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Training Logs 2013

Logistics Series Articles: [ Century Training ] [ Dealing With High Altitude ] [ Packing List ] [ Planned Races ] [ Race Prep & Reservations ] [ Race Selection ] [ Sponsorship ] [ Toolbox List ] [ Training Log Basic ] [ Training Logs ] [ Travel with Your Bike ]

Training Logs. $5.95.

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Training Logs (Introduction)

 

Excel Document This program uses Microsoft Excel 2007. It is formatted in Excel 1997 to 2003 compatible mode. Other programs and Excel versions may be able to open this document. Earlier versions of Excel that otherwise do not open this document may work if you download the necessary converter from Microsoft. Earlier Excel versions may not display some of the features of this document—such as colored worksheet tabs. The program contains macros. These miniprograms are used to automatically sum weekly and monthly mileage. If your e-mail program or program security settings prohibit opening a document with macros, you will not be able to use this document or some of its features will be unavailable to you. Since Excel 2003 is the most common version in use, program specific instructions will generally be given for that version. Your program settings may give you the option to enable macros or not each time you open an Excel file. If you wish, you can change the security settings of your Excel 2003 program so that you do not have to enable macros each time you open the file. This can be reset in the Tools menu: Choose Macro, Security.   Rename the File The file is called First Last 2013 Training Logs. I suggest that you perform a SAVE AS from the File menu with your name. For example, Gero McGuffin 2013 Training Logs. In this way, you have a backup original copy of the log, and if you send your log to your coach, it will identify you.   12 Worksheets Your training log contains eleven worksheets in addition to this one. Select the worksheet you wish to work on by clicking on the tab button along the bottom of your document, starting form the left side.  The worksheets are labeled and are color-coded.   1.  This worksheet of instructions (black) 2.  2013 Daily Logs (green) 3.  Summaries (yellow) 4.  Test Results (brown) 5.  Planned Races (blue) 6.  Specific Workout Logs (red) 7.  HIT (Standard High Intensity Training Book) SWLs (red) 8.  Rapid HIT (Rapid High Intensity Training Book) SWLs (red) 9.  Equipment (dark blue) 10. Personal Worksheet (black) 11. Injuries and Illnesses (pink) 12. Coaching Questionnaire (pink)   Transferring Information If you have used ABC Training Logs before, you can transfer Summaries or Test Results worksheet information by copying and pasting from your previous years’ worksheets. Copy and paste from the Edit menu, or use keyboard shortcut Ctrl-C. Use Paste Special and select Values to avoid problems with macro- and linked-derived values. Use Paste Special from the Edit menu or from the right mouse button Each worksheet generally follows the same format as last year.   Inserting Comments Within each cell of each worksheet you may insert additional information by adding a comment. To do this, right-click on your mouse and choose insert comment or use the Insert menu and select Comment. You can make it easier to view long comments by resizing the default comments box. Just drag a corner or edge marker. The existence of a comment in any worksheet cell is shown in some versions of Excel by a small red triangle in the top right hand corner of the cell.   2013 Daily Logs Worksheet Monthly logs for all of 2013 are found in the 2nd worksheet (green tab). For many computer-printer set-ups, the pages will format correctly to print individual months. Scroll to the bottom of the worksheet to find examples of how to log your workouts. One line of information represents one day of training. I have used the Freeze Panes feature from the Window menu. The first line of the viewing screen is frozen on line 7. This is especially helpful with small displays. Freezing this part of the screen allows you to keep headings at the top of the screen. To cancel this feature, choose the Unfreeze Panes command from the Window menu. I have added comments at the top of most columns. The comments explain the information to be placed in each cell. To view a cell’s comment, mouse over to the cell. To view all comments use the View menu. The first four columns compute for you totals of weekly volume in miles and hours, weekly climbing, and weekly workload in kilojoules. The training week starts on Monday. Do not place any figures in these first four columns directly. Macros will automatically calculate these values for you from the information you provide in your daily logs in columns G, H, I, and J. In order to perform correctly, the entries into the miles, hours, climbing, and work columns must be numerical entries only. Enter climbing totals in thousands of feet, with a decimal place