Running Journal

I was given Lauren’s Fleshman’s Believe journal a year or so ago, and I LOVED it. The layout is perfect for someone who prefers more bullet points/highlights than long sentences. So in that spirit, here’s why I liked it and can recommend it:

• It’s super pretty. I have the lavender; however, Lauren also has an exclusive one that’s all white with teal writing on her personal website (where you can also get Picky bars ).
• Content – it’s not just a journal; Lauren has written in strategies that legitimately help with your training. It’s filled with fun quotes from athletes, recommendations for stretches/core work, and different race strategies.
• Race reviews – there is a whole section where you can fill in info on your upcoming race -from start-time, warm-up, location, etc. You can write down your entire race plan and then recap the good/bad.
• Keeps you honest. This is what I’ve learned about myself and what needed to improve. I’m AWESOME at giving constructive criticism. I always see areas that need improvement.  I rarely congratulated myself on a great run. Instead it was: “Missed the splits by 3 seconds on last 3.” Or, “legs felt heavy, couldn’t get to RP for last 3 miles on LR.” INSTEAD, I’m now targeting on the 3 great things that happened in my workout; e.g. “Recovery walk was awesome, nailed it;” “hills were hard,  glad I got a break at the top.” I’m trying to focus on the 80-90% good in my training. This book is a great guide for helping you break down a workout.
• Pack this journal in your racing bag and read through all of your successes before a race. You’ll be filled with good thoughts knowing the “hay is in the barn.”