Training logs as effective training tools

Sport is about the pursuit of excellence. Before you can get there, you have to invest a lot of time and effort into training. For cyclists, it means a lot of hours in the saddle, training you body to be able to ride your local road race or if you are one of the best in the world, the Tour de France. The 2013 Tour de France is comprised of 21 stages, completed in a 23 day period, covering over 3400 kilometers. For those doing the math, that is an average of 162km each day that the competitors ride.

In order to be able to tackle such a feat, you need to train properly. Monitoring your training to ensure you are getting the proper nutrition and recovery is necessary to be able to prepare for the hilly, mountainous, flat and time trial stages endured in the race.

An excellent way to monitor your progress during training and racing is to write things down in a training log or a training dairy. A training log or diary is a document in which you can record your training, pre and post race routines, progress, etc. It can be as simple or as complex as you wish it to be.

A training log can help improve your cycling, since you are able to compare your training week-to-week, month-to-month and year-to-year. It gives you a progress report of how well you are doing by recording the short term and long-term development of your cycling career. For an athlete it is good to look back and see if you are making any improvements during workouts and racing. Having this data in your training dairy allows you to compare previous workouts and judge whether you are improving, maintaining the status quo or not improving at all. It also enables you to make the necessary adjustments and understand what does work and what doesn’t work.

A training log can be a motivational tool, help set goals and build confidence. By simply looking at your log, you can review your progress, which can help with motivation. It can help with goals setting because it gives you an idea of your fitness allowing you to adjust your goals and keep them realistic. Knowing how fit you are gives you confidence, since you understand where you are in your training. A training log simply allows the athlete to go back and look at what helps the athlete perform best during competition and training.

A training log keeps track of patterns such as:

• Consistency in training 
• Racing times 
• Sleeping habits
• Nutrition 
• Recovery
• Burnouts
• Injuries 

When training to tackle a race such as the Tour de France, a training log allows a cyclist to view their progress as they prepare to ride for 21 stages. Using a training log as a preparation tool reassures an athlete they have done all they can do to prepare.In the process,the information recorded and assessed in a training log can boost an athlete’s confidence as they toe the line.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Deters T. Journaling your journey: write your way to a better physique with a training & nutrition log. Muscle & Fitness. June 2002;63(6):24. 
2. Kuzzy G. LOG IT!. Cross Country Skier. December 2008;28(3):96. 
3. Menaspà P, Abbiss C, Martin D. Performance Analysis of a World-Class Sprinter During Cycling Grand Tours. International Journal Of Sports Physiology & Performance. May 2013;8(3):336-340. 
4. Miranda M. Training and Competition Log for Tennis Players. Coaching & Sport Science Review. December 2007;43:14-16. 
5.Pinar S, Kaya F, Bicer B, Erzeybek M, Cotuk H. DIFFERENT RECOVERY METHODS AND MUSCLE PERFORMANCE AFTER EXHAUSTING EXERCISE: COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL MUSCLE STIMULATION AND MASSAGE. Biology Of Sport. December 2012;29(4):269-275. 
6.Young B, Medic N, Starkes J. Effects of Self-Monitoring Training Logs on Behaviors and Beliefs of Swimmers. Journal Of Applied Sport Psychology. October 2009;21(4):413-428.