Workout Logging - Why Do I Care?

patachin

Last season I logged them all down to the minute, the mile, the second, and the heartbeat.  Charts, pods, graphs, equipment, maps.  Is all that really necessary?  What's the ROI on that btw?

This season, I'm thinking, WHO CARES!  I'm doing the EN plan.  I know which workouts I did.  It's not like I can go back and change the outcome just because I logged it. I will update the team in the threads of course.  I will take and record the tests as scheduled in my EN plan and that will be the measure of my progress.  Ya basta on the logging!

WHO'S WITH ME?

(Or, seriously, am I missing something?)

ghernand

it all depends on what you see as your long term goals.

if you just want to improve each year, then just record your testing data in data tool and move on.

however, if you want to improve your vdot by 9 points and your ftp and weight to equal >4.0watt/kg, then the only way to track that you are headed in the right direction is to log your training performances.  after one season, you'll see how much you improved and at what rate.  the next season you can tweak things accordingly, etc.

a couple of examples:

the daily/weekly review: i want a 62 vdot by June.  i am at 59.2 now.  i make sure to hit a 1:20 or less 400m time as often as i can within training, while still getting through my assigned sessions, since this is the pace i'll need per 400m for my 5km test.

the season by season review: i found that each season, i spent 2 months getting my weight back in order after my A-race.  this time around i used my A-race to kick start my body composition and my weight has been less than my race weight ever since.  i started the OS this season building on my fitness vs. re-building back to baseline. 

etc., etc. etc.

GH

 

Michael Byerts

The workout log is also useful when things go wrong. When I have had setbacks, I check my log. More often than not, it provides an explanation. You can see trends that aren't apparent in the moment. One bad race in 2009 was most probably a result of a sudden increase in the number and duration of high intensity workouts. During those 3 weeks, I felt good (which was why I trained too hard), but when I looked at the month's charts of pace and heart rate zones as opposed to the preceeding 4 months, it became apparent. A lower leg injury in 2010 was the result of adding too much run volume too quickly after a 2 week cold. RnP plus the forums help do some of this analysis, but the log really helps when you need to do triage (and they might ask questions requiring that you consult a log).
In addition, the training log allows me to keep track of how much mileage I put on equipment. Why are my shins sore after that run? Because those shoes already have 400 miles on them.

Al Truscott

After 12 years of tri training and logging every day, I've found I use the history in three ways:

1. During the season, I find it helpful to monitor my improvement and reflect back on it. E.g., in just the past month since I restarted serious run training, my mile paces have dropped from 7:36 to 6:54. This is very re-assuring that the training is working. I'll do the same with swim times, and bike efforts on the same routes later in the year.

2. Also during the season, I watch my Chronic Training Load in WKO to make sure it doesn't either rise or drop precipitously. I also look at the traiing stress balance and the Acute Training Load as I get close to race taper time and on to the race. If I don't record daily workouts, I won't get this information.

3. Since I do an average of 2 IMs a year, I want to know how my training from one year (or one IM build) to the next compares, to let me know what to expect come race day.

All of these things hopefully feed my confidence going into race day, which i"ve found is an important part of both feeling like I'm ready, and then actually doing well. "Half of the game is 90% mental." - Yogi Berra.

patachin

You all make some very good points.  Why am I not surprised.  It was helpful, even on a basic level, last season just keeping track of total training hours to avoid getting carried away when I was feeling particularly good or overenthusiastic. 

The logging revolt is dead, long live logging!

Spokane_Al

I am a numbers guy. I track and analyze my workout stuff on a spreadsheet and WKO+. I almost had an orgasm the first time I trained with power. I obsess over our household finances via Quicken, and in my retirement years am a tax preparer during tax season for fun. I watch CNBC, the stock market, and oil and other indexes and look forward to finding the Wall Street Journal on my front porch each morning.  I am on a non profit board where I serve as, surprise, treasurer.



But then again I am a Virgo so perhaps numbers are the reason I am on this planet.

gilliatt

Also once you start building up some years (Al Truscott) in the sport it is cool to look back and see what you did. My memory for these things isn't so great which is also a good reason to use the data tool for tests and races.
I found some old computrainer 3d files from 2004/5 ther other day... these rides took place several years before I had a powertap. Ran them through WKO the other day and was pleasantly surprised how many watts I've put on.

kurshing

This is the first training phase where I haven't diligently recorded everything. I realized that the only real use for recording all of the workouts was for my own occasional personal 'awe'. I never used that stuff once I loaded it up. I DO believe in writing race reports, but I am done with anything beyond that. It is actually quite freeing to leave that all behind...and you wouldn't believe how much time that took until you stop doing it all together.

As far as ROI is concerned, i would rather have the time now (by not spending the time to record and track) than the ability to impress myself later.

Just my 2 cents.