A training journal is also a great place to record the results of competitive events. By jotting down the name of the event, who you competed against, and the outcome, you can compare your accomplishments from event to event, from year to year.

Your Personal Record

Because each athletes training needs are different the information recorded in a journal is completely up to the individual. Your training journal should be just that - yours. Sports physiologists, athletic trainers and coaches as well as former Olympic medalists agree that there are several areas any athlete involved in a serious program should include in a journal.

Daily Workouts

For each day of training note the time of day, and a description of the workout session. Specify the type of exercise and how you felt before, during and after the training session. Also note, the intensity during each workout session and the number of sessions that day. Record the number and length of rest intervals during the session. Record, too, if you are recovering from illness or injury. Note the time of day of your training. You can compare early morning workouts to afternoon sessions, for example, to see if the time of day influences how well you train or how you feel.

Weight Fluctuations

Record your weight faithfully each day. It will tell you a great deal about your training program. Weigh yourself before breakfast. This is your "real weight." Then weigh yourself before and after practice to see how much water loss you are experiencing - and to gauge how readily you regain water weight.

Sleep Patterns

Note the ease of falling asleep the night before, and how well and how long you slept. Jot down any changes or disturbances in sleep patterns as well as the total hours slept each evening.

Injuries

How you recover from an injury can be documented in your journal, and can be used as a reference for future injuries. Regular record keeping will show what type of treatment was used for a particular injury. How long did it take for a complete recovery? Was complete rest or moderate exercise the way you rehabilitated? A journal will help you track the cause of injuries more easily, too. For example, if a knee problem develops for no apparent reason, a journal will allow you to look back over your activities for previous days for clues. Recovering from any illness such as a cold or the flu also should be noted in your journal. Frequent illnesses may indicate a low resistance to germs and infections as a result of stress or overtraining.

Supplementary Training

All supplementary training should be recorded and monitored. If you are weight training for greater muscular strength, note the amount of weights and repetitions, or weight resistance machines used in your training. When running or cycling is part of your program, record the distance and time (speed) for each workout.

Common Journal Pitfalls

The most common pitfall of keeping a regular journal is to record too much information. Keep only information that is important to you and your training program. Don't become bogged down with recording trivial details or more data than you need. Stick to jotting down only the few important details. Otherwise, you may tire altogether of keeping any notes.

Looking Back...

The greatest benefit you will get from keeping a training journal is the ability to look back over past weeks, months and years. You might not have to recall the difficulty, once you are through a particularly tough training period, but flipping back through the pages in your journal will remind you of just how hard you have worked.

If you really believe that keeping a journal will improve your athletic performance, you will find time to keep it and learn from it too.