Like visiting any foreign land for the first time, you should be familiar with the local lingo save yourself from confusion and embarrassment. If you’re heading to the Boston Marathon for the first time, this is no exception.

We spoke to Dan Fitzgerald at the Heartbreak Hill Running Company and asked him what lingo he thought was the most important for first-time runners to know. This is what he had to say:

Dan Fitzgerald

@CoachDanBOS, @HHRC_Newton
Founder and owner of HHRC, coach for Mass General Hospital, Red Cross, Beth Israel Deaconess Emergency Medical Center, Joslin Diabetes Center and Heartbreakers Running Club teams. He also designed the logo for the store which features a broken heart. The line that breaks the heart is the elevation profile of Heartbreak Hill, a famous location along the Boston Marathon course.

By Nichols