Read/Write/Run

Hi! My name is Ken. I'm going to periodically write about running, writing, and a number of other topics. Please feel free to read my posts and provide your comments. If you have a question about any topic, leave a message and I'll try to help you get the information you're looking for. Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again soon.



Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Learning From The Past

Almost all of my running friends keep a regular running/workout log. This information is especially helpful when working on future running plans. As March approaches, I plan on examining my old running logs dating back to 2007.  I actually put together a post not that long ago where I shared details about my interval work and compared data in 2007-2009 to 1997-1999.

Take a look back at your logs and see if you can use this information to have an even better 2011. If you don't keep a log, perhaps it's a good time to start one. Do whatever works for you. Some people prefer to write these out, while others do it electronically.

Good luck. I guarantee there's something in the information that will help you. Let me know what you found. I'm interested.

Ken 

13 comments:

  1. I keep one online, but I think I need to add more info about my nutrition. Great idea!

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  2. Annie,

    Thanks for stopping by. The nutrition is something I should do myself. My log is totally focused on things like date, day, distance, pace, course, weather, effort, who I ran with, and how I felt.

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  3. Ken,
    Its good to know at least one person is watching the blog - I'll have to double check my grammar from now on. :-) Soon enough the ice will clear and 5am will provide a little light on the trails. I'll make sure to check in periodically, and will most likely make my way to CT a few times this year for races. Take care.

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  4. Hi Ken,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog and I appreciate your comments! I am excited about the trail run and will def try a smaller trail race first.

    I keep a log also, like many runners, and enjoy looking back. I can feel an improvement but its also nice to see it in writing! It helps with the motivation. I haven't been able to run for the past week since I recently injured my foot doing some plyometric exercises but its healing and should be ready to log some miles in another week. Just going to take it slow.
    Have a great day!
    Christina

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  5. What a great idea. I've only got training written down for the last year, but I'm going to look back to last February today. If nothing else, I think I'll be inspired as to how far I've come!

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  6. I try to use my blog as a running log (hence the title, "Anna's Running Log"). Sometimes I get lazy about it though. Besides the blog log, I have never kept a running log. I think I might try a more personal running journal soon. In the mean time, I'm going to go back and look at my beginning blog entries to look at my progress.

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  7. I use an online running log, and then a separate site for nutrition. It is very helpful to see whats going in and what kind of things I am doing. Especially since I am getting back into shape.

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  8. Thanks for stopping by everyone! I hope your running is going well.

    I've been going over my logs and remembered that last year I didn't go to the track once. It's hard to believe it. I did do some speedwork in the form of pick-ups or 1-3-5-3-1. What I mean by this workout is a pick a five mile course and did faster segments-1 minute fast followed by 1 minute moderate, 3 minutes fast, followed by a 3 minute moderate pace and so on. If you do it right you can take a 5 minute warm up too. I usually ended up doing at least 13 minutes hard, sometimes more if I'm feeling good. I ran actually better in 2010, than in 2009. My mileage and long runs were about the same in 2009 and 2010. Interesting. I don't understand that. I always thought that trackwork would bring you better results.

    Did anyone find anything in their logs that was revealing?

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  9. I really don't keep a log outside of the B-log, but I probably should. We write down times and things, but it's always on sheets of paper for a week or two and then that paper eventually turns up missing. I think right now I'm still too content just to do the blog, and see the official times trending downward to bother.

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  10. Hey Brent,

    I got myself a clipboard and I use regular lined paper. Certainly your blog is a great way to track stuff. There's also free software to track times should you want to try it. I just think it's easier to look at the data all together. Another idea is to post monthly updates of what running you've done on the blog. Then you could print copies of just those posts if you wanted to look at them away from you PC.

    Just a few ideas.

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  11. Hey buddy!! I definitely look back at some of my blogs to take a look at the kind of training I was doing for certain events. I wish I was better about blogging all the time...but working full time/ raising a kid/ side business/ etc sometimes interferes haha.

    Keep up the good work!! :)

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  12. Hi Ken, I'm new to you blog....
    I've got hand written logs back to 1977, what I find revealing is how quickly you can go from feeling you are in the greatest shape ever after a good race, then a week later feeling exhausted and in bad shape because you did not take enough rest days....on speed work, thruout my 39 years of running its amazing how little I needed to run faster, even 2% of my miles a week was enough to make for faster races...thanks for checking my blog, which I'm using as motivation to lose my extra 50lbs.

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  13. Hey Christine and Jeff,

    Thanks for stopping by. Christine, I checked your blog out and liked the "tutu" run.

    Jeff, you ran some pretty impressive times. Good luck with you weight loss plan. Your detailed reports are interesting and show good dedication to the plan. Keep up the good work!

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