11 Recording and Evaluating Your Data
This is your book
Yes, you are writing a book. You already have the outline and you have probably started recording the times and distances of your runs. As you plan workouts, according to the schedules in this journal or otherwise, your journal can document the good times, and the faster times. It will allow you to modify your plan and track the changes. Later, you can look back after success or disappointment and often find reasons for either. If we don’t look back at the history of our setbacks, we will have a tendency to repeat them.
Each week:
- Look at each workout, in advance to see if you need to make adjustments.
- Quickly glance at the workouts you have “penciled in” over the next 8 weeks to make sure you don’t have any trips, meetings, or family responsibilities that require making adjustments.
- Each week, add another week’s workouts in pencil, and note any changes in your travel, etc. schedule.
- Each week, look back at the week before, noting problems and adjusting the schedule to move ahead.
The data recording
- As soon as you can, after a run, write the facts in your journal. You don’t have to fill in all of the spaces – but here are the important ones.
- mileage
- pace
- run-walk-run strategy
- speedwork, if done (# of repetitions-times)
- rest interval
- aches or pains – specifically where and how they hurt
- problems
- In addition, you may also record:
- Time of run
- Total time running
- Weather
- Temp
- Precipitation
- Humidity
- Any special segments of the run (speed, hills, race, etc.)
- Running companion
- Terrain
- How did you feel (1-10)
- Comments
- Go back over the list again and fill in more details—emotional responses, changes in energy or blood sugar level, and location of places where you had aches and pains—even if they went away during the run. You are looking for patterns of items that could indicate injury, blood sugar problems, lingering fatigue, etc.
- Helpful additions (usually in a blank section at the bottom of the page)
- Improvement opportunities
- Things I should have done differently
- Interesting happenings:
- Funny things
- Strange things
- Stories, right brain crazy thoughts
Your morning pulse is a great guide of overstress
Recording Morning Pulse – immediately upon waking (use the graph in the back of this journal)
- As soon as you are conscious—but before you have thought much about anything – count your pulse rate for a minute. Record it before you forget. If you don’t have your journal by your bed, then keep a piece of paper handy – with a pen.
- It is natural for there to be some fluctuations, based upon the time you wake up, how long you have been awake, etc. But after several weeks and months, these will balance themselves out. Try to catch the pulse at the instant that you are awake, before the shock of an alarm clock, thoughts of work stress, etc.
- After two weeks or so of readings, you can establish a baseline morning pulse. Take out the top two high readings and then compute the average.
- This will be your guide. If a morning check shows the rate to be 5% higher than your average, take an easy day. When it is 10% higher, and there is no reason for this (you woke up from an exciting dream, medication, infection, etc.) then your muscles may be tired indeed. Take the day off if you have a walk-run scheduled for that day – or walk.
- If your pulse stays high for more than a week, call your doctor to see if there is a reason for this (medication, hormones, metabolic changes, infection, etc.). This is commonly due to overtraining or infection.
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JUST GETTING OUT THERE THREE TIMES A WEEK MEANS YOU’RE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR HEALTH. WHEN YOU LEARN TO ENJOY THOSE THREE OUTINGS YOU’RE TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR ATTITUDE.
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A MARATHON BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP . . .
A LIFESTYLE CHANGE BEGINS WITH A VISION AND A SINGLE STEP.
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THE MOMENTUM OF ONE STEP LEADING TO ANOTHER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE PACE.
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WHEN YOU BUILD A BALANCE OF PHYSICAL ENERGY, MENTAL FOCUS AND INSPIRATION YOU CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING THAT IS REALISTICALLY POSSIBLE . . . AND MANY OTHER THINGS WHICH MAY NOT SEEM POSSIBLE.
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BY EXERCISING THREE TIMES A WEEK, YOU ESTABLISH A PROCESS WHICH WILL BESTOW MORE BENEFITS THAN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LIST.
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THE INSPIRATION FOR TODAY’S RUN IS WITHIN YOU.
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DON’T EVER UNDERESTIMATE THE INSPIRATIONAL VALUE OF AN ENERGY BAR AND A CUP OF COFFEE.
