Moving to paper running logs Jan 1. Am I an idiot?

You can strike a middle ground and keep a spreadsheet like I do.

SausageKINGofCLE wrote:

No logical reason, except Strava has become too much like Instagram and I like the sound of graphite against paper. Something about the physical act of writing/graphing is intriguing. Any old school running log folks still out there?

I log my training both online and on a notebook. I like the ease of access and actually turning the pages and read about my training from last week or from 20 years ago.

Its easier to access 19 year old data from 25 years of data on paper logs, unless the logging site/app you uses lets you input the date range you want and view it in several different methods, not just week/month.

Been logging with paper ever since high school. I am a college sophomore now.

I probably have the last 14 yrs calendars in a box that I use to log my daily runs and time's in. I keep last year's calendar beneath this year's to make sure I ain't slacking. This calendar is on the wall next to my dresser filled with running crap.

I have spiral notebook for every year from 1985 (1972-84 were lost when moving).

When you open the NB you see a whole week. I like that.

Plus easy access to the past- just get the year I want.

Excel is the only way to go. Especially if you want do add in any sort of summary or analysis. I have about 6 years going.

35+ years of the same running calendar book.

Paper has a certain "My School" feel about it and I'm comfortable with it. I do hear about the Strava chatter and think it has gone the way of the "paralysis by analysis" generation.

If paper makes sense to you I'd stick to that, you can always keep a generalized spreadsheet for the main info like distance, time and HR if you keep that.

Composition notebooks FTW!

That settles it. Goodbye Strava, Hello Steno!

runn wrote:

I have spiral notebook for every year from 1985 (1972-84 were lost when moving).

I have to imagine that was a little devastating- the first thing I back up whenever backing up my computer is my excel that dates back to 2005.

Yep, we are out here.

Paper logging my miles since Ronald Reagan was running for 2nd term.

I have almost 3 decades' worth of paper logs. I'll always use paper and pen, and never saw the point in Strava or anything like that.

The old logs mainly serve as an occasional trip down memory lane as I recall what it was like to be a sort of fast local hobby jogging champ. Sort of neat to occasionally recall my good races from eons ago and the training that led up to them.

I've kept a fairly detailed record of my races through the years, and looking at my times as the decades have passed is like looking at my gradual death. At some point my marathon pace became my 10k pace, then my 5k pace. Now I can't run a flat out mile at my old marathon pace.

But you know what? I'm still out there. As such, I'm now "beating" lots of guys that were faster than me decades ago, but are no longer running.

Now get off my lawn.

Yes, you should be logging your runs using burnt wood as charcoal on the walls of caves

Started my first running log back in 88 and never stopped. I like having a premade template though so I now Xerox 50+ copies of a blank page from my favorite training log each year , then use a hole puncher so they fit in a large three ring binder. Have em on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf. Also serves as a sort of diary as I always significant travels, events etc.

Both.

I like Strava for a lot of reasons. A big part of it is laziness. I used to always get behind on writing down my runs, especially if I'm in an off season or maintenance mode. Now it's all there, with tons of detail, with zero effort.

But I also keep a physical notebook. Although I write in the stuff I actually did (in pen) the main reason I have it is so that I can plan ahead in pencil. I start with the main "A" and "B" races I want to do over the next 6 months or so. I add in a bunch of possible "C" races to use as workouts, most of which I won't actually do, but later on I know what's available so I can swap a race for a workout on occasion. Then I put in my key race-specific workouts. Then I figure out how I'm going to progress up to them and for how long. The trickiest part is figuring out how my training needs will be different based on what I was doing previously. For instance, did I run an early fall marathon and then slack off until January? Am I trying to come off a summer of 1-mile track races and quickly transition to a marathon 8 weeks later? Am I trying to perform pretty well at Club Cross 6 weeks after a marathon? Etc. It's easier to do this planning when you can visualize it all on a couple of pages. There's a lot of erasing involved as well.

Also, in case anyone is interested, Muji makes a great calendar notebook that has Monday as the first day of the week.

old man shuffle wrote:

I have almost 3 decades' worth of paper logs. I'll always use paper and pen, and never saw the point in Strava or anything like that.

The old logs mainly serve as an occasional trip down memory lane as I recall what it was like to be a sort of fast local hobby jogging champ. Sort of neat to occasionally recall my good races from eons ago and the training that led up to them.

I've kept a fairly detailed record of my races through the years, and looking at my times as the decades have passed is like looking at my gradual death. At some point my marathon pace became my 10k pace, then my 5k pace. Now I can't run a flat out mile at my old marathon pace.

But you know what? I'm still out there. As such, I'm now "beating" lots of guys that were faster than me decades ago, but are no longer running.

Now get off my lawn.

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This sounds like my story!

Just finishing up my 40th Runners World Training Diary (Runners World wasn't always the joke it's become). Didn't keep a log the first three years of running.

It's hard to believe my modest 10K pace from 35 years ago would win most of our local 10K's today. Back then my goal was just to finish in the top 10% of the field.

Have recorded every work out done in the last 40 years and the mile splits of most races. Kept track of distance, shoes, location, running partners. Used to keep track of the time. I was so obsessed with time that one time as I tripped and fell I actually stopped my watch before hitting the ground.

It's fun to look back. Not much to look forward to...barely running 4 miles at 11 minute pace! Enjoy it while you can. It ain't fun getting old.

I used to do paper logs. Then I switched to using a spread sheet on the computer. Did that for many years then about 4 years ago I got my Garmin and now I export my runs to a CSV and import them to my lifetime running log.

This way if Garmin decides to take a dump, no problemo, I got a copy of my data...