Training

Benefits Of A Good Running Log And Training Journal

Most of us have trained for an event at one part in our lives. Maybe we’re trying to complete a half or full marathon, or maybe just lose a few pounds and get in better shape. Chances are if you’ve ever taken your training seriously you’ve used a training journal or a training log.

Running Log or Training Journal?
The main difference between training journals and training logs, is what you document in them after each workout or day, etc. Training journals are just that. They are more of a journal rather than a log. Think of a journal like a diary of your training life. They will normally include things like mental health and how you felt during the day or your workout. They can reach a bit into some statistical information but this is normally saved for a training log.

Training logs are generally created of off some kind of a template. For example. Everyday you fill out a form that has the same fields. Things like current weight, daily workout, diet information, are all things that can be put in a training Log on a day to day basis.

I wouldn’t recommend going all one route or all the other, both journaling and logging are important to keep an effective history of your past. I’ve found out through experience and that for convenience sake it’s nice to have two combined together in some way. This way it’s always easy to remember to do both.

Benefits of recording your training
The number one benefit of recoding your training is to have a detailed history to look back on. This can be very useful in times of planning. For example to figure out what has worked for you and what hasn’t. It’s very useful for figuring out reasons for injuries or for times of burnout.

Have you ever sat down and tried to plan out training with nothing to work with? If you have something to look back upon a detailed account of what you’ve done over the past few weeks it’s easy to plan ahead, and to effectively increase your workout intensity, etc to improve for the future.

A detailed journal is also really nice to have just for personal use, and to be able to look back on past months and years, to remember different accounts and enjoy reliving the journey you took toward your training goals.

One of our favorite training journals is the Believe Journal by Lauren Fleshman. It’s a great guided journal no matter what you are training for.

5 Ways to Make Your Next Run More Fun

1. Go do Fartleks.

While fartleks aren’t necessarily fun, telling people about them can be. So, spice up your next conversation by including some bragging about your fartlek work. What is a fartlek? Essentially it is interval training to improve your speed and endurance. We have included some articles to guide you on your fartlek journey:

9 Ways to Fartlek

What the Fartlek?!

2. Add a song to your playlist that is out of character for you.

A song in the middle of your run that pulls you out of your running daze and wakes you up can be just the thing to make your next run a little more memorable. Better yet, create a playlist of sheer ridiculousness. Some suggestions of songs you may not have added to your playlist yet:

Harlem Shake

Informer – Snow

Wing Beneath My Wings – Bette Midler

Everybody Have Fun Tonight -Wang Chung

3. Find a new place to go for your run.

Have you ever gone somewhere just because you want to experience it as a runner? It is easy to get into a running rut, heading for the same path every time. There are city running tours, trails around the world, and national parks just waiting to be experienced. Whether you head into the city or out of it, there is a new running path for you out there.

City Running Tours

Trail Runners Bucket List

4. Sign up for a themed fun run.

The options seem to be endless these days. Maybe you have always wanted to be chased by zombies – there’s a run for that! Wish you looked like the colors of the rainbow? The color run could be for you. Never tried a mud run? You can follow it up with a good clean foam run after. If you check your local event calendar you will be surprised at what you might find.

15 Themed Races That You’ll Actually Want to Run

11 of the World’s Coolest Themed Runs

5. Go for a run gadget free.

No GPS watch. No phone. No heart rate monitor. Enjoy the feel of your feet on the pavement and the wind in your hair. Forget about that next PR just for one day and savor the peace of the great outdoors.

Why You Should Run Gadget-Free

The Case For Going Gadget-Free

Training for the Distance

A recent encounter at a 50K got me thinking about running and the increasing popularity of longer distances. It went a little something like this:

Guy in front of me: “This is my first 50K.”

Me: “Great!”

Guy in front of me: “I’ve only run 13 miles before, but this is just twice that, right?”

Me: “Uh huhhhh.”

I didn’t have the heart to ask him about his training, or warn him about the 6,000 feet of elevation gain that laid ahead. Deep down, I was really hoping that big smile on his face and positive attitude could carry him through the next 28 miles.

My dad always told me that if you can run 13 miles, you can run 26. Your body can gut out twice the distance you’ve trained for. And while I always believed him, I never tried it. I have always trained with a plan, knowing that training properly will increase the probability that race day will go smoothly. And now I’ve just come to accept the fact that marathons and other races can go great, but they can also go terribly for a number of reasons. Fortunately, I can always begin each one with the confidence that I put in the training necessary to complete the distance.

Toeing the line of any race – especially a long distance – is the beginning of a journey. Your body and mind are about to go through so many things, and none of them are predictable. The highs can be wonderful and invigorating, and the lows can be incredibly debilitating. But that’s what makes finishing so amazing. Preparation – making sure you’ve trained for the distance you’re about to embark upon, knowing how your body will react when you’ve been running for 4+ hours, knowing how to fuel your body so it doesn’t bonk, and visualizing how your race will unfold – are all things you can do to get that much closer to the finish line on race day.

My dad gave me some advice that I carry with me to each starting line, “Your race is the celebration for all of the training you’ve done. Enjoy it. The training is the hard part.” The runner in front of me at the 50K was clearly enjoying himself at the beginning of the race, and had the confidence going to the starting line that he needed to get through. But that confidence can fade quickly when the hills get steep, and your body begins to shut down because you haven’t fueled properly. You’ve invested in running gear and entry fees, so make sure you invest in training and preparation for race day. There is no better feeling of accomplishment than crossing that finish line, just like you planned.

Written by: Amy Clark

Amy is a runner, writer, mama of twins and founder of the website, RunningBend.com. Living (and running) in Bend for over 14 years, she takes advantage of all the trails Central Oregon has to offer.