Ever use paper and a 3-ring binder to keep track of your training?

I did. Back in 2002 and 2003 when I was getting started with training and food logs; every night I grabbed my pen and started writing. It was a nice way to reflect on the day. But, it got too cumbersome. Constantly printing out sheets of paper and filling up binders got to be a pain.

During the 2004 season, I decided to do something new – keep everything on the computer. So I made a training log (and food log) template in Microsoft Excel. You can read more about this in my older training log article…

For 2006, I’ve come a long way since the days of paper and 3-ring binder!

I just finished a Prototyping class in which I learned how to build database systems in Microsoft Access. My new training log system is more like the actual software you would buy vs. filling in sheets of paper.

Basically, I just open up the program, click a button, and type in my ride details. Then if I want to see how many miles I rode for the year or in a certain month, that data is there at the click of a different button!

It was somewhat complicated to build, but it’s a piece of cake to use. So why should you care? Well, I’m giving it out to my loyal site visitors for free!

By the way, this also includes forms for entering your runs! Now that I’ve been running a bit more, I figured I’d throw that in there.

Click here to download everything.

Please post your feedback in the comments right here!

Ever had a perfect day of riding or racing where you felt strong the whole time?

Maybe you bonked one day?

Or maybe you are at a plateau or suffering from overtraining syndrome?

Well, food and training logs will help you keep track of all this. By writing down all of your training and eating habits, you can easily pinpoint where your problems came from so that you don’t repeat them, and if you have a good day, you’ll know why.

If you’re not already familiar with the training log concept, here’s a brief overview: In your training log, you keep track of all the information regarding your riding, such as ride time, mileage, and weather conditions. In your food log, you may include what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat.

I started keeping logs after reading about them in The Lance Armstrong Performance Program, which I recommend to any performance oriented cyclist. (And if you aren’t inclined to do intervals all day, read It’s Not About The Bike instead.)

You may be asking yourself, “Does the time spent filling these out everyday really pay off?” The answer: You bet!

The training log is great. After a while, you’ll be able to chart your progress. If you are feeling strong or simply riding faster, you can look back and see why. And when you find something that works, stick with it! If you start suffering from Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), you can probably find out why if you check back through your entries. (The Lance Armstrong Performance Program goes into greater depth on this.)

Keeping a food log also allows you to track your progress. For example, if you keep track of your body weight in your training log, seeing how much you eat in your food log will give you some idea of why you are gaining, losing, or remaining the same weight.

All of that is good, but this is my favorite part. You’ve probably heard not to try a new diet on race day. But how do you know what you should or should not eat to begin with? You see what has worked in the past! Your food log will reveal what meal put you on the podium… and which snack made you puke after an hour of intense riding.

Think about this: Once you have been keeping the logs for many years, you can flip through them when you’re bored and recall all those fond memories of past rides!

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for: (Right click and “Save Target As”)

TrainingLog-bike.xls

FoodLogTemplate.xls

And for you runners:

TrainingLog-run.xls

Feel free to use them, but please be sure to credit Levi Bloom of coachlevi.com and bloombikeshop.com with their development.