I’ve gone through different phases of logging my runs and routes. When I first started running I kept a meticulous excel spreadsheet of each run, what I wore, the weather and probably what I ate. Clearly I had way too much time on my hands. I was also working at a big gym as the Fitness Director at the time, so my whole life revolved around training me or someone else. Those were the days.
I do believe, I do, I do, I do!
I then went through a period where I was just happy to get out and run and I tracked nothing.
Then I was pregnant with the twins and had to stop running after three months. There’s a very detailed account in their baby book about my total breakdown on my front steps, when I realized I wouldn’t be able to run for the duration of the pregnancy. I cried my eyes out.
Then I did walking hill repeats and felt much better.
This was the night of my baby shower. When my brother put this stroller together I cried because it was so gigantic!
Then I had healthy twins about 25 weeks later and really felt better.
And I started running again but not journaling anything except how much the babies drank, pooped and peed. It was an interesting time.
I’m now in a stage of racing and training and journaling. As part of Team Oiselle, I was excited to know that my teammate (oh, that’s just funny) Lauren Fleshman was developing a running journal.
Prior to getting that gem, I would just jot a quick note of what I did that day on a calendar of the boys that I kept in the laundry room.
Very serious and professional training log.
I now keep my BELIEVE journal in the laundry room. It’s an odd place for sure but:
1. It’s the fist place I go when I walk in the door to deposit my sweaty clothes. I’ve actually been known to completely strip down in there and steak across my house, up the stairs and right into the shower. One of these days the FedEx guy is going to get an eyeful.
2. I spend ridiculous amounts of time in there washing, drying and folding
3. No one else goes in there but me
Getting back into journaling over this training period has really helped me. Each day I’m supposed to rate my workout with a grade. As you may expect, I don’t hand out A’s easily. And, unlike my calendar, I have a lot more room to write just a few feelings about the workout like “felt hard” or “my legs were tired.” I write that one a lot.
My counter of crap in the laundry room. My little haven of all things sweat!
The funny thing is, I don’t spend a lot of time reflecting on it. In fact, once I finish a week and turn the page, I rarely go back. This got me thinking “what’s the point of having a journal?” But I think that’s just it.
The journal helps me move forward. Another day, another entry. Isn’t doesn’t even matter that much what the entry is, but each day is one I got up and got it done.
Relentless forward progress.
With running and the laundry. My life is complete.
Do you keep a journal?
Where do you keep it?
What’s in your laundry room besides dirty clothes?
First, I seriously can’t handle how cute those little babies were! (they still are adorable).
I think your laundry room makes perfect sense when you point out why. I used to be really good about tracking all my workouts when I did triathlon. Now: never. I know, shocker. Sometimes, though, I think it would be a good idea so that I could ID when a niggle started, etc. Maybe I need a nice journal like that one to inspire me?
I swear, if I started writing down all my ‘niggles’ there would be no room for anything else!! Plus, you have your blog as a sort of running journal, right? That’s what I use when I’m not training for anything big…of course I don’t know when that is… 🙂
I didn’t know you have twins! Twin mama’s unite! I remember the utter pain and sadness (probably hormones) that set in when the doctor told me I couldn’t run. In the end, I was able to carry them to 39 weeks– I was so anxious to get out there, that I think I ran home from the hospital!
The laundry that comes with twins?!… do not even get me started. It took many years for me to except our laundry situation… many, many years.
OMG yes! I actually think that was one of the initial reasons I started reading your blog…because you understand!!!! 🙂 I swear I have done laundry every single day since the day they were born. Every.single.day.
39 weeks? You are an amazing twin mama!!! I was proud of my 37 but they were only 5 pounds each. No NICU though and that was my goal. 39 weeks is amazing!!
Used to keep a journal of sorts when I was younger, but since having kids I just really haven’t had time. I tried last year and lasted about a month before I just gave up. Love that you do this and the laundry room makes perfect sense to me.
