Be Accountable- Track Your Workouts

Most of us have goals, some are distance and some are speed, pace, or number of reps . We have events, races and competitions we are building towards. Some of us just do it all for fun and never compete against others. Whatever kind of athlete you are, and make no mistake, you are an athlete, you should always track your workouts.

There are many benefits to doing so. You can look back and see your progress for one. Or, heaven forbid, lack of progress or even backsliding. If you track more than just your workout it can help pinpoint what works for you and what does not be it nutritional issues, gear, sleep, weather conditions or even your mental state. You can include as much or as little information as you want but more is better if you are training to improve or for a specific goal.

I have trouble remembering from week to week what my mid week distances were, let alone what pace I ran them at but by logging and tracking my workouts I can look back and see what I have done at anytime. By doing so I can make sure my progression for my current goals stays on track.

I find it especially helpful to track my cross training efforts since they are not the focal point and it is easily forgotten what you have done in the past. It will also serve to remind you of a lack of cross training, as is currently my case. Guess what will be done again starting this week.

If you are injury prone a log can be especially helpful in pinpointing what may be the cause of a recurring injury or similar type of injuries. It can also help you hone in on what works best for you in recovery and rehab as well as what types of cross training help you maintain your fitness best while recovering.

Some people use paper logs. Many others use apps on their phones or one that comes with devices such as a Garmin. I prefer a standalone one that is online for several reasons: If my computer dies my log does not die with it. My dog can not eat it and my child can not make paper airplanes out of it. I can track pretty much everything in one place with minimal effort. I can keep it private or make it public, whichever I choose to do. And best of all, the one I use is totally free and they provide a wealth of information on their website in addition to the free log.

So if you do not already track your workouts or you are looking to change and simplify your tracking look for one online. I use and would recommend checking out

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