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A BODY ON THE COUCH WANTS TO REMAIN ON THE COUCH, BUT AS SOON AS YOU GET THAT BODY IN THE RUNNING MOTION IT WANTS TO KEEP RUNNING.
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SPEED IS MOSTLY FOR THE EGO . . .
BUT THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH A WEEKLY EGO BOOST.
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INSIDE YOU RIGHT NOW ARE THOUSANDS OF POCKETS OF CREATIVE THOUGHTS AND INSPIRATIONS. PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER AND THEY’LL START OOZING OUT.
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YOU MUST PROVIDE THAT 1% MENTAL PUSH TO GET YOUR FEET MOVING – AND YOU’LL RECEIVE 99% ENERGY RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT.
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ONCE YOU PUT A TRICKLE OF ENERGY TO GET YOURSELF RUNNING, YOU START A RIVER OF INSPIRATION
WHICH CAN PULL YOU THROUGH DIFFICULTY.
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IT’S ALWAYS BEST TO START OUT SLOWLY.
BUT OCCASIONALLY IT’S OKAY TO GET OUT THERE AND KICK BUTT!
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EACH TIME YOU PUSH THROUGH A DISCOMFORT BARRIER YOU MAKE IT EASIER TO DO IT NEXT TIME.
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AN ATHLETE SAYS ”GO“ WHEN THE LEFT BRAIN SAYS ”NO.“
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IF YOU START EACH RUN SLOWLY ENOUGH,
ALMOST EVERY RUN CAN LEAVE YOU FEELING INVIGORATED.
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YOU BECOME AN ATHLETE WHEN A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE BECOMES A MENTAL CHALLENGE AND YOU KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU BREAK THROUGH IT.
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DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE RELAXING POWER OF 45 MINUTES WORTH OF ENDORPHINS.
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MAKE A TINY BIT OF FUN IN EACH RUN AND YOUR MOTIVATION WILL GROW.
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THE FIRST 15 MINUTES OF EVERY RUN ARE A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM. SLOW DOWN, GET THROUGH IT AND YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY.
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THE FASTER YOU RUN AT THE START, THE GREATER THE CHANCE OF A NEGATIVE FEELING AT THE END.
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WHEN I FINISH A RUN, EVERY PART OF ME IS SMILING.
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THE GLOW, AFTER A MORNING RUN, MAKES ME FEEL CLEAN ALL DAY.
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A SLOW RUN AT THE END OF THE DAY WILL DISCONNECT YOU FROM THE NEGATIVE AND ENERGIZE THE POSITIVE.
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RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES OR MORE HELPS TO ”FORMAT“ YOUR BRAIN. AFTERWARDS YOU’RE BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL WITH STRESS, MANAGE CONFLICT, AND ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGES WITH CREATIVITY AND ENERGY.
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A SLOW START CAN MAKE ALMOST EVERY RUN A GOOD ONE. I START EVERY RUN AT LEAST THREE MINUTES PER MILE SLOWER THAN I COULD RACE THE DISTANCE I’M PLANNING TO RUN THAT DAY.
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YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING A RUNNING SUCCESS EVERY DAY. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS TO MOVE FORWARD BY WALKING AND/OR RUNNING FAR ENOUGH FOR THE ENDORPHINS AND THE SATISFACTION TO POUR OUT.
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AS YOU FIND NEW WAYS TO ENJOY DAILY RUNS, YOU BECOME MORE COMMITTED TO FITNESS.
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THE TIME TO YOURSELF DURING A WALK OR RUN CAN RESTORE AND STRENGTHEN YOU BY HELPING YOU TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOURSELF.
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FORWARD MOTION EXERTION UNLEASHES A SERIES OF REWARDS WHICH KEEP ON GIVING AS LONG AS YOU CONTINUE TO EXERCISE REGULARLY.
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THE MOST EXHILARATING RUNS ARE OFTEN ON THE STRESSED OUT DAYS WHEN WE DON’T WANT TO RUN.
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AS WE MATURE, WE BECOME INTROSPECTIVE. RUNNING ALLOWS THIS INNER COMMUNICATION TO TAKE PLACE IN A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT, PRODUCING POSITIVE MOMENTUM IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE.
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EVEN AFTER THE MOST STRESSFUL DAY, A SLOW 60-MINUTE RUN LEAVES ME FEELING POSITIVE ABOUT MYSELF AND THE FUTURE.
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WE ARE DESIGNED TO RUN – AND WE INCREASE OUR CHANCE OF DAILY HAPPINESS WHEN WE DO SO.
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RUNNING IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GET YOUR RIGHT BRAIN IN GEAR, TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY.
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RUNNING INSPIRES A SERIES OF POSITIVE AND MOTIVATIONAL CHANGES INSIDE OF US – RUNNERS ARE MORE POSITIVE PEOPLE.
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OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS DESIGNED US TO BE RUNNERS AND WALKERS. WHEN WE DO SO WE GO BACK TO OUR ROOTS AND FEEL A GREAT SENSE OF FULFILLMENT.
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TO MOVE FORWARD REGULARLY MAKES YOU FEEL GROUNDED, REAL AND NATURALLY ALIVE.
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IT’S POSSIBLE TO COMPLETELY TURN AROUND A NONPRODUCTIVE ATTITUDE DURING A RUN.
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YOU’LL TEACH YOURSELF TO RUN FASTER BY TAKING A VERY LIGHT AND QUICK TOUCH WITH EACH FOOT. THIS HELPS YOU INCREASE THE TURNOVER OF FEET AND LEGS, OFTEN WITH A SLIGHTLY SHORTER STRIDE LENGTH.
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WHEN YOU MAKE RUNNING MISTAKES, WRITE THEM DOWN AND MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR RUNNING WHICH WILL KEEP THEM FROM OCCURRING AGAIN.
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RUNNING UP HILLS, AT RACE PACE, WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR LEGS BETTER THAN ANY WEIGHT TRAINING YOU COULD DO. WALK DOWN EACH HILL FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY, AND DO THIS SESSION ONLY ONCE A WEEK.
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HELP SOMEONE TO GET INTO RUNNING OR WALKING AND YOU’LL RECEIVE A LOT MORE THAN YOU GIVE.
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AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A POSSIBLE INJURY, TAKE AN EXTRA ONE TO THREE DAYS OFF FROM RUNNING. THIS MAY HELP YOU AVOID A MONTH OR MORE OFF WHEN YOU PUSHED IT AND INCREASED THE DAMAGE.
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WE ARE DESIGNED TO RUN – AND WE INCREASE OUR CHANCE OF DAILY HAPPINESS WHEN WE DO SO.
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YOU ONLY GET TO THE FINISH BECAUSE YOU KEPT PUSHING THROUGH THOSE MANY EPISODES WHEN THE LEFT BRAIN TOLD YOU TO QUIT.
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FEELING BETTER IS OFTEN AS SIMPLE AS RUNNNG (AND WALKING) DOWN THE ROAD, ABOUT ONE MILE.
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EACH TIME YOU PUSH THROUGH DOUBT AND FATIGUE, YOU’RE ACTIVATING THE INNER MECHANISM THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO DO IT AGAIN.
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EACH RUN HAS A SELF-FULFILLING REWARD: THE FINISH.
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RUNNING IS A BALANCE OF PHYSICAL EXERTION, ENHANCED MENTAL AWARENESS AND SPIRITUAL PEACE.
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SOMETIMES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND DISAPPOINTMENT IN RUNNING IS STARTING YOUR RUN 10 SECONDS PER MILE TOO FAST.
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DISTANCE RUNNING IS NOT A STRENGTH ACTIVITY – BUT ONE OF INERTIA. YOUR GOAL IS TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY.
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IF YOU HAVE A TIME GOAL IN A RACE OR SPEED WORKOUT, CONCENTRATE ON QUICKER TURNOVER OF THE FEET AND LEGS, NOT A LONGER STRIDE LENGTH.
