Tracking Your Swim Data

The swimmers logbook: provides an ongoing record of training. Some swimmers view them as a waste of time, an annoyance that must be added to daily. Others see the value in being able to review and compare training cycles, sets and repeat times. This can help identify strengths, weakness and opportunities. A logbook entry can record distances, times, heart rates, sleep patterns, success and failures, present and past … and just about anything the author desires in between. They can become quite a personal document recording battles, triumphs, injuries and emotions.  Sure you can get some of this data off a swim watch but a written log can capture much more.

A logbook also helps capture a point in time; a point that can be reflected on, savoured, or grimaced at in future years.  It has been a personal journey of mine opening logbooks now that last saw the light of day as recent as 1999 with some entries dating as far back as 1988. Other entries are too personal to share but some are entertaining as well as enlightening.  Everything from invisible Ink, mutated dog turd, piano factories , sun burn and some crazy sets … Here are just a few snapshots into the journey of a swimmer from way back when …

Recording your swim journey is a personal thing. What you record and when depends on what type of person you are and what you (and your coach) believe will be most helpful as you progress through your season, your career, your life! You may be surprised at what patterns emerge from the data. Not sure how to log your swims? Try something that is custom made for swimmers http://www.yourswimlog.com   Whatever method you choose to record your swim data … if you haven’t done so before do give it a try and be consistent for at least a 6 month period before you make any judgement on whether is helpful for you. What are you waiting for? Get swim logging …