Pleasant Side Effect of Logging Miles Online

>> Thursday, March 04, 2010

So as I noted in my “Does It Work” series last month, I’ve been using BeginnerTriathlete.com to log my workouts since September. (Click here to see my “review” of a few different free sites where you can log your workouts.)

February just wrapped up. Here’s how that looks on my Beginner Triathlete calendar:


13,350 yards of swimming? (Most since IM training!) Thanks Julia!

Right now, this is what my March calendar looks like:


All it shows right now is that I’ve been gaining weight... [sarcastic] yay.
And it shows my 2 upcoming “birthday weekend” races!

Here’s what kind of goes on inside my head:

At the beginning of any given month, I want to start putting numbers up there so I don’t look like a slacker!

Near the middle of any given month, I want to keep going strong.

At the end of any given month, I want to add to my numbers to “pad” my monthly totals before having to start over with another clean slate.

Repeat month after month.

So the “pleasant side effect” I speak of is some sub-conscious desire to workout so my training log doesn’t look so empty. Maybe it’s an issue with my pride. (It probably is.) I expect this issue won’t last forever. But as long as it sticks around, I’ll keep pushing myself to have solid months of workouts!

(Many of you know this, but some of you probably don’t. So I’ll just lay it out there: I don’t follow any sort of training plan. I just make it up as I go. I sometimes train with friends who have more “rigid” training plans [thanks Julia!], but for the most part, I just try to balance everything out on my own. It’s not the smartest idea, I know. But I’m not training to break any land-speed records - I’m just out to have a good time and not get burnt out training TOO hard. So this “side effect” helps my style of training, but it might not work the same way if I were following a pretty rigid training plan. Just thought I’d note that.)

12 comments:

b 10:18 AM, March 04, 2010  

Imprompt to training seems to be working quite well for you Steve :-) btw nice 5 miler this a.m.!

teacherwoman 11:23 AM, March 04, 2010  

If it works, don't change it, right?!

Fellow Pisces Fan,  12:17 PM, March 04, 2010  

Excuse me for being out of sync, but I wanted to comment on your revelation last post.

You're a PISCES! That more revelatory than anything.

I know, for I too am a PISCES!

Now I UNDERSTAND!

Why you're so sensitive, so territorial/intuitive about your blog, and have such prominent (ie., "gross") FEET.

Feet are YOUR PART. I know, I know, something else comes a close SECOND (so DIRTY!).

Well, this means more to me than anything else you've "revealed" so far.

This warrants a card, or maybe even a PRESENT!

Which is why you told us, right? Always FISHING, right?

No doubt you've earned one, just by being a PISCES....

drdave 12:20 PM, March 04, 2010  

We would get along well. I don't like to follow plans either. Figure it has something to do with not liking to follow the rules. But if it works, just continue your non-plan.

Carolina John 12:25 PM, March 04, 2010  

yea my training log showed not nearly enough run miles for february. with a marathon 2 weeks away i better start putting those in.

mfay 12:51 PM, March 04, 2010  

Currently I use a paper calendar to log all my workouts, but this seems WAY more organized. I agree with the pleasant side effects of calendars - I love to see workouts add up.

Sara 1:16 PM, March 04, 2010  

How do you workout without even some type of plan of for at least what sport you are going to do each day for the week? If I did not have my training calendar planned out I would wake up every morning and fumble about for an hour contemplating what sport I should do, what workout and when to do it that it would be a total waste of time. Just curious to see how you figure it all out.

Anonymous,  1:47 PM, March 04, 2010  

No plan?! How PISCES! You just wing it. FIN it?

T 2:20 PM, March 04, 2010  

the fiance and i don't follow any sort of training plan either. the most organized we get is planning out each week what sport(s) we want to do each day.

maybe some day we'll try one of those set plans ... but who knows. brandon's more up for the idea than i am.

Unknown 3:48 PM, March 04, 2010  

My BT training calendar is my nemesis and also my biggest supporter! And it never lies to me ... I hate seeing empty "white" dates on the calendar. I might actually have symptoms of OCD with my BT calendar and after reading your post it seems I am not alone ..lol.

Judi 6:01 PM, March 05, 2010  

you take rest days?

Anonymous,  1:44 PM, March 07, 2010  

nice post. thanks.

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