The following article was written by a Run For Kids friend and veteran marathoner, Don Leeman.

The Runner's Logbook, a Valuable Asset!

Okay, it's Springtime, 2004, and you're just about ready to start training for the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon. You've just bought some new Nikes, some new shorts and T-shirts, sweatbands, and you're all set to go...except for the one thing that you forgot to do...in 2003! That is, unless you listen to the advice in this article!

You sit there in your house, wondering what you should do for your training regimen. All you can recall off the top of your mind was that you did an awful lot of running in 2003 but....how did you do it?

The easiest way to keep a permanent file is with a Runner's Log Book. In its simplest form, you can just use a daily calendar, putting down all of your daily mileage totals. But...is that enough? Maybe, and maybe not!

When you think back to 2003, you might recall that you had some nagging injuries a couple of times. Nothing major, of course, but you wonder how to avoid such pitfalls in the future.

Most often, the best guide for next year's marathon training would be a complete record of all of your workouts this year. You might notice, for instance, that the one time that you DID get hurt was when you tried to do two hard runs on back-to-back days. In spite of the advice that you got from everyone (including my articles!), you tried to be a hero and wound up with sore quads, or sore achilles tendons, or pulled hamstrings.

The results that you get at the Marathon can usually be traced directly to the way you trained for it. If you did no speedwork, you probably ran a slower time. If you did not do the Long Slow Runs, you may have had a tough time reaching the Finish Line.

Almost any good bookstore will have pre-made books that you can use, which are of course quite generic. Yet, most will allow you to put down just about anything. For example, the sort of weather in which you ran, how far you ran in THAT weather, your weight both before and after each run, and so forth. Think about it: If you log in at, say, 165 pounds before going out on a 15 mile run, and weigh in afterwards at 160, do you really think you've just lost 5 pounds of fat? No way! You lost about 5 pounds of water weight, which you MUST replace! You will no doubt find that identical workouts will yield different "water-loss" results, based on how hot it was that day.

So, when you're gearing up for the next marathon, the best thing to do before you go out and buy the new Nikes, is to hit the books, and see how you trained last time around.

Another thing that you can do by keeping a log is to set up a chart, showing how your weekly mileage has increased from the start. The line that you draw when you finally connect the dots should NOT be a straight line, going up all the way. You should see, every 3rd or 4th week, a slight cutback in your mileage. For example, if week 10 has mileage of 30, week 11 has 33, week 12 has 36, then week 13 might be cut back to that level of week 10. That gives you some "rest", before you move on up to the next level of weekly mileage. Week 14 might bring you back to the level of week 12, and then go up by 10% (maximum) for the next couple of weeks, before reverting back to where you were at week 14.

All of this is made possible, and easy, IF you keep a regular log. In essence, you can go to school on yourself. If a certain type or amount of training has resulted in injuries, then you might try to find a way to avoid or alter that sort of training.

Another item you might want to include in your log is your resting pulse from when you wake up each morning. Why? Simply stated, if your resting pulse is significantly higher than normal, then it's your body's way of telling you that you need a bit of rest, that you may be training too hard. In that case, if you have a hard run scheduled for that day, you might be wise to either shorten it, or make it an easier run. Another thing to measure is how long it takes your pulse to return to normal after you have finished your run. Generally speaking, the faster it returns to normal, the better. But if your pulse is still racing along (at, say, 120) 30 minutes after you stop running, SEE A DOCTOR!

Trying to sum up all of this: A log book is your own marathon training history, written by none other than yourself. The more information that you include in it each year, the better it can guide you next year, and in the years beyond that. As a wise man once said: "Either we learn from the mistakes of the past, or we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past!" Ten years from now, you'll be able to look back and say "That sort of training got me this sort of result, while another sort of training gave me a different result."

One other thing that I almost overlooked for this article: Keep a log book entry for your running shoes. If you are using two pair of running shoes, of the same brand, label them Pair A and Pair B. Use them on alternate days when possible. Keep a running total of your mileage for each pair of shoes. When you get close to 500 miles on a pair, plan to throw them into the Goodwill Bin. They might be okay for someone else to "knock around" in, but at 500 miles, they are finished as far as serious running is concerned. A good idea, by the way, is to periodically look at the soles of your shoes, and see the sort of wear pattern. If you are a serious pronator, then the outer heel and the inner big toe area will be fairly well worn. If you see an even wear pattern, you are probably not pronating at all.

One other tip for those of you who are "high mileage superstars". Please, don't be a slave to your training log! Many runners who shoot for fast times, think that they HAVE to run 100 miles per week in order to run well. They think of the number 100 as being a nice, "round" number. Well, 88 is even rounder! However, if you know from the history of your own training logs that you injure easily when you get above 55 miles, the don't go above 55 miles in a week. What good is it to try for a 100 mile week, when you wind up getting hurt and you fail to finish the marathon? Sorry, but I'd rather have an enjoyable 4 hour marathon, than a miserable DNF (Did Not Finish) beside my name! After all, the Marines don't give out medals to those who fail to finish!

For a review:

By now, your mileage may be hitting toward 40 or so, and your long run should be getting towards the mid-teens. You are in a phase where you are doing one good "speed workout" every week. The week after the Long Slow Run is soon going to be replaced by half the number of miles of the previous long run, but run as "repeat miles".(review "long run" article!). Presumably, you are taking either a full day off or a very short and easy day for the day before your Long Run. Remember to keep the level of Carbohydrates UP, especially the day or so before the Long Run. That will become more and more critical as you continue through the "dog days" of August and into September, where your weekly mileage will hit its peak. For some of you, that peak will be in the low 40s, for others, it will be in the mid-upper 50s. Three weeks before the MCM, you will start your "taper", and we will cover that more fully in a future article. For now, though, Good Running to all of you.

P.S. I'll be going to Washington, DC, from August 4-9, for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention. I hope to meet some of you, even though I will not be doing any running to speak of. The Convention and other K of C duties have kept me from doing what I want to do, but that's life. However, I look forward to meeting Nick Panebianco (a Brother Knight!), and anyone else from the BBBSNCA program, during my 5 days in Washington. I'll be staying at the Washington Hilton and Towers.

As usual, if anyone has any individual questions, please feel free to write to me at Don's Mail Bag. Good luck, and keep up the great work.