for hundreds. For example, if you climbed 5,280 feet, enter 5.3. If you enter 5,280, or 5.3 thousand or 5.3 feet the macros won’t work properly. If you use a power meter, enter workload totals in megajoules (thousand kilojoules) with one or two decimal place. For example, if you worked 3,500 kilojoules, enter 3.5 or 3.50. If you enter 3,500, or 3.5 thousand the macros won’t work properly. The existence of a macro in any worksheet cell is shown in some versions of Excel by a small green triangle in the top left hand corner of the cell. Monthly totals are calculated automatically at the bottom of the first four columns of each month. The monthly totals are generally not the same as the sum of the month’s weekly totals: Unless the 1st of the month falls on a Monday, the weekly totals for the first week of the month include training from the last days of the partial week of the previous month. Training after the last Sunday of the month will be included in the current month’s total and in the first weekly total that appears in the following month. If you wish to record more than one workout on any given day, click on the next day’s row number and use the insert rows command from the menu bar to create a new row in which to record each workout. The weekly and monthly macros will still work correctly.   Conditional Formatting I have used the Conditional Format feature from the Format menu. Workouts that are long, hard, or that contain a lot of climbing are automatically highlighted in red. Moderate workouts are highlighted in yellow. Easy workouts are highlighted in green. Sleep hours and quality, recovery, mood, and energy are highlighted in red when scores are low. The noting Y for the use of a heart rate monitor, strength work, or stretching creates green highlighting. Chosen values approximate those for a Category 3 rider. Change the parameters of the conditional formats in Format menu for your riding level. Lots of red highlighting warns of overtraining. Lack of any red highlighting may indicate inadequate training.   Summaries Worksheet The 3rd worksheet (yellow tab) is used to summarize your bicycle training from 1986. There are three areas. (1) The light green area, top left. Here you can summarize monthly miles from 1986. Monthly summaries of training hours and feet climbed can be logged from 2003. Monthly summaries of work in megajoules can be logged from 2010. Monthly miles, training hours, feet climbed, and workload in 2013 will automatically be entered from your entries in the 1st worksheet, 2013 Daily Logs. (2) The light yellow area, bottom left. You can use this area to record annual summaries of additional details for the last few years. Here you can: ·   Record miles or hours or both. ·   Give total miles in road miles. Double miles on dirt to approximate road miles. It’s not perfect, but it will do. ·   Separate out your miles or hours on road and dirt. If you ride only road, just put in 100%. ·   Record the number of days you performed intervals or raced. (3) The chart area. Annual summary charts of monthly mileage and climbing for the current and last few years are on the right of the worksheet. These charts are plotted automatically from information entered in the light green area.   Test Results Worksheet The 4th worksheet (brown tab) is to track the results of fitness, skills, and other tests. For more information about fitness testing, see the ABC handout Fitness Testing. This handout is available for PDF download by clicking on the link in cell 3A of the worksheet or from the ABC website http://arniebakercycling.com. I have listed one row for each of the tests described in the handout. For each test, there is a column for your personal best result, the most recent result, and up to ten additional test results. Use the Insert Comment command from the menu bar to record test conditions and other data associated with your results.   Planned Races Worksheet The 5th worksheet (blue tab) is to plan and record your racing calendar for the year. For more information about planning races see the ABC handout Race Selection. This handout is available for PDF download by clicking on the link in cell 2A of the worksheet or from the ABC website http://arniebakercycling.com. I’ve listed one line for each week, and listed in the 1st column the date for the end of the week, Sunday, the most common race day. If you plan to race more than one day during the week, click on the next week’s row number and use the Insert Rows command from the menu bar. Insert the exact date of your race in the 2nd column. For example, if your race is on a Saturday, it will be one day earlier than the date listed in the 1st column. Insert the race name in the 3rd column. Link to the race flyer by highlighting the race name, keying in Ctrl K, and inserting the URL. Assign a priority for each race in the 4th column. Rate your race priority as A, B, or C; A being most important. I have used the Conditional Format feature from the Format