The training log story

So here I am working up to shape getting ready for my race season.  I don't want to write too much about my training and such since... well frankly, there's not too much to say.  My knee has been cooperating and my mileage is increasing.  I'm finding the grove and starting to fit in a few extra workouts in my regular week. I'm holding off on anything related to speed work to give my knee some chance to solidify.

Now.  The idea of a training log is genius.  Log workouts somewhere, for you to keep track, but at the same time so others can see what you are doing.  It's a great idea.  Awesome motivational tool.  Who wants people checking up on your profile and not have any progress to show.  Anyway, for me, it forces me to get out (or stay inside since it's bloody freezing over here) and do some sort of exercise I can genuinely log.

What should be used?  There are so many out there and picking just one is a hard thing.  I was convinced that Strava was awesome.  I like the ease of use of the Slowtwitch training log.  I have been using Garmin connect to log whatever my Garmins pick up... and there are plenty more out there.

While we ponder this... let's go to a side story...

Figure 1

FIRST ROLLER TRAINING RIDE EVER!!!  I'm speaking roller, not trainer.  (See figure 1).  I had been on a roller once before, only when pulling one out of the box when working at Bushtukah.  So this was a new challenge altogether.  Sylvan left his at work and so we set them up in our "gym" at work.  I had Puncture at work (sure enough, to be true to it's name it did have a front flat tire).  Threw the bike on and away I went.  Much more difficult then it looks like.  Between the concentration, weaving back and forth, leaning against the wall and falling I was forced to lose myself in thought since I was too unstable to allow any form of external entertainment.  Letting my mind wonder, I ended up on the idea of training log.  Where would I log this awesome roller workout I was currently doing.

... Back from side story...  I decided that Strava would be used for OUTDOOR rides.  Strava is really boring for training rides.  It's about segments, not stationary stuff.  Garmin Connect will be used to plan rides and stuff... and maybe once in a while to dump all my GPS stuff, but nothing more.  Slowtwitch will be the winner of it all.  My training log will be on there.

Feel free to follow me and comment.

Now the need to focus on actually putting good data on there.  Here is a view of January (I think that I might be missing one or 2 workouts in my battle to decide where to put stuff).