Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Ode To My Training Log

Oh Training Log, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
  1. You show me that last year's "long swim" is now shorter than my routine one.
  2. That over time I run consistently stronger/faster/longer even if from week to week (or even month to month in busy times) it doesn't feel that way.
  3. That I weigh less than I have in four years.
  4. That, whereas I now consistently run or swim 5x a week, previously I struggled to do more than 3 sessions of aerobic exercise in a week's time (including walking).
  5. That I have been more consistent with my yoga practice over the years than I remember.
I have kept an unbroken training log for over three years now, marking down my weight, workouts, migraines, and menstrual cycle, along with notes about how illness, travel, weather, holidays or work kept me from working out (those don't stop migraines or my period, sadly). At various points I have also kept track of my attempts at regular meditation or efforts to cut back on sweets (both mostly failed), along with various other things that now I can't remember, my notes being too cryptic to decipher. Maybe caffeine consumption?

My log shows me when I was first pregnant, when I first thought there was something wrong with that pregnancy, and when I had that fear confirmed. It also shows me when I was pregnant again, when pre-labor started, and then, a week later, proper labor, and then two days later, finally, Buddy.

I've experimented with format, I've tinkered with the size, and who knows if the current form of my log will continue to meet my recording needs. No matter. I'll come up with something new and continue to be grateful.

"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach..." (Elizabeth Barrett Browning).

1 comment:

  1. Three years, huh? That's seriously impressive. If I remember to record my mileage for the day I'm doing well.

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