Keeping track of workouts

[whippetgirl]

Thanks for all the responses which I really appreciate! You ladies are great and I can't thank everyone enough. I really learn a lot from this forum and I feel comfortable here, too!

There is so much out there to take advantage of and it is great to get everyone's responses. I am going to try a couple of the free sites and see which one seems easiest to use.

[Offthegrid]

I was using training peaks, but checked out beginnertriathlete.com and it's WAY cool. You have your own little blog and you can log everything you want, from heart rate to hours slept, weight, resting HR, etc. etc.

Then the really cool part is that other people leave you little notes to inspire you. (Although you can make your log private if you choose.) Practically every day I have a note that says "good workout" or "nice bike." All of this stuff is free.

If you pay for membership, you can get more advanced training plans geared to triathlon, but you certainly don't need to pay (I don't).

[Bad JuJu]

Besides using Bike Journal to keep track of cycling, I use an old-fashioned, low-tech method for other workouts--I write them down with actual pen and paper. I use a small Moleskine notebook (pocket-size, unruled) and use a page per day. For strength workouts, I've printed out my routines from a Word table and pasted them into the notebook so I can take it to the gym with me and make notes about sets, reps, and weight as well as how I'm feeling.

I'm reasonably computer literate but there's something very satisfying to me about writing my workouts in a physical log. Also, I have room to get all artistic about it if the urge strikes me to add some sketching, a photo, or even a quoted phrase from time to time. Since there's no loop for a pen or pencil, I had to make my own by wrapping the cover with duct tape to make a sort of pen quiver. I don't know what I'd do without these little notebooks.

[Offthegrid]

For those who use beginnertriathlete.com and keep their logs public, do you want to share your handle so I can make you my buddies?

I use the same handle there, too.

[HillSlugger]

For those who use beginnertriathlete.com and keep their logs public, do you want to share your handle so I can make you my buddies?

I use the same handle there, too.

Are you a paid member? What does adding buddies do for you?

My username there is nicolethomas

[Offthegrid]

Are you a paid member? What does adding buddies do for you?

Nope, not a paying member. If/when I move up to olympic distance, I would probably get the membership.

You can add buddies to watch their training logs and leave little notes for them. Maybe this is my MySpace thing 'cause I never got into that.

I left ya' an "inspire" in your log. These are basically just comments other people put on your logs. You'll see if you go to your training log the number of inspires in red above each day. You read them by clicking where it says "inspire me."

Waaaay too addicting.

[HillSlugger]

Nope, not a paying member. If/when I move up to olympic distance, I would probably get the membership.

You can add buddies to watch their training logs and leave little notes for them. Maybe this is my MySpace thing 'cause I never got into that.

I left ya' an "inspire" in your log. These are basically just comments other people put on your logs. You'll see if you go to your training log the number of inspires in red above each day. You read them by clicking where it says "inspire me."

Waaaay too addicting.

Wow, I didn't know about these features! I've added you and KSH as buddies