DNS: Did Not Show (as in registered for a race and didn't show up to run it)
DNF: Did Not Finish and/or Did Nothing Fatal
DFL: Dead Friggin' Last, Dead F****** Last, OR Dang Fine Lady : )
Face Plant: Falling and landing on your face (I've had one of those falls). Others might refer to a face plant as a fall forward into the dirt.
Lollipop: A combination of an out-and-back and loop run all in one. For example, taking a trail out, running a loop, then running the same trail back that you ran in on.
Long Run: Your longest run of the week.
Loop: A run that begins and ends in the same place, but does not return on the same trails.
Out-And-Back: A run that returns the same way you went out.
Single Track: A trail wide enough for just for a single runner
Switch-Back: A trail that zig-zags, in other words, changes direction, say going to the left for a while, then turns to the right, the left and so forth.
Sweeper: The person in a race who runs behind all the other runners, makes sure no one is left on the trail.
Swept: This is when the sweeper catches up with you, or time has run off, and you are "swept" from the course. You are not allowed to finish the race and receive a "DNF."
Taper: Gradually cutting back mileage, usually in the weeks prior to a big race.
Technical: A trail that takes a good deal of concentration to traverse because of its difficult terrain.
Walls: A point in a race or run when you feel that you can't run another step. Do not fear the walls, they come and go. Learn to accept them and you will get through them. It's perfectly okay to walk through the "walls."
Whacked: (my own term) someone who is a little crazy, not psycho-crazy, but someone who will run for more than 6 hours. Someone who will go even more into debt just to renew their gym membership. Someone who would glady spend all day at the gym if they could, or better yet, someone who would put on a pack and go out running all day long if they could. That is what I think of when I say "whacked."
(c) Lauren Miertschin