menu. A races are highlighted in red. B races are highlighted in yellow. C races are highlighted in green. List no more than 6 priority A and 6 priority B races a year. Insert the race type (for example, road race, time trial, cross-country) in the 5th column. List your race category (for example Cat 3, Expert, or Masters 45+) in the 6th column. Insert the race location in the 7th column, and the travel time to the race in the 8th column. List you goal—in terms of result, training, or race strategy—for this race in the 9th column. If you have raced this race before, list your previous result and the field size in the 10th column. List your actual result and field size in the 11th column. List any additional information about the race in the 12th column. Finally, there is a day-by-day calendar on the right side of the worksheet. You can note details here. If notes are more than a few characters, use the Insert Comment command to preserve the structure of the calendar.   Specific Workout Log Worksheet The 6th worksheet (red tab) is for specific workout logs—generally interval workouts. Use SWLs for high-intensity workouts. Place logs for workouts in the same week on the same row. Start a new row each week. In this way you can compare weekly workouts by scanning vertically down columns. Note the day and date, general workout format, whether you have a heart rate or power recording for the workout, and your workout goal or focus. In the grid, note the type of exercise you are performing, the gear used, rpm (cadence), and other information. If you have a power meter or heart-rate monitor, record interval average or peak watts output and interval finishing and recovery heart rates. For more information about interval workouts see HIT: High-intensity Training for Cyclists available through http://arniebakercycling.com.   HIT SWL Worksheet The 7th worksheet (red tab) has partially completed specific workout logs for the three-month high intensity workout series as outlined in the ABC book HIT: High-Intensity Training for Cyclists. Your workout will be slightly different from the workout in the book and the workout example logged on the worksheet. Rewrite each log with your own data. Note the day and date, the gears used, rpm (cadence), watts power output, subsequent recovery interval, finishing and recovery heart rates, and other information. If entering torque data from PowerTap, enter average value for the interval in the form <<=T*C/c>> where T equals wheel torque value, C equals chainring teeth and c equals cog teeth. Excel will then calculate your crank torque value. When you have completed a workout log, change the color of the font back to automatic or black. In this way, it will be clear that the data recorded is from your workout, and not the generic data originally provided with the logs.   Rapid HIT SWL Worksheet The 8th worksheet (red tab) has partially completed specific workout logs for the three-month high intensity workout series as outlined in the ABC book HIT: High-Intensity Training for Cyclists. Your workout will be slightly different from the workout in the book and the workout example logged on the worksheet. Rewrite each log with your own data. Note the day and date, the gears used, rpm (cadence), watts power output, subsequent recovery interval, finishing and recovery heart rates, and other information. When you have completed a workout log, change the color of the font back to automatic or black. In this way, it will be clear that the data recorded is from your workout, and not the generic data originally provided with the logs.   Equipment Worksheet The 9th worksheet (dark blue tab) is can be used to keep track of bicycle fit, bicycle geometry, biomechanical measurements, equipment and bicycle maintenance.   Personal Worksheet The 10th worksheet (black tab) is blank. Use it as a notepad, or to record other information.   Injuries and Illnesses The 11th worksheet (pink tab) is a worksheet to record your injuries and illnesses.   Coaching Questionnaire The 12th worksheet (pink tab) is a questionnaire to record your contact information, basic background, equipment, goals, training and racing plans, basic current fitness information, general information, and document your release preferences.     Printing Want to print just one month of your training log? Want to print a HIT workout before your workout, so that you have a cheat-sheet for the exercises and can record your workout more easily? Scroll over just the area that your want printed. When you select Print from the File menu, toggle to radio button labeled Selection. You can preview how your page will print. You can also choose Page Setup from the File menu to change the scaling (print size).   Bottom Line General training, specific workouts, and racing help improve fitness. Logging your training, fitness-test results, and planned races helps document your progress, document what works and what does not, and improves motivation for many riders.