CONFIDE IN YOUR DIARY

Since starting the project almost 22 months ago I have used various methods of keeping track of my training through the use of a diary or training log. The success and length of these logs has varied hugely with some entries lasting a matter of days due to the complexity of the information. Before long you miss a few days, forget what you did and lose interest.

When I started training again back in July this year I decided that to keep my focus, attempt to identity the early signs of over training and most importantly what works I kept a diary for 90 days leading up to the Amsterdam half marathon in which I ran a big PB of 1:13:46.

In the past I have laughed at people who kept diaries, why worry about the past when you can look forward to the future. However to understand where you are going you need to know where you have been. I kept things simple with five entries;

1) Resting heart rate
2) Weight
3) Food
4) Exercise - including distance
5) Over all comment

By the end of the first month I read back all the entries and started to see a pattern emerging. I could see instantly where I had performed well in my training, what I had eaten before hand and what areas needed work on.

A friend down at the track told me a story of when David Bedford was at the peak of his training. One evening he was relaxing in the bath after a hard week. Tallying up the number of miles he had run for the week he suddenly realised that he might be a couple short of his target, instead of just accepting that he might have made a mistake he jumped out of the bath and ran another 6 miles just to make sure, before getting back in the bath.

Using a diary can be a great motivational tool, however beware as you can become a slave to your diaries desire for the distance box to tally up.