun around when necessary.
Race Flats
Lighter and “faster” running shoes to be used in races only. These are usually reserved for track running as they are not suitable for running long distances or on uneven terrain.
Race Pack
The pack of information provided to competitors in advance of the race. This is typically either sent to competitors via post or is collected at registration on the day. This will normally include race number, stickers for bikes/helmets etc, a swim cap and your timing chip.
Recovery
Exercise recovery involves actions carried out after exercise, such as stretching and warming down. It also involves certain drinking and eating patterns, as well as therapeutic actions.
Rest Days
A day where there is no or little exercise to allow the body to recover. It's generally recommended to take a rest day every three to five days. If you do more high intensity workouts, you'll want to take more frequent rest days. You can also have an active rest day by doing a light workout, like gentle stretching.
Rest Intervals
The rest interval is the time spent resting between sets that allow the muscle to recover. The rest period between sets is usually in the range of 30 seconds to two minutes. Some exercises also have short or minor rests between reps.
Rollers
Bicycle rollers are a type of bicycle trainer that make it possible to ride a bicycle indoors without moving forward. ... Bicycle rollers normally consist of three cylinders, drums, or "rollers" (two for the rear wheel and one for the front), on top of which the bicycle rides.
RPE
Rate of Perceived Exertion - Means of evaluating how hard you are working, using either a scale of 1-11 or 1-21. The higher the number, the harder you are working. Considered by some to be more useful than measuring heart rate alone.
RPM
Revolutions per minute
Run belt / Race Belt
A run belt / Race Belt is a strap that goes around your waist and can be used to hold your race number as well as energy gels. Large examples have space for carrying water bottles, and things like your phone and keys while running.
Running Power Meter
Relatively new to the market, these types of power meters measure the movement of a foot based pod (through accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometric altimeters and the like), incorporate the weight of the athlete and then apply an algorithm to that movement that corresponds to a power output.
S
Sighting
Sighting is a specific swimming technique used in open water to allow the swimmer to raise their head and look forwards to asses where they are. Sighting is something you don't need to do in the pool, but is a vital skill for keeping you on track when swimming over open water
Smart trainer
A smart trainer is a tool you mount your bike on that offers resistance like a normal trainer, but with the added benefit of allowing the resistance to be controlled by cycling apps such as Zwift.
SPD Pedals
SPD or spud or Shimano SPD - Stands for Shimano Pedalling Dynamics and refers to any of Shimano's clipless pedals though the terms SPD and spud are usually used to refer to Shimano's mountain bike clipless pedals. SPD-SL refers to Shimano's road bike clipless pedals.
Sprint Triathlon
This is the most common starting point for triathletes. While it can vary course to course, generally a sprint triathlon includes a 750-meter (0.46-mile) swim, a 20K (12.4-mile) bike and a 5K (3.1-mile) run.
Static Trainer
Another term used to describe home trainers
Super Sprint Triathlon
The Super-Sprint distance, sometimes called the Mini Triathlon, is a multisport event, consisting of a 400m swim, a 10km bike, and a 2.5km run. It is the shortest standard triathlon distance, and is most popular with those who are new to the multidiscipline format of triathlon or for children wanting keep energised.
T
T1
The first transition between swimming and cycling, T1.
T2
The second transition between cycling and running, T2.
Taper
The period of time before a race where you slow down the frequency and intensity of the workouts in order to give your body time to recover and rest before the event. Most racers will taper for around a week.
Tempo Training
Tempo runs are run at a pace that an athlete could maintain for about 60 minutes, and are sustained for approximately 20-40 minutes.
Time Trial Bike
A time trial bike is a racing bike designed for use in an individual race against the clock. Since the cyclist in a time trial is not permitted to draft (ride in the slipstream) behind other cyclists, reducing aerodynamic drag of the bicycle and rider is critical. Typically these bikes are slightly heavier but much more aerodynamic than standard road bikes.
Toe-Clips
There are two methods for attaching a cyclist's shoes to their pedals: toe clips – a basket-and-strap device which hold the foot in place – and so-called clipless pedals, where specialized shoes with built-in bindings attach to compatible pedals
Transition Area
The transition area in a triathlon is the section of the course that is set out to hold your bikes and kit for the three stages (swimming, cycling, running) of the race. You will use this area twice; once to change from your swim to your bike, and the second time from your bike to your run.
Tri Bars
Tribars are a bicycle adaptation that can help the rider get into an increased aerodynamic position for non-drafting and time trial styled racing. Tribars are generally attached onto the handlebars adding versatility to the use of the bike, however some bikes may have integrated tribars and stem.
Tri Suit
A one piece suit that you use to swim bike run so you do not need to change clothes during the triathlon saving time. Made from quick drying breathable with a chamois. A two piece tri-suit has more ventilation, cooler and allows more movement.
Triathlon
Triathlon is a multi-discipline sport consisting of swimming, cycling and running.
Triathlon Bike
The term triathlon bike is often used to refer to Time Trial bikes and are similar in make up. The main difference is that a dedicated Triathlon bike does not need to conform to the strict UCI time trial guidelines and can thus be even more aerodynamic.
TT Bars
Another term for Tri Bars
TT Bike
Commonly used acronym for Time Trial bike.
Tumble Turn
A tumble turn or flip turn is one of the turns in swimming, used to reverse the direction in which the person is swimming. It is done when the swimmer reaches the end of the swimming pool but still has one or more lengths to swim.
Turbo Trainer
Another term used to describe home trainers
V
VO2 Max
VO₂ max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during incremental exercise; that is, exercise of increasing intensity. The name is derived from three abbreviations: "V" for volume, "O₂" for oxygen, and "max" for maximum. It is used as a measure of aerobic fitness related to a person’s ability to sustain long periods of moderate- to high-intensity physical activity. The higher your VO2 max, the better you are at sustaining that activity level for longer.
W
Warm Up
A warm up (as it relates to physical activity and exercise) is any activity, either physical or mental, that helps to prepare an individual for the demands of their chosen sport or exercise.
Watt
The unit of measurement in which power is expressed.
Wetsuit
A wetsuit is a garment worn to provide thermal protection while wet. It is usually made of foamed neoprene, and is worn by multi sport athletes in open water swimming.