Saturday, December 15, 2007

It Doesn't Count Unless...




When we go for workout records, personal bests, PR's, and best efforts, we make pretty darn sure that someone saw it, witnessed it, or caught it on camera. We often kid that it doesn't count unless 1)someone saw it, or 2) you can do it again. More importantly though, we know it was a record or best effort because we've got a written log of our last effort. Which leads us to the topic of the training log.

You must keep a training log. If you don't already, start. If you do, have a pastry and a latte and enjoy your badass status.

This simple device allows for real insight, accurate boasting, and excellent meta-awareness about you as an athlete in training.

Ask Coach A about his best overhead squat and he will be able to tell you exactly what it is and, what it was the time before. He writes it down. Ask Pam Lauper what her first TABATA squat score was and she'll tell you because...she knows. She can tell you the date of this tire flip above as well.

For the new year, do yourself a favor and keep an informal log. It doesn't have to be Jedi Journal quality, just a few words about what it is you did. I promise you it will be useful. No real athlete of record doesn't keep a journal.

So, for the new year get your acts together and write it down. Your can even leave you training log at SFCF so you'll have no excuse.

Coach K

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good Post. This also helps motivation. When you feel progress has stalled you can look over the months and realize how far you've come...think of it like this: If you look at yourself everyday in the mirror you won't notice the gradual changes in your face etc. but when you look back at photos throughout the years it is readily apparent.

-Boz

Anonymous said...

I started using Twitter to record my workouts:

http://twitter.com/adamroth

Short & simple.

Anonymous said...

HA Kevin really is in the picture.

Adam Kayce said...

Want a great follow-up post idea? Take some pictures of some good journals, to give us an idea of what we should be looking for.

Helpful tips about what is good to track (and what's superfluous) would be awesome...