Running diary

[Sparkin78]

Hi all! Just wanted to share that I’ve found keeping a running diary really useful. It’s a good way to offload if you’ve had a bad run and to celebrate a good one! It’s good for recording your feelings, mood and emotions...apart from that it’s nice to look back over previous weeks and see just how far you’ve come😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

A great idea... I think a few of us use them... I have all my runs logged and all my rambles on the forum since I began in 2015

As you say, great to see the journey you have travelled

[Sadie-runs Graduate]

Lovely post! I keep my running log pinned up on my fridge. I also have a section where I can comment on the runs. I fill it in the moment I am back from a run! 😀🏃‍♀️

[LookNannyruns Graduate]

What good idea, a chance to consolidate all those feelings and a reminder too of how far you’ve come. I’m going to start a belated one. I do like being part of this forum but I can feel rather self indulgent posting all the time.

[Sparkin78 in reply to LookNannyruns]

I know what you mean, yes it’s a nice way of recording some of the more personal thoughts and emotions I find! Only joined here a couple of days ago but my what a lovely bunch you are!😊

[RuthL Graduate in reply to LookNannyruns]

Never feel bad about posting here. You’ll be amazed how helpful and inspiring others will find yout posts, both the highs and the lows. 😄

[IgaT Graduate]

I use forum as my running diary. I found so motivational, soothing, and sometimes therapeutic

[Razouski]

I totally agree. Although I don't keep a running diary as such, but I do use this forum to log most of my runs, and can then look at all my posts in my profile to look back at how I've progressed and see some of my more eventful jaunts.

I'm just reading Vassos Alexander's book, Don't Stop Me Now, and he talks about how he logs every single one of his runs in a massive spreadsheet, giving details of distance and speed, as well as the type of run, location and how he felt about it etc. It's a really entertaining read.

[BenK123 Graduate]

My runs are all logged in Strava automatically, so kind of like a diary. I don't always add to the basic run stats, but I sometimes update the comments on the run with any pertinent details about the run. I find I don't have to remember to write anything down when I'm all hot and sweaty at the end of the run this way, and so I keep the habit up.

I started just using the iPhone Strava app, but I'm familiar with the Garmin cycling products so I treated myself to a Garmin watch for running (and cycle commuting as it's more convenient than remembering to charge 2 separate devices!).

Strava (plus a couple of extensions I use for cycling - which work for running as well) allows me to see if my "really bad" run is actually just me pushing myself harder without realising (as is usually the case) or whether (linked with the heart rate I can collect 24/7 on the watch) I'm under the weather slightly (my resting heart rate goes up by about 8-10 beats when I have a cold on the way).

The Strava extensions I use are Stravistix (Chrome browser extension for Strava which helps you understand more about how your body is reacting to the exercise - needs heart rate monitor though) and Velogram (excellent phone app which allows you to create run images with Strava stats overlaid to show off to your friends - also tells you how many slices of cake you've burned off which I find slightly counter productive as it becomes a licence to eat more cake!)