Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Run Log

Gorgeous day in Denver. I was able to follow up my morning 15 mile tempo run with a 5 mile lunch time recovery effort at Wash Park. After the days run workouts are finished, time to log the miles.

My running journal is a basic excel spreadsheet. Nothing fancy, but it serves as a valuable tool for gauging my fitness progression and planning my running future. The most useful comparison for my ultra distance transition has been tracking year over year results. During a workout, my mind remembers how fit and fast I was for a past race. Then a quick trip down Database Lane shows me the truth. Fortunately for me, at this stage in my ramp up, comparing where I am today with '09 and '10 efforts feels pretty good.

While training for the same race (Colfax Marathon), my 2009 log shows I had a weekly total of 40.42 miles in relation to 76.2 miles for the same 7 calendar days of 2011. Mileage volume is not the top predictor of future success, but for me, the numbers show I am running at a better pace and for nearly double the distance. This personal progress, without significant injury or muscle abuse, is encouraging when my end goal is competing in ultra and multi-day marathons.

Whether your goals are set for 3 months or 3 years, I can't recommend enough the importance of keeping a daily journal or fitness log. It feels good to insert miles, see them add up and know that you are charting your progress. I also use MapMyRun and Garmin Connect for key workouts and additional performance metrics.

1 comment:

  1. I have not logged workouts in a few years, but I did a few years ago.I actually did a grad school stats class project based on my Ironman Training log. It's fun to look at the data for sure. I really start doing it again.

    FYI, almost 2 days Into my personal diet detox, and honestly I feel better already. I am learning to 2 things already. I am the Definition of a "bored" eater", eating for no real reason. And I am amazed at the amount of crap I was actually eating without really paying attention to it. Both in quality and quanity of food.

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