As an indoor cycling instructor, you’re going to find a large percentage of your students dabble in triathlon, or engage in it as a serious sport. Either way, you don’t want to be embarrassed by using the wrong triathlon-related words or terms in your class when talking to them about triathlon (including the ever-popular pronunciation of triathlon as “triath-a-lon”).
So to help you look better and converse intelligently and confidently with your indoor cycling students who are triathletes, this is Part 1 of a five part series called “Tri-Lingo 101” that will teach you how to use the correct triathlon terms. In this article, you’ll learn common triathlon swim terms. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Beach start: Starting from the beach and running into the water to begin a triathlon.
Buoy: The floating markers used on a triathlon course to indicated course layout, distance and turns.
Deck: The hard surface around the pool.
Draft: To swim directly behind or beside the swimmer in front of you, which makes it easier to swim.
Floating start: Starting from the water without the feet touching to begin a triathlon.
Freestyle: The common front stroke style swimming usually used in triathlon.
Kickboard : A floating piece of styrofoam used to for kicking drills.
Lane : A sectioned area of the pool for lap swimming. Typically, a pool is divided into 3 or more lanes.
Lane Lines : The floating markers which that separate the lanes.
Lap: From one end of the pool to the other and back.
Length: From one end of the pool to the other. A “half” lap.
Flags : Small triangular pennants hung over the pool to indicate that the end of the lane is near.
Master’s: A swim class, group or club for adult swimmers.
Open Water: Outdoors swimming in a lake, river or ocean.
Pull Buoy : A floating piece of Styrofoam that goes between the legs so that a swimmer doesn’t need to kick.
Transition: Transitioning from the water to the bike portion of a triathlon.
Wall : Vertical part of the pool that is typically touched between lengths.
Wetsuit legal: A triathlon in which the water is cold enough to allow a wetsuit.
Bio:
Ben is a fitness business coach, triathlon author, and sports nutritionist. If you want more videos, aricles and audios about swimming and other triathlon related topics, visit Ben’s free blog and podcast at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com . Also be sure to check out Ben’s endurance sports website Endurance Planet, at http://www.enduranceplanet.com and his Rock Star Triathlete Academy, at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com . Finally, if you want to learn how to grow your fitness business and make more money, visit Ben’s fitness business advice website at http://www.trainfortopdollar.com .
Originally posted 2011-02-06 09:08:50.
- Tri-Lingo 101 — Part 1: Common Triathlon Swim Terms - September 4, 2019
- Tri-Lingo 101 — Part 5: Common Triathlon Race Terms - March 16, 2011
- Tri-Lingo 101 — Part 2: Common Triathlon Bike Terms - February 13, 2011
I know lane lines as those black lines on the bottom of the pool. Most of the swimmers I know have different meanings of lap. It is confusing when one speaks of lengths and laps. Runners know laps around the track. Some swimmers regard laps as from one end of the pool to thte other. Thanks for thte information Ben.
All the master and collegiate level swimmers I know think of a lap as being being two lengths of the pool – returning to your starting point. In a 25-metre pool, a lap would be 50 metres. In a 50-metre pool, a lap is 100 metres.
I hate to be disparaging….but I will anyway…..this Tri-Lingo 101 reads far more like a course in how to talk when you don’t know WTF you’re talking about. From my experince, it’s always Bad News to attempt it.
Anyone with the experience of just one multi-sport event will be able to immediately recognise that someone reading from a script is doing just that. For me, I would be disappointed and insulted.
I’m certainly no multi-sport expert…..as I’m very willing to admit in front of an audience…… but I can say that, if you want to converse with me and look like you have at least half a clue, you need to have a bit of experience under your belt. Otherwise it’s best just to acknowledge that you don’t really know….but that you’re willing to learn and investigate.
Vivienne
Vivienne, I dont understand your point.