Running Logs
The logs are tucked away in a box. File folders for every year. The logs, race results, newspaper clippings…they’re all there, albeit a little musty and dusty these days. I still keep a log today, although I no longer tally a year end total. That ended when I no longer topped 1,000 miles a year. The old logs though, they were the relics most fun to peruse.
At first, they were basic calendar entries with the mileage written in. The goal seemed to be to have no zeros. Double digits were preferable. Even though I knew the importance of rest days, I could see streaks when I was feeling good and put in stretches of double digit days. The drawback of these old logs was that I couldn’t determine if they were two-a-day, or single runs. Usually, weekends were single runs with weekdays consisting of two runs, one at lunch and the other after work. 3,000 miles equated to a good year.
Around the middle 80’s, I started using the Jim Fixx Running Log. Finally, I could see where I ran, and (a big mistake) how fast I ran. This probably helped gain some PRs, but eventually, I’m sure this practice led to some chronic injuries that follow me today. You know how it goes, “last week, I ran this course in an hour flat, today I’m feeling good and going for 59,” even though I put in a hard run the day before…and so it goes. Easy days were good in theory, but only happened because of minor injuries, or other commitments squeezing out the day’s run.
Still, it was much fun pouring over the old logs. It is nice to know I was able to run some decent times, and put in a good amount of mileage. That’s where the fun stops. Comparing these logs with logs from today, it appears to be two completely different runners had filled them out; same person yes, but in a sense, two very different runners. As in regarding history, it’s good to know where we’ve been so we can not make the same mistakes, and plan better where we’re going. Remember, today’s logs are tomorrow’s history. Run smart. You’ll be checking back someday.
Happy trails.