Over the years I've tried to keep a running log many times and many ways. Since I'm old school, this has usually been on paper, either in a log specifically built for the purpose, or in a series of notebooks. Each time I buy one I try to make sure it's more appealing than the last--those little moleskins are seductive. But usually not seductive enough--I write down my workouts and notes on nutrition, aches and pains, etc., for a few weeks, then get distracted and stop.
When I'm feeling more technically sophisticated I get a spreadsheet going--first I used excel, and more recently Google Docs aka Drive. This is a little better, but still, I fall off the wagon all the time.
I tried Daily Mile. And Map My Run. Nothing seems to stick.
So? What should I use--or what should I do to make sure I keep using one of the above?
I'm definitely old school about running logs and training schedules. I like writing it down with pen/pencil and paper. I have a collection of Runners' Calendars (the red ones with the guys legs/shoes on the cover) dating back to the mid-1980's. At this point I am motivated to continue logging things because I feel I have a tradition to uphold (kind of like a running streak...). The more details that are included that are worth going back and looking at, the more motivated you are to maintain the log. As you can probably guess, I LOVE going back and comparing splits from races/workouts or even checking splits from a race/workout before I go do the workout. But this only works if you keep the log in the first place. I tend to update the log every few days. I let the data store on my watch so I don't have pressure to update the log daily....but I also know it will be painful to recall details if I don't pull out my log at least a couples times a week.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of storing the data on your watch, and then being able to go back and log it later. Once it's collected, you can't help but store it!
DeleteWhen I first started running I had one of those "legs" calendars Coach describes above. It was definitely motivating for me as a new runner to keep a day-by-day journal, not just of how far/how fast, but also any thoughts I was having about running on that day. I loved being able to go back and read about past runs/races and see the accompanying commentary.
ReplyDeleteI kept this up for about 5 years, when I hit a bit of a plateau with running and the logging started feeling more like a chore. Not coincidentally, this was when I decided to take a bit of a break from serious running. During the break I kept running, and I was doing a ton of bike riding, but I didn't log anything.
When I came back to running a few years later, I'd lost some fitness, and so I started a "comeback" log - this time a simple spreadsheet. This was quicker to maintain and had the same effect of keeping me motivated from week to week. Plus, I could tally the weekly totals without doing them in my head.
Since then I've been on and off with running. When my son was born running definitely took a back seat for a while. Now that he's 1, I have more opportunities to run and am once again in "restart" mode. These days I am logging my runs on Strava. I don't love running with a phone (I don't have a GPS watch), but getting my route mapped automatically is pretty cool. Also, my friends who are on Strava can see my runs and comment on them, and vice versa. Strange as it seems, it's been the motivational push I've needed to get restarted with running.
So I've found that logging can be a motivator, especially in times when I'm stuck in a bit of a rut. But there is also the danger of getting addicted to the logging. "What if I don't log today's run? Does it count?"
My advice- choose a logging method that's easy to maintain and that keeps you motivated. And as with running, with logging you should get something out of what you put in.
To put it another way, to answer the question "how should I log?" you might first ask the question "why do I log?"