Running journal?

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HermioneDanger118
HermioneDanger118 Posts: 345 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,

I'm looking to start running again and an old running coach once told me that having a running journal is a great way to keep motivated and track your progress. Does anyone do this or have tips? Or do you have apps you'd recommend? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

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  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I have a journal I keep. I have fallen away from it a bit, so your post reminded me to pick it back up. Maybe that will be my resolution this year, to write in it after every run.

    Your coach is right about the journal though. You can track ups and downs in your runs. Basically a rap sheet. If you ate something that didn't work well with your runs then you can jot it down. You can use it to write down good runs or bad runs, good routes or bad routes, shoes you like, fuels you like, etc...

    Runner's World has some you can buy, but they are cheaper off of Amazon.com. You can just get a regular journal book, and use that. As far as apps, I am not sure of those. I prefer to write it out lol.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I keep track of all of my workouts in a journal.
    I switched to a "rite in rain" one over the summer since I sweat a lot and itll drip onto the page making it hard to write. But with my new one, I can still write in it and the ink wont smudge.

    I prefer writing to apps so I cant help ya there
  • HealthyFocused715
    HealthyFocused715 Posts: 340 Member
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    http://www.running-log.com/

    This one is free! I love it. It lets you track your runs, walks, swims, etc with mileage and times. And then it keeps totals of each activity for the month, year, etc. Also tracks how many miles are on your shoes - a feature I have found to be very helpful. There is also a place to write down personal info for each activity, like what you ate, routes you like, etc. It's basic but it works for me.

    It's because I started using this log that I decided to make a mileage goal for myself this year (after just getting back into running in late February) - 10 more miles to go and I will be at 700 miles for 2013!!!

    Good luck!
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
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    They are super helpful - if you use them :)

    A good website I like is runningahead.com. You enter time of day, pace, route, feeling, etc. I used to use that...I only stop as I am extremely disorganized and absent minded so I often forgot to log in and write it...

    So I bought a running journal instead. I thought, "how hard can this be to come home and jot it down right away?" and that, too, I stopped using.

    HOWEVER, when you do use them - just like others said - you can evaluate your previous paces, what works and didn't work for you and your stomach, your favorite routes, etc. My sister, who is a sub-elite marathoner, also tracks her moods for the day if it's significant. Over excited about something or down in the dumps? It probably shows in your run.

    I think it's worth it. I plan on picking it back up but think I'm going to stick with a good old fashioned notebook :)
  • pnoori
    pnoori Posts: 2 Member
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    Try RunKeeper.com...I don't know if you are technical or like using your phone but it uses the GPS in your phone to accurately provide you w/ your time, distance, pace, etc. and it'll track it over time so you see how and in what areas you've improved. Also, it syncs w/ MFP so when you run/exercise and it's logged on runkeeper, it'll show the info here too. I highly recommend it...btw, this means you'll have to run w/ you phone to use the GPS options, or log your run into the site afterwards.
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    I use Nike + app
    you can set goals and run reminders, it tracks all your runs, pace, calories etc.

    there is also Map My Run and Run Keeper
  • HermioneDanger118
    HermioneDanger118 Posts: 345 Member
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    Try RunKeeper.com...I don't know if you are technical or like using your phone but it uses the GPS in your phone to accurately provide you w/ your time, distance, pace, etc. and it'll track it over time so you see how and in what areas you've improved. Also, it syncs w/ MFP so when you run/exercise and it's logged on runkeeper, it'll show the info here too. I highly recommend it...btw, this means you'll have to run w/ you phone to use the GPS options, or log your run into the site afterwards.

    That would probably work well for me - I run with my phone anyway, partly because it has my music/podcasts and partly for safety. Thanks for your suggestions!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    There's also DailyMile.com, which is also a full community and I like the simple graphics they give you for pace, distance, miles etc.
  • Butrovich
    Butrovich Posts: 410 Member
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    I agree, RunKeeper is a great website and app for the phone. I also use RunningWorld's SmartCoach to plan my runs ahead of time. I am running a half marathon in February and SmartCoach set me up with a 4-month running plan to reach my goals. You don't have to run half marathons, however, to use SmartCoach. Simply enter your current running ability, tell it what your goal is, and it will produce a spreadsheet you can print or copy/paste into an Excel spreadhseet. Mine is printed and posted on my fridge.

    The key is to find what works best for yourself. Hopefully you can find something from all the suggestions in this thread.

    Mike
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    www.runningahead.com

    Completely free and shows a variety of data/reports.

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