Keeping a Running Diary

My husband's running diary is his Nike+ kit, a small gadget which he puts on his shoes and is linked to his i-pod. This records his distance and his speed as he runs. He conveniently uploads his mileage to his PC at the end of his run and he is able to maintain a running log. As for me, since I just have an i-pod nuno (my MP4 player which resembles an i-pod nano in appearance) and am still waiting for my Nike+ kit December present, I am currently doing my training logs manually. I have this neat little notebook which serves as my running diary.

Keeping a training log is very helpful because you will be able to see patterns in your running and from there will be able to make adjustments for improvement. So what should be included in your training log so that it will provide you with the most information?

Basic information will include the date, length of the run, time you finished the run, your route and its description (if it is on flat oval track, hilly forest track, urban pavement, etc) , time of day, and weather conditions. The Complete Guide to Endurance Training has record sheets for an entire week and at the end of the week, a weekly summary can be done. The record sheets cover additional information like the feeling after the run, the benefit, nutrition, sleep, aim, intensity and other comments. Other books would also recommend taking note of your morning weight as well as your resting heart rate, average heart rate and maximum heart rate. The latter would require a heart rate monitor while you run. But you can also detect your heart rate manually, though it can be quite challenging while you run. Just feel for your pulse just below the angle of your jaw and count it using your stopwatch. No need to do a entire minute. Six seconds will do and this will provide you with a rough estimate of your heart rate. Multiply the heart rate taken in six seconds by 10 and you get your heart rate in beats per minute. Just a reminder though, do not rub your carotid pulse vigorously as this can lead to the immediate slowing of your heart rate which may cause you to feel dizzy and faint. This is what we call the carotid massage and we only employ this in emergency situations when a patient experiences severe sinus tachycardia.

Oh, Is There Such a Thing as Overtraining Syndrome?

Most running enthusiasts love running because of the feeling of high after a run. They say that running has improved their overall disposition and that is one of the major reasons why they are hooked up with running. But what if one day, you just suddenly lose all your enthusiasm for running and you feel lethargic all day?

Have you heard of Overtraining Syndrome?

It is essential that all runners have a knowledge of this syndrome because if caught early, a simple rest of 24-48 hours would completely reverse this. However, if this is ignored, then you may have to forego running for 6-12 weeks to recover completely. Can you afford that?

Here, I share with you the symptoms of overtraining as lifted from my favorite book Running for Fitness.

But in order to diagnose overtraining, it is important to have a training log which includes the following information: your weight, the number of hours you sleep, and your pulse rate when you wake up and when you get out of bed.

Symptoms of overtraining:

• increased resting heart rate
• increase in difference between heart rate before and after getting out of bed
• susceptibility to infections, allergies, headaches; swollen glands;
• sharp reduction in training performance; sluggishness;
• lethargy; loss of enthusiasm, energy or drive;
• irritability, loss of concentration;
• insomnia;
• loss of appetite;
• lack of sexual energy and loss of libido;
• rapid weight loss;
• diarrhea and runners' trots.

Author Owen Barder emphasized on the heart rate as a good early warning indicator. If the gap between the heart rate before and after getting out of bed is 5 beats per minute or more when you get up, then you should not train on that day. Remember, haste makes waste.