Training Diary
Training diary is probably the most valuable item to athlete, because it helps to plan the future trainings and at the same time, organized and properly filled training diary helps to analyze the training process.This feature of the training diary is especially important, because it helps to select out preparatory schemes that have been successful for particular athlete. Training diary also helps to eliminate similar mistakes that were made in the past and turned to be unsuitable for particular athlete.
Here are some positive aspects of a well structured training diary:
- Effective vs not effective training methods;
- Individual adaptation to certain training loads;
- Individual needs for recovery;
- Test results provide valuable information regarding performance improvement or decrement;
- Planning of the future training loads;
- Rises motivation and self confidence;
What kind of data should be in training diary? The most simple form of training diary is just recording for training type, volume (time, distance), and competitions, but if you include more personal data about yourself, your feelings you will notice how your body reacts to different trainings. In contrast, do not record every detail of the data that you can think of. If there are too many data, it would take too much time to analyze. However, you must consider that filling in the training diary is just not the purpose itself, if you do not analyze the recorded information, there is no need for training diary, it is a waste of time. Try to think of the parameters that you probably use for analyse and stick to those parameters to gather longitudinal data. The most common categories that should be suggested n addition to training parameters would be the following:
- General data
- Heart rate data
- Subjective parameters
- Mental parameters
There is no common ways what kind of diary to use. However, less and less athletes keep their diary on the paper. Data has moved digital, that offers better ways to record an analyze the data. In addition to paper diaries, nowadays some common ways for training data are:
- Excel or similar PC program. Several templates can be built based on your own needs, however personalized program needs some knowledge to prepare.
+ Can be personalized on own needs,
Lots of ways to analyze data
‒ Data must be recorded manually
Initial preparation is timeworthy
Data loss in case of computer damage
- Web based programs offerd by heart rate monitor companies
+ Data input is easy, nowadays, in general is automatic, if watch appears to
be near the computer.
Different analytical methods, different for each company
Data is safely in the web and can be accessible from different computers
‒ Difficult or rather timeworthy to take your data with you in case you plan to
change your heart rate monitor company
- Web based programs
+ Data input is easy. Much companies offer syncing from different heart rate
monitor companies
+ Data can be collected with smartphone