Keeping on Track

Records, records, records

"Mission Control" - My craft room/office

I am addicted to keeping records and notes and using planners. I find it especially rewarding when I can look up and compare running sessions or races etc to help me set goals and plan future events.

I love the digital age and the way it enables avid list makers like me to indulge their passion. Even so I still adore using pen and paper and spending time messing around decorating pages for my planner and note books. The result is a combination of both digital and paper notebooks, journals and folders.

• Running basket
• Running folder
• Organizer/planner
• Evernote
• Computer folders/files

Running basket

My Reisenthel 'running' basket 

This basket system was something I learnt about from Jen over at Organized Jen. Having everything in one place that can be carried about the house so that I can journal downstairs when having breakfast or lunch makes life so much easier.

In my basket today:

• Garmin Vìvofit ready for photographing for blog review
• Colchester Half Marathon Tee Shirt waiting for displaying
• Skipping rope (impressed!) for when Vìvofit tells me to get active
• Jonathan Adler small zippered pouch 
• Staples large zippered pouch
• Magazines
• Running folder 

I keep a Moleskine notebook, pens, coloured marker pens, post it pads etc in my Jonathan Adler pouch to make notes about my running sessions.

Various items corralled into a pouch
for ease of use when note taking 

In the large Staples pouch I keep my current running books I am reading including a daily motivational guide. 

Another set of corralled items that are
looked at every day

Then there is another small pouch which holds my running journal and loose photos, discount vouchers and some sticky notes.

More items collected together in a pouch
helping to keep me organised 

In my running journal I records details of my training sessions and races. 

I have a front cover showing some race photos and on the back a selection of running motivational sayings.

Running motivational sayings adorning my
 journal which is from Paperchase

I use the journal to note:

• the date, time and venue
• the trainer
• who was with me
• details of the training session
• what the weather was like
• my thoughts and feelings
• my goal

Using the notes I form a new goal for the following session which I attach to that page.

An example of how I set out my journal pages

At the back I have a list of the races I have completed with time and my race number.

The back pages of my journal

I also have a 'To Do' post it and any special notes on a post it.

I like to keep a selection of running, cycling, walking and health magazines in my basket. Recently I made a page keeper using some of my desk calendar motivational pages which I laminated. It is very useful for when I find an interesting article I'd like to look at again or a recipe I want to get to quickly.

My home-made page keeper coming in useful to remind me
of a delicious looking recipe I may try later

Running folder

My running folder is divided by tabs into sections as follows:

The front of my running folder with the usual
post it notes and zip pouch for pens etc

• Garmin records
• Kat Marks (my previous trainer) Running
• Races
• Training notes
• General paperwork items 

I use page tabs for each individual training session
 so I can get to them quickly

I sometimes print out my Garmin pages because I worry about things on the computer being lost. 
I keep records from my trainers as they sometimes send you emails with instructions etc. 
I have the paperwork and numbers for races in another section.

This folder is really full up now so it is time
to plan better storage

I keep fun training notes from SportsGirlsPlay.com which are designed for youngsters but I think you have fun being young at heart sometimes.
Then finally I have a section for paperwork such as nutrition, specific training plans and so on. I am probably going to have a new folder just for nutrition but I will have a separate post on that later.

As always there are a number of items to keep
in a general section until I decide where best they
could go

Organizer/Planner

I use an A5 Filofax with month by month inserts

I have a large A5 desk filofax with month-by-month pages that help me keep on top of different aspects of life. 

Behind another motivational page I have room
for my Moleskine notebook

My filofax also houses my Moleskine notebook which I use to make notes for this running blog.

Another organising idea from Organized Jen
this one is for projects including my blog planning

I like to keep notes about my running blog including how I organised it, which service providers I used, ideas for future posts etc.

Every time I have an idea for a post I jot it down here in my notebook

Evernote

Evernote - my collection of running notes

This is a really useful tool which I use on a daily basis for taking notes for everything. I have a stack for running and here I can keep clippings from web pages I visit or I can create notes such as the one shown for a checklist of things I might need for a race. The use of tags allows me to quickly access things I need. For example, I might take a clip of a race route and tag it under the race name and map then next year I can type in that tag and get the details quickly.

Computer Files and Folders

I try to keep just four folders on my desktop
including Running and screenshots

The computer is useful to keep my running obsession in order.

• Running folder
• Screenshots folder
• Garmin Connect
• Bloglovin' and The Old Reader
• Facebook
• Email folders

Running folder

I keep photos in my running folder and older screenshots from my Facebook Running group league tables. I try to keep it clean and uncluttered and eventually I hope to get an external hard drive to help with storage. My photos are stored on iCloud too.

Screenshots folder

Here is where I keep the latest league table results and any other images I want to use for my blogs.

Garmin Connect

This is where I can keep track of my running, spinning classes, hiking, cycling and my Vìvofit data. I can also connect with other runners.

My running page on my Garmin Connect 

Bloglovin' and  The Old Reader

I love to read blogs about running, knitting, sewing, reading, art, organisation, cooking, gardening and many other subjects and these readers mean I don't miss any new posts and can favourite anything that I might want to re-read.

Facebook

I belong to a running group on Facebook called The Commando Runners and here I can keep track of what races are coming up and they have league tables to help motivate us for both running and cycling.

I also 'like' lots of running related pages such as Parkrun, Nike, Garmin, LuluLemon and so on.

Email folders

I have folders for:

Parkrun

Running general - for web orders, race entries, club information etc.

So there are all the tools I use to keep my running hobby recorded and organised. I love it but I never forget that I don't really need any of it and I could just head out the door and enjoy a run. In the end it is my choice to enhance my running experience by making records and plans.