10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5. . . Time to Start a Training Log!

If you are like most runners, you are pretty proud of your races, but you are even more proud of the work you put in to get there. It is easy to look up past race results online, and remember that day, but it is difficult to remember your training runs.

Saturday is 2011. This is the perfect time to start keeping a training log. A training log is a way to keep track of all of your runs for the year. You can also track any cross training, and weight training you do. There are multiple benefits to a training log:

• Track your progress - see how you have improved, and get motivated by reviewing the miles you have accumulated
• Prevent injury - by noting how you feel during and after your runs, you can detect injuries before they become severe and cause you to miss a race
• Follow a plan - if you have a training plan, a training log will give you a way to track it.
• Shoes - training logs will let you know how many miles you have on your shoes, so you know when to replace them
• Graphs - get a graphical view of your training progress

There are countless ways to have a training log:

- Paper - Lots of runners still use a notebook and a pen to track their runs. Gets the job done just fine.
- Spreadsheets - There are lots of spreadsheets available online, or you can create your own. Here is one you can download.
- Garmin - Most Garmin watches will download your data to he Garmin site. If you don't do this yet, I highly recommend it.
- Online - Countless sites now have tools to track your progress online. Here are a few:

• Runner's World Training Log
• Running Ahead (also supports Garmin downloads)
• Cool Running Active Trainer
• Nike Training Tool

There are even lots of phone "aps" out there now that you can use as well.  It does not mater what you pick. Find the one that you like the best. This is the time to start! January 1 is on Saturday. . . get in a run, and start your log!