Training log slacker

I first started keeping a training log at least 20 years ago when I received an A5 training log booklet at a road race. Once I'd completed all the pages I replicated the format and printed my own, which covered a number of years. And then somewhere along the way I lost the plot and stopped logging for a period - it may have been as long as two years. I then got onto an Excel spreadsheet format and I've used it ever since; except for the past few months.

I'm not quite sure why I lost the plot but it seems to have happened after my "38 Days of Running" this year, which was quite disjointed - interrupted by a bad bash to my knee (I whacked it on a rock) and then Expedition Africa.

I find keeping a log to be beneficial to my training, especially to highlight any gaps and also in the tallying of my weekly mileage. Sure, without the log I can reflect on my week but memory is fallible and half the time by Friday can't remember what happened on Monday. So the log does help me to keep track of what I've been up to, where, how long, how fast (or slow!) and with whom.

December is always a good training month for me. Work is quiet, holiday fever is in the air, my neighbourhood is green and pretty and weather is fantastic. And with the Sabie 80km coming up at the end of January, it will be good to keep an eye on distance, cross-training activities and overall consistency.

There are loads of ways to track your training, specially with online systems and mobile apps. I like my spreadsheet that I've set up to add distance and duration. It's simple, but it works.