How to Train Log Runners

For runners, a training log is like a personal coach. It reminds you what you have achieved in your running every day and shows how you can improve your performance. By analyzing the data in your training log you can identify the sessions that helped you achieve a personal best in a race. If you work with a coach, your training log is a great way to communicate.

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose an online training log or a printed version. An online version uses a calendar approach. Enter your details for the day under various categories and save the entry. The online log calculates various performance statistics for you, including weekly and monthly totals. The website Training Peaks provides an overview of the facilities of an online log.

    • 2

      Use a printed log if you prefer a physical record that you can use to easily look back on previous months or years. However, you have to carry out the performance calculations yourself. To share your training information with a coach, create a tabular training log using a word processing or spreadsheet program and email the content.

    • 3

      Record the time and distance of each run in your log. Use a stopwatch to record the time and calculate the distance by dividing total time by your estimated pace. With a GPS-enabled watch, you can record both time and distance. Manufacturers of GPS running watches provide software for recording and mapping training routes. If you do interval training, record the time you take for each fast run and also include the time you take for recovery.

    • 4

      Add other relevant training information to the log. Give details of the training route and surface, including a digital map if your online log has a mapping facility. Record the time of day and weather conditions if they were significant. Running in hot, windy or icy conditions can affect your performance.

    • 5

      Describe the effort you put into the session. If you planned an easy run, did it feel hard? You can use the log to search for possible explanations. If you were training at a harder pace, how did your time compare with similar runs in the past? If the weather made your effort harder, record that fact. Using a heart rate monitor makes it easier to assess effort. Training effort varies by zone -- the higher your heart rate, the greater the effort you are making. The Fitsense website includes a guide to different zones.

    • 6

      Analyze your training log over different periods to identify improvements or a decline in performance. Calculate your total mileage for different periods and assess its impact on your race results. Online logs enable you to create graphs that give you a visual indication of progress.

    • 7

      Learn from the information in your log. What type of training sessions brought about the biggest improvements in your race results? How long did it take you to build up for a particular race such as a marathon? Information like this can help you to plan future training. Pick a target race, say three months ahead, where you want to run well and plan the sessions that you know will help you improve during that period. Follow the schedule and monitor the results.