I used to have a journal all about the boys that I would write in a few times a week. Now I only write the funny things they do so I can remember the good times when I want to strangle them 🙂
I did the exact same thing with our stroller. THE BUS! Anyway, I do keep a journal. In previous years it’s just been on dailymile.com but I’m loving the Believe journal. I keep it in my nightstand so each night before I fall asleep I write about the day. IT’s a way to get it out and move forward.
That is great and such a great way to end the day.
I have nightmares about that stroller!
My journal is the runners world calendar on the wall leading into my walk in closet. I do keep an excel spreadsheet for races, and the cells for the races that I have registered and paid for are in green. Plan it out for the entire year. Have to be neurotic about it since my husband and I have crazy work schedules that require a ton of weekend work. By the way can we trade laundry rooms? Yours is “so fancy”. Mine, not so much.
Hahaha – yes, we can trade!
I love that your so organized about your races and planning your calendar. That is awesome!
Interesting you bring this up, since I just went back to journaling this year. I got a Runner’s World training log for Christmas from a family friend, which happens to be the same log I used when I first started running. I figured I might as well use it, so I’ve been logging my workouts faithfully since I started marathon training again. I find it gives me a sense of accomplishment to write my workouts down, but like you, I don’t really ever go back and read through them. Just seems like good information to have, I guess.
It’s weird ho that happens isn’t it? It’s like I get it down and out of my system and then on to the next!
I absolutely love the idea of grading yourself per workout, I had never heard of that before. I also love how your journal is in the washroom–its like your own personal woman cave–I totally get it! Makes total sense to keep your journal down there, it makes you focus on you, your accomplishments, and what is coming next.
I also love it when we get twin baby photos. SO SO adorbs! and we had a double stroller for exactly 5 minutes. I need to sell that monstrosity!
It seriously is a woman cave. In fact, I should move a few more items in there!!!
I gave my B.O.B away last year and I almost cried. That one in the picture? I think I left it on the curb for free! Hated it!!!
Oh my heavens, those boys!!!!!! They are the cutest things I have ever seen!!!!
Every year I threaten to track my running/workouts and every year it lasts about 2 weeks. I don’t really do much with it once I write it down and life gets busy, so by that point I am just glad I get in the workout.
This year I am trying to keep track again and so far so good. On Sunday I pretty much plan my workout week in my head and then at the end of the week I go back and write down what I actually did.
I really don’t look back at it too much…. and I kind of take my training one week at a time, but I would like to be able to say exactly (or close) how many miles I did in 2015.
My laundry room is in the basement and also serves as a storage area so there is a lot in there!
Thanks Jen and yes, I tend to drop off with writing down my workouts when I’m not seriously training for anything. Plus, I never go back and look at old workouts so a part of me is asking “what’s the point?” I guess it’s there if we need it right? And I would like to know how many miles I run in a year!
I keep a training log on my dresser in my bedroom and update it each evening. I have the Believe journal but haven’t been recording workouts in it yet- just using it for inspiration!
It is very inspiring, isn’t it? I’ve never had a journal like it so I’m enjoying that part of it!
My blog is my loosely written journal. I refer back to last year’s training to see where I am at. It’s nothing too serious just something to keep track a little bit. Funny, but where you keep your journal seems pretty logical and I’m actually not joking.
It works for me! And yes, the blog is definitely a great log book as well. Thanks Kris!
Not sure what’s cuter – you pregnant with twins or the twins! I absolutely journal. It spends most of the time in my bag because I take it with me. AND I do go back and read my journals. Either when I don’t feel like I am accomplishing things or in December. Reflecting back on where I have been helps me move forward.
In my laundry room is the treadmill and John’s trainer – the prized Wahoo Kickr 🙂
I didn’t feel cute, and that was only 30 weeks or so! Of course, it was all worth it. Thanks Tara and I wish my laundry room was big enough for my Wahoo Kicker! 🙂
I keep a journal – had one made by Journal Menu! – and I keep it in my purse. I use it primarily to track my CrossFit workouts but I had some blank calendar pages added in there so I could track my running (until I broke. now I track spinning and/or rowing. running again soon!). I carry it in my purse so I can log my CrossFit workouts right after I finish. Otherwise, I won’t. #lazy
My laundry room is small. Folding closet doors and all that jazz. But, I keep a ladder in there as well as the iron and ironing board. And, a towel on the dryer for when one of my kitties decides it’s her nap room. 🙂
I have never heard of Journal Menu but a custom journal sounds awesome!!
I need a step ladder in my laundry room just to get the clothes out of my top-loading washing machine. #shortgirlproblems
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Your boys are adorable but that baby pic of them is just the cutest ever! I journal for about three days and then realize it bores me and then move on. I have seen some good things about this journal though. I have one calendar that I also put (on occasion) my workouts in that I carry in my purse. I also have an actual running journal that I used for 2 months and now sits on a shelf in an empty room. It seemed a little too overboard for someone at my level of running.
If it does serve you, don’t do it!!
I don’t have a running journal but I do keep a log every year (I think I have at least 15 still on the bookshelves in my workout rooms). I don’t really look at specific days often but I do like to see where my mileage was at this point in previous years sometimes.
Wow! 15? That is too cool. I wish I still had that old excel document from my early running days. It would be funny to see my comments and mileage. I’ve also never tracked yearly mileage since then. Maybe I’ll make it though the year this year!?
I finally got to see the “longer” hair! Love it! I do journal, but only to really keep me accountable. I don’t find myself going back to it much. I keep it in a pile of my running books in the dining room. My husband calls it clutter…..
Ah yes, the long hair days!
Journaling definitely keeps one accountable and I can’t imagine why your husband calls it that 🙂 Hahahaha
The Believe journal looks so pretty! My journal is very blah but gets the job done. I am excited to track my miles for 2015…when I start running again!! Your boys are so adorable!
Love my laundry room – it is like a woman cave also – I am always trying to find ways to make it prettier 🙂
The journal is pretty and it has a lot more to it then just pages for jotting down mileage. They really put a lot of thought into creating it and thinking about how a runner would use it.
I love the idea of the laundry room as a woman cave! I need to start getting more creative with mine!!
Those babies are the cutest… I keep an online journal of sorts on DailyMile where I track all my details. Like you said, it’s about forward progress. So I don’t worry about losing my online data too much. But there’s something special about pen and book…I may go back to that. 🙂
There really is something special about pen and paper since we do almost nothing that way anymore. Also, that first log I kept was in excel and I have no way of retrieving it now since it was on the computer where I worked. At least I’ll always have my paper journal.
Thanks Jess!
Sort of unrelated, but you’ve given me a new place to hide from my children. The laundry room is in the basement. They never do down there. They will never find me. I will have snacks with me to stay alive.
You’re welcome.
I’m having trouble reading beyond that photo of the boys as babies. I can’t handle it!!!!
As for the laundry room, it’s not that fun here. We also keep the cats litterbox there and it’s a bit cold. I need a nice laundry room so I can hide from my family and journal!
It doesn’t have to be the laundry room – any closet will do! 🙂
I miss those days of all the cuteness of my new twins. If only I had you to photograph them during those days. *sigh*
I weep at my gigantic stroller, with which I’ve had to manouveur through some tricky spots (one Japanese restaurant comes to mind – we had to get them to move their plant pots).
As a writer, I’m ashamed to say – I don’t journal ANYTHING. The only thing I faithfully write anything in? Is my daily planner, and my online ongoing grocery list that my husband and I share. So either one of us can pick up whatever needs to be picked up, whenever. I KNOW.
Your Believe journal looks awesome!
If it makes you feel any better, the ONLY thing I really journal are my runs, swims and bikes. I try to make time to write other things but between the blog and freelancing I’m tapped out.