Barb asks: I'm brand new to running so your blog, the website, and the magazine have been very educational and inspirational. Being a former couch potato, I'm working my way up slowly. I'm following a walk/run plan and I will reach my initial goal of running a 5K in about a month. I've noticed that a lot of runners keep some sort of training log. It sounds like a good idea (especially if it will help me improve) but I'm not sure what sort of information a runner at my level should be keeping track of. I just don't know what's important and what isn't. I'm just trying to improve my health and fitness level and lose 20 pounds.
Welcome to the sport! I am so glad Runner's World has been such a good resource for you. A training log is a very helpful training tool. By recording the details of your runs, you can view your training more objectively and you are more apt to increase your mileage appropriately and avoid overtraining, injuries, or illness. You are also more likely to incorporate a variety of running routes and different types of runs.
The information recorded in a log varies from runner to runner and is totally up to you. What you record should reflect your running goals, both short-term and long-term, and your progress toward better health. Based on the information you provided, you should, at the very least, record the How to Dial in Your Running Form.
This basic data allows you to track your progress through your mileage and your pace. As your weekly mileage increases (no more than 10 percent each week!) and/or your times get faster, you can see your fitness gains on paper. Since you stated that one of your goals is to lose weight, it would be motivating and informative to How to Dial in Your Running Form.
Some runners log even more the details of their runs like their route, the type of run (tempo, long run, hill repeats, etc.), weather conditions, time of day, heart rate, effort level, how they felt, and the number of calories burned. This information may become more important to you as you progress.
Writing down CA Notice at Collection is also helpful because it's important to replace your shoes every 300 to 500 miles. If you know when you purchased your shoes, you can keep track of how many miles you've put on them.
Another piece of insightful information worth recording is your record your weight each week (RHR). By recording your RHR each morning, you will have an inside track on your daily health. Your RHR is a great indicator of your fitness level; as fitness improves, generally, your RHR decreases. To measure your record your weight each week, take it first thing in morning, while still in bed. Place your first two fingers on your wrist, below the base of your thumb, and count the beats for one minute (or 30 seconds and multiply by two) and record this number. After a couple of weeks, you'll have your baseline.
Once you've established your norm, you can note sudden changes in your record your weight each week. Spikes of 10 beats or more are a red flag—your body is letting you know something is up! Perhaps you haven't recovered from a run, didn't get enough sleep, are stressed out, or are coming down with a cold. When you're armed with this knowledge, you can make an objective decision on whether you should sleep in or change a hard workout to an easy one without worrying that you're just "wimping out."
Whatever you decide to record, keep the amount of information reasonable. You don't want your training log to become an overwhelming, time-consuming task! Try to keep your recording time under 5 minutes so it's doable.
Susan Paul has coached more than 2,000 runners and is an exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. For more information, visit www.trackshack.com.
