Have you ever tried to log what you are eating when you are on a diet? You know, write down everything that goes into your mouth in a day.
It can be shocking!
That same tactic can be used to journal your fitness. Keeping a workout log is a simple way to keep track of your progress or non progress toward race goals, dietary goals or just overall fitness goals.
For the past several years, I have logged on to trainingpeaks.com to track my daily swims, bikes and runs. I log in my miles, heart rate zones, minutes per mile or miles per hour, even outdoor temperature and how I felt that day.
At the beginning of each year, I also write out an Annual Training Plan that outlines my races for the entire year. I enter the plan into Training Peaks and then receive a daily email that outline exactly what I should be doing that particular day.
Because Ironman training is built on training blocks, it's nice to have a definite plan to stick by each day. It's also helpful to look back over a year's time to see what seemed to work when I was feeling good, and what might have caused me to have, say, a horrible training run. And if you're honest with yourself, the log will paint an accurate picture of what got you through a marathon with a personal record, or ... not.
As a certified USAT Coach, I have access to Training Peaks for all my clients. I can set anyone up with a FREE account. Better yet, let me write a training plan for your next big event.
Would this help my cycling? I'm so into keeping things simple and spontaneous that i've never had specific goals other than to finish a race. Maybe I should change my thinking and what I tell myself (as Carla tells me) and get organized.
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