Training Logs! My Holiday Present to You

Merry Christmas Eve!

This morning my boyfriend decided to polish up my ugly google doc that I made for my training plan. I decided that it's worth sharing for anyone that wants to have their own sheet. Here's a little before and after to give you an idea of how much he's improved it!

BEFORE

AFTER

Clearly I don't know very much about excel sheets or google docs. He made it much more visually pleasing and simple. You can find the new document HERE. To make it your own, just go to File > Make a Copy and you should be able to make edits in your copy. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email and I'll try to troubleshoot some things for you.

All you have to do is put in your mileage in the Training plan, and as you do your runs, list them in the "Actual" section. It should update the totals automatically, and the difference should also be automatically updated. That way you can see if you ran over the suggested amount, or under.

There's also a notes section which I find useful if I want to put any races that I want to do, or just...anything! You can add additional notes in each section by right clicking and "insert note". I do this sometimes if I have a race, or if there's something I should remember about that specific run.

Jon's training log is much different than mine. His is focused more on writing notes, and creating a journal instead of strictly numbers. He is working with a coach, so this log is created specifically for working with a coach and getting feedback from him. Here's his as an example.

Jon's Training Plan Example

He also provided a template for you guys to use if you'd like. I think it's really nice looking! Find his template HERE. Again, just go to File > Make a Copy and then edit everything yourself. All you need to do is put your start date. 

If you are looking for some specific training plans, I highly recommend Hal Higdon's marathon and half marathon training schedules. As for 50 mile plans, they seem to vary a lot. My friend and I happened to pick the easiest one, based on this website. While I'm learning that you need to respect the distance and be properly prepared, I also have learned that it's better to be undertrained than overtrained. Remember that staying healthy and injury free should be your priority, so find the plan that's right for you. 

Here are some other websites with training plans. 

• McMillian Running - I have actually bought training plans before from here, and I really liked them! The important thing to remember is to be very transparent and open about your current health and training. 
• Runner's World Training Plans - I haven't gotten into these training plans as much, but I do know that they're widely used by other people. I feel like a lot of these are time based instead of mileage, which may be a problem if you are a much slower runner.
• Jeff Galloway - If you're looking for training plans that are run/walk based, this is the place to go!
• Ultra Ladies 50 mile training plan - A little too high in mileage for my first 50 and current training, but seems solid!
• Outside Online's 50 mile training plan - Another good 50 mile training plan

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!