Logging your miles.

Logging your miles can really help motivate you to see where you have had successes.  It can also show you where you may have struggled to "fit it all in" or lost motivation.  Training logs can also help you track mileage on your shoes - so that you know when to trade them in.  You can make fancy graphs and charts and analyze every step you've taken over the past week, month, year, lifetime.

Many of the online logs also let you track other workouts:  cycling, swimming, cross training, etc.  There are many electronic training logs (many for free).  Many of these logs also offer app downloads for your phone.  While some runners still prefer to keep paper training logs, journals or notebooks.

I personally, have been tracking all of my miles for the past seven years over at Runner's World's free online training log (HERE).  I simply track the date and the number of miles I've ran. However, you can get all fancy and record time, pace, weather, conditions, hills, heart rate, weight, calories burned and many other personal notes that we obsessed runners may want to track. You can track routes and when you have PR'd on a training run or race.

Other popular sites that have been recommended to me are Daily Mile, RunKeeper and MapMyRun.  I have accounts with each of these popular sites, but am not active on them.  I routinely use MapMyRun to map out training routes.  It's a super handy tool, especially for my Couch to 5K clients, who are eager to see how far they ran after each session.
If you are into social media, message boards and interacting with other runners, many of these sites also give you the ability to connect with other runners.  These online communities give great motivation to get your butt out the door and also provide instant, virtual feedback after your workouts, which are posted publicly.  Many of these communities will also automatically post your workouts to Facebook, so that you can also share your latest run with non-running family and friends.

Over on the RDM Facebook Page (HERE), I recently asked my readers where they are tracking their mileage.  Just like their preference in running shoes and energy gels - answers were all over the place.  With over sixty responses, here is what they shared. 


Online Training Logs

Daily Mile (HERE) - social experience for active people. Community of people from Couch to 5K to Ultra Marathoners.  The most popular training log mentioned in response to my question.

RunKeeper (HERE) - fun, social, easy to understand, interact with other runners.  The second most popular choice by my readers.

Runners World (HERE) - Log your runs, plus your cycling, swimming, and other cross-training activities. For each workout, keep track of your time and distance, route, workout type, race placement, heart rate, weight, calories burned, shoe mileage, quality and effort, interval times and distances, weather, and personal notes.

Garmin Connect (HERE) - Use Garmin Connect for your daily training log. You can use your device for outdoor GPS enabled activities, or use your device for indoor workouts, especially if you have accessories like the heart rate monitor, foot pod or cadence sensor.

Endomondo (HERE) - With Endomondo on your phone, you can track your running, cycling and other sports. It's fun, it's social and it's motivating.

Map My Run (HERE) - map out routes, share with friends, connect with other runners in your area

RunningMap (HERE) - enter your address and click GO and you will instantly have access to tons of routes in your area

RunningAhead (HERE) - RunningAHEAD's running log is completely free. It is simple and intuitive to use yet allows you to record all aspects of your training. Track your shoe mileage and map your running routes. You can create custom activities and workout types.

Fit Day (HERE) - Create a Goal, Track Food, Log Activity, See Progress

RunMeter (HERE) - Runmeter is iPhone-centric. No Web site logins, no monthly subscriptions, no uploading data, and no ads. Runmeter is a complete solution for tracking your runs on your iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, or 5. It can also be used for cycling, walking, skiing, and more.

iRunner (HERE) - the ultimate running companion

Strava (HERE) - Track all your runs, rides and cross-training too. Upload your activities from your Garmin or smartphone and Strava will automatically log all your workouts.

SparkPeople (HERE) - More than 12 million people have joined SparkPeople.  Get all the tools, resources and support you need to reach your weight loss goals!

SportsTracker (HERE) - By joining Sports Tracker and downloading the free application to your smartphone, you’ll launch your training to a whole new level. Easily track and analyze your exercises and have fun training by sharing your workouts and photos with your friends and other similar-minded people via the Sports Tracker community, Facebook and Twitter. You’ll enjoy monitoring the development of your progress like never before.


On-the-Run Tracking
      Garmin (HERE) - Various sized GPS tracking devices that you wear on your wrist or arm.  Different price ranges for each budget.  Prices tend to range fro $130-$400.

Nike+ (HERE) - Nike offers several options, that will please just about every runner out there - from the runner that likes gizmos and gadgers to the runner that travels lightly. They offer everything form apps, to a SportsWatch, SportsBand and out there.

Cell Phone GPS


Personal Tracking

Excel Spreadsheet

Google Calendar


Hard Copy

Paper Calendar/Planner

Training Calendar/Program

Personal Running Folder/Binder

Shoebox for Each Pair of Running Shoes



Where are you
tracking your miles?
How many miles
have you logged
so far this year??