Happy Thursday to you! I just wanted to take a moment to thank my athletes out there who are always logging sessions. I know it’s a chore most times. And I know I’m competing against Strava for your attention sometimes… so if that’s the case for you, just imagine me — the coach — as the equivalent of 100 followers! Maybe that’s not enough…

As someone who’s logged every which way there is over the last couple decades, I believe we’re better if we simply log… something. It’s a reflective practice that’s intrinsically linked to growth mindset.

If you’re logging, commenting, and rating your sessions 1-3, I have an excellent window into how your training’s going. It really helps me plan subsequent weeks.

Logging, like everything else in life, is about creating the habit. Repeat after me,

“The workout’s not done until it’s logged.”

I’ve been carrying that quote around in my head for ever. It works!

So, at the very minimum, just copy the planned session into Workout Log. Like I told my 7th and 8th graders when they were online with their camera off, “I need proof of life!”

Most days, though, I like to see not only the logged session, but some of your thoughts on how the session went. Good, bad, and ugly. Vent if you need to. Training logs are good for that sometimes; effectively processing some frustration, allowing us to turn the page and move on to the next session.

A logged session with just a rating, 1-3, is quite helpful too. Recall, a “3” is when there was more good than bad in a session. We tend to put up more 3’s in training when there is a purpose tied to the workout. For example, when you conduct an ELS session and you work mindfully to keep catching yourself unfocused, then REFOCUS, and tend to your “Easy, Light, and Smooth” running, you’re actively bringing your mind along for the ride. Boom, the run becomes a 3. Honesty’s the best policy though — I know I’ve had more 2’s and 1’s in the last few months. But success in sport like a sine wave with an upward facing trajectory.

Life is messy. Therefore, training is messy. We do our best, and try to move with the ebb and flow. Just like a sweet, little, rolling piece of single track in the forest.

The reflective practice of logging everyday is valuable, for both of us. It paints a clear picture of how things are going. Trends can be identified and we can work together to adjust the “dose” of training to ensure you’re in that sweet spot during any type of training week.

Lately, I’ve been logging all my sessions in a training log while I’m eating a post-workout meal. Seems to work pretty well.

So, log it, rate it, and make a few comments if/when you can. Excellence is a habit!

Coach