The Value of A Swimming Log Book

Perhaps you keep track of your swim workouts, or maybe your children have been asked by their coach to keep a log. A spiral bound notebook of workouts, goals, performances at meets and more can be a handy tool. Logs make improvement tangible: it’s in your hands and you can see it. If you are already looking at it as extra work or more homework for your kids, stop right now. A valuable and often overlooked tracker lies within a well maintained log. Sometimes going unnoticed or unassigned is your personal heart rate map. This map is a guide to your health and training. Taking note of and documenting your heart rate while training is only part one. Part two might surprise you. Baseline heart rate can be established first thing in the morning. Once your alarm has gone off check your heart rate. Keep a book and pencil by your bedside for easy access. After doing so for a few weeks you should notice the numbers remain constant with little variations. Sometimes discrepancies in either direction can mean your body is working harder. Why? You could be fighting off illness, or you could be more broken down than normal, but these are important cues to notice. Personally, if my heart rate was higher for a few mornings in a row, by the third or fourth morning I was typically sick with a cold of some kind. This valuable information could help me protect myself. Learning that my increased heart rate meant my body was broken down helped me take better care of myself. Extra fluids, vitamins, and rest could help me stave off whatever was trying to break me down. Communication about logs is key. If your swimmer is keeping a log but not sharing it with their coach, a huge chunk of knowledge is lost. Encourage follow-through for them. If your log book is yours alone and you work out solo, keep a close eye on your baseline heart rate, you might be surprised by what you can learn.