training diary

[Limerick]

am I the only one here who logs all their sport activities?
I keep track on all my sports activities, that way I can help keep myself focused/motivated on my gaols, and also compare myself against previous months/years.
I also note my weight every day and my alcahol units every day.
Am I mad?
Does anybody else do this and if do you find it useful?
I think if I stopped doing it, there is a good chance that gradually I would do less sport and get less fit....and I suppose at the end of the day that getting and staying fit really is the fundamental goal.....

[Cagri]

I too keep a training diary. But I won't show you, you'd make fun of me

[Apostle]

Originally Posted by Limerick

am I the only one here who logs all their sport activities?
I keep track on all my sports activities, that way I can help keep myself focused/motivated on my gaols, and also compare myself against previous months/years.
I also note my weight every day and my alcahol units every day.
Am I mad?
Does anybody else do this and if do you find it useful?
I think if I stopped doing it, there is a good chance that gradually I would do less sport and get less fit....and I suppose at the end of the day that getting and staying fit really is the fundamental goal.....

Do you also make sure all the cans are facing the right way in the food cupboard. Sounds like a bit of OCD to me.

What would be the point in weighing yourself every day!!

[Limerick]

no I dont. Thats the sum total of any complusive behaviour (apart from looking at this site every day!).
Logic on the weight front is that if IM always aware of my weight that at some level I will be more motivated to maybe eat a bit less/push myself a bit harder in the pool.
I started this about 7 yrs ago, when I was totally unfit, and very overweight, and Ive stuck to it ever since then, and its worked for me so far.
But the weight part is only a small part, the main part and the my main point here was my training log, I just wanted to see was I the only one doing it, and Im not as at least one other serious swimmer (thanks JL!) is/has done so!

[Cagri]

Originally Posted by Limerick

I just wanted to see was I the only one doing it, and Im not as at least one other serious swimmer (thanks JL!) is/has done so!

So I'm not serious enough? ok

[Apostle]

Limerick,

then you should look out for some good software to record all of your training. It only costs around £20.

[Apostle]

Originally Posted by Juicy Lucy

Of course you are a serious swimmer, Cagri. I think so.

Maybe Limerick has doubts because under your name it reads, "Jelllyfish scare me."

Hey. Have you seen the size of the jelly fish in Turkey!!!

[Limerick]

oh Im useless with technology...cant even spell the word....I want to buy an ipod as I love music but Im too nervous about all the technical stuff you need to do with PCs....anyway, I log all my activities just using email - thats it! - could not be bothered using a software package! - and if you dont do a training log, I dont think you are not a serious swimmer, I was pretty sure I was in the minority here...just checking to see was I!
Heres an example of my last swim as I record it on my log just so you can see waht I mean:

Main set was 3 x 200m on 3.15 progressive, times 2.55, 2.52, 2.49, then 4 x 150m, times 2.07, 2.05, 2.07, 2.07.

[Cagri]

Originally Posted by Apostle

Hey. Have you seen the size of the jelly fish in Turkey!!!

We have to feed them with cows so that they won't harm us.

[NotVeryFast]

Originally Posted by Limerick

am I the only one here who logs all their sport activities?
I keep track on all my sports activities, that way I can help keep myself focused/motivated on my gaols, and also compare myself against previous months/years.
I also note my weight every day and my alcahol units every day.
Am I mad?
Does anybody else do this and if do you find it useful?

I keep detailed records, and I've added more things that I record over time, due to finding myself wanting that information in the past. You might find it worth recording your resting heart rate each morning as well, for example.

For each session I record the full details with all my times for each rep, retrieved from my wrist watch. I have a spreadsheet that tracks meterage per day, totals it up per week etc. Other pages hold my current PBs, other pages track progression of PBs over time. You can never record too much, whenever I've looked back to try to identify patterns and what leads to my best performances, I always find myself wanting more data not less.

I don't see it as OCD, OCD is really about doing things for irrational reasons like thinking a monster will come and get you if you don't do it. Collecting data that can actually help you to understand how your body responds to training and hence improve your performance is just being diligent and thorough.

[zanshin]

I used to keep a training diary. Used to log my distance in lengths and Excel did the rest; converting it to meters and miles. Used to record sets, times, how I was feeling etc. became far too obsessive with it, and if I lost count of my lengths it felt like the end of the world. I am now cured; I don’t even count lengths unless I am doing some sets or a pyramid swim. I just get in the pool, swim up and down, and then get out; simple as that.

[noeyedear]

as i'm new to this swimming lark i was thinking that keeping a track of what i'm doing and how i'm improving would be fairly motivational so i'll give it a try.

[racheybabes]

No. I'm having an off swimming season at the mo.
There seems to be an off season with most sports but not swimming so I've created my own. Which means only going swimming twice a week and eating more pies!

[Knowley]

I bung all my training in to a spreadsheet ... makes adding up easy
2007 = 461850m
2008 to date = 103850m

[Spidey]

Mine is easy, 3000m this year from 2 sessions.