My Running Journal

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There are hundreds of running journals available now. This is partly because there is a demand and partly because it's easy money.

When I started running eight years ago I'd never heard of a running journal. The thought of writing down every run would have struck me as bizarre and very anal. As luck would have it I'm attracted to both these things, so when I read about the way logging your runs can help you improve I decided to start one.

I don't remember seeing any of the now common sleek journals you can buy with spaces to enter mileage, times, weather, meals, weight, and heart rate. I just went to WH Smiths and bought a cool looking notebook. It was A5, black hardback with lined paper and a red ribbon to mark your page.

My original format was simple, again like me, and hasn't changed greatly to this day. It looked like this:

Date      Description      Miles

2014
That's it. Over time it has evolved and then devolved(!?) but is now just as basic as it was when I began. For a while I included times - which I should do really - and also made a note of when I swam in the sea after a run. Once or twice I mentioned the weather but in the general description.

2015
It is good to look back. I don't do so as much for training purposes as to see how far I have come. From 50 miles per month to over 200. From 10 runs a month to 20. From an average of 6 miles per run to over 10 miles per run.

2016
It also helps me to remember where I ran and brings back memories of the people I ran with, the surroundings, the weather, the music I listened to. Stories are recalled of times when I became lost or ran out of water, people I chatted to along the way, historic sites I passed and the exhilaration or distress I experienced.

2017
All my races are in there too. I keep a separate account of them and my PBs. I also make a graph showing how many miles I have run each month. You can see this on Strava but like I said, I'm anal.

Monthly mileage 2019-2020


The other day I went through and counted up how many times I had run a minimum of 13.1 miles (133) and 26.2 miles (30 - of which 10 were ultras) in one run. I would never have been able to do that without my journal.

2018
In the back are pages of ideas, scribblings and doodles. These were the basis of some of my challenges including Run The Date, Run the Deck, 12 marathons in 12 months, the 20202020 parkrun challenge, the Lionel Stanhope Challenge and the London A-Z. 

2019
Some (all) may think it quite sad but I count this small black note book amongst my most valuable possessions. I will continue to fill it's pages and when it's full I'll buy another one. Maybe one day I can hand it down to my daughter and when she has glanced at it she can set up a museum in my name or more likely chuck it in the recycling.

